# ISO Nightshade vs M4 in MW4

URL: https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/iso-nightshade-vs-m4/
Updated: 2026-11-04

ISO Nightshade is ahead on 6 of the 12 key stats that both weapons report; M4 is ahead on 3, and 3 stats are tied. ISO Nightshade's biggest lead is sprint to fire speed (110 ms against 210 ms). M4's is reload time (2600 ms against 3267 ms). Fire rate and magazine size are Activision's numbers; the other key stats are community-reported by CODMunity, read November 4, 2026.

[Open both in the compare tool](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/?w=iso-nightshade,m4) [Build with ISO Nightshade](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=iso-nightshade) [Build with M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=m4)

SMG Assault Rifle

ISO Nightshade is an SMG and M4 is an assault rifle. This pair has a page because both are among the 12 weapons with the highest Multiplayer pick rate in CODMunity's list.

## Official numbers

*Official numbers for ISO Nightshade and M4, from Activision's launch weapon sheets*

| Stat | [ISO Nightshade](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/iso-nightshade/) | [M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fire rate (higher is better) | 923 RPM Ahead | 810 RPM |
| Magazine size (higher is better) | 30 rounds Tie | 30 rounds Tie |
| Reserve rounds (higher is better) | 90 rounds Tie | 90 rounds Tie |
| Total rounds (higher is better) Magazine plus reserve | 120 rounds Tie | 120 rounds Tie |
| Unlock level | Player Level 4 | Player Level 14 |
| Weapon levels | 64 | 72 |
| Apex Attachment | ISO Trace | M4 Hurricane |
| Apex blocks | Optic and Ammunition | Barrel and Magazine |

From Activision's launch weapon sheets. A damage table and time to kill are not published.

## About ISO Nightshade and M4

### ISO Nightshade

Full-auto SMG with a fast rate of fire that balances controllability, mobility and close-range stopping power.

Apex Attachment, ISO Trace: RFID ammunition tags targets on impact and shows their movement and direction as a red dot on the optic display. It blocks optic and ammunition attachments.

### M4

Fully automatic, highly adaptable service rifle that Activision pitches as effective in most engagements.

Apex Attachment, M4 Hurricane: Converts the M4 into a top-loading, high-capacity 5.7x28 mm variant that is lighter, more agile and fires faster. It blocks barrel and magazine attachments.

## Community-reported stats

Community-reported Base values with nothing attached, read from [CODMunity](https://codmunity.gg/weapon-stats/mw4) on November 4, 2026. Unverified.

Across the 31 rows with a direction, ISO Nightshade is ahead on 15 and M4 on 9; 7 rows are tied and 0 rows are not compared because a weapon has no value.

- Official numbers: ISO Nightshade is ahead on fire rate (clear); M4 leads no row of this group. Level on magazine size, reserve rounds, and total rounds.
- Mobility: ISO Nightshade is ahead on ADS movement speed (wide), firing movement speed (narrow), sprint speed (narrow), tactical sprint speed (narrow), movement speed (narrow), strafe speed (tiny), and crouch movement speed (tiny); M4 leads no row of this group.
- Handling: ISO Nightshade is ahead on sprint to fire speed (very wide), drop speed (wide), and ADS out speed (clear), and M4 is ahead on reload time (wide) and raise speed (narrow). Level on ADS speed.
- Recoil: ISO Nightshade is ahead on horizontal recoil (wide), and M4 is ahead on vertical gun kick (very wide), horizontal gun kick (very wide), ADS idle sway (wide), and vertical recoil (tiny). Level on ADS gun bob.
- Range and bullets: M4 is ahead on bullet penetration (wide) and bullet velocity (clear); ISO Nightshade leads no row of this group. Level on damage range.
- Hip fire and flinch: ISO Nightshade is ahead on flinch received (wide) and hip gun bob (moderate), and M4 is ahead on hip idle sway (clear). Level on hip turn sway.
- Fire rate and ammo: ISO Nightshade is ahead on headshot multiplier (moderate); M4 leads no row of this group.

Brackets give the size of the gap as a share of the larger value: tiny under 2%, narrow under 5%, moderate under 10%, clear under 20%, wide under 40%, very wide above.

The widest gaps across both tables are vertical gun kick (M4 16.9 against 36.5), sprint to fire speed (ISO Nightshade 110 ms against 210 ms), and horizontal gun kick (M4 3.3 against 5.6).

CODMunity lists no stat change for the ISO Trace.

M4 Hurricane, community-reported effects from CODMunity: Vertical gun kick +104% (worse), Magazine size +67% (better), Total rounds +67% (better), and Horizontal gun kick +58% (worse).

### Attachment effects reported for ISO Nightshade

The community-reported attachments for ISO Nightshade with the largest change to a key stat, according to CODMunity.

- [50 Round Drum Mag](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/50-round-drum-mag/) (magazine): Magazine size +67% (better).
- [40 Round Mag](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/40-round-mag/) (magazine): Magazine size +33% (better).
- [No Stock](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/no-stock/) (stock): Vertical recoil +30% (worse).
- [212 LC40 Comp](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/212-lc40-comp/) (muzzle): Horizontal recoil −25% (better).

### Attachment effects reported for M4

The community-reported attachments for M4 with the largest change to a key stat, according to CODMunity.

- [60 Round Drum](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/60-round-drum/) (magazine): Magazine size +100% (better).
- [45 Round Mag](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/45-round-mag/) (magazine): Magazine size +50% (better).
- [No Stock](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/no-stock/) (stock): Vertical recoil +30% (worse).
- [Corvus LVL-40](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/corvus-lvl-40/) (muzzle): Horizontal recoil −25% (better).

*Community-reported base stats of ISO Nightshade and M4 from CODMunity, row by row*

| Stat | [ISO Nightshade](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/iso-nightshade/) | [M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobility |  |  |
| Movement speed (higher is better) | 4.80 m/s Ahead | 4.70 m/s |
| ADS movement speed (higher is better) | 3.20 m/s Ahead | 2.51 m/s |
| Sprint speed (higher is better) | 6.33 m/s Ahead | 6.18 m/s |
| Tactical sprint speed (higher is better) | 7.43 m/s Ahead | 7.26 m/s |
| Crouch movement speed (higher is better) | 2.23 m/s Ahead | 2.20 m/s |
| Strafe speed (higher is better) | 3.67 m/s Ahead | 3.60 m/s |
| Firing movement speed (higher is better) | 4.26 m/s Ahead | 4.15 m/s |
| Handling |  |  |
| ADS speed (lower is better) | 240 ms Tie | 240 ms Tie |
| ADS out speed (lower is better) | 300 ms Ahead | 370 ms |
| Sprint to fire speed (lower is better) | 110 ms Ahead | 210 ms |
| Reload time (lower is better) | 3267 ms | 2600 ms Ahead |
| Raise speed (lower is better) | 967 ms | 933 ms Ahead |
| Drop speed (lower is better) | 500 ms Ahead | 667 ms |
| Recoil |  |  |
| Vertical recoil (lower is better) | 40.9 | 40.6 Ahead |
| Horizontal recoil (lower is better) | 13.3 Ahead | 17.1 |
| Vertical gun kick (lower is better) | 36.5 | 16.9 Ahead |
| Horizontal gun kick (lower is better) | 5.6 | 3.3 Ahead |
| ADS idle sway (lower is better) | 0.54° | 0.40° Ahead |
| ADS gun bob (lower is better) | 0.09° Tie | 0.09° Tie |
| Range and bullets |  |  |
| Bullet velocity (higher is better) | 530 m/s | 590 m/s Ahead |
| Damage range (higher is better) An index: 100 is the weapon's own damage range, and attachments scale it | 100% Tie | 100% Tie |
| Bullet penetration (higher is better) | 9.0 in | 13.0 in Ahead |
| Hip fire and flinch |  |  |
| Hip idle sway (lower is better) | 1.63° | 1.31° Ahead |
| Hip gun bob (lower is better) | 1.09° Ahead | 1.15° |
| Hip turn sway (lower is better) | 20.9° Tie | 20.9° Tie |
| Flinch received (lower is better) | 0.22x Ahead | 0.29x |
| Fire rate and ammo |  |  |
| Headshot multiplier (higher is better) | 1.30x Ahead | 1.20x |

"Ahead" marks the better value of a row; "not reported" means no value, not zero.

## Pick rates and tiers

Community-reported Other sites' own figures and opinions about ISO Nightshade and M4, not Activision data.

*Community pick rates, tiers and builds for ISO Nightshade and M4*

| Figure | ISO Nightshade | M4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiplayer pick rate (CODMunity) | 6.2% | 5.6% |
| ggranked tier | Tier S, 761 ms time to kill | Tier S, 819 ms time to kill |
| DMZ Radar tier | Tier S | Tier S |
| Community builds listed | 2 Multiplayer and 1 DMZ | 3 Multiplayer and 2 DMZ |

## Latest official changes

The newest patch notes that change ISO Nightshade or M4, as listed on this site.

### ISO Nightshade: First weapon tuning update, October 28, 2026

- Left Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).

[Patch notes of October 28, 2026](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/patch-notes/2026-10-28/)

### M4: First weapon tuning update, October 28, 2026

- Max Damage Range changed from 990 to 1,020 (+3%).

[Patch notes of October 28, 2026](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/patch-notes/2026-10-28/)

## Weapon pages, builds and tools

- [ISO Nightshade: stats, attachments and Apex Attachment](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/iso-nightshade/)
- [M4: stats, attachments and Apex Attachment](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/)
- [Best build for ISO Nightshade](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/iso-nightshade/best-build/)
- [Best build for M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/best-build/)
- [Open ISO Nightshade in the class builder](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=iso-nightshade)
- [Open M4 in the class builder](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=m4)

## More weapon comparisons

### Other pair pages with ISO Nightshade

- [ISO Nightshade vs VEL 46](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/iso-nightshade-vs-vel-46/)
- [ISO Nightshade vs Wz.55 Striga](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/iso-nightshade-vs-wz-55-striga/)
- [ISO Nightshade vs X-58 Nyx](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/iso-nightshade-vs-x-58-nyx/)
- [ISO Nightshade vs PPSh-41](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/iso-nightshade-vs-ppsh-41/)

### Other pair pages with M4

- [M4 vs Hyeon Burst](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/hyeon-burst-vs-m4/)
- [M4 vs Han 86](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/han-86-vs-m4/)
- [M4 vs Axion](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/axion-vs-m4/)
- [M4 vs Kastov 762](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/kastov-762-vs-m4/)

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What do the Apex Attachments of ISO Nightshade and M4 do?**

A: ISO Trace (ISO Nightshade): RFID ammunition tags targets on impact and shows their movement and direction as a red dot on the optic display. It blocks optic and ammunition attachments. M4 Hurricane (M4): Converts the M4 into a top-loading, high-capacity 5.7x28 mm variant that is lighter, more agile and fires faster. It blocks barrel and magazine attachments.

**Q: Where is ISO Nightshade ahead of M4, and where is M4 ahead?**

A: On CODMunity's base values (community-reported, read November 4, 2026): ISO Nightshade is ahead on sprint to fire speed (very wide), drop speed (wide), flinch received (wide), horizontal recoil (wide), ADS movement speed (wide), ADS out speed (clear), and 9 other rows. M4 is ahead on vertical gun kick (very wide), horizontal gun kick (very wide), bullet penetration (wide), ADS idle sway (wide), reload time (wide), hip idle sway (clear), and 3 other rows.

**Q: How often are ISO Nightshade and M4 picked, and what tiers do they have?**

A: CODMunity's Multiplayer pick rate is 6.2% for ISO Nightshade and 5.6% for M4, so ISO Nightshade is picked about 1.1 times as often. ggranked places both weapons in tier S. ggranked gives a time to kill of 761 ms for ISO Nightshade and 819 ms for M4; that is the site's own calculation, not a published value. DMZ Radar places both weapons in tier S. These are community figures, not Activision data: CODMunity and the tier lists, read November 4, 2026.

Community-reported values: CODMunity, read November 4, 2026. Official numbers: Activision launch posts, updated October 24, 2026. Unofficial fan site; see Data and assumptions for every source and gap.