THE LIGHT MACHINE GUN COMPENDUM
a.k.a. "I am John Rambo"


Modern Warfare 3's LMGs have been nerfed since MW2. They no longer offer the scary "2-shot kills at all ranges" they were notorious for, so people feel they are useless now. However, LMGs in MW3 are much easier to handle, yet takes more thinking and proper placement than their MW2 predecessors. I will cover the individual LMGs, as well as general and map tactics when wielding these bullet hoses.
I. The Light Machine Guns
A. L86 Light Support Weapon
B. MG36
C. PKP "Pecheneg"
D. MK46
E. M60E4
II. Perk Selection





I. The Light Machine Guns


A. L86 Light Support Weapon


Damage: 38-20
Rate of Fire: 800 RPM
Capacity: 100 Rounds (150 Rounds E-Mags)
Unlock Level: 4
Recoil: Good

Reload Animation (==__== denotes Reload Cancel) : Tilt to Mag Release > Mag Insert > Quick Tap > ==During Bolt Pull== > Ready

A lot has changed since MW2. The L86 now has very manageable recoil even without running Kick or a Grip. However, they added visual kick and aim sway to compensate. Still, this makes for a very good starting point for an LMG. Kick is not as important to this weapon as it is to other LMGs. However, if you are running optics, adding kick will help immensely, as they tend to make the visual kick much more prominent.


Personal Setup: Attachments w/ E-Mags + Rapid Fire




B. MG36



Damage: 40-25
Rate of Fire: 769 RPM
Capacity: 100 Rounds (150 Rounds E-Mags)
Unlock Level: 4
Recoil: Good
Reload Animation: Lift > Mag Release > Mag Change > ==Ready==
Rejoice! A second option for those who liked magazine-fed LMGs from MW2, but don't want to be stuck with a high-recoil weapon (L86) or a low-capacity LMG (AUG). This is quite the opposite of the L86, making Kick a very good option even when running on ironsights. Also, this is the only LMG that gives you 300 rounds total without Scavenger (150 rounds ready + 150 additional). The biggest problem with this is the grip. It reduces the fire rate by a noticeable amount.

Personal Setup: Kick w/ Rapid Fire




C. PKP "Pecheneg"


Damage: 40-25
Rate of Fire: 705 RPM
Capacity: 100 Rounds (150 Rounds E-Mags)
Unlock Level: 14
Recoil: Very Good
Reload Animation: Open Belt Cover > Replace Box > Replace Belt > ==After Closing Belt Cover== > Bolt Pull > Ready

This is by far my favorite LMG. The muzzle flash isn't exactly blinding, nor is the recoil horrendous. The fire rate leaves a lot to be desired, but nothing Rapid Fire doesn't fix, and even before that, it's already a powerful weapon. Kick isn't required but is a very welcome addition, allowing you to fire full-auto at longer ranges without fear of muzzle climb wasting your ammo.

Personal Setup: Attachments w/ Rapid Fire + Silencer




D. MK46


Damage: 40-25
Rate of Fire: 859 RPM
Capacity: 100 Rounds (150 Rounds E-Mags)
Unlock Level: 54
Recoil: Very Good
Reload Animation: Open Belt Cover > Replace Box > Replace Belt > ==After Closing Belt Cover== > Bolt Pull > Ready
Statistically, this is the best LMG. However, this is not without its weakness. It has a rather small front post, so aiming could be troublesome. Not only that, but the muzzle flash completely obscures your view of it. It also has the slowest reload time of all LMGs. Of course, this is fixed using the suppressor/silencer, and it's a simple fix at that (LV5 unlocks the Silencer). This is another weapon which almost always doesn't need Kick.

Personal Setup: Attachments w/ E-Mags + Silencer




E. M60E4


Damage: 50-30
Rate of Fire: 600 RPM
Capacity: 100 Rounds (150 Rounds E-Mags)
Unlock Level: 72
Recoil: Bad
Reload Animation: Clear Chamber > Open Belt Cover > Replace Box > Replace Belt > ==Close Belt Cover== > Secure Belt Cover

The M60 is the only LMG that retains a 2-shot kill, yet this range is limited. For that limited range, you are exchanging a very hard LMG to control without the Kick proficiency, and an abyssmal fire rate. Still, if you add Kick and Rapid Fire, it could potentially solve one problem. However, that leaves the problem with its atrocious ironsights unresolved. Don't even think about not using Kick on this to get RF and optics. It's just not worth it.

Personal Setup: Kick w/ RDS




II. Perk Selection

Perk selection is crucial to getting the most out of your LMG, yet one setup isn't set in stone. It all plays back into how aggressive or defensive you plan to play or how you actually will play. I have some personal setups for you, but I will still discuss the other perks and how it will affect your LMG usage.


Aggressive Pre-Aiming

My go-to setup. Fairly simple. Fast reload speeds, fast ADS, and fast movement while on ADS. It covers many of the weaknesses of LMGs. The key to using this set up is pre-aiming at corners and pre-aiming while rounding corners.


Aggressive Reflexive

This is for when you think you are more reflexive on the ADS rather than giving yourself the time to do so. Steady Aim allows you to actually be decent in CQC for those panic shots, and helps your ADS transition accuracy.


Passive/Defensive

If you are playing objective game types and prefer to be between two points or near bombsites, this is basically a static defense loadout. Scavenger gives you the ammo you need, Assassin protects you from UAVs, and Marksman allows you to spot potential threats farther away where you are the strongest (aside from snipers). You can replace Scavenger with Sleight of Hand if you are running Specialist. Also, it's not as necessary if you have Extended Mags as they give you 300 total rounds instead of 200 total rounds.