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All Blackout weapons: the best guns for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 battle royale

Check out our list of all Blackout weapons to find the best guns for Call of Duty battle royale and dominate the competition

best blackout guns

Blackout weapons are a bit different than the guns we’re used to in other battle royale games. Unlike PUBG and Fortnite, Blackout weapons are not heavily influenced by popular firearms from the real world – some are torn straight from the pages of pulp science fiction, others represent futuristic takes on current-day military hardware, while some are entirely fictional. This means the only way to know what Blackout gun is best for you is to pick one up and test it out in the field, which is easier said than done.

In order to help you figure out your Maddox RFB from your Rampart 17, we‘ve assembled the following Call of Duty: Blackout weapons guide. Below, we detail the key differences between every gun in Call of Duty battle royale, and offer some advice as to which weapons you should be looking for when you drop.

We’ll also look into zombie guns, good attachments for each weapon, and also what situations each of these Blackout weapons excel in.

Here are the best Call of Duty Blackout weapons:

Blackout assault rifles

Maddox RFB

Arguably the best Blackout assault out there, the Maddox RFB is punchy, easy to control, and hits hard. The drawback is that none of this holds up at long range. If you’re looking for a gun to use in that grey area between short and mid-range then the Maddox RFB is one of your best options.

The Maddox RFB can be equipped with muzzle attachments, magazine attachments, and all types of scope – except the sniper scope.

Rampart 17

Loved by some, hated by others, the Rampart 17 delivers high damage and is even effective in long-range battles, but suffers with a slow rate of fire and plenty of horizontal recoil. If you can’t find a sniper or DMR then this is a decent stand-in. Like most assault rifles, you can put a variety of attachments on the Rampart 17, just not the sniper scope.

Blackout weapons - KN 57

KN-57

This modernised AK-47 is another strong assault rifle and can be effective in practically any type of engagement. It drops enemies quickly, has an easy-to-learn recoil profile, and fires fast enough to see you through most close-quarters fights, too. If you have played a lot of Call of Duty in the past then chances are you’ll feel right at home with this Blackout gun. We recommend a short-range sight, grip, stock, and suppressor for the ultimate KN-57 setup.

ICR-7

You won’t struggle to land hits with the ICR-7 in Blackout, but don’t expect them to deal much damage. This gun’s best attribute is its accuracy, making it a stalwart in any arsenal. Landing headshots is key to success with this Blackout assault rifle, so aim high. The high accuracy of the ICR-7 means that it’s also very effective for laying down warning shots in Quads and Duos, especially if you have a sniper on your team waiting to pick off any players you manage to pin down.

Vapr-XKG

The Vapr-XKG isn’t a bad Blackout gun per se, but it is one of the worst assault rifles in Blackout. This carbine-style weapon is good for close-quarters fights and can be effective up to mid-range, but it’s nearly useless at taking down distant targets. If you’re going to run this assault rifle then make sure it’s not your only long-range option.

Blackout weapons - Koshka

Blackout sniper rifles

Koshka

All Blackout sniper rifles are excellent. They’re capable of eliminating targets with a single shot and from frankly absurd distances. However, the Koshka is the Blackout sniper rifle you should look for.

Why? Its fast scope-in time is ideal for the searing pace of Blackout’s gameplay, allowing you to react to missed shots, location changes, and new threats much faster than with other sniper rifles like the Paladin. For this reason, the Koshka is also adept in mid-range firefights where the vast majority of Blackout shootouts take place.

The Koshka also boasts a decent rate of fire, allowing you to cycle through three or four shots, which means you won’t be punished for missing shots with this sniper rifle.

Paladin HB50

There’s no denying the appeal of the Paladin: you’ll rarely need to land more than one shot with this 50 .cal monster in order to down an enemy. The Paladin also has little in the way of bullet drop, making it the best pick for those extremely long-range engagements. Hit someone with this sniper rifle immediately puts them on the back foot, stripping any armour and robbing them of the majority of their health. Strap a sniper scope and an extended barrel on this sniper and you’re all set.

SDM

This semi-automatic Blackout sniper rifle is great for spamming vehicles and running enemies at range, but can be tricky to control. Its damage rating and rate of fire make it a very versatile long-range weapon, so absolutely grab this if you you’ve had no luck finding one of the other three sniper rifles.

Outlaw

This bolt-action sniper is very similar to the Koshka in terms of damage, but can cycle through rounds even faster. It’s not quite as mobile though, so can be hard to use in mid-range fights.

Blackout weapons - Titan

Blackout LMGs

Titan

The only true LMG in Blackout, the Titan is proficient from short to long range and is capable of obliterating entire squads given half a chance. Whether you need to lay down some suppressing fire, empty rounds into an enemy vehicle, or clear out a building, the Titan possesses the raw power and 75-round box magazine to get the job done. One minor drawback: hefty bullet drop over long range.

Hades

The highest rate of fire of any LMG except the Zweihander, the Hades offers decent accuracy at mid-range, making a great weapon for suppressing enemy squads.

VKM 750

This 50 .cal LMG packs a punch – though nowhere near as much as the 50 .cal Paladin – but you will struggle to land many shots with it as the rate of fire is agonisingly slow. To make matters worse, the VKM’s hefty recoil means landing consecutive shots is a challenge.

Blackout weapons - ABR 223

Blackout tactical rifles

Auger DMR

If you can’t find a sniper rifle then this is a very good replacement: high damage, high muzzle velocity, and semi-automatic fire to boot. A 4x scope and suppressor turn the Auger DMR into a formidable weapon for Blackout’s wide-open spaces.

ABR 223

A solid burst-fire rifle that’s capable of tagging targets at mid to long range, but it struggles in close-quarters battles where its low damage-per-second rating means it can take three or four bursts to down an enemy. The ABR 223 comes equipped with a decent short-range optic, making it a great early-game weapon for mid-range fights.

Swordfish

Suffers from the same issues as the ABR 223: borderline detrimental in close-quarters conflict, and outclassed by the Auger DMR, sniper rifles, and even some assault rifles at long-range.

Essex Model 07

Another forgettable Blackout weapon, the Essex Model 07 should only be picked up if you have no mid or long-range weapon, or indeed no weapon at all. It’s got a slow rate of fire, mediocre damage, and you can’t fit it with any attachments. Hopefully this lever-action rifle is buffed soon.

Blackout weapons - GKS

Blackout Submachine guns

GKS

Hands down the best SMG in Blackout, the GKS offers a high rate of fire, relatively low recoil, and has a solid damage profile. SMGs generally aren’t worth keeping around as you near the end of a Blackout match, but the GKS is versatile enough to justify a slot in your arsenal, so long as you have an assault rifle or sniper for long distance engagements.

Spitfire

The Spitfire is the best close-quarters Blackout gun and your best friend at the start of the match when most enemies are unarmoured. Its blistering rate of fire makes short work of foes if you can land every hit, which becomes a struggle when you’re out in the open and not battling through buildings. Attach a laser sight and extended mag to make this the ultimate hip-fire weapon.

Cordite

The high magazine capacity is your main reason for picking up the Cordite. Load the Cordite up with a 2x scope and every attachment it can carry and it can just about manage at mid-range. But close-quarters battles is where this Blackout SMG comes into its own.

MX9

The MX9 is versatile enough to get you through the odd mid-range scrape thanks to it boasting both a high rate of fire and easy-to-control recoil. Like all SMGs in Blackout, the MX9 will be rendered ineffective toward the end of the match as most enemies will have high-level armour, so be ready to ditch this for an assault rifle when you’re done clearing out Nuketown Island.

Saug-9mm

Only worth picking up if your only other option is a shotgun, the Saug-9mm is a strong short-range weapon in Black Ops 4 multiplayer but does not adapt well to the increased range of Blackout.

Blackout weapons - SG12

Blackout shotguns

SG12

Shotguns are hard enough to use in the tiny maps of Black Ops 4 multiplayer, so it makes sense that they’re the worst weapon to use in Blackout. The SG12 is the better of the two options as its high rate of fire will give you a damage-per-second advantage over some SMGs in confined spaces.

Mog 12

Preferable only to the basketballs you can pick up in a certain location of the map, the Mog 12 will only deal worthwhile damage if your target is within melee range. To make matters worse, it’s a pump-action shotgun, so getting off the two or three shots it takes to kill someone at this range takes far too long.

Blackout weapons - RK7 Garrison

Blackout pistols

Strife

This is preferable to a shotgun, but very much a weapon to avoid if you have other options. The Strife has the stopping power and ammo capacity to put an unarmoured enemy down with a single magazine, but you’ll have to land every shot without hesitation to stand a chance with this pistol.

Mozu

This revolver packs a serious punch, but its small clip size, slow rate of fire, and tricky iron sights have it come in second to almost every other gun in Blackout.

RK 7 Garrison

The best of the three pistols available in Blackout, the RK 7 Garrison is a decent backup weapon in the early game as you can change to it much faster than a primary weapon.

Blackout weapons - Hellion Salvo

Blackout launchers

War Machine

The War Machine is an extremely rare, belt-fed noob tube, and every bit as useful as that sounds. Nothing beats this Blackout launcher when it comes to wiping out vehicles and squads up close. The War Machine is also very useful for taking out enemies who are hiding behind cover, making it surprisingly effective during the final stages of a match.

Hellion Salvo

This Blackout rocket launcher can lock onto vehicles, making it a very powerful weapon in Quads where a single, well-timed shot can result in a squad wipe. Rocket ammo can be quite scarce so it’s best to have a single member of your team on anti-vehicle duties.

blackout zombie guns

Blackout zombies weapons

Galil

As good in Blackout as it was in the first Black Ops game, the Galil is a very strong assault rifle with high damage and virtually no recoil. Its one shortcoming is that it can’t carry any attachments, so you might struggle to find targets without a scope.

Ray Gun

This weapon is synonymous with Call of Duty’s zombies mode, so it’s exciting to finally see it in action against other players. The results are mixed: the Ray Gun deals stacks of damage, but has limited use due to its high projectile travel time, ammo count of 20, and lack of attachments. It’s fun, but it’s not necessarily good.

MP-40

Similar to the Galil, the MP-40 has raw stats in its favour, but without any attachments its use is limited to short-range firefights.

Zweihander

A new Call of Duty weapon, the Zweihander is a double-barrel LMG, which sounds incredible, but really just equates to a lot of missed bullets. With only iron sights and some of the worst recoil in the game, the Zweihander is only effective at short range.

 

Need more help conquering Call of Duty’s battle royale mode? Check out our rundown of the best Blackout perks, or for tactics we have a Blackout tips guide. Of course things might fall apart when it comes to actually finding the best Blackout weapons, but at least you now know what the guns you have are capable of.