The Striker 45 was introduced as a Battle Pass weapon in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and combines high range with 3-hit kills of the SMGs. Here are some good setups and details about the Season 2 weapon.
What kind of weapon is this? The Striker 45 arrived with Season 2 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and is one of the Battle Pass weapons alongside the assault rifle Grau 5.56.
The SMG is based on the .45 SMG from the American arms manufacturer LWRC International and represents the company’s first foray into the submachine gun market. The weapon is actually based on an assault rifle platform and gives the impression of an AR rather than a pure SMG in CoD.
Update March 1: After a new analysis of the larger Update 1.15, “TheXclusiveAce” found some hidden changes to weapon balance and the Striker 45 received a significant buff.
The ammunition attachment “12-round .45 Hollow Point Magazine” can now achieve 2-shot kills in the chest area. Since the weapon delivers a 2-shot burst with this ammunition, a “burst” is enough to take down opponents.
The TTK here is only 117 ms up to 25 meters. The range can be further improved with attachments.
What are the stats of the Striker 45? Every SMG has to face comparison with the MP5. The MP5 is considered the best submachine gun and has very strong stats.
The Striker 45 stands out particularly with its truly high 3-hit range, where 3 shots are sufficient for a kill. This almost falls into the 4-shot range of the M4A1 assault rifle, which is around 25 meters. The values apply to torso hits, on which SMGs have a bonus multiplier.
| Weapon | Striker 45 | MP5 |
| 3-hit range | 22 m | 13 m |
| Rate of fire (RPM) | 619 | 833 |
| TTK | 194 ms | 144 ms |
| Reloading | 1.7 s | 1.7 s |
| ADS time | 200 ms | 200 ms |
If you want to learn more about the values and specifications of the Striker 45, check out the English video from YouTuber and CoD analyst “TheXclusiveAce”:
Best attachments and setups for the Striker 45
What should I consider when modifying? The Striker 45 feels particularly inaccurate at the start. When aiming, the sight moves significantly (Idle Sway) even without movement, and the recoil makes the weapon jump in all directions. You should always plan for an attachment to reduce recoil. Here are a few attachments for better aiming in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Setup 1 – For beginners
- Laser: 1mw Laser
- Stock: FSS Guardian
- Underbarrel: Commando Grip
Why this setup for beginners? With the stock, the weapon feels much steadier as the “Idle Sway” almost completely disappears. The Commando Grip is nearly always useful for this weapon to control strong recoil. The laser supports hip-fire. This gives you a good starting point and allows you to notice how further attachments improve the weapon.
Setup 2 – Stealth Loadout
- Muzzle: Silencer (Monolithic)
- Barrel: 400 mm Stainless Steel
- Underbarrel: Commando Grip
- Ammunition: 45-round Magazine
- Grip: FTAC G-5 EXO
What does this setup bring me? Here you get a balanced SMG build that fully boosts the advantages of the weapon, but makes minor sacrifices in recoil and ADS speed. Since the weapon offers high movement speed, this build feels very mobile. For “TheXclusiveAce”, it’s a solid configuration.
Play this setup at short to medium range and utilize the strong 3-shot range, which exceeds 30 meters with the barrel and silencer. With the 45-round magazine, you can navigate behind enemy lines for a long time without scavenging. Helpful in objective-based modes on smaller maps, like Domination.
Setup 3 – Assault Rifle/SMG Hybrid
- Barrel: 400 mm Stainless Steel
- Sight: G.I. Mini Reflex
- Stock: FSS Guardian
- Underbarrel: Commando Grip
- Ammunition: 45-round Magazine
- Grip: FTAC G-5 EXO
When can this build help me? “TheXclusiveAce” refers to this configuration as an Assault Rifle/SMG hybrid. The Striker 45 becomes well controllable thanks to the stock and underbarrel, providing secure kills at greater distances along with the sight.
Advantages are particularly evident on larger maps or in the “Ground War” mode. The 4-shot range exceeds 50 meters and even outperforms some assault rifles, such as the strong RAM-7.
Pros and Cons of the Striker 45
Striker 45 merely average in Core, but shines in Hardcore
How does the weapon compare to the MP5? According to “TheXclusiveAce”, the MP5 is clearly superior to the Striker 45. The comparatively high time-to-kill of the Season 2 weapon is not sufficiently compensated by the excellent range to keep up with the strong SMGs.
Update March 1: Due to the changes to the “.45 Hollow Point ammunition”, the Striker 45 really comes close to the MP5. The range of 2-shot kills is very high, making the Battle Pass SMG one of the best submachine guns.
What does the Striker 45 still do well? The Striker 45 brings an excellent value in which even the MP5 can only marvel. In the 3-hit zone, headshots deal 55 damage, allowing for kills with just 2 hits. The TTK here is unbeatable at 97 ms up to potentially 30 meters.
The weapon primarily leverages its advantages at longer ranges and competes here with assault rifles. In the 3-hit range, the weapon achieves kills in 194 ms at over 30 meters, performing better than the M4 in this regard. However, it remains an SMG and does not offer the stable gameplay feel of an AR.
If you enjoy playing in Hardcore mode, the weapon could also be fun for you. With the ammunition attachment “12-round .45 Hollow Point Magazine”, the Striker 45 receives a solid damage boost, achieving one-shot kills up to nearly 35 meters. For a mobile submachine gun, this is a really good value that allows it to compete with the best weapons in Hardcore mode.
Have you already tested the Striker 45? How does the new weapon perform in your opinion? With its range, it would almost be suitable for Battle Royale:
