Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (also known as CoD:MW3 or MW3) is the eighth installment in the Call of Duty series, and the third main entry in the Modern Warfare sub-franchise. The game has variously been developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software, and was published by Activision in 2011 for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

The story continues from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with the former members of Task Force 141 disavowed and hunted and the United States under siege from the Russian military. As the US repels the Russian invasion the former members of Task Force 141, including Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish, begin the hunt for terrorist mastermind Makarov as he sets into motion his ultimate plan to begin a third world war. The campaign is mainly played out from the perspective of two characters, a Task Force 141 member named Yuri and a Delta Force operator named Derek "Frost" Westbrook.

The game notably features advertising deals with various manufacturers, most obviously Remington, Leupold and EOTech.

The following weapons appear in the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3:
WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Overview

Modern Warfare 3 uses the standard system of granting the player two "slots" for weapons; in the campaign this can be any two weapons, while in multiplayer without the Perk "Overkill" the player is limited to one weapon classed as primary and one classed as secondary. The game is divided into four modes; a singleplayer campaign, a series of challenges for up to two players referred to as "Special Ops" mode, a "Survival" mode pitting up to two players against endless waves of increasingly tough enemies, and competitive multiplayer. In the former two cases, the player will encounter weapons placed at fixed locations in levels and semi-randomly allocated to enemies, while in the latter two an experience-based system is used to unlock access to new weapons; in multiplayer, there is now an additional weapon-based experience system used to unlock upgrades specific to that weapon, including accessories for it.

Some weapons have different stats in multiplayer, such as magazine size, or even completely different abilities. In this context, "multiplayer" refers to competitive multiplayer and Survival mode; Special Ops mode uses the singleplayer weapon stats and abilities.

The game features an accessory system for customising weapons; the main options for optics are a SureShot reflex sight, EOTech EXPS3 Holographic sight, or a Trijicon TA31 ACOG scope. One of the game's "gimmicks" is the ability to use dual-mode optics on certain weapons; SMGs use a Leupold HAMR sight with DeltaPoint red dot sight, assault and battle rifles use an EOTech MPO III close-/long-range sighting system, and the Remington RSASS can use a sniper scope with a diagonally-mounted SureShot reflex sight. Other accessories include rail-mounted foregrips, underbarrel launchers and shotguns for assault and battle rifles, suppressors, thermal scopes and the return from MW2 of the more than slightly implausible weapon-mounted heartbeat sensor.

Handguns

Beretta 92SB

The Beretta 92SB appears in the singleplayer mode during the mission "Goalpost," where friendlies can draw it from their holsters after running out of ammunition; this is a rare occurrence, however. If picked up, it will still have the same "M9" name as in previous games, and uses the same model as in Modern Warfare 2. It is also held by a Ranger in the Special Ops DLC mission "Special Delivery."

Beretta Model 92SB - 9x19mm Parabellum

A US Ranger holding a Beretta 92SB. Note the rounded trigger guard, showing that this is a 92SB rather than a proper M9.

Colt Anaconda

The Colt Anaconda is called the ".44 Magnum" in the game; it appears in multiplayer and Survival modes. In singleplayer the Modern Warfare 2 stainless steel Anaconda appears briefly in a flashback, and the new Anaconda model can rarely be found in "Bag and Drag" where bizarrely it is the sidearm of French GIGN troops; they will draw it occasionally instead of reloading their primary weapon if they are under fire, perhaps standing in for the real GIGN's Manurhin MR-73 revolvers. It appears with wood grips with a black synthetic insert, has a gold medallion on the frame below the cylinder release, and the hammer appears to have been cropped. It should be noted that the Anaconda in-game has a blued finish, which was not ever produced in real life; all Anacondas are stainless steel. The firing sound of the Anaconda reuses the firing sound of the Desert Eagle from the previous Modern Warfare games.

Colt Anaconda with 6" barrel - .44 Magnum

The player character in Survival mode holds his Colt Anaconda.

He then reloads the Anaconda as his opponent realises it's time for him to get shot.

In a flashback to the previous game's ending, General Shepherd wields his stainless steel Colt Anaconda.

Desert Eagle Mark XIX

The Desert Eagle Mark XIX appears throughout the campaign in the hands of NPCs, and can be used by the player. Unlike in MW2, where it had a Picatinny-rail barrel, it has the standard Mark XIX barrel with scope mounts. The gun also has tritium night sights and uses a 7-round .50 AE magazine which incorrectly holds 8 rounds in multiplayer and Survival, though in the singleplayer campaign it has the correct capacity. Like in the previous Modern Warfare games, it has a restricted fire cap (maximum rate of semi-automatic fire) of 300 RPM in singleplayer, but has the same firecap as most other semi-auto handguns in multiplayer. Oddly, during "Bag and Drag" after a flashbang is thrown, Volk is shown spraying automatic fire from a Desert Eagle at Westbrook's team, probably due to a placeholder use that was never replaced.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX - .50 AE

Yuri holds a Desert Eagle near the start of the mission "Persona Non Grata," apparently thinking this a reasonable choice of sidearm. Note the uncocked hammer; the pistol would not be able to fire in this condition.

Yuri reloads his Desert Eagle as perspective issues conspire to make it look like he is being menaced by a tiny attack helicopter. The markings on the slide read "Desert Hawk Pistol" and "Magnus Research Inc. Minneapolis MN."

Another image of a reload showing the magazine; note the spacing suggests four "windows" in the side, correct for a 7-round .50AE magazine, but four bullets are visible at the top of the magazine when only three should be, and this particular 7-round magazine somehow holds 8 rounds.

At the end of the mission "Return to Sender" Price draws his Desert Eagle; curiously, this is the model from Modern Warfare 2.

Having decided to forsake all sensible armament, Makarov brandishes a Desert Eagle.

FN Five-seveN

The fixed sights USG FN Five-seveN first appears in the single-player mission "Turbulence" and is the starting weapon in "Easy" difficulty Survival maps, and one of the two starting weapons in "Insane" difficulty maps (the other being the M16A4). While it should have a 20-round magazine it is shown holding 15 rounds in the singleplayer campaign and 16 in multiplayer and Survival, most likely for the usual "balance reasons."

FN Five-seveN USG - 5.7x28mm

FN Five-seveN USG FDE (Flat Dark Earth) & fixed sights - 5.7x28mm FN

Andrei Harkov holds a Five-seveN during the mission "Turbulence."

Harkov reloads his Five-seveN.

Makarov, apparently bored of sitting around doing nothing as he did in the entire second half of the previous game, holds his Five-seveN on Harkov.

In a deeply bizarre breaching sequence at the end of "Back on the Grid," Yuri holds a trained attack hyena (!) by the throat as he takes out African militiamen guarding a helicopter.

Yuri finishes off the hyena, vowing to never speak of this again. Note the slide already in partial recoil; the muzzle flash has not appeared yet. This despite that Yuri has clearly not pulled the trigger.

Glock 18

The Glock 18 is in the game's "machine pistol" class; the model shown has a flared magazine well. In singleplayer it has a 32-round magazine (indicating a 31-round magazine with a factory 2 round extension that isn't fully loaded), while in multiplayer the capacity is reduced to 20 rounds despite still using the same magazine model. Unlike MW2, this is an actual Glock 18 and not a Glock 17 converted to full-auto, as evidenced by the selector switch; this is, however, mounted backwards (or more precisely is rotated 180 degrees from where it should be). Since the selector is pointed upwards, the pistol is also set to semi-auto rather than full auto. This is unless the weapon is considered to literally have the selector mounted 180 degrees off where it should be, in which case the selector is actually pointing down and is correctly set; however, this is a needlessly confusing interpretation.

Glock 18 (3rd Generation) - 9x19mm Parabellum

Westbrook holds a Glock 18 as he gets buzzed by some inconsiderate F-15Cs, noting the rather strange rear sight.

Undeterred by this, he's soon using his Glock to blow a Russian patrol boat in half. One-handed, no less.

MW3’s weapons often feature oversized trademarks; this makes sense when it is done for advertising, but the Glock is clearly designed to avoid using Glock's logo or even their name, hence this apparently being a "Gluke" pistol. Like in MW2, the weapon lacks finger grooves, and the magazine release is missing.

Heckler & Koch USP45

The H&K USP45 returns from Modern Warfare 2 (using exactly the same model). In the game, there is an unusable under-barrel Viridian X5L Gen 1 combo module mounted on the pistol, and it is incorrectly shown with an extended barrel. It is one of the starting weapons in the singleplayer missions "Hunter Killer," "Bag And Drag" and "Iron Lady," and is seen in Price's hands in "Stronghold." It is replaced with the new USP Tactical in other modes.

Heckler & Koch USP45 - .45 ACP

Westbrook holds a USP45 as he searches for Makarov's right-hand man in the aftermath of a gas attack on Paris; the dark area at the edge of the screen represents his gas mask.

Westbrook reloads the USP. Note that this is made by the well-known German arms company "front cocking serration." Note that, as in Modern Warfare 2, it has the rear sight of a Heckler & Koch Mark 23.

Price draws his Modern Warfare 2 USP45 during the mission "Stronghold."

Heckler & Koch USP Tactical

For some reason, the USP Tactical appears along with the USP45, also chambered in .45 ACP; it is shown with the fixed iron sights of a standard USP, but it features both an extended barrel (longer than the incorrect one of the standard USP) and slide markings stating it is a USP Tactical. It also has an unusable Streamlight TLR 2 HL flashlight/laser combo. It is the starting weapon in "Regular" difficulty Survival maps and appears in the mission "Mind The Gap" in the hands of SAS soldier Burns. Most of the time it is incorrectly referred to as "USP .45" by the game; the only exception is the suppressed version seen in Special Ops and the campaign mission "Mind The Gap," where it is called "USP .45 Tactical Suppressed," though this correct name is an artifact created by having a tactical knife "accessory."

Heckler & Koch USP Tactical - .45 ACP

The player character in Survival mode reloads his USP Tactical. Note the different markings, missing HK trademark, projecting barrel, and Streamlight TLR 2 HL underbarrel accessory.

Burns holds a USP Tactical with a suppressor, along with a tactical knife. Note the illuminated sights.

Burns reloads his suppressed USP, showing it to be the Tactical model and seemingly also stabbing himself in the chest with his own tactical knife. Note that despite all the other missing HK logos, there is a completely normal one on the USP Tactical's grip; this does not appear to be on the unsuppressed model, which has no "USP" lettering here.

MP-412 REX

The MP-412 REX (called "MP412" in-game) is used by Spetsnaz troops and Makarov's terrorists, and is the starting weapon in "Hard" difficulty Survival maps; it has the longest reload of all the handguns in the game. As in the Battlefield: Bad Company series and Battlefield Play4Free, the weapon is depicted without the automatic extractor which is supposed to operate when the frame is broken open; instead the spent casings are ejected manually by tilting the frame. This is probably a result of using airsoft guns or movies as a reference for the behaviour of live ammunition: a revolver's cartridges expand in the chambers on firing due to the stresses of expelling the bullet (which is why the chambers exist), while the BB-holding "cartridges" of an airsoft revolver do not do so at all, and a blank-firing weapon's only barely as the peak internal pressure is much lower, allowing the casings to be dumped easily without using an extractor. The cylinder is also spun for whatever reason once the rounds are inserted, despite this serving no visible purpose other than to artificially prolong the reload.

