Best Shotguns In Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Ranked

Highlights

The Bryson 800 is a reliable and customizable pump-action shotgun that offers good range and damage in
Modern Warfare 3
.
The Expedite 12 is a semi-automatic shotgun with fast fire rate and mobility, but players need to manage its heavy recoil.
The Haymaker may not have high damage capabilities, but its mag-fed design allows for rapid shooting in close-range scenarios.

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?

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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 August 7, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Hard-hitting shotguns are a powerhouse for those who play Call of Duty on the edge, seeking out enemies in close-quarter combat. The best shotguns in Modern Warfare 3 will provide players with a kicking fury, but the selection is rather limited and tame when compared to the best guns in Modern Warfare 3. Focusing purely on shotguns, players might find their new main weapon of choice before the MW3 meta changes once again.

10 KV Broadside

Fastest Firing Sem-Auto

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
55%	50%	35%	50%	60%	70%	60%	8	24

9 Riveter

Fully Automatic 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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
45%	55%	40%	55%	40%	65%	75%	15	45

8 Bryson 890

Fast Shooting, Faster Reloading

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
80%	35%	35%	50%	45%	65%	55%	8	24

7 Bryson 800

Great For Modifications With Close-Range & Medium-Range Focus

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
75%	35%	30%	55%	57%	56%	50%	8	16

6 Expedite 12

Fierce Recoil, But Fiercer Bullets

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
75%	30%	25%	50%	55%	60%	55%	7	21

5 Haymaker

Rapid-Fire Shotgun For Room Clearing

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
45%	43%	35%	53%	54%	54%	75%	8	24

4 MX Guardian

Fully Automatic With a Great Ammo Capacity

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
40%	50%	25%	40%	35%	50%	51%	15	30

3 Lockwood 300

Excellent Range and Tight Pellet Spread at the Cost of Ammo

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.

2:33

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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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
50%	45%	30%	55%	40%	55%	55%	2	16

2 Lockwood 680

Versatile and Modifiable For Medium and Close-Range Battles

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.

Damage	Fire Rate	Range	Accuracy	Recoil Control	Mobility	Handling	Rounds	Reserve
60%	35%	33%	55%	60%	60%	70%	6	18

1 Reclaimer 18

Switch Between Pump-Action and Semi-Auto Modes

How to Unlock: Through Season 4’s Battle Pass

Like with most recent updates, the newer weapons are going to steal the show. The Reclaimer 18 comes as part of Season 4, and with it, mass devastation is unleashed for those seeking a shotgun with the potential to destroy entire teams. The Reclaimer 18 is one of the few shotguns that can one-shot enemies at a decent range, and the mixture of pump-action and semi-auto power makes the Reclaimer 18 a more versatile shotgun that fits the use of any player who wants to run around or cower behind corners.