Call of Duty WW2 best guns explained: Recommended best rifles, best SMGs, and how to unlock weapons such as the BAR early
The best rifles and SMGs recommended by the game's community from launch.
Working out Call of Duty WW2's best guns is useful to work out early, not only so you can be as competitive as can be, but so you aren't wasting those precious Tokens on sub-par weaponry.
The sooner you find a gun you like the faster you can reach weapon prestige, too, and thankfully it appears a handful of weapons have emerged from the few dozen available in the game.
What are the best guns in Call of Duty WW2?
At launch, the consensus in the community appears to have four weapons stand out:
| Gun | Type | Rank unlock | Damage | Range | Accuracy | Fire rate | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STG44 | Rifle | 15 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 30/90 |
| BAR | Rifle | 52 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20/60 |
| TYPE 100 | SMG | 11 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30/90 |
| MP-40 | SMG | Airborne Prestige reward | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 32/96 |
With Call of Duty multiplayer generally trending towards mid-range gunplay, it's no surprise that rifles and SMGs appeared to have floated to the top in terms of preference.
If you're interested in sniper rifles or shotguns in particular, most players appear to not have a strong preference, though the Enfield and Combat Shotgun appear to be discussed more than most.
While there is probably no such thing as a definitive best weapon, the BAR appears to be most favoured at the moment.
As GreenGoblinHD explains in this YouTube video, the BAR's damage, range and fire rate combine for something that can take down enemies very easily, and in our experience it certainly pulls out the stops:
BEST GUN IN WORLD WAR 2! BAR BEST CLASS SETUP COD WW2 BEST WEAPON! WORLD WAR 2 BEST GUN CLASS SETUP!
Of course, the BAR and other weapons listed above aren't available from the get go - meaning you'll have some work to do to unlock it. However, there is a shortcut.
Out for more advice on COD WW2's multiplayer? It's worth checking out which Division suits you best, then how to unlock the best COD WW2 guns as well as its various Prestige rewards using fast XP methods. If you're still having connectibity problems post-launch meanwhile, our Call of Duty WW2 server issues delves into error codes and other troubleshooting tips, and finally we can also help you tick off the Commend a soldier challenge in Headquarters, too.
How to unlock the BAR or any other gun early in Call of Duty WW2
To unlock the BAR or any of the above weapons, you must reach a certain rank and spend an Unlock Token. However, if you pre-ordered the game, you should have received a Prestige Unlock Token, as well as four hours of double XP.
This allows you to not only unlock something and keep it unlocked between Prestiges, but you can choose anything regardless of rank. So instead of waiting until such a high rank, you could unlock the BAR as one of the first things you do in multiplayer.
If you don't have a Prestige Unlock token, then the Grease Gun is a decent all-rounder until you start hitting the higher ranks. It's also worth experimenting with different Divisions to get the most out of your preferred playstyle, giving you bonus perks as you get XP from match plays and wins.