MP-412 REX - .357 Magnum

Westbrook looks up at the devastated New York skyline, armed with an MP-412 REX.

The MP-412 REX partway through a reload; Westbrook tilts the weapon to get rid of the spent rounds (all of which are shown with bullets still in the casings), the automatic extractor having apparently deserted him.

Walther P99

The Walther P99 pistol is the sidearm of the Spetsnaz in some missions including "Iron Lady," and is used by a wounded Yuri in a flashback. The P99 holds 12 rounds, which in reality would mean it is chambered in .40 S&W.

Walther P99 with silver slide - 9x19mm Parabellum

Westbrook holds a P99 during the mission in Paris.

Westbrook reloads his P99; note the oversized name and missing Walther trademark, and the solid magazine top. Also the magazine release actually moves with the player's index finger.

Submachine Guns

The game itself includes an intermediate class of weapons ("machine pistols") between pistols and SMGs; the weapons in this class are the MP9, Glock 18, Magpul FMG-9 and Skorpion.

Brügger & Thomet MP9

The Brügger & Thomet MP9 is this time correctly called an MP9, and is one of the weapons classified as a "machine pistol" by the game. The MP9 has a 32-round magazine as opposed to the extremely small 15-round magazine it had in Modern Warfare 2.

Brügger & Thomet MP9 - 9x19mm

The player character in Survival guns down some villains at the tube station with his Brügger & Thomet MP9, grumbling about how it's always like this on Mondays.

He then realises he could have picked a better time to reload. Note that the weapon features the same side-mounted rail accessory as the Skorpion, even though it already has a top rail.

CZ vz. 61 E Skorpion

The CZ vz. 61 E Skorpion is available in Survival mode and multiplayer; it does not appear in the singleplayer campaign or Special Ops. It is one of the weapons classified as a "machine pistol" by the game. The Skorpion is weaker than previous incarnations in the series, no longer able to reliably kill in two hits.

CZ vz. 61 E / Yugoslavian made M84 distinguishable by its black pistol grip - .32 ACP

The player character in Survival holds his Skorpion.

The player character in Survival mode reloads his Skorpion, fitted with a rail-mounted EOTech sight. Note the side-mounted rails, which only appear if optics are attached, although they still appear in the Create-a-Class image. Also note that the rail bracket completely immobilises the stock in the folded position; it also blocks the charging handle from moving, preventing the weapon being chambered or cycling, and covers the ejection port, which would cause an instant jam. The latter is a bit of a moot point given the former. The empty reload animation will now show the user flipping the Skorpion to the other side and racking the charging handle on that side.

FN P90TR

The FN P90TR (Triple Rail) is one of the most common weapons in singleplayer, used both by Russian forces and Makarov's terrorists. As is fairly normal for video games, the translucent polycarbonate magazine does not visibly empty as the weapon is fired, always appearing completely full.

FN P90TR - 5.7x28mm

Westbrook holds a P90TR equipped with a (non-functional) laser and HK-style iron sights.

One-off character Burns holds a P90 as he and other SAS soldiers fight a running gunfight with terrorists on a subway train. While most passengers at this station run for cover, one man seems to just be annoyed the gunfight is late again.

Burns holds a P90 in better lighting as he and the other SAS await the arrival of a terrorist truck.

The player character in multiplayer reloads a P90 fitted with Leupold Mark 4 High Accuracy Multi-Range (HAMR) scope with a Leupold DeltaPoint red dot sight. This multiplayer-only accessory is the dual scope used by weapons the game classes as SMGs.

Heckler & Koch MP5A2

The H&K MP5A2 is a new weapon for the series, first seen in the Survival mode trailer where it was still identified as an MP5K; the hand positions used implied it was an MP5K with no front grip. In the final game it is called the "MP5", and is used by Delta Force operators, disavowed members of Task Force 141, and SAS soldiers. Price and Yuri use it with AN/PEQ-2A laser sights in "Stronghold". In Survival mode, it is the weapon carried by second-tier enemies and the "Riot Shield Squad" NPC allies. The MP5A2 rail system seems to be modeled after the real life Knights Armament rail system for the MP5. The fire selector for the MP5A2 is set to where "burst" would be if it had a four-setting trigger group; it doesn't, meaning the fire mode is set to "blank space between semi and auto."

Heckler & Koch MP5A2 with Navy trigger group - 9x19mm

Knights Armament Company rail system, MP5.

Westbrook holds his suppressed MP5A2 as he wonders when "modern" warfare came to involve naval engagement ranges more normally associated with galleons.

Westbrook reloads his MP5A2, cursing his inability to decide whether to set it to semi or auto.

In Survival, the ridiculously useful GIGN "buddy squad" the player can summon use MP5A2s.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1

The MP7A1 appears in Special Ops mode, Survival and multiplayer; it is shown with the 40-round extended magazine.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1 with factory magazine and iron sights - 4.6x30mm

The player character in Special Ops mode, who may or may not be Westbrook, holds an MP7 with a red dot sight as he watches an F-15 pilot doing his level best to crash into a submarine.

Reloading the MP7; note the correct extended 40-round magazine and fire selector correctly on full-auto. Note also, however, that the tab which should be part of the magazine is instead part of the base of the grip.

Heckler & Koch UMP45

The Heckler & Koch UMP45 is available in all game modes. In singleplayer it can be found in the level "Stronghold," where for some reason the model from Modern Warfare 2 is used instead of the new one. Compared to its stats in Modern Warfare 2, the UMP does less damage at range, but has a higher rate of fire and the penetration of a machine gun or sniper rifles.

Heckler & Koch UMP45 - .45 ACP

Yuri holds a UMP45 with ACOG scope during the mission "Stronghold." Note that this is actually the Modern Warfare 2 UMP45 with the same game's ACOG model and reticle. This is the only time this model and scope appear in the game.

The player character in Survival holds the new UMP45 model with the new ACOG scope; note the different stock, smaller charging handle, and the front sight ring removed rather than the whole thing missing when mounting optics.

Scope reticle of the Modern Warfare 2 UMP.

Reloading the UMP45; note the blanked-off window on the side of the magazine and lack of a visible round at the top, showing the new magazine to be empty. Note also the caution to read the user manual above the fire selector, a feature not present on military UMPs. The trademark here states it was made by the well-known arms manufacturer "Gunnery Gun Co."

Yuri reloads the Modern Warfare 2 UMP45; note there is a window in the magazine, and the fire selector is apparently on extra safe (as a result of the white line being textured at the wrong place).

Magpul FMG-9

The Magpul FMG-9 is available in multiplayer and Survival; in singleplayer, it is only seen in the mission "Turbulence" in the hands of terrorists trying to hijack the Russian president's aircraft. While it makes sense that they would use the easily concealed FMG-9 along with other compact weapons like the "AK-74u" (or rather it would if the FMG-9 had ever entered production), some are rather less believably wielding AA-12 shotguns. In multiplayer it has a 36 round magazine, while in other modes it has a 33-round magazine. The former is incorrect, since the weapon uses the 31 / 33 round extended magazine designed for the Glock 18 series.

Magpul FMG-9 - 9x19mm

The player character in Survival mode holds a Magpul FMG-9.

Reloading a Magpul FMG-9 fitted with an EOTech optic; note that the carrying handle is detached when optics are mounted.

Harkov starts the draw animation for the FMG. This animation only plays when the weapon is initially picked up; it is assumed to be unfolded the rest of the time.

With a flick of the wrist, Harkov magically transforms the boring box into a gun.

Minebea M-9

The Minebea M-9 is called the "PM-9" in game. It has an insanely fast rate of fire, the fastest out of any automatic weapon, and good stopping power, making it a deadly and effective weapon in close-quarter battles. In singleplayer it only appears in the level "Stronghold," while in Survival it is the weapon carried by "Claymore Specialist" enemies.

Minebea M-9 (Current Model) - 9x19mm

The player character in Survival unleashes his Minebea M-9 on some bad guys.

Yuri reloads his Minebea M-9.

Reloading a Minebea M-9 fitted with an ACOG scope; note that as with the Skorpion, mounting optics blocks the charging handle.

PP-90M1

The PP-90M1 is one of the more common weapons in singleplayer, used by Russian forces and Makarov's terrorists. It uses the third-person firing sound (ie, the sound of anyone but the player using the weapon) of the PP-2000 from Modern Warfare 2. In Survival mode it is carried by "Chemical Trooper" enemies.

PP-90M1 - 9x19mm

The player character in multiplayer holds a PP-90M1 equipped with a suppressor and HAMR scope.

Westbrook reloads his PP-90M1.

Reloading the HAMR scope equipped PP-90M1; note the large Leupold trademark. A smaller one and the word "Leupold" are visible on the scope base.

The HAMR scope offers a main 3x magnification tube reflex sight (the real HAMR is 4x).

To switch magnification, the player character twists a knob on the side of the scope; on the real HAMR, this appears to be a battery cover. Note the red dot sight is now lit red to indicate it is in use.

The player character looks through the DeltaPoint red dot sight at Activision's pocket change.

Shotguns

AA-12

A customized AA-12 shotgun with rail mounts, a zip-up bag attached to the stock, a somewhat pointless spare shell holder, and a Remington 870 MCS forend stuck to its own foregrip can be used in several singleplayer missions. Like in Modern Warfare 2, it has an exaggerated rate of fire in singleplayer, but a more controllable one (400 RPM) in multiplayer.

MPS Auto Assault-12 - 12 gauge

Andrei Harkov holds an AA-12 during the mission "Turbulence."

Harkov reloads his AA-12 as he ponders whether a sudden 20-degree bend in an aircraft's fuselage indicates something bad happening.

Yuri reloads his own AA-12 equipped with an EOTech EXPS3 holographic sight; note the controls correctly on the side of the sight, but the battery cover on the wrong side of the sight. The rail claims it is made by "Knights Armor INC."

Franchi SPAS-12

The Franchi SPAS-12, as in the previous games, is pump-action only with no semi-automatic fire options, and is as ever shown as a standard-issue weapon for numerous forces despite no longer even being in production. The in-world model of the SPAS-12 is missing the butt of the folding stock, though the player model has it.

Franchi SPAS-12 - 12 gauge

Yuri holds a SPAS-12 as he helps to move Soap to an evac helicopter.

Westbrook operates the action of a SPAS-12 fitted with a vertical foregrip; precisely how the foregrip is actually attached to the SPAS is unclear. Also note the lack of a charging handle; unlike MW2's, the MW3 SPAS-12's bolt/ejection port is simply a part of the texture, and doesn't move when firing or when racking the action. This also means that it disappears entirely when using certain finishes/camos, and raises the question of why exactly the weapon is flipped over to draw attention to it.

