MW3 best Rival 9 loadout

Update: Our best MW3 Rival 9 loadout was updated with new and alternative attachments to be up to date with changes made to MW3 since its launch.

Modern Warfare 3 is here with its arsenal of military weaponry that you can customise to suit you. As ever, some weapons are better than others, and a few of them are establishing themselves as strong contenders for the best weapon to go ahead and killstreak in multiplayer matches with.

Our best MW3 Rival 9 loadout details all the attachments, perks, and equipment you’ll need to turn this simple SMG into a top-tier, close range weapon that can melt through your targets.

MW3 best Rival 9 loadout: best attachments

The Rival 9 is a solid SMG to be using in MW3, especially with the right attachments. Here’s a class build that’ll help you get the most out of the weapon, with this particular loadout being partially thanks to YouTuber Cbass.

• Barrel: Rival-C Clearshot Barrel
• Stock: EXF Close Quarters Stock
• Ammunition: 9MM High Grain Rounds
• Underbarrel: Bruen Pivot Vertical Grip
• Rear Grip: Rival Vice Assault Grip (or a larger magazine)

For the barrel of the Rival-9, we're going to use the Rival-C Clearshot Barrel. This attachment will aid will aid with our control of the Rival 9, as well as our accuracy with it, while being at a small detriment to our mobility. It'll help with aiming idle sway and bullet velocity greatly, as welll as our recoil control and damage range.

As for our stock, we're opting for the EXF Close Quarters Stock which will help improving our gun kick control and recoil control. It'll also reduce our speeds ever so slightly, which is fine, as we mainly want to focus on improving the accuracy of the Rival 9 and its damage output.

Up next, we're going to add some 9MM High Grain Rounds as our ammunition for the Rival 9. This ammuniition will increase the damage output and bullet velocity of the weapon while reducing the recoil control a tad; fortunately, our other attachments make up for this, and that improved damage output is something we really want.

To help with that recoil control, we're going to add an underbarrel. Now, you can choose whichever underbarrel suits you, but an option you can go for is the Bruen Pivot Vertical Grip. This will reduce our ADS speed and sprint to fire speed while improving recoil control, with the pros definitely outweighing the cons here.

Last, but not least, we're going to add a rear grip to help our recoil control even further. The Rival Vice Assault Grip comes without many cons; it'll help our recoil control significantly, while only being of a slight detriment to our aiming idle sway, which is nothing, really. That said, if you're having no problem controlling the Rival 9 as it is, you can always swap this attachment for a larger magazine so that you can combat MW3's increased TTK with ease.

MW3 best Rival 9 perks and equipment

Now that our Rival 9 loadout is established and we’ve got a solid SMG in our hands, it’s time to run through what equipment compliments the weapon.

• Secondaru Weapon: Renetti
• Vest: Demolition Vest - provides three gear slots and four equipment slots. Lethal and Tactical equipment is resupplied every 25 seconds.
• Gloves: Scavenger Gloves - allows you to resupply ammo and throwing knives from dead players.
• Boots: Lightweight Boots - increases movement and swim speed.
• Gear: Mag Holster - increases reload speed. EOD Padding to increase your survivability is also viable.
• Tactical: Flash Grenade - a versatile grenade that blinds and deafens targets so you can go in for the kill or delay. Stim's are also great.
• Lethals: Semtex - a timed sticky grenade. Alternatively, any explosives you have fun using.
• Field Upgrades: Munitions Box or Trophy System - you can never go wrong with more ammo, but the Trophy System can destroy nearby equipment and projectiles.

How to unlock the Rival 9 in MW3

To unlock the Rival 9 in MW3, players will need to reach Level 25 and complete some Armory Unlock challenges.

For more on MW3, take a look at our best MCW loadout if you fancy running it down with an assault rifle. If you’d like to try your hand at quick-scoping instead, it’s also worth looking at our best Longbow loadout.