Best SMGs in COD MW3 (Meta SMG Tier List)

Compact SMG with a whopping 50 rounds as standard. Large selection and a good TTK. Perfect for shooting at close to medium range.

The only SMG that is reasonably viable well beyond 25 meters. It has excellent range and is the best for movement demons, as players can sacrifice some range and walk out with movement advantage when choosing the right accessories.

Essentially UMP-45. It has good range and is fairly easy to control. Easily one of the more versatile SMGs in the game.

Has an excellent rate of fire and a decent range to boot. Fairly easy to control, has good iron sights and has a respectable TTK.

Excellent SMG but only when using the JAK Decimator Conversion. Converts the weapon into a fully automatic weapon and comes with the benefit of an integrated suppressor and subsonic ammunition.

Essentially an MP5 and is almost the same as the Lachmann case, this time with better damage, worse range and is full auto by default. It's an excellent all-rounder that any player can pick up and use quite easily.

Excellent close range SMG. Kills quickly, is relatively stable compared to other high RPM options, and is generally an excellent SMG to run and shoot with.

Boasting a high rate of fire, good TTK and one of the highest levels of base mobility in the SMG category. Excellent close range Sub with some vertical kick to grip.

Relatively poor range and control, but boasts a blistering rate of fire for one of the fastest TTKs in the game. Excellent for close range engagement.

Pretty much the striker but with a higher rate of fire, less damage and better mobility plus handling. Once you tone down the recoil, it's an excellent choice.

Pretty low recoil compact SMG that actually has decent range despite what the stats say. Solid TTK, excellent handling level and an all round good SMG.

Boasting a great TTK, a fast rate of fire and a good level of handling. Tone down its recoil, especially the horizontal recoil, and it's a great SMG for close and medium range.

A compact SMG that is relatively versatile in close and medium range shooting. Boasts high damage, with a recoil pattern that is mostly just vertical kick.

Perfect for shooting at close range. It has a blistering rate of fire and a fast TTK, but suffers from a lot of recoil resulting in poor accuracy at medium range.

Fairly low recoil SMG boasting 50 shots as standard. The death time is relatively on par with other meta options and is a perfectly viable SMG in the meta.

Harder hitting SMG with a lower average rate of fire. Totally viable and has good damage range.

Boasting a great level of DPS and excellent TTK, along with being quite versatile for close and medium range shooting. However, it suffers from an awkward horizontal recoil.

Relatively low damage range but a decent TTK at 10 meters. Great for close range shooting, but not exactly the highest rated SMG.

Relatively low recoil that can actually be used at medium range. It's a viable pick, but not exactly a meta pick.

It has poor damage range, extremely high vertical recoil, but a fast rate of fire that gives a high TTK. It also comes with an Akimbo Conversion Kit to run the weapon in Dual Wield.

The single main advantage of the Minibak is its large magazine. Has 64 rounds as standard. It is not a competitive choice, but it can be used with some success.

Relatively poor TTK and sports a small newspaper as standard. Fails to rank as a meta contender.

Has a large magazine and has relatively low recoil. It can be used to some success at medium range, but isn't exactly a competitive option.