The player character in the Special Ops mode mission "Firewall" holds a suppressed SPAS-12; given the other player mans a series of very loud miniguns during this sequence, it is not at all clear why. Note that this is the Modern Warfare 2 SPAS-12 model.

Kel-Tec KSG

The Kel-Tec KSG is a bullpup shotgun with two magazine tubes. Appears as the "KSG 12" in-game, and is incorrectly described as a "double-barrel" shotgun in Survival mode. The magazine selector is never operated in game; in reality this would mean the player character only had one of the two tube magazines at their disposal. In addition, the weapon's capacity is reduced from 14 (+1 chambered) to 12, which would only be correct if it were using 3" rather than 2 3/4" shells, something the weapon's damage certainly does not imply. The upgrade "extended mags" increases this to an even more incorrect 18. It appears the high capacity has been balanced with a low rate of fire and low damage; in the initial release this was absurdly so, to the point that despite being a 12-gauge like the other shotguns, it required multiple shots to kill another player even at point-blank range.

Kel-Tec KSG with Magpul RVG foregrip - 12 gauge

The player character in Survival mode holds a KSG-12.

In a different Survival level, he shows off his KSG-12 with EOTech sight and vertical foregrip. Note the iron sights are folded down rather than thrown into the nearest river as is more normal for the series.

The reloading animation shows the magazine tubes too low down; the player character only loads one of the two tubes, meaning he puts twelve rounds into one and none into the other.

KSG-12 on the custom class menu; also shown here are the reticle options for reflex sights.

Knight's Armament Masterkey

The Knight's Armament Masterkey can be mounted on assault and battle rifles. In the singleplayer campaign, it is only found under an AK during the mission "Stronghold." It can be equipped in Survival and multiplayer as an Attachment; in multiplayer it has to be unlocked by levelling up the specific weapon the player wants to use it with, while in Survival it is unlocked for every weapon as soon as the level requirement is reached. In singleplayer it somehow magically contains 7 rounds (the same as a full-sized Remington 870), while in multiplayer it contains an at least technically achievable 4. The player character conspires to ruin this by pumping the forend whenever the accessory is selected, which would eject any chambered round and mean the maximum capacity was 3.

Masterkey - 12 gauge

The player character in Survival mode introduces a bad guy to the Masterkey mounted under his Colt CM901.

Reloading a Masterkey mounted on an AK in "Stronghold." It isn't particularly useful in this level, since there is an AA-12 in the same room as it.

Penn Arms Striker-12

A Penn Arms Striker-12 can be seen in the game. It has an elongated barrel, as opposed to the MW2 variant's shorter barrel. The player character never turns the winding key on the front of the drum, which would prevent the weapon from indexing more than one load of cartridges.

Penn Arms Striker-12 - 12 gauge

Yuri holds a Penn Arms Striker-12 as he ponders whether it will help him fight off a sandstorm.

The player character in Special Ops reloads his Striker-12. It is reloaded in the exact same (highly inaccurate) ways as in MW2.

In-world model of the Striker-12; note the rear-mounted drum advance lever, showing this is the Penn Arms Striker-12 and not the Sentinel version which lacks this feature.

USAS-12

The USAS-12 seen in the game holds 6 rounds instead of the standard 10, and has an abnormally slow fire rate, almost like a semi-automatic. It reuses the firing sound of the "M1014" from Modern Warfare 2. In Survival mode it is carried by "Suicide Bomber" enemies.

USAS-12 with 10-round magazine - 12 gauge

The player character holds a USAS-12 with EOTech EXPS3 holographic sight in Survival mode. Note the awkward addition of a rail on top of the carrying handle to allow this.

Reloading the USAS-12.

Winchester 1887

The sawed-off Winchester Model 1887 is present in all game modes, and is used by the African militia in the singleplayer mission "Back On The Grid." It has been heavily modified from its previous appearances in the series and now features ghost ring sights and synthetic furniture. In Survival mode it is the weapon carried by first-tier enemies.

Airsoft replica Model 1887 - (fake) 10 gauge

Yuri holds the tacticool Winchester 1887, trying to figure out why.

The player character in Survival blasts a lowest-tier enemy with a Model 1887, revealing a highly appropriate movie reference engraved on the hammer.

Reloading the Model 1887; as in the previous game, all the shells are placed into the barrel. This time, a silver structure resembling a loading gate has been added, seemingly in an attempt to hide the never-used magazine tube.

Assault Rifles & Battle Rifles

AK Hybrid

A custom AK hybrid appears as the "AK-47", and is the main armament of Russian soldiers; as in the previous games, this is incorrect, since the weapon has long been replaced by later AK variants. The gun's overall appearance is similar to the one from Modern Warfare 2, including the ribbed AKM/AK-74 style receiver cover. However, there are some differences: it now has an original AK-47 style gas block (albeit having the bayonet lug at the front, like later AK variants), along with an AKM-like front sight block, barrel trunnion, and rivet positions at the rear of the receiver. In addition, it sports a black finish, a different Crane stock, and a different RIS handguard with rail covers, as well as a new AK-74-like muzzle brake in place of the old spiral one and a ProMag waffle magazine. In Survival mode, it is carried by third-tier enemies. It is anachronistically featured in the 1996 Zakhaev's arms deal flashback. Curiously, there are Call of Duty 4 recycled steel 7.62x39mm magazines scattered on tables throughout the campaign instead of the new waffle ones.

AK-47 Photoshopped to resemble the one in the game - 7.62x39mm

AKM - 7.62x39mm

Westbrook holds an AK with ACOG scope as he makes his way towards the Russian jamming tower in New York.

Reloading the AK on the steps of Federal Hall; note the waffle-pattern magazine.

Drawing an AK after detonating the EMP in the Special Ops mission "Kill Switch". Some rifles in the mission are fitted with Aimpoint CompM2 sights, as seen in this example.

Aiming through the optic. For some reason the CompM2 is treated identically in function to the ACOG scope, even down to the reticle and the zeroing of the optic in-game. The reticle is not visible during this frame due to the EMP, but the outer bordering lines of the ACOG reticle is still present.

"AK-74u"

A version of the fake AKS-74U from the previous Modern Warfare titles once again appears; it only appears in singleplayer and Special Ops modes, however, not in multiplayer or Survival. It is modelled on the JG "AK Beta-F" airsoft rifle, which is essentially an AKS-47 with a very, very short front end, an AKS-74U gas block/front sight, flash hider, and rear sight, and black polymer furniture with an RIS rail on the handguard. The version in game appears to have Bakelite magazines, which led to some to believe it was actually a 74, however the curve of the magazine gives away that it is based on a 47; in fact, it uses the exact same waffle-pattern magazines as the AK-47 does in-game. The mix and mash of different Kalashnikovs is still referred to as an "AK-74u", which doesn't exist, and is incorrectly dubbed a submachine gun.

Airsoft JG "AK Beta-F" rifle

Actual AKS-74U for comparison - 5.45x39mm

Westbrook infiltrates a bookstore in Paris in the aftermath of the gas attack, holding a suppressed "AK-74u."

Harkov reloads his "AK-74u."

A later frame in the reload animation, showing the waffle-pattern magazine.

Colt CM901

The Colt CM901 appears in multiplayer and Survival mode, and is shown equipped with a short barrel and a 20-round PMag. The reload animation has the player character hit the mag release and then sharply twist the rifle to the left to get rid of the old magazine, seemingly just to extend the animation a little for balance reasons.

Colt CM901 with Magpul PMag and Vltor modstock - 7.62x51mm NATO

The player character in Survival holds a CM901 with an M320 grenade launcher as he looks over a wrecked M1126 Stryker; note the large Colt logo on the back of the charging handle.

Reloading the CM901; note the additional Colt trademarks on the side of the rifle and fire selector actually set to auto.

Colt M16A4

The M16A4 is used by US forces in the campaign and is the starting weapon, along with a FN Five-seveN, in "Insane" difficulty Survival maps; here it is equipped by default with a red dot sight. The M16A4 has similar stats to the Type 95, with the M16A4 performing better at long range at the cost of losing out to the Type 95 in close-range punch. In Survival mode it is also weapon used by "Delta Squad" NPC allies. The flash hider fitted appears to be based on the ones used by ISS "Non Gun" replicas, while the front sight is modelled as part of the handguard; this means the gas block is inside the handguard, so it is impossible to say if it is removed or not when mounting optics.

Colt M16A4 with carry handle attached and standard A2 handguards - 5.56x45mm

Westbrook holds an M16A4 with the basic iron sights following a ridiculous sequence of events which wrecked his pet tank. While difficult to see in first person, the front sight of this weapon actually sticks out of the top of the handguard rather than being mounted in front of it.

Later he finds himself an M16A4 with ACOG optic as he looks out at Hamburg city hall. As ever the front sight is removed when mounting optics, though due to the extremely odd handguard it may still have a gas block lurking around inside it.

Westbrook reloads his M16A4. Note the Magpul handling loop and solid top of the magazine.

A "Delta Squad" ally holds an M16A4 in Survival mode. Note the ridiculous flash hider and strange front sight.

The player character in multiplayer reloads the M203 mounted under his M16A4. Note the fire selector set to "look I just broke the fire selector."

Colt M4A1 Carbine

The M4A1 is the most common starting weapon for Westbrook during the campaign and is seen in the hands of US soldiers. The version shown features a Magpul MOE Carbine Stock, a customised charging handle, an M16A1-style pistol grip, a 20-round STANAG magazine (with a 30-round capacity) fitted with a Magpul loop, a KAC railed handguard with KAC rail covers, and flip-up iron sights. Like the M16A4, the flash hider fitted appears to be based on the ones used by ISS "Non Gun" replicas. On the cover, it is also shown with a Magpul AFG (angled foregrip), though in game it uses a standard one. Some NPCs seen in the "Reveal" trailer were instead carrying the M4A1 model used in Modern Warfare 2, though this is likely to simply have been a recycled model used during development. As in many games, the fire selector is shown on semi-auto even though the weapon fires in full-auto.

Colt M4A1 Carbine with Aimpoint M68 red dot sight and Knight's Armament RAS railed handguard and vertical forward grip - 5.56x45mm

Westbrook holds an M4A1 fitted with what resembles an EOTech MPO III close-/long-range sighting system during the first level. This is not exactly an MPO, since the magnifier doesn't match an EOTech G23. Note the magnifier mount, made by Samson MFG, is mounted with the A.R.M.S. throw lever flipped to the wrong side, which would preclude both mounting the magnifier and being able to push the spring-loaded catch down far enough to flip the magnifier off to the side. This is referred to as a "Hybrid Sight" by the game.

With the magnifier flipped to the side, the weapon has an unmagnified EOTech reflex sight. Flipping it aside also shows...

...the EOTech logo.

Westbrook climbs out of his wrecked Humvee at the very start of the first real mission, "Black Tuesday," providing a good closeup of his rifle. Note the gas block is actually present, and a silver plate is visible mounted under the EOTech EXPS3 holographic sight to bring it level with the magnifier, which is on a riser.

