Modern Warfare 4 Weapons Guide: All 33 Launch Guns and When You Unlock Them

Modern Warfare 4 launches with 33 weapons, but you will not need to grind all the way to Level 55 before getting meaningful choices.

Create-a-Class opens at Player Level 4 with weapons covering every major combat role, the VEL 46 arrives one level later, and familiar platforms such as the M4 begin joining the arsenal as you progress.

The launch arsenal consists of 24 primary weapons, eight secondaries, and one dedicated melee weapon. That breaks down into eight assault rifles, five SMGs, two shotguns, three LMGs, three marksman rifles, three sniper rifles, four pistols, four launchers, and the FSS Carbon Edge 1095 knife.

There is also a major Gunsmith change worth knowing before you start grinding: standard attachments only need to be unlocked once. If another weapon uses the same attachment, it becomes available there too, reducing the repeated attachment grind found in earlier Call of Duty progression systems.

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 4

Start building your launch arsenal

Modern Warfare 4 arrives with 33 weapons, redesigned Gunsmith progression, Apex Attachments, weapon Prestige, Multiplayer, Campaign, and the returning DMZ experience.

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How many weapons are in Modern Warfare 4?

Infinity Ward has confirmed 33 launch weapons across Multiplayer and DMZ.

Custom loadouts unlock at Player Level 4. Before that, Multiplayer uses premade Default Loadouts.

All 33 Modern Warfare 4 weapons and unlock levels

The table below follows Activision’s official Multiplayer Progression track from Levels 1–55. Level 4 means the weapon becomes available as soon as Create-a-Class opens.

Modern Warfare 4 assault rifles

Assault rifles are the largest launch category with eight options. The Han 86 is available as soon as Create-a-Class opens and is positioned as the flexible starting rifle, combining a relatively high fire rate with moderate damage and manageable performance across different ranges.

The familiar M4 unlocks at Level 14, while later progression shifts toward harder-hitting or more specialized rifles such as the Patriot XMR, Kastov 762, Oden, subsonic Axion, and finally the Cronen Squall at Level 55.

Modern Warfare 4 SMGs

SMG players get useful choices almost immediately. The ISO Nightshade is available at Level 4, followed by the VEL 46 at Level 5.

The VEL 46 combines high mobility with a fast 952 RPM fire rate, making it an obvious early progression candidate if your preferred style is aggressive close-range play. The later PPSh-41 pushes fire rate even higher, while the X-58 Nyx is built around suppressed, covert combat.

Shotguns, LMGs, marksman rifles and sniper rifles

Every major primary-weapon role is represented from the moment custom classes become available.

• Shotguns: Rezi 12 at Level 4, Warlord at Level 32.
• LMGs: FiNN LMG at Level 4, Type 73 at Level 9, APOC-338 at Level 44.
• Marksman Rifles: MAR-9 at Level 4, Oris 8.6 at Level 11, Mosin-Nagant at Level 36.
• Sniper Rifles: KG-7 Vulcan at Level 4, Astaroth .57 at Level 25, Signal 50 at Level 50.

That early variety is useful because you do not have to spend the first several hours using an assault rifle just to reach another playstyle. A shotgun, LMG, marksman rifle, and sniper are already available when Create-a-Class opens.

Pistols, launchers and the launch melee weapon

Modern Warfare 4 has four pistols and four launchers at launch.

Pistols get full Gunsmith customization. Launchers and the dedicated melee weapon are more limited and primarily support cosmetic customization rather than the same attachment progression.

Which Modern Warfare 4 weapons should you level first?

It is too early to responsibly declare a launch meta before the public Multiplayer environment has settled, but several weapons make sense as early progression targets because of when they unlock and the roles they cover.

The key distinction is that these are progression-friendly recommendations, not claims about the strongest competitive loadouts. Once public Multiplayer data and launch balancing settle, the actual meta may look very different.

Modern Warfare 4 removes a lot of repeated attachment grinding

The most player-friendly Gunsmith change may be easier to miss than the new guns themselves.

Each standard attachment only needs to be unlocked once. After you earn an attachment, it becomes available on every compatible weapon rather than forcing you to unlock the same piece repeatedly.

Infinity Ward goes one step further. If a later weapon level would normally reward an attachment you already own, the game can skip that redundant reward with a Bonus Level Up.

Apex Attachments can fundamentally change a weapon

Apex Attachments are the headline addition to Modern Warfare 4’s Gunsmith.

They unlock after fully leveling supported weapons and occupy their own Apex slot, so they do not consume one of your normal attachment slots.

They are also designed to do more than slightly improve recoil or handling. The Han 86’s X20 Skybreaker adds an airburst launcher, the M4 Hurricane converts the rifle into a lighter 5.7x28mm configuration, the Wz.55 Striga Rampage enables akimbo use, and the Signal Inferno introduces incendiary ammunition focused on vehicles and Killstreaks.

That creates a second reason to fully level favorite weapons beyond ordinary attachment unlocks.

Can you unlock and level Modern Warfare 4 weapons in DMZ?

Yes. Player XP earned in DMZ contributes to the standard Level 1–55 progression path, so playing DMZ can advance the same weapon unlock milestones used by Multiplayer.

DMZ also provides additional routes to weapons. Guns can be looted during deployments, built after finding the appropriate Weapon Manual, or purchased through the Forward Operating Base once the necessary systems are available.

Weapon XP earned during DMZ Early Access levels weapons and unlocks attachments and camos that can then be used in Multiplayer after the October 23 launch.

For the wider game overview, including Campaign, Multiplayer, DMZ, editions and platforms, see our complete Modern Warfare 4 guide.

Modern Warfare 4 weapons FAQ

How many weapons does Modern Warfare 4 have at launch?

Modern Warfare 4 launches with 33 weapons: 24 primaries, eight secondaries, and one melee weapon.

When do you unlock the M4 in Modern Warfare 4?

The M4 unlocks at Player Level 14.

When does Create-a-Class unlock?

Create-a-Class unlocks at Player Level 4. Before that, Multiplayer provides premade Default Loadouts.

Do attachments carry between weapons?

Compatible standard attachments do. Once an attachment is unlocked, you do not need to earn the same attachment again for another weapon that supports it.

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