Dropping into a session of Call of Duty Zombies without a handy sidearm or weapon platform by your side is straight-up suicidal, but picking the right weapon to murder the undead with is a tough pick.
Weapons can be found during a match from loot crates, wall buys, dead mercs, or the Mystery Box. For those brave enough to enter the red zone of Urzikstan, these are our picks for the best guns to use in MW3 Zombies.
The best MW3 Zombies gun overall
The MCW is widely regarded as the best MW3 Zombies gun and it comes as no surprise. The assault rifle, which also dominates the multiplayer and Warzone tier lists, is just too consistent thanks to its adaptability, handling, accuracy, and recoil control.
It is wholly recommended you bring in a 60 Round Drum, which when doubled after Pack-a-Punch’ing the weapon, grants you a whopping 120 rounds of full auto fury. After that, the rest of the attachments are up to you, although I recommend boosting your mobility as much as you can with shorter stocks and barrels.
Other weapons like the Longbow with the JAK Conversion kit and the full-auto Haymaker shotgun are solid too, but the MCW is by far and away the most popular and best MW3 Zombies gun out there.
Best MW3 Zombies weapons, listed
This list is based on the Dot team’s collective experiences and hours played in MW3 Zombies. For virtually every weapon on this list, visiting the Pack-a-Punch stations and leveling up the guns is a necessity if you want to go deeper into Urzikstan and take on the biggest, baddest zombies out there.
Best assault rifles in MW3 Zombies
SVA 545
The SVA 545 is the default weapon for MW3 Zombies for a reason. With a comfortable feel, easy recoil pattern to control, and usefulness in its Pack-a-Punch upgrades, the SVA is a great weapon to invest in from the get-go.
FR 5.56
The FR 5.56 is a versatile weapon for all ranges. It offers an easily manageable hip-fire, alongside the ability to take out mercenaries and zombies in an insanely quick time to kill, especially with just a single burst needed against low-tier zombies.
Best SMGs in MW3 Zombies
HRM-9
The HRM-9 is one of the newest additions to the MW3 arsenal of weapons, and it immediately a place in your Zombies loadout. It’s got superb damage up close and a high fire rate, making it a must-have for close-quarters action—and it can handle itself in mid-range fights as well.
ISO-45
While it may not have one of the faster fire rates among SMGs, the ISO-45’s high caliber rounds more than make up for it. Because of the damage these rounds deal, a loadout that features recoil and range-enhancing attachments will really bring out the best in this weapon during Zombies.
WSP Swarm
The WSP Swarm is a favorite among players in the community, with an even higher fire rate and up close damage dealt than the HRM-9. Loadout-wise, you will absolutely need to buff its recoil control and accuracy, but you’ll be very happy with the end results.
Best shotgun in MW3 Zombies: Lockwood 680
With the right build, the Lockwood 680 is one of the most powerful weapons in Zombies. By adding 12 Gauge Slugs and modifications that maximize its mobility, handling, and range, it can shred enemies from further away and decimate special zombies. really
You’ll really want to make sure you use the 12 Gauge Slugs and Pack-a-Punch your Lockwood. Once you’ve Pack-a-Punched, you’ll be shooting multiple slugs with each pull of the trigger. That’s a lot of wonderful, chunky, zombie-shredding damage!
Best LMG in MW3 Zombies: Holger 26
The Holger 26 is another great weapon for MW3 Zombies. You should use this weapon when completing Eliminate the Bounty Contracts because you can continue to shoot the target for critical damage with its default 60-round magazine. The Holger can easily take out multiple zombies within quick succession without an Ammo Mod.
Best Battle Rifles in MW3 Zombies: BAS-B and MTZ-762
The BAS-B and MTZ-762 are great options for MW3 Zombies due to their consistency and high damage. They offer mobility and great range where others don’t. I recommend these weapons for close to mid-range battles unless you are good at handling the recoil. While you may be dishing out more bullets than you’d normally like to, your ammo replenishes easily after killing enemies (so long as you run over their corpses to pick up the supplies).
You can easily wipe hordes of zombies, clear mercenary groups, and take on some of the heavy-hitting, high-threat bosses as long as you Pack-a-Punch these Battle Rifles throughout your deployment.
Best Sniper Rifle in MW3 Zombies: Longbow
The Longbow is an underrated weapon. It’s useful against Mercenary Camps and Strongholds, alongside being able to clear cysts inside Infected Strongholds and Aether Nests with a single bullet. This is the perfect weapon for those who only have a two-plate armor vest, limited ammo, and armor plates. This requires a patient player who can clear the area and move in to sweep for supplies and ammo to replenish their Longbow.
If you want to use the Longbow, you can pick this up at the Ghalia Seaside Hotel. You need to beat the Rook boss in the area for this weapon to drop as loot. Make sure you have a decent assault rifle to use as your secondary,
Outside of the Longbow, there are few viable sniper rifles to use in Zombies. In order to make sure your Longbow is consistently getting one-shot kills, you’ll want to make sure it has at least a rarity level of Rare (blue). And, of course, Pack-a-Punching it is a great idea too.
Best Marksman Rifle in MW3 Zombies: MCW 6.8
Due to its more precise firing rate, the MCW 6.8 is a great weapon to Pack-a-Punch and take on higher-tiered enemies in medium to high-threat zones. It’s best used from afar, similar to a sniper rifle. With decent mobility to back it, the MCW offers easy repositioning to counter enemies trying to get close. The MCW allows you to adjust to every critical and weak spot the enemy has, allowing you to stick to headshots, or target that critical damage.
While its con is a slower firing rate, you shouldn’t be using this weapon with an aggressive playstyle. Play for medium to long-range fights and reposition with your high mobility secondary to gain the upper hand in the fight once more.
Best Wonder Weapons in MW3 Zombies: Ray Gun and Wunderwaffe DG-2
Of course, the Wonder Weapons are undoubtedly the best in MW3 Zombies. But their spawns are incredibly rare, and, even if you manage to get their permanent schematics, the 48-hour cooldown period stops you from frequently using them in your deployments. But if you get your hands on one of these weapons randomly via a loot cache, Mystery Box, or as a reward, make sure to hold onto it for dear life.
For those looking for a Ray Gun or the Wunderwaffe schematic, complete contracts and check Reward Rifts in the high threat tier (red zone on the map). For the Wunderwaffe, you can also complete the Tier Four, Act Three story mission, Holdout.