Master Sergeant "Sandman" prepares to throw a magazine to Westbrook immediately afterwards. Note that in previews, Sandman's M4A1 had an M203 grenade launcher; he still holds the weapon as if it has one in this sequence. Note the oversized straight magazine and oddly angled pistol grip.

Westbrook loads up his M4A1 with the infamous 30-round 20-round magazine. Note that while Sandman's weapon is now the MW3 model rather than MW2 model shown in previews, he still has curved 30-round STANAG magazines in his pouches, not the oversized 20-round straight ones used by the in-game model.

FAD Assault Rifle

A FAD Assault Rifle, a Peruvian proposal for a new bullpup rifle, can be used in the game, and is seen in the hands of African militiamen in Sierra Leone. The magazine well has "Cal 5.56 NATO 6.8 SPC" printed on it; it would be impossible for the rifle to be chambered for both. In Survival mode it is carried by the heavily armoured fifth-tier enemies. In multiplayer the weapon's magazine size is for some reason increased from the correct 30 to 40 rounds.

The empty reload animation of the FAD does not feature a chambering animation; instead, the user simply gives the magazine an extra slap after inserting it into the magwell. The FAD has a charging handle, a hook-shaped extension on the right side of the gun, next to the ejection port; this charging handle is used in the FAD's next appearance in the Call of Duty series in Ghosts.

FAD assault rifle - 5.56x45mm

Yuri holds a FAD assault rifle equipped with a red dot sight, wondering why a militia in Sierra Leone would have such weapons.

Yuri reloads the FAD, trying to avoid any "just a FAD" jokes. Note that it has no fire selector.

The player character in Survival mode holds a FAD with no optic, showing off the rather overly complex iron sights.

FN SCAR-L

The FN SCAR-L appears in all game modes and is the starting weapon in the mission "Iron Lady." Predictably, it is shown with the fire selector on semi-auto. The SCAR is a middle of the road weapon, though it is particularly prone to "reload cancelling" since the game counts the gun as reloaded before the reload animation has even finished showing the new magazine being inserted. The magazines have Magpul Ranger Plates, but it is impossible to see them in first-person, as the reload animation is reused from MW2's SCAR-H.

The gun model only has "S" and "1" markings on the fire selector, showing it was based on a civilian SCAR 16S rather than a military fully-automatic variant.

Third-Generation FN SCAR-L - 5.56x45mm NATO

Westbrook holds a SCAR-L as he works his way through the streets of Hamburg.

Later he finds one with an M320 grenade launcher, giving a good view of the trademarks on the side of the weapon. Note the markings below the top rail begin "SCAR 16S." The "162 Cal" that follows is an error from misreading the text below the rail on the real weapon ("SCAR 16S cal. 5.56x45"), accidentally repeating the 16S as "162."

Westbrook reloads his SCAR and gets ready for some heavy duty reading in a Russian-occupied bookstore in Paris.

Heckler & Koch G36C

A H&K G36C is available and is a starting weapon in the mission "Persona Non Grata;" it is also used by French GIGN special forces during the missions "Bag And Drag" and "Iron Lady." It is seen using opaque magazines as opposed to the standard translucent magazines it used in Call of Duty 4.

Heckler & Koch G36C - 5.56x45mm

Yuri holds a G36C at the start of the mission "Down the Rabbit Hole" as he watches some helicopters chase each other around a Siberian diamond mine.

Yuri reloads his HK G36C near the start of "Persona Non Grata." Note the fire selector incorrectly set to semi-auto and the trades on the side proclaiming the weapon to be a "G36KE1" made by the well known German arms company "Pooder & Chernoosky" (which somehow shortens to "PK"). It also says it is "Made in Europe", which isn't terribly specific.

Heckler & Koch G36KV ("MG36")

The Heckler & Koch G36KV is used as an LMG in the game and is incorrectly dubbed the "MG36". As in Far Cry, it features a 4-vent K-variant handguard with what appears to be a 15.4 inch barrel; in Modern Warfare 3 the weapon is configured to very vaguely resemble a G36 light support weapon (the configuration typically incorrectly called the MG36), using a single-drum magazine rather than a C-Mag and with a rather flimsy-looking aftermarket bipod rather than the HK-issue bipod handguard (which would be the wrong length anyway). The weapon features iron sights from an MP7 instead of the front post/rear aperture sights the G36 uses. In multiplayer and Survival it holds 100 rounds in the single-drum magazine, while in the singleplayer campaign this is reduced to just 42.

G36KV with 15.4 inch barrel and export stock - 5.56x45mm NATO

Configuration typically called "MG36;" actually just a standard G36 with a bipod handguard and C-Mag - 5.56x45mm NATO

The player character in Survival holds his fake MG36.

Yuri reloads his G36KV. Note the charging handle swung over to the opposite side; it has a tendency to flop around during this animation. G36 charging handles do not flop around in real life, and are held in place by tension. Note also the incorrect solid flash hider; this weapon may well have been modelled from a photograph of a weapon with the muzzle cover attached.

Another frame showing the drum magazine used; this weirdly iridescent drum is also used by the L86A1.

Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR

The Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR appears in the multiplayer and Survival modes as the "MK14" and in all singleplayer missions except "Goalpost" as the "M14 EBR Scoped;" it can be seen in singleplayer in the hands of NPCs, including Delta Force operator Grinch. It is limited to semi-automatic fire, and is classified as an assault rifle despite being a battle rifle. In addition, despite being a marksman's rifle it cannot be fitted with a sniper scope in multiplayer or Survival.

Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR with a Harris bipod and RIS foregrip - 7.62x51mm NATO

The player character in Survival mode holds a Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR. Note the bipod fitted when the weapon does not have an underbarrel accessory.

Reloading the Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR.

The player character in Survival looks down at a Mk 14 Mod 0 on the ground, showing the sliding stock distinctive of the Mod 0.

Yuri looks down at his own Mk 14 Mod 0 near the start of "Back on the Grid;" note that it also has a sliding stock.

Delta Force operator "Grinch" holds a Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR during the first mission.

Yuri holds a scoped Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR at the beginning of the mission "Back on the Grid." This is treated as a totally different weapon and only appears in singleplayer.

Westbrook reloads his scoped Mk 14 Mod 0 in Berlin.

Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR

The Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR is seen in the hands of NPCs, save in the mission "Goalpost" where the "M14 EBR Scoped," usually a Mk 14 Mod 0, is instead shown as a Mk 14 Mod 1. The in-world model is lifted directly from Modern Warfare 2, and appears, like several other weapons in the campaign, to be a development placeholder which has not been fully replaced with the new model.

Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR with TangoDown pistol grip, Magpul CTR stock, RIS foregrip, and bipod - 7.62x51mm NATO

Price rises from the primordial ooze, holding his Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR.

"Soap" MacTavish holds his own Mk 14 Mod 1 EBR as Yuri wonders why he's the odd one out.

Westbrook has a little more luck in Hamburg as he locates an actual Mk 14 Mod 1. This is the only place in the game this can be used. Note the MW2-style scope and handguard and longer rail covers than the Mod 0 model.

The player model is basically identical to the Mod 0 model, aside from having a slightly taller rail underneath the scope...

...and using scope_overlay_m40a3 instead of the new generic rifle sight.

Westbrook reloads his Mk 14 Mod 1 as he is assaulted by what appears to be a kamikaze trashcan.

QBZ-97

A QBZ-97A with an early QBZ-97-style trigger guard appears only in Survival and multiplayer, incorrectly referred to as a Type 95; for some reason, it is only able to fire 3-round bursts. It can be distinguished as a QBZ-97 by the deeper magazine well and STANAG magazine. The 3-round burst is extremely fast and makes the weapon exceptionally powerful at short range, though the weapon's damage rapidly degrades at long range.

QBZ-97A with QBZ-97 trigger guard - 5.56x45mm

The player character in Survival holds his hard-earned QBZ-97. The rear of the carry handle is marked with the Chinese word for "invincible", "無敵".

When mounting optics, the QBZ-97 becomes as ridiculously tall as the original Modern Warfare's G36C, extending above the middle of the screen.

Reloading the QBZ-97; the player character tosses the old magazine like he's afraid it's going to explode. Note the deep magazine well and STANAG magazine.

Remington ACR

The 6.8mm SPC variant of the Remington ACR is used in Modern Warfare 3, rather than the 5.56mm variant seen the previous game; the weapon is referred to as "ACR 6.8." This is reflected in multiplayer with higher damage figures than its lower-calibre MW2 counterpart. In Survival mode it is carried by fourth-tier enemies. The player model appears to have a shorter barrel than the in-world model; the former seems to be 14.5 inch, while the latter is closer to 16.5 inch. While in the previous game it had incorrect HK-style fire selector markings on the wrong part of the fire selector, it now has the correct markings for an ACR. Unfortunately, correct for a Bushmaster ACR, since it only has safe and fire markings.

Remington ACR with 14.5-inch barrel and fixed stock - 5.56x45mm NATO

Westbrook holds an ACR equipped with a "Hybrid Sight" as he flies into a besieged Berlin at the start of the mission "Scorched Earth." Note the enormous Remington trademark on the side of the weapon.

Reloading the ACR shows off the Magpul 5.56mm PMAG it uses. Note that there is no way 30 rounds of 6.8mm SPC can fit into a 5.56mm PMAG in real life. The 6.8mm PMAG (introduced for the LWRC Six8 rifle series) was not around when this game was released. Note that the fire selector is not on "safe" as in Modern Warfare 2, instead Westbook appears to be trying to set it to really auto to make up for the lack of a normal auto setting.

Sniper Rifles

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum

An Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum can be unlocked for use in multiplayer and Survival. It is incorrectly called the "L118A" in-game; L118A1 and L118A2 are the British designations for the 7.62x51mm NATO Arctic Warfare (not Magnum), which has a non-fluted barrel. The correct designation for the AWM used in-game would be L115A2, as it has a folding stock.

The two emblems awarded for getting 1000 kills and 500 headshots label the weapon as "L118A3", a nonexistent designation.

Accuracy International AWSM - .338 Lapua Magnum

The player character in Survival mode holds an AWM as he pays a visit to a rainy area never seen in the campaign. Note the fluted barrel.

After shooting a dangerous-looking giant dump truck, the player character operates the bolt of his AWM. While many games make a big deal out of bolt-action animations, this happens largely offscreen.

Reloading the AWM; another case where the magazine is shown completely solid.

Standard scope reticle for the AWM: the same one is used on the two Remington rifles and the AS50. Note the blur due to firing.

The player character holds an AWM equipped with an ACOG sight rather than the standard scope as he congratulates his GIGN squad on protecting the local yard full of guns.

View through the scope of the latter version.

Game summary screen showing the AWM: note the folding stock.

Accuracy International AS50

The Accuracy International AS50 appears in Special Ops mode, Survival and multiplayer. Like the Barrett M107, it is incorrectly modelled with an ejection port on each side; while the port to the left opens and closes when the action cycles, the rifle actually ejects spent casings to the right.

Accuracy International AS50 - .50 BMG

The player character in Special Ops mode holds an AS50 during the mission "Smack Town." Note the bizarre inclusion of a Nazi eagle insignia minus the swastika on the blue building to the left.

He's soon reloading, inserting a new magazine with the rifle held high.

Firing, he realises he may have accidentally filled the new magazine with deodorant cans. Note the second charging handle visible on the right and that the right ejection port is actually closed, even though the weapon ejects in that direction.

Scope of the AS50; the same as the one used for the Remington rifles.

Barrett M107

The Barrett M107 appears in Special Ops mode, Survival and multiplayer. It is incorrectly modeled with ejection ports on both sides of the receiver. It can also be seen in the introduction to the mission "Blood Brothers," despite that it is not the sniper rifle actually used during the mission. In multiplayer it uses the generic scope used by every other sniper rifle except the SVD, while in singleplayer modes it uses the scope_overlay_m40a3 reticle it used in the two previous Modern Warfare games.

Barrett M107 long range sniper rifle - .50 BMG

The player character in Special Ops mode holds a Barrett M107 during the mission "Flood the Market" as he goes through that awkward moment of meeting the parents.

The player character in multiplayer reloads a Barrett M107 fitted with a heartbeat sensor and thermal scope. Note Barrett trademarks on the side of the gun.

The reticle of the above weapon's thermal sight. This is used by all thermal scopes.

In singleplayer modes, including Special Ops and Survival, the Barrett uses the classic scope_overlay_m40a3 reticle.

A blurry M107 can be seen to the left of the shot in the introduction to the mission "Blood Brothers," despite an RSASS being used in the actual level. It is possible this briefing screen was created before the sponsorship deal with Remington and reflects the original weapon that would be used.

Remington MSR

The Remington MSR is a powerful bolt-action rifle available in singleplayer, Survival and multiplayer; in singleplayer it is available in the mission "Iron Lady."

Remington MSR - .338 Lapua Magnum

Westbrook holds a Remington MSR as he assists in an assault on a Russian firebase located under the Eiffel Tower.

Reloading the MSR shows that as well as a ridiculously large Remington logo, there is a Leupold logo on the side of the scope's elevation turret. The scope seems to be one of Leupold's Mark 4 range. Note also the B-52 bombers visible in the distance.

Westbrook looks over the Russian weapons under the Eiffel Tower through the scope of his MSR: two 2S19 MSTA-S 152mm self-propelled howitzers...

...and one of the two SA-12A "Gladiator" long-range SAM Transporter Erector Launcher And Radar (TELAR) vehicles.

Remington RSASS

The Remington RSASS is available in all game modes and is the starting weapon in the missions "Eye Of The Storm" and "Blood Brothers;" here it is also used by "Soap" MacTavish.

Remington RSASS with Leupold Mark 4 scope, Harris LM-S bipod, Titan AAC sound suppressor and Magpul PSR stock - 7.62x51mm NATO

Yuri holds a Remington RSASS at the start of "Eye of the Storm." This weapon is equipped with a second type of "Hybrid Sight," this one being a long-range scope with a diagonally mounted red dot sight.

This alternate hold is used when the red dot optic is selected, with the rifle tilted sideways.

Yuri aims along the side of his rifle as he sights up a particularly Russian-looking tree.

Reloading the RSASS shows off the Magpul 7.62x51mm PMAG this weapon uses.

The reticle used by the RSASS is the same as the one used for the MSR, Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum, and AS50...

...except in the Special Ops mission "Resistance Movement" where it uses the Thermal Scope reticle with no thermal vision effect...

...and "Blood Brothers," where it uses the classic scope_overlay_m40a3. This, along with the Barrett M107 (which uses this reticle) appearing in place of the RSASS in the introduction, is a good clue that this rifle was not the one originally intended to be used in this sequence.

In a flashback to "One Shot, One Kill" during the mission "Blood Brothers," Imran Zakhaev is seen being hit by a shot from Price's M82A1. Apparently Zakhaev had mastered time travel, since three Remington RSASS rifles and an Mi-28N helicopter can be seen here in a level set in 1996.

SVD Dragunov

The SVD Dragunov, simply called the "Dragunov," is available in all game modes, and in singleplayer is used by the African militia in "Return to Sender." Unlike in previous Modern Warfare games, it actually has an approximation of the proper PSO-1 scope reticle.

Tiger Carbine with synthetic furniture used on later production military SVDs - 7.62x54mm R

Yuri holds an SVD during the mission "Return To Sender" as he searches for a Somali militia commander. Note the ribbed receiver cover; later production military SVDs with synthetic furniture actually have smooth receiver covers, and the ribbed receiver cover + synthetic furniture as seen here is more common on civilian Tiger carbines.

Yuri reloads the SVD; starting the reload with an overly dramatic pitch of the old magazine, he then replaces it with the new.

Unlike the Black Ops SVD which used a POSP scope reticle, the MW3 SVD uses an accurate PSO-1.

Machine Guns

As a note, all machine guns in Modern Warfare 3, as in previous installments, are classed as "light machine guns" in multiplayer menus. This is incorrect, as the M60E3 is a general-purpose machine gun (the M240B, being essentially cut from the game, is not misclassified). While the PKP fires a full-size round (which would normally classify it as a general-purpose machine gun) it features a non-changeable barrel and is issued without a tripod mount, leading to it being classified as an LMG. Note also that the "MG36" is listed under assault rifles rather than here.

L86A1 Light Support Weapon

The L86A1 LSW, called the "L86 LSW," is available in Special Ops, Survival and multiplayer, and is seen in the mission "Bag And Drag" in singleplayer; in addition, a different L86A1 model lifted directly from Modern Warfare 2 can be found in the mission "Stronghold," fitted with a SUSAT optic which cannot be used anywhere else. Like in the previous game, the charging handle is always pulled after reloading, regardless of whether the magazine was empty or not.

L86A1 with SUSAT scope - 5.56x45mm NATO

Yuri holds an L86A1 with SUSAT scope during the mission "Stronghold." The L86A1 with SUSAT optic is actually the L86A1 model from Modern Warfare 2, while all others are the new model.

The player character in Survival holds an L86A1 with the default carry handle sights. Note differences throughout the model including the lack of a receiver-side rail and different flash hider.

Near the end of "Stronghold," Yuri looks through the SUSAT scope as a BTR-80A topples into a river following a C4-related bridge failure. Note the carrying handle to the right of the scope, only present on the MW2 L86A1 model and not on either the real weapon or the MW3 model.

The player character in Survival reloads his L86A1; note the weirdly iridescent drum magazine and ACOG optic. Unlike Modern Warfare 2, the L86A1 does not use a SUSAT scope when fitted with the ACOG sight attachment.

M240B

The M240B machine gun was seen in pre-release screenshots, but ultimately does not appear in multiplayer at all, while in the singleplayer campaign it is only seen in the hands of NPCs. Unobtainable M240s are also used by some Juggernauts in the Special Ops DLC mission "Special Delivery". It is the same model used in Modern Warfare 2, and as in that game uses an M249-style bottom-mounted 100-round belt box grooves of a PKM belt box. As well as the obvious issue of this belt box being for the a weapon of a different caliber, a box like this could not be used on an M240B since it would block the casing ejection port, and also because the M240 lacks any kind of attachment point to mount an ammo box on its underside.

M240B with newer style lower handguard (designed to attach RIS fails via hex nut) - 7.62x51mm NATO

The M240B can be seen briefly in MW3's campaign in a flashback to the level "No Russian," where, as before, Makarov's terrorists use them.

M249 Para SAW

Despite being called "MK46" in-game, this weapon is actually an M249 Para SAW with the RIS handguard of a Mk 46 Mod 0; this is a configuration commonly seen on Airsoft "Mk 46" guns which retain their STANAG magazine wells even though the real gun has no STANAG well. The singleplayer and multiplayer versions of this weapon have different rates of fire, with the SP version slower and the MP faster. It is the weapon mounted on the "Assault Drone" which can be summoned in multiplayer as a pointstreak reward.

FN M249 Para - 5.56x45mm

Mk 46 Mod 0 light machine gun - 5.56x45mm

Westbrook holds his mutant M249 para in Paris as he wonders what a "couryard" is.

Reloading the M249 Para SAW, showing the STANAG magazine well that a Mk46 Mod 0 would not have.

M60E3

The M60E3 is available in all game modes, incorrectly referred to as the short-barrelled M60E4, and can be found in singleplayer during the mission "Back on the Grid." It has the slowest reload out of all the machine guns; it also transitions to its iron sight view very slowly.

M60E3 machine gun- 7.62x51mm NATO

Yuri holds a rather beat-up M60E3 during his trip to Sierra Leone.

Reloading the M60E3; this animation include a weird electronic sound just after the new belt box is mounted.

PKP Pecheneg

The PKP Pecheneg is the most common machine gun in singleplayer, being the one used by Russian soldiers. The weapon is reversed, with the belt feeding from left-to-right rather than right-to-left (as well as having the charging handle located on the left side rather than the right); presumably, this is to make the belt more visible. In Spec Ops and Survival mode it is the weapon carried by the "Juggernaut" EOD suit enemies.

The PKP's reload animation disregards the release button on the rear of the feed tray cover; the user simply lifts up the feed tray cover by the rear sight without ever touching the release button.

PKP Pecheneg machine gun with ammo box - 7.62x54mm R

Yuri holds a PKP as he ponders whether he should go mountaineering or get his harbals treated. Note that the rear of the feed tray cover is marked with the word "Пулемёт" (pulemyot) in Russian, which means "machine gun".

Reloading the backwards PKP.

The player character in Survival gets rather closer to the dreaded "Riot Shield Juggernaut" than is strictly advisable.

Yuri encounters a mounted PKP and unsuccessfully attempts to determine what it is mounted on.

Launchers

FGM-148 Javelin

The FGM-148 Javelin can be used in singleplayer and multiplayer; it is not present in Survival or Special Ops. In singleplayer it is encountered at the end of the mission "Iron Lady," where it has temporarily infinite ammunition and no reloading animation. Tanks are engaged in top-attack mode while helicopters use the direct fire flight profile (which still begins with a steep climb). In multiplayer it can lock on to either aircraft or player rewards such as UGVs, but not soldiers.

FGM-148 Javelin - 127mm

Westbrook looks up as a missile from his Javelin "noses over" at the top of its climb.

As in the previous Modern Warfare entries, the Javelin seems to be suffering from a broken missile; the light at the bottom should be red and indicates a missile BIT failure, while the red "CLU BIT failure" light on the left, which comes on while the weapon is locking, indicates the computer is having problems too. The amber "missile not ready" light flashes just as the weapon is fired. At least one of the TOP and DIR lights should always be on, as these are the system's two engagement modes. The top-right indicator that says "LOCK" should say "SEEK:" it should also be on, since the system is always in seeker view mode. In this mode the view should be a 9x magnification thermal view: the Javelin cannot lock on using the daysight. The one that says "NIGHT" at the top-left should have a diagonal line through it, as this is the "not ready" light for the night vision system, to indicate it is not cooled enough to function.

FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger appears in multiplayer and Special Ops mode: it is the same model from the previous game, and so still has an incorrect backward-sloping pistol grip. As is normal for a videogame, it is shown seeking targets at preposterously short ranges, and does not require a BCU to be inserted in order to make it function. As usual for the series, it requires a lock-on using the weapon's iron sights to fire. The iron sights somehow general a digital targeting interface, with targets showing a red box around them until the sight is held over them for long enough to make the box turn green. In multiplayer it can be used to shoot down aircraft summoned as point streak rewards by other players. A fictional variant of the Stinger featuring a 10 round magazine and laser guidance called the "Starstreak" (unrelated to the real Starstreak HVM) appears in the Special Ops mission "Vertigo".

FIM-92 Stinger with IFF interrogator - 70mm

The player character in Special Ops looks down at a Stinger someone kindly left in case he should need to shoot down a helicopter.

And, by an amazing coincidence, a helicopter soon attempts to ruin his day.

The Stinger's work done and his day unruined, he discards the spent tube.

GP-30 Grenade Launcher

The "AK-47" uses the GP-30 grenade launcher as its underbarrel launcher; the game labels it as a GP-25, but the quadrant sight is mounted on the right of the AK when it is fitted, while on a GP-25 it would be mounted on the left. As in previous games, the GP-30 reload includes an incorrect flick of the launcher to eject a spent casing, despite GP-30 rounds being launched as a single unit: the ejected round is an unfired Western 40mm grenade round. Being an accessory, in multiplayer it is unlocked by gaining experience with the AK-47, while in Survival it is unlocked at the same level as the other two underbarrel launchers.

GP-30 grenade launcher - 40mm

Yuri takes aim with the GP-30 mounted under his AK; note the game incorrectly labelling it as a GP-25.

Yuri reloads the GP-30. Note that, as in Battlefield: Bad Company and the previous Modern Warfare games before their remasters, the GP-30 is reloaded with the same grenade model as the M203, a model which looks nothing like the VOG grenade it actually uses.

Performing an empty reload on the AK when the GP-30 is fitted shows the quadrant sight fitted on the right side, confirming it is not a GP-25.

Heckler & Koch M320

A Heckler & Koch M320 grenade launcher can be used, called the "M320 GLM;" the weapon can be seen in standalone configuration or mounted; the mounted version is the underbarrel launcher for all assault rifles besides the M4A1, M16A4, and AK-47. The mounted M320 has no front grip and even lacks the fitment point, though it still has the downward-pointing guard in front to show it is not an XM320. Curiously, the two versions draw ammunition from separate pools; it is possible to be holding an empty standalone M320 with ammunition still available for an underbarrel one on the player's second weapon, and vice versa. The standalone version is unlocked at level 64 in multiplayer while the underbarrel version requires gaining experience with the individual weapon the player intends to mount it; in Survival, the standalone is not available at all, and the M320 is unlocked with the other two underbarrel launchers.

Like the M203, there is no in-game model for a spent casing, and so on reloading either variant an unfired round is dumped out of the launcher.

Heckler & Koch M320 with optional telescoping stock - 40x46mm

Westbrook takes aim with the M320 grenade launcher mounted under his SCAR-L during the the assault on Hamburg. Note the inventory weapon name displays "M320 GLM."

Yuri reloads the M320 mounted under his G36C during the mission "Down The Rabbit Hole," wondering why on Earth a sub-surface diamond mine needs one of Krupp's Bagger-series bucket wheel excavators.

The player character in Special Ops mode uses an M320 grenade launcher in standalone configuration. This seems to be the standard secondary weapon for the "Juggernaut" EOD suit.

Reloading the standalone M320 for some reason requires the player character to attempt to turn himself into a cyclops with the leaf sight.

Iron sights of the standalone M320. As is usual in first-person shooters, the player character simply picks a random notch on the leaf sight and aims like he is using a conventional iron sight; the correct way to use such a sight would require that the player's view lock horizontally and the launcher pivot in relation to it.

The player character looks down at a standalone M320 on the ground at the start of the Special Ops mission "Toxic Paradise." Note the front grip.

Heckler & Koch XM-25

The player character starts the first mission with a Heckler & Koch XM25; it is also present in several Special Ops missions and in multiplayer, though it cannot be used in Survival mode. In singleplayer it is shown very inaccurately, simply firing proximity / impact detonated rounds with none of the real weapon's HEAB functionality, and rather than being semi-automatic it is bolt-action with the player character operating the charging handle after every shot. In multiplayer, on the other hand, it is semi-automatic and requires the user to lase a target before firing, at which point the round will detonate exactly one metre further than the lased distance.

XM25 Grenade Launcher - 25mm

Westbrook holds an XM25 near the start of MW3's first level.

Reloading the XM25; note the oddly iridescent barrel and three-setting fire selector on a weapon with only two fire modes.

The single player reticle of the XM25's scope is this rather cluttered display.

Multiplayer-specific scope of the XM25; here, pressing the sprint key will set the currently displayed range as the detonation distance; minus one metre, for no apparent reason.

The player character unleashes a deadly airburst at nothing in particular, something only possible in multiplayer.

M203 Grenade Launcher (Airsoft)

The series' usual Airsoft M203 grenade launcher was first seen in the "Reveal" trailer, attached to an early development M4A1, which was actually the model from Modern Warfare 2. In the game itself it is the underbarrel launcher for the M4A1 and M16A4; most other rifles instead use the M320. In multiplayer it is unlocked by gaining experience with the weapon it is to be mounted on, while in Survival it is unlocked with both other underbarrel launchers.

As with the other games in the series, there is no model for a spent casing, and so on reloading the player character will dump out an unfired grenade round.

Airsoft M203 made by G&P - (fake) 40x46mm. Note the RIS mount and removed trigger guard

Westbrook takes aim with the Airsoft M203 mounted under his M4A1. Note the weapon name displays "M203" when the accessory is selected.

Westbrook reloads his M203 grenade launcher, cursing that once again his watch has stopped on 18.7 kilometres per hour. Note that as in previous Modern Warfare entries, the M203 lacks a trigger guard.

"Sandman" holds an M16A4 with M203 grenade launcher during the mission "Iron Lady."

Mk 153 SMAW

The Mk 153 SMAW is available in all gameplay modes except Survival. The weapon features iron sights only, can only be fired while aiming down the iron sights, and has no reloading animation, the player character simply drawing a new one after each shot. This is weird, considering that the real SMAW is a reusable launcher, not a disposable one. In multiplayer it features an even more bizarre ability to lock on to targets by generating a targeting box using its iron sights.

Mk 153 Mod 0 SMAW - 83mm

Westbrook holds an Mk 153 Mod 0 SMAW as he looks over a V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft. This is a rather strange starting weapon for this mission, since it only comes with one round and there isn't any particular thing to use it for.

The SMAW is instant death if it hits something; in the two-player version of the Special Ops level "Little Bros," one player is tasked with firing SMAWs out of a helicopter at advancing T-90 tanks. In real life, the first shot would kill everyone in the helicopter with the rocket's backblast.

RPG-7V

The RPG-7V is the most common launcher in singleplayer, appearing in the hands of Russian soldiers, Makarov's terrorists and the various militias. In Survival it is bought from the Equipment Armoury; restocking ammo from the Weapon Armoury does not give rockets for it, and ammo must be bought two rounds at a time as Equipment.

RPG-7 - 40mm

Westbrook holds an RPG-7 as he looks over a destroyed T-90. Note that all the detail has vanished from the T-90's DShK machine gun, including the front sight and muzzle brake, and that the RPG-7's rear sight is mounted backwards.

The player character in multiplayer reloads his RPG-7V.

Explosives

AN/M14 Incendiary Grenade

Westbrook destroys a Russian jamming tower using a bundle of four AN/M14 incendiary grenades attached together with duct tape and rigged with a detonator. A similar rig is attached, for absolutely no discernible reason, to the bow hatch of the Oscar II-class submarine in the Special Ops mission "Over Reactor."

AN/M14 incendiary grenade, airsoft version with modern-day markings.

Westbrook pulls out the detonator, though he might want to back up slightly before setting it off.

In Special Ops mode, the Russian submarine crew seemingly decide that the best way to keep the attackers out is to burn a hole through the thing keeping the attackers out.

M18 Smoke Grenade

The M18 smoke grenade is a common sight on friendly NPCs' uniforms.

M18 smoke grenade - Red.

Soap carries two M18 smoke grenades on his belt at the start of the mission "Back on the Grid."

M83 Smoke Grenade

The standard smoke grenade of Modern Warfare 3 is the M83 smoke grenade, and as in previous games features incorrect M18 smoke grenade markings; their models appear to be entirely recycled from Modern Warfare 2. In singleplayer, they are only used by the player to mark locations for airstrikes. In Survival and multiplayer they are used to mark points for Care Packages to be dropped as well as being used to target areas for attacks by various weaponry. Normal smoke grenades used for smokescreens can also be unlocked in multiplayer.

M83 smoke grenade

Westbrook holds the "airstrike marker" version of the grenade, which is here used to signal an orbiting AC-130U gunship by marking targets with purple smoke.

"9-Bang"

In the mission "Black Tuesday," Westbrook is ordered to use a "9-Bang" stun grenade when clearing an alleyway. These multi-shot flashbang grenades actually exist, and are typically used prior to storming a heavily defended room. The in-game "9-Bang" grenade does not correspond to any real "9-Bang" model, and is instead a retextured M83 smoke grenade with label from airsoft "M12 Flash Bang" also known as "M12 Distraction Canister Grenade". Confusingly, the 9-Bang model is used as the icon of the "Flash Grenade" in multiplayer, even though the in-game model of the "Flash Grenade" is still an M84 grenade.

Westbrook prepares to throw the "9-Bang" during the mission "Black Tuesday."

Here's the pitch, with the pin still visible in the grenade...

...and, from slightly earlier, the result. Unlike every other flashbang in the game, 9-Bangs thrown in "Black Tuesday" barely have any effect on vision.

M18A1 Claymore

The M18A1 Claymore is available in the game, and can be used in the Special Ops mission "Server Crash" and in Survival mode. Enemy "Claymore Experts" in Survival mode also place Claymore mines. While in real life Claymores are usually command-detonated, these, as with most videogame Claymores, are proximity detonated, emitting two red laser-lines which describe the radius of the blast and show the approximate detonation distance.

M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine

This pile of Claymore mines can be found at the objective in the Special Ops mission "Server Crash." Note the straight, solid stakes for legs rather than the "scissor" legs of the actual Claymore.

The player character in Survival mode holds a Claymore mine.

M26 hand grenade

Though never used in the game itself, an image of an M26 hand grenade appears in the list of gear Price requests during the briefing for the mission "Stronghold." During the mission itself, he still uses the M67.

M26 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

"And why are you planning on using an obsolete grenade that isn't in this game?"

