A weapon mechanic in Call of Duty: Warzone ensures that some weapons do not fire a round from the barrel immediately after you pull the trigger. This is called “Open Bolt Delay”. MeinMMO shows you how the mechanic works and which 13 weapons are affected.
Realism and Call of Duty – these two have a very strange relationship. Although CoD often relies on real technology or events, it often does not take reality too seriously and bends some things to fit the game.
There is a “real” mechanic that significantly impacts some weapons: the Open-Bolt Delay or roughly translated “Open Bolt Delay”. There are more than 10 weapons in Warzone with such a delay when firing, and we will show you what it’s all about.
Open-Bolt Delay delays your rounds when firing
How does this work in-game? The Open-Bolt Delay is a weapon characteristic. A weapon either has this firing delay or it does not. You need to remember which weapons have this delay. You will find the complete list further down in the article.
If a weapon has this delay, it always takes a few milliseconds after pulling the trigger before the first round leaves the barrel. The value ranges between 33 and 67 milliseconds in Warzone.
Why is there such a mechanic? This delay exists in some real weapons and primarily brings advantages in cooling, but also more consistency. On the other hand, however, precision suffers, and older weapons with this design are not always very reliable.
These are mostly so-called “feeding weapons”. The bolt, which sits at the rear end of the barrel, remains in the rear position and the chamber is empty. Only when the trigger is pulled does the bolt move forward and simultaneously push a round into the chamber.
The open bolt and the empty chamber allow for better cooling between shots. Additionally, after a shot, there is no round in the hot barrel. This prevents dangerous misfires or jammed rounds that can expand due to heat.
However, the precision of such weapons suffers compared to “blowback weapons”. There is more movement in the barrel, which can distort the sight line. Furthermore, the open designs need more protection from the elements, as dirt or moisture can quickly penetrate deep into the weapons (via Wikipedia).
Weapon technologies are very complex, and there are many types of techniques. We have tried to explain the situation as simply as possible. Please be understanding that we will not go into further details. We would love to read more about the technical background in the comments if you have more to say about it.
More than 10 weapons come with firing delay
Which weapons have an Open-Bolt Delay in Warzone? Currently, there are 13 weapons that come with the delay. These are either LMGs or submachine guns.
Warzone: Weapons with Open-Bolt Delay
- LMGs
- FINN LMG – 67 milliseconds
- PKM – 67 milliseconds
- Mk9 Bruen – 67 milliseconds
- MG34 – 67 milliseconds
- M91 – 67 milliseconds
- RPD – 58 milliseconds
- Stoner 63 – 67 milliseconds
- M60 – 54 milliseconds
- MG82 – 67 milliseconds
- SMGs
- PPSh-41 (CW) – 33 milliseconds
- MAC-10 – 50 milliseconds
- Uzi – 67 milliseconds
- Milano 821 – 58 milliseconds
The values come from the Warzone data website “truegamedata.com“.
When is the Open-Bolt Delay important? The numbers seem trivial at first glance and resemble the proverbial blink of an eye. However, in Warzone’s time-to-kill, even such a small delay can have a significant impact.
If you find yourself in a fight with an opponent who has already seen you, you need to factor in the value into your time-to-kill. 67 milliseconds can increase your time-to-kill by 10 to 15 %.
If you like to use bursts to increase your precision, then the Open-Bolt Delay comes into play with every new burst.
When is the Open-Bolt Delay not so important? If you surprise an opponent with your MAC-10 or fire at a distant enemy who has not yet seen you, then the Open-Bolt Delay usually brings fewer disadvantages.
The enemy usually only notices you when the first round has already hit. If you stay in continuous fire to take down the opponent, then you will also have no disadvantages from the Open-Bolt Delay.
The rule is: If opponents spot you before the fight, you have disadvantages due to the Open-Bolt Delay. If opponents spot you due to incoming damage, you have fewer disadvantages.
Warzone uses many small mechanics that are sometimes not so obvious in the game. If you know about them, it can give you a small, decisive advantage in the fight.
Feel free to share your experiences with the Open-Bolt Delay in the comments – how important is the mechanic to you? If you want to read more about CoD weapons, check this out: The rarest weapon in CoD: Vanguard could hardly be worse in reality
