Best SMGs in Modern Warfare 3

Whether you take a stealthy close-range approach, or like to pick-off enemies from mid-range, it's good to know the best SMGs in Modern Warfare 3 for your personal playstyle.

We've went over the three best SMGs you can use in Modern Warfare 3 below, including how to unlock them and what their ideal attachments are.

For more help, check out our pages on the best assault rifles, best sniper rifles, and how to level up fast.

Best SMGs in Modern Warfare 3

Going off their base stats, potential with attachments, and community observations and place in the current meta of best weapons, there are three SMGs we recommend using in Modern Warfare 3: the Striker, Lachmann Sub, and Rival-9, with the Striker being the best of the three.

Keep in mind that although we've based this page off raw stats and community observations, our best SMG picks are subjective. They may not necessarily be ones you agree with or find the best to use.

With that in mind, here's more detailed information on the three best SMGs in Modern Warfare 3:

Striker

How to unlock: Reach player Level 4.

Base Damage: 46 Headshot, 39 Upper Torso, 36 Lower Torso.

Base Range: 9.7m for effective damage range and 35.6m for minimum damage range, with 540 m/s Bullet Velocity.

Base Rate of Fire: 645.2 rpm.

Base ADS Speed: 240 ms.

This new weapon is our pick for the best SMG to use in Modern Warfare 3 for both its effectiveness at short and medium-range, depending on your build. If you played the original Modern Warfare 2, you'll be more familiar with its old name, the UMP-45. It plays a lot like this old UMP-45, but the biggest difference is increased difficulty in just using its iron sights, so we recommend equipping an Optic to make up for this.

You need the right build to make use of this powerful SMG, so here's our recommended attachments for the Striker in Modern Warfare 3:

• Optics: MK. 23 Reflector
• Barrel: Striker Recon Long Barrel
• Stock: FSS Titan Stock
• Rear Grip: FTAC G-5 Exo
• Ammunition: .45 Auto High Grain Rounds

If you'd like more of a close-range build, then swap out the FSS Titan for the Lachmann MK2 Light Stock.

For more details on how to play the Striker, check out our dedicated Striker loadout page.

Lachmann Sub

How to unlock: Get the Lachmann-762 to Level 13 and get the Lachmann-556 to Level 12.

Base Damage: 39 Headshot, 36 Upper Torso, 33 Lower Torso.

Base Range: 8.9m for effective damage range and 36.1m for minimum damage range, with 540 m/s Bullet Velocity.

Base Rate of Fire: 800 rpm.

Base ADS Speed: 200 ms.

As a returning Modern Warfare 2 weapon, the Lachmann Sub can take a while to unlock if you don't have it as part of the Carry Over feature. However, it's worth the wait if you want a speedy and silent close-range weapon.

To get the most out of its close-range potential, here's our recommended attachments for the Lachmann Sub in Modern Warfare 3:

• Muzzle: EXF Huntress-90
• Barrel: L38 Falcon 226mm
• Laser: VLK LZR 7MW
• Stock: LM Stockless Mod
• Magazine: 40 Round Mag

Rival-9

How to unlock: Reach player Level 25 and make Active at the Armory, then complete three daily or bonus challenges.

Base Damage: 37 Headshot, 31 Upper Torso, 31 Lower Torso.

Base Range: 10.2m for effective damage range and 45.7m for minimum damage range, with 450 m/s Bullet Velocity.

Base Rate of Fire: 909.1 rpm.

Base ADS Speed: 190 ms.

Another speedy SMG, the Rival-9 is new to Modern Warfare 3. For now, we think the Lachmann outperforms the Rival-9 for silent close-range effectiveness, but they're pretty close. As a new weapon, the Rival-9 is also likely to have more of a focus when it comes to future weapon balances and nerfs.

To get the most out of its close-range potential, here's our recommended attachments for the Rival-9 in Modern Warfare 3:

• Barrel: Rival-38E Fire Starter Barrel
• Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
• Rear Grip: Rival Vice Assault Grip
• Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor S
• Magazine: 40 Round Mag

For more details on how to play the Rival-9, check out our dedicated Rival-9 loadout page.

Good luck racking up those SMG kills in Modern Warfare 3!