M67 Hand Grenade

The M67 hand grenade is the main grenade used by all factions. Unusually for a game, the pin is actually detached during the throw animation, and thrown grenades lack pins and safety levers.

M67 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

A Sierra Leone militiaman can be seen with an M67 hand grenade on his belt during the briefing for "Back on the Grid."

As in previous Modern Warfare games, dead enemies frequently drop this grenade satchel along with their weapons.

Yuri prepares to throw a grenade.

M84 Stun Grenade

Generally the player character's alternate grenade during the campaign will be the M84 stun grenade; as usual for the series, they "blind" and "deafen" anything caught in their blast radius; NPC enemies will stagger around blindly for a short time, while players will have their screen turned completely white and then blurry as the effect wears off, and their audio replaced with a "deafened" high ringing tone for a short time.

In multiplayer, two versions of the M84 appear, the "Flash Grenade," which functions similarly to singleplayer, and the "Concussion Grenade;" the latter slows enemies down as well as disorienting them, and explodes on a timer if it does not hit something first. Confusingly, the icon for the "Flash Grenade" is the "9-Bang" found in the singleplayer mission "Black Tuesday," even though the two look nothing alike and the multiplayer flash grenade is not a multi-shot flash grenade.

M84 stun grenade

Westbrook pulls the pin from an M84 stun grenade.

A spent M84 stun grenade, showing the burned-out casing and blast decal on the floor.

MK 3 CLAM

An MK 3 CLAM limpet mine is used to breach the Russian Oscar submarine in "Hunter Killer".

Mounted Weapons

Bofors 40mm

In the introduction to the mission "Iron Lady" a wireframe AC-130U "Spooky II" gunship can be seen, visibly armed with a Bofors 40mm L/60 gun and an M102 howitzer.

Bofors 40mm L/60 AA gun in a Boffin mounting - 40×311mmR

The wireframe AC-130U. Note that the labels for the M102 and Bofors are reversed.

The AC-130U lays down some fire from the 40mm Bofors gun on an occupied building as it assists Westbrook's team in their advance.

Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

A Browning M2HB heavy machine gun can be seen mounted on an M1126 Stryker APC during the first mission. M2s are later seen mounted on technical trucks in Sierra Leone, and on German Leopard 2 A7+ tanks in Berlin. The latter is not strictly correct; while arms fairs have shown the A7+ variant fitted with a Browning M2HB in its RWS, the final version is planned to use a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

Browning M2HB on vehicle mount - .50 BMG

Westbrook looks over a friendly M1126 Stryker mounting an RWS with a Browning M2HB.

Yuri takes command of a rusty M2HB mounted on a technical in Sierra Leone. Note that while the section of the belt between the ammo box and the gun moves when the M2 is fired, the rounds in the box itself are static.

Westbrook looks up at a German Leopard 2 A7+, armed with a Browning M2HB in the FLW 200 RWS on top of the turret.

DShK Heavy Machine Gun

Mounted DShK heavy machine guns are also seen on a variety of vehicles, and can sometimes be used when found mounted on monopods. They are sometimes incorrectly seen mounted on T-90 main battle tanks, despite the real-life T-90 being equipped with either the NSV or Kord heavy machine gun. Other T-90s completely lack a commander's heavy machine gun.

DShKM on tripod - 12.7x108mm

A DShK can be seen mounted on this Russian truck.

During the naval battle, DShK machine guns can be seen mounted on Russian patrol boats.

Yuri runs past a series of mounted DShK machine guns near the end of "Persona Non Grata;" note the incorrect solid muzzle brakes.

A DShK is visible incorrectly mounted on this T-90; not only should it not be on this tank in the first place, it is also in a generic low-angle mounting rather than a tank AA mount.

Westbrook mans a DShK during the mission "Iron Lady."

A view of the iron sights of the DShK as Westbrook targets the most dangerous and volatile explosive known to man.

General Dynamics GAU-12/U

The AC-130U "Spooky II" gunship in "Iron Lady" is armed with a General Dynamics GAU-12/U 25mm cannon as its lightest armament. Unlike previous games, the AC-130U has equal levels of zoom on all weapons and can for the first time use a standard day camera rather than being restricted to thermal only.

General Dynamics GAU-12/U - 25mm

The AC-130U "Spooky II" sights up an Osa II-Class missile boat on the Seine River in Paris. This reticle is specific to the 25mm cannon. The apparently poor image quality is how the game actually looks; the AC-130U's gun camera is shown grainy and with a lot of motion blur.

In the Special Ops mission "Fire Mission" one player is charged with disabling various systems on the ground while the other assists with fire from an AC-130U, here shown firing its 25mm GAU-12/U.

General Dynamics GAU-17/A

The General Dynamics GAU-17/A can be used in singleplayer and is part of the fictional "M5 Sentry Gun" rig used in multiplayer, Survival and some Special Ops missions. It is seen fitted with a number of Dillon Aero minigun parts including the spade grips, drive motor and gun control unit. When seen on the UH-60 Black Hawk it is incorrectly mounted on the right doorway instead of the right window; this mistake also appears in Modern Warfare 2. The sentry gun version can be accessed in multiplayer with a pointstreak and is bought from the Equipment Armoury in Survival.

General Dynamics GAU-17/A, US Air Force version of the M134 Minigun - 7.62x51mm NATO

Westbrook uses the Black Hawk's minigun as the helicopter is chased by multiple Hind gunships. Note the weapon still uses the classic machine gun crosshair from the first game's MG42.

After an amazing sequence showing a helicopter in an FPS not crashing, Westbrook relaxes, looking over his M134 minigun.

Several missions later, new character Yuri uses an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) armed with an GAU-17/A and Mk. 47 Mod. 0 grenade launcher.

A "sentry gun" in Survival mode mounts a GAU-17/A minigun. Note the flexible tube attached to the brass chute, showing this is a recycled helicopter mounted model. This also explains why it is shown with no power supply.

Westbrook mans the minigun on an M1A1 Abrams tank as it and another tank have the fantastically bad idea of putting 140 tons of tanks on a car park ramp. This has fairly predictable consequences, though only for Westbrook's tank.

The player character in the map "Bakaara," based on the movie Black Hawk Down, finds the crashed Black Hawk at the centre of the map, which for some reason mounts the GAU-17 model from the original Modern Warfare.

Manning the minigun; note that it does not use the Dillon Aero spade grips of the MW3 model and has "GAU" printed on the upper surface. Note also that the player character is operating it without using his hands; this same issue was present in the original Modern Warfare, though it was not visible unless the "camera" was shaken by an explosion.

General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger

A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft seen in the game are armed with a General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger as their gun armament. During the battle for Berlin in the mission "Scorched Earth," Westbrook can use a Special Operating Forces Laser Marker (SOFLAM) designator to call in gun runs on Russian tanks.

General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger - 30x173mm

During "Scorched Earth," Westbrook receives support (and dramatic flybys) from an A-10 Thunderbolt II, Valkyrie 2-6.

Westbrook looks up at the A-10 firing its GAU-8/A "Avenger" cannon.

General Electric M134 Minigun

Enemy MH-6 "Little Bird" helicopters in Survival mode are incorrectly shown armed with GE M134 Miniguns under their chins; the real "Little Bird" mounts miniguns under the wings, while the chin mounting is a sensor. Presumably this is done to make the helicopters more dangerous to the player than they would be if they were only armed with fixed miniguns. Correctly-configured "Little Birds" can be seen in the singleplayer campaign. A minigun can also be seen on magazine covers in the Paris maps.

General Electric M134 - 7.62x51mm NATO

An MH-6 "Little Bird" supports SAS soldiers in London during the mission "Mind The Gap," armed with dual miniguns.

The player character in Survival mode looks up at what can only be termed an "Angry Bird," armed with an M134 minigun.

On magazine covers, a man can be seen demonstrating his "war face" while using a minigun.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1

At various points in the campaign MiG-29 fighters can be seen, presumably armed with Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 guns.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 30x165mm

Andrei Harkov looks out of the window at one of the flight of four MiG-29s escorting the Russian "Air Force One," an Ilyushin Il-96.

MiGs can also be seen in the air during various battles throughout the game; here Westbrook watches an F-15C chasing a MiG-29 during the assault on the Russian firebase under the Eiffel Tower.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2

Hind helicopters in the game seem to be a fictional hybrid of the export Hind-E (Mi-35M) and the Mi-24P, armed with both a chin-mounted Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B cannon and a twin Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2K mounted on the right-hand side of the fuselage.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 automatic cannon with unfired rounds - 30x165mm

A look at the underside of a Hind as Westbrook climbs a ladder shows it to be the configuration kids build when they have a model Hind with instructions to use one gun or the other.

Another Hind takes off, showing off the GSh-30-2 gun on the right of the fuselage.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30

Russian surface ships can be seen armed with Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 rotary guns in AK-630 installations.

GSh-6-30 (AO-18) rotary gun in an AK-630 naval installation - 30x165mm

An AK-630 installation can be seen mounted on the stern of this Russian Osa II-class missile boat, with another less visible one directly under the crosshair on the bow.

In "Hunter Killer," AK-630 installations can just be made out on the forward superstructures of the distant Slava-class cruisers. The Nanuchka-class corvettes seen during the level are a version without an AK-630.

Kalashnikov PKT

The PKT machine gun is mounted coaxially on Russian T-72 and T-90 main battle tanks, along with some (but not all) BTR-80A IFVs.

PKT machine gun with 250-round ammo drum - 7.62x54mm R

A T-90 in Prague fires its coaxial PKT machine gun at rebel soldiers.

Fortunately, not all tanks in the game are as good at remembering they have a coaxial gun; this T-72 in Paris, for example, seems oblivious to this fact.

Yuri prepares to detonate C4 under a bridge as a BTR-80A crosses. The BTR's PKT is visible above the main Shipunov 2A42 gun.

A shot of a BTR with the PKT missing; note the box left of the main gun with a hole in the front. This hole is where the PKT's barrel should be.

M102 105mm Howitzer

The most powerful armament of the AC-130U "Spooky II" gunship is the M102 Howitzer mounted on the rear-left of the fuselage.

Modified M102 howitzer as mounted on AC-130-series gunships - 105x372mm R

The wireframe AC-130U. Note that the labels for the M102 and Bofors are reversed.

The AC-130U sights up a pair of T-72 tanks with its M102.

M197 Vulcan

The M197 Vulcan cannon can be seen mounted on AH-1W Supercobra attack helicopters.

General Dynamics M197 Vulcan - 20mm

In a blurry flashback to the end of the original Modern Warfare's mission "Shock and Awe," a squadron of AH-1W Supercobras fly overhead.

A much clearer Supercobra can be seen at the end of the Special Ops mission "Hit and Run," where it turns up to assist the player characters as they fight off a small army of local militiamen.

M2 Mortar

During the mission "Back on the Grid," a militia group in Sierra Leone use an M2 Mortar to bombard Price, Soap and Yuri, the latter taking control of it later on to destroy a number of technicals.

M2 Mortar - 60mm

Yuri finds an M2 mortar, having dispatched the previous owners.

