The difference between the best and worst SMGs in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is more extreme than any other weapon class. A bad SMG is simply a worse assault rifle. A good SMG hits like a shotgun and close-to-mid range.

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Although each SMG has its strengths and weaknesses, some simply stand out in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 while the others fade into obscurity. There is a reason experts rave about certain selections and have a tough time remembering the other guns in the class even exist.

Updated on April 30th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: With a few seasons, new maps, statistical teaks, and some major overhauls over and done with, the landscape has predictably shifted in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The franchise has always been quick to nerf guns that see their win rates get too high and buff weapons that see their win rates drop off. The changes may be subtle, but in a game that differentiates time to kill by milliseconds, that's all it takes to see something's usage go from top to bottom. This list has been overhauled, looking at the loadouts of the best players and the most successful loadouts of the community at large.

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10 PDSW 528

Below average in everything except for fire rate, the PDSW 528 is tough to justify. Even when using the best build for the PDSW 28, the issue remains that this is the same or worse in every category as the BAS-P, so just use that instead.

Most of the time when a weapon has terrible statistics like this, there is something special about the gun, like an easy-to-reload magazine or unique type of ammunition. In this case, the PDSW 528 is just bad.

9 MX9

The high accuracy is surprising considering the MX9's elite damage within 10 meters. Players maintain superiority in close quarters while still managing to land consistent shots at mid-range. However, the poor mobility makes the weapon makes getting close difficult.

With ideal aim sensitivity settings, the MX9 can be alright but it's got a nasty damage dropoff at 15 meters or more, making it tough to recommend outside of melee range. With the poor mobility, being in close quarters is also a tall order.

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7 Vel 46

The Vel 46 is a favorite for many gamers. It has the fastest aim down scope time not just for any SMG just for any primary weapon in the entire game. That's a good start, to be sure, and players who like to sprint and fire should use the best build for the Vel 46 and lean on this advantage.

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However, its poor close and mid-range damage and accuracy often mean getting the jump on an assault rifle user and still losing the fight. It has no damage drop-off after 45 meters, so consider it one of the rare SMGs that maintains long-range usefulness.

6 Minibak

Gamers frustrated by how typical SMGs bounce all over the place will love the Minibak. It's tops in accuracy, recoil control, and mobility, plus it has an easier magazine to reload and a best-in-class 64 bullets per cartridge.

The downside is that the bottom-tier fire rate and poor range make using this at even medium range a losing proposition. There are better SMGs for close and ranged fighting, leaving the Minibak in a no man's land despite some interesting attributes. It can be salvaged with some elite field upgrades, but it's the worst SMG in the game when it comes to time to kill on anything beyond 30 meters.

5 FSS Hurricane

The FSS Hurricane possesses the best accuracy of all the SMGs and has high mid-range damage to back that up. To balance this out, it also has garbage mobility, so players will assume they should use this from afar and not charge into the fight.

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The issue there is very rough handling, so aiming down the scope takes a while. Players who use the FSS Hurricane will need to get their graphics just right, wait in ideal locations, and stare down the sights. The SMG has below-average damage against targets with 25 meters and outside of 40 meters, so stick to exclusively mid-range battles.

4 Vaznev-9K

There is an intentional design choice for SMGs to give them either a low fire rate or low damage because, if combined, the stopping power is too strong. However, the Vaznev-9K is an apparent exception, combining an average fire rate with fantastic damage on targets within 25 meters.

Aside from mobility and handling, the rest of the attributes are also solid aside from a nasty damage dropoff on anything over 30 meters away. The Vaznev-9K should be used as a hipfire weapon and players should throw in a few gadgets for cover. Tune the weapon for more damage and firing rate and the gun hits like a shotgun, even at a moderate range.

3 Lachmann Sub

The Lachmann Sub is tied for the best mobility in the game and has the second-best time to kill when examining ranges under 10 meters. Those are two of the most critical categories for an SMG to be great and the Lachmann Sub delivers.

Aside from this, the gun doesn't stand out in any particular way. It's basically a standard SMG. It's higher up on the list than could be expected because it lacks a true weakness. For players who want to use SMGs until it's time to prestige, the Lachmann Sub does the job.

2 BAS-P

Similar to the Lachmann Sub, the BAS-P also lacks weaknesses. While it isn't top in any particular category, it's the most useful SMG for both close-quarters fighting and mid-range shootouts. This is a weapon that covers all areas of the battlefield except for snipers.

For pro players that don't like guns with limits, the BAS-P is a refreshing SMG that can be built to accomplish any goal. When teammate pings on the radar become unreliable, this weapon is ready for action at any distance.

1 Fennec 45

The Fennec 45 is tops in fire rate and high in both mobility and handling sounds like a great start. It's also dead last in accuracy and recoil control. But that's the entire point of using an SMG; those are generally junk stats and the Fennec 45 treats them as such. As night maps continue to gain traction, the importance of accuracy and recoil also diminishes.

As an interesting quirk, the Fennec 45 is also the only SMG to give special treatment to headshots while the rest of the guns treat these strikes as torso hits. As a result, this gives the gun the best time to kill at any range, close or far away. To put it further above the top, it also has the highest time to kill at these ranges even with regular torso shots, so it's great for both experts with superior aim and gamers just looking to hit center mass.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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