COD MW3: Best Shotguns

Shotguns remain heavy hitters, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 brings these tameable beats to the front lines of the action. The best Shotguns in Modern Warfare 3 truly depend on the individual player’s taste, since the game provides a bout of them to choose from. Players will feel like John Wick going gun-shopping with the selection available to them, but which do they prefer a fast-firing slow slug hitter or a buckshot one-tap stopper?

The selection is large, but only a few can be regarded as MW3’s best Shotguns. Whilst players may not be able to beat out the range of Sniper Rifles and Battle Rifles, they can certainly get far too close for comfort against their opponents, and unleash Hell onto their enemies with often a single trigger and a controlled space, allowing for domination on the battlefield.

Updated on February 27, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Everyone loves a shotgun, thanks to the satisfying sound of cocking the gun, and the sheer power and kick found within every press of the trigger. Shotguns are up-close-and-personal, and can easily kill targets in one hit if players are close enough to their targets. Yet, players will need to know the best shotguns in MW3 if they are to stand a chance against the competition, and perhaps make other players rage thanks to the sheer power of every quick shot from these powerful weapons. This list has been updated to better fit the meta of new content, and to ensure that shotgun players get their fair pick of the MW3 arsenal.

9 KV Broadside

Semi-Auto 12 Gauge Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach level 55 and Activate the Challenge

Boasting of the ability to be the fastest-firing shotgun in the shotgun class for MW3, the KV Broadside is a weapon for those who like to be fast and accurate. It’s always good to have a weapon that fires fast, as quick turning and domination over targets with slower weapons will always reign supreme, especially in close-quarter situations. Yet, even with a fast firing rate, the range and recoil mean that players might struggle to win out against some other shotguns found in the same class.

8 Riveter

Full-Auto .410 Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach level 25 and Activate the Associated Challenge

Another full-auto shotgun for the collection, the Riveter is built around an assault rifle receiver, meaning that players can punch holes in any opponent who dares to cross their path. The damage is decent, and the fire rate is top-notch, allowing players to treat this weapon like a close-range machine gun that kicks and hits equally as hard. The mobility and handling excel, so this is definitely a shotgun that needs to be up close to enemies, and definitely for breaching around corners and buildings, and not for use in medium and long-range battles.

7 Bryson 890

Mag-Fed Pump-Action

• How to Unlock
  : Reach level 55 and Activate the Challenge

With a fast reload time and a set of 24 reserve shells, the Bryson 890 may not be the best shotgun, but it certainly takes itself seriously. There’s a high impact on the shotgun, allowing for an extreme burst of damage to whoever is unlucky enough to run a corner and be hit by its stopping power. It lacks in range and fire rate and somewhat falters in mobility and handling, but that is nothing compared to its potential to clear out rooms of enemies quickly.

6 Bryson 800

Pump-Action Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach level 4

The Bryson 800 feels like a classic Shotgun for modern wielders. It’s everything players could want from a Shotgun, with its reliable frame, customization options, and classic pump-action design. The fire rate may be average, but the range and damage make it a durable weapon so players can use it within close or medium range. Players can enjoy the Bryson 800 as a consistently good Shotgun in Modern Warfare 3.

5 Expedite 12

Semi-Auto Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach Level 55

The Expedite 12 is a practical weapon, that is, for anyone who can deal with the heavy recoil. As a semi-auto shotgun, the Expedite 12 is fast enough to take out the competition, one enemy at a time. However, players are going to want to make sure that they account for the recoil. It’s well worth fighting the recoil, as the damage, range, and mobility of the weapon allow it to devastate anyone that players are fast enough to chase down and destroy.

4 Haymaker

Mag-Fed Combat Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach Level 39

The Haymaker may not be the greatest Shotgun, but it’s more than capable in close-range scenarios. The Haymaker is unique due to the fact it has a mag-fed design, allowing players to rapidly shoot its bullets to pile into enemies. Whilst great at close range, and more than capable thanks to its rapid rate of fire for a shotgun, the Haymaker does in fact suffer from average damage statistics, meaning players might need more than one shotgun shell to pull off a kill.

3 MX Guardian

12-Gauge

• How to Unlock
  : Reach Level 55

Another high-firing Shotgun is the MX Guardian, which has a helical magazine capable of holding 15 rounds. As a fully automatic Shotgun, the MX Guardian will provide a safety net for players who might miss more shots than they are comfortable with for this Sledgehammer Games-led COD title.

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The large round capacity and fully automatic design means that players can happily shoot to kill, and overindulge their trigger-happy desires. Players might need to use more than a few of these bullets due to the fact that it has lesser damage capabilities.

2 Lockwood 300

Break-Action Shotgun

• How to Unlock
  : Reach Level 55

A break-action shotgun that sacrifices its ammo capacity for range, the Lockwood 300 has a tight pellet spread, meaning that to those accurate enough, they can turn any hostile into formidable and easily destroyed prey. The extended range of the Lockwood 300 means that even with only 2 rounds in the chamber, players should be able to pull off efficient kills in this shorter campaign COD title.

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However, players won’t be able to use the Lockwood 300 to take out squads, especially with the desire to reload. It hits hard, and fast, and players will need to be accurate for it to work in their favor.

1 Lockwood 680

12-Gauge

• How to Unlock
  : Reach Level 4

Whilst the Lockwood 300 might have more of a classic look, the Lockwood 680 is more modern and even more effective and versatile. In most scenarios, Lockwood 680 can dominate thanks to its damage abilities, average fire rate, and its high accuracy and handling. The lack of recoil control leaves much to be desired, so players will need to have a practical hand to deal with the strength of this kicking weapon.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

Released

November 10, 2023

Genre(s)

First-Person Shooter