He's soon putting it to good use taking out a group of technicals. Note the white targeting circle used by this weapon, indicating the point of impact and blast radius.

M230 Chain Gun

The M230 Chain Gun can be seen mounted on AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

Hughes/Alliant Techsystems M230 Chain Gun - 30mm

Westbrook receives a little help from a friendly Apache during the amphibious landing at Hamburg.

Later on in the same mission as he mans the GAU-17/A someone randomly threw on an Abrams, a few more Apaches fly overhead, giving an even closer look at their armament.

M240C

M1A1 Abrams tanks can be seen mounting M240C machine guns coaxially; they can also be seen mounted on wrecked Bradleys in the map "Interchange."

M240C vehicle coaxial-mount version - 7.62x51mm NATO

Westbrook looks over an M1A1 with a coaxial M240C and, bizarrely, a commander's GAU-17/A minigun.

Throughout the early part of this mission the two Abrams support Westbrook and the other US forces with fire with their main and coaxial guns.

An M240C can be see mounted next to the main M242 Bushmaster chaingun of this overturned M2 Bradley IFV.

M240D

The M240D is not seen on tanks during the campaign (which instead mount a completely incorrect GAU-17/A minigun), but in the maps "Dome" and "Downturn" derelict M1A1 Abrams can be seen mounting the correct Browning M2 and M240D on the commander's and loader's hatches respectively.

M240D vehicle and aircraft-mount version with spade grips - 7.62x51mm NATO

The M240D is visible to the right of the derelict's Browning M2HB.

A group of correctly-armed M1A1s lurk around in one corner of the map "Downturn."

M242 Bushmaster Chaingun

In the map "Interchange" a pair of wrecked M2 Bradley IFVs can be found, armed with M242 Bushmaster chainguns. Magazine covers seen in the game also include one with an image of a Bradley.

M242 Bushmaster chaingun - 25mm

The player character in Survival mode looks over a wrecked Bradley in the map "Interchange."

Burns checks out the rather bizarre selection of reading materials at a tube station on the London Underground.

M61 Vulcan

M61 Vulcan cannons can be seen Phalanx installations during the naval battle in New York harbour. They are also presumably mounted on the F-15C Eagle fighters seen during the campaign.

GE M61 Vulcan in a Phalanx mounting - 20mm

GE M61 Vulcan Cannon - 20mm

A Phalanx CIWS installation is visible on each of the two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The same two ships can be seen in the distance as the Russian Oscar-II-class submarine launches its payload of SS-N-19 Shipwreck cruise missiles. The game incorrectly identifies these as the earlier SS-N-12 Sandbox missile during the briefing.

A shot from the introduction to the same level shows that being called "F-22 pilot" is no guarantee you'll actually be flying an F-22. Or even be in the Air Force.

A closeup of the F-15C's cannon faring during a scene which seems to have been assembled with the express purpose of getting as many things wrong as possible. While the previous image implied the F-15C to be carrying AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, all four fuselage corner missiles are visibly Sparrows (note the larger forward fins). All four are apparently actually "JDAM missiles" while the aircraft's centreline fuel tank has decided it's a "JDAM bomb."

F-15Cs fly by overhead several times during the frantic escape from the hijacked submarine.

MG3 machine gun

German Leopard 2 A7+ tanks in Berlin are armed with coaxial MG3A1 machine guns.

MG3 Machine Gun - 7.62x51mm NATO

The MG3A1 is here visible just above the Leopard 2 A7+'s Rheinmetall L/55 120mm smoothbore cannon.

As ever in Call of Duty games, tanks have displayed names just like soldiers; this one is called "Sledgehammer."

Mk 19 Grenade Launcher

The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher appears in Survival mode as the "Sentry Grenade Launcher," a powerful but slow-firing automated gun which the player can pick up and move around.

Mk 19 grenade launcher with ammo box on M3 tripod - 40mm

The player character in Survival mode admires his new Mk 19. Note that the weapon apparently orients itself via the power of positive thinking, since the rig has no visible traverse or elevation motors.

The player character looks over the business end of the grenade launcher as a Juggernaut unhelpfully drops in directly behind it. The opposite situation would probably have been more tactically sound.

Mk 47 Mod 0 Grenade Launcher

While extracting "Soap" MacTavish at the end of the mission "Persona Non Grata," Yuri takes command of an unmanned ground vehicle armed with a GAU-17/A minigun and a Mk 47 Mod 0 Grenade Launcher.

Mk 47 Mod 0 "Striker 40" automatic grenade launcher - 40mm

Yuri looks over the unmanned ground vehicle which Nikolai owns for some reason, armed with a GAU-17/A and a Mk 47 Mod 0. Note that this supposedly Russian drone uses NATO-standard Diehl Type 570P tracks; the running gear seems to be made from parts "borrowed" from the game's Abrams model.

Yuri's drone lays down some heat with its Mk 47 Mod 0 grenade launcher, visible on the right. Note that the weapon is feeding from the wrong side.

Shipunov 2A42

Mi-28N Havoc attack helicopters use the Shipunov 2A42 cannon in their chin mounting. The Shipunov can also be seen mounted on BTR-80A IFVs.

2А42 on Mi-28N helicopter - 30x165mm

An Mi-28N pilot belatedly realises that landing in the side of a building is a bad idea. Note that the Shipunov's barrel isn't bent in the proper sense; it's perfectly curved.

Another Mi-28N which has the whole "flying" thing down a little better shows off its Shipunov 2A42 cannon.

Much, much later on in Prague, Yuri looks through the scope of his Remington RSASS at the Shipunov 2A42 cannon on a BTR-80A.

Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B

Enemy Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopters are armed with a poorly-rendered chin-mounted Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B four-barrel gatling. While the model is so low-detail the four barrels are rendered as a rectangle, four openings can be seen at the muzzle, implying it is supposed to be a Yak-B.

Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B - 12.7x108mm

This crashed Hind is visible in the map "Arkaden;" while the barrel appears to be a solid block, close examination reveals four muzzle openings.

Nikolai's amazing collection of helicopters comes to Task Force 141's assistance yet again, the Russian this time turning up in a Hind during the mission "Return to Sender."

Fictionalized MIM-104 Patriot

The fictional SAM Turret is essentially a miniaturized MIM-104 Patriot system.

Other

M65 Atomic Cannon & W9 Nuclear Artillery Shell

A doctored image of the nuclear test Upshot-Knothole Grable can be seen in some maps as a movie poster. Grable was a shell fired from an M65 Atomic Cannon and the W9 nuclear artillery shell was itself a "gun-type" fission assembly based around a modified antiaircraft gun which fired one subcritical mass at the other.

Undoctored Upshot-Knothole Grable, showing the M65 atomic cannon that fired the round.

The player character in multiplayer looks at the rather distinctive "muzzle flash" of a W9 nuclear artillery shell. This frame is very slightly earlier in the test footage than the one shown above. Note that this poster first appeared in the firing range in the first Modern Warfare, meaning Final Justice has been "coming soon" for around five years by the time of Modern Warfare 3.

Unusable Weapons

This section excludes mounted and emplaced weapons as well as grenades and explosives - you can find them under their respective categories.

AT4

A pickup icon for the M136 AT4 was seen in the "Black Tuesday" gameplay trailer, though ultimately the weapon is never available during gameplay. Nevertheless, it can briefly be seen at the start of "Persona Non Grata": as soon as the player takes full control of Yuri, they can advance towards the balcony and witness a Loyalist soldier using an AT4 to destroy a helicopter.

M136 AT4 - 84mm

The AT4 swap icon as seen in the "Black Tuesday" gameplay trailer. It seems at this point the Russian soldiers would have dropped the AT4 instead of the RPG-7, even though they still visibly use the latter weapon in the trailer.

Beretta 92FS

In Survival mode, an icon of a Beretta 92FS is used to mark the position of the Weapon Armoury, where the players can buy and upgrade their weapons. It is also seen in the holster of the Delta Force operator in the cover art. It cannot be used in gameplay.

Beretta 92FS - 9x19mm

A Beretta 92FS icon representing the location of the weapon armoury in survival mode.

The same icon is used to indicate upgrades when the player ranks up.

Glock 19

A Glock 19 can be seen as the "Quickdraw" perk symbol.

Glock 19 (3rd Generation) - 9x19mm

The "Quickdraw" perk symbol.

"M21"

The suppressed, camouflaged M14 made to look like an M21 sniper rifle with its attached sniper scope from the mission "All Ghillied Up" in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare can be seen in the briefing for the mission "Return to Sender." At this distance, it is impossible to tell if it is the same faux-M21 from CoD4, or if it is an actual M21. For simplicity's sake, it is assumed this is a reused asset, hence the weapon being listed under "M21".

M21 Sniper Rifle - 7.62x51mm NATO

In a still from "All Ghillied Up," Macmillan holds his suppressed, camouflaged M21.

M60E4

The M60E4 is seen on the briefing screen of the DLC map "Vortex," despite not actually appearing anywhere in the game.

M60E4 machine gun - 7.62x51mm NATO

A soldier holds an M60E4 during his trip to Sierra Leone.

RPD

During the introduction to the mission "Return to Sender," a militiaman armed with the Call of Duty 4 RPD can briefly be seen. The weapon does not appear in the mission itself, or anywhere else in the game.

RPD Light Machine Gun - 7.62x39mm

A Somali militiaman brandishes an RPD somebody threw away two games ago.

Sears Ranger

During the mission "Back on the Grid," Soap has a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun strapped to his back with cloth wrapped around the action. He never uses this weapon during the level; it appears to be the "Ranger" shotgun from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Sawed-off Remington Spartan double barrelled shotgun - 12 gauge

Soap carries the shotgun on his back at the start of the mission "Back on the Grid."

Springfield Armory Loaded 1911

The Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 appears during the flashback to the end of Call of Duty 4 in the introduction, and in the hands of Price in the Prague level. It cannot be used by the player in any game mode.

Springfield Armory Loaded M1911A1 - .45 ACP. The one seen in the game has silver bushing and pale G-10 Gunner grips.

Price holds the SA Loaded 1911.

As an injured Soap fades in and out of consciousness during the introduction, he flashes back to shooting Imran Zakhaev with Price's SA Loaded 1911 at the end of the original Modern Warfare.

TDI Vector

The TDI Vector was seen slung over a character' shoulder in one of the game's pre-release trailers; it was most likely a placeholder from Modern Warfare 2, since the weapon does not appear in the final game. As it is most likely a reused asset, it is the prototype Vector with the stock from the Gen 1 Vector and loaded with KRISS 25+ round extended Glock magazines.

Prototype TDI Vector - .45 ACP

TDI / KRISS USA Gen I Vector - .45 ACP

An American spec-ops operative seen with a TDI Vector slung over on his shoulder in the Call of Duty Elite trailer, identified by the stock. Note that the character is holding a weapon he isn't holding.

Percussion Pistol

What looks like Harper's Ferry Flintlocks converted to percussion lock are seen on the "Sarge" calling card.

Harper's Ferry Flintlock - .54 Caliber