Summary
Shotguns remain heavy hitters, andCall of Duty:Modern Warfare 3brings these tameable beats to the front lines of the action. The best Shotguns inModern Warfare 3truly 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 asMW3’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 Jun 06, 2025, 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.
10KV Broadside
Fastest Firing Sem-Auto
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.
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9Riveter
Fully Automatic Shotgun
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.
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8Bryson 890
Fast Shooting, Faster Reloading
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.
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7Bryson 800
Great For Modifications With Close-Range & Medium-Range Focus
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 therange and damage make it a durable weaponso players can use it within close or medium range. Players can enjoy the Bryson 800 as a consistently good Shotgun inModern Warfare 3.
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6Expedite 12
Fierce Recoil, But Fiercer Bullets
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 verify that theyaccount 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.
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5Haymaker
Rapid-Fire Shotgun For Room Clearing
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, meaningplayers might need more than one shotgun shellto pull off a kill.
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4MX Guardian
Fully Automatic With a Great Ammo Capacity
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 thisSledgehammer Games-ledCODtitle.
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.
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3Lockwood 300
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 thisshorter campaignCODtitle.
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.
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2Lockwood 680
Versatile and Modifiable For Medium and Close-Range Battles
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.
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1Reclaimer 18
Switch Between Pump-Action and Semi-Auto Modes
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.
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