# M4 vs VEL 46 in MW4

URL: https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/compare/m4-vs-vel-46/
Updated: 2026-11-04

VEL 46 is ahead on 9 of the 12 key stats that both weapons report; M4 is ahead on 2, and 1 stat is tied. VEL 46's biggest lead is sprint to fire speed (110 ms against 210 ms). M4's is bullet velocity (590 m/s against 565 m/s). 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=m4,vel-46) [Build with M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=m4) [Build with VEL 46](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=vel-46)

Assault Rifle SMG

M4 is an assault rifle and VEL 46 is an SMG. 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 M4 and VEL 46, from Activision's launch weapon sheets*

| Stat | [M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/) | [VEL 46](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/vel-46/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fire rate (higher is better) | 810 RPM | 952 RPM Ahead |
| Magazine size (higher is better) | 30 rounds | 40 rounds Ahead |
| Reserve rounds (higher is better) | 90 rounds | 120 rounds Ahead |
| Total rounds (higher is better) Magazine plus reserve | 120 rounds | 160 rounds Ahead |
| Unlock level | Player Level 14 | Player Level 5 |
| Weapon levels | 72 | 60 |
| Apex Attachment | M4 Hurricane | VEL 46 Snap |
| Apex blocks | Barrel and Magazine | Stock |

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

## About M4 and VEL 46

### 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.

### VEL 46

SMG known for maneuverability and smooth, predictable recoil in fast-paced fights.

Apex Attachment, VEL 46 Snap: Tactical sling for very fast weapon transitions in exchange for stocks. Enables Quick Draw when used with Overkill. It blocks stock 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, M4 is ahead on 6 and VEL 46 on 21; 4 rows are tied and 0 rows are not compared because a weapon has no value.

- Official numbers: VEL 46 is ahead on magazine size (wide), reserve rounds (wide), total rounds (wide), and fire rate (clear); M4 leads no row of this group.
- Mobility: VEL 46 is ahead on ADS movement speed (wide), firing movement speed (narrow), crouch movement speed (narrow), movement speed (tiny), strafe speed (tiny), sprint speed (tiny), and tactical sprint speed (tiny); M4 leads no row of this group.
- Handling: M4 is ahead on reload time (tiny), and VEL 46 is ahead on sprint to fire speed (very wide), ADS out speed (wide), drop speed (clear), raise speed (clear), and ADS speed (narrow).
- Recoil: M4 is ahead on vertical gun kick (very wide), ADS idle sway (wide), and horizontal gun kick (wide), and VEL 46 is ahead on horizontal recoil (wide) and vertical recoil (narrow). Level on ADS gun bob.
- Range and bullets: M4 is ahead on bullet velocity (narrow); VEL 46 leads no row of this group. Level on damage range and bullet penetration.
- Hip fire and flinch: M4 is ahead on hip idle sway (clear), and VEL 46 is ahead on flinch received (wide) and hip gun bob (moderate). Level on hip turn sway.
- Fire rate and ammo: VEL 46 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 52.2), sprint to fire speed (VEL 46 110 ms against 210 ms), and ADS out speed (VEL 46 250 ms against 370 ms).

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).

VEL 46 Snap, community-reported effects from CODMunity: Sprint to fire speed −51% (better), Horizontal gun kick +31% (worse), Vertical recoil +30% (worse), and Horizontal recoil +30% (worse).

### 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).

### Attachment effects reported for VEL 46

The community-reported attachments for VEL 46 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 +50% (better).
- [30 Round Mag](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/30-round-mag/) (magazine): Reload time −28% (better).
- [VB-46 Series 11](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/vb-46-series-11/) (barrel): Damage range +28% (better).
- [212 LC40 Comp](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/attachments/212-lc40-comp/) (muzzle): Horizontal recoil −25% (better).

*Community-reported base stats of M4 and VEL 46 from CODMunity, row by row*

| Stat | [M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/) | [VEL 46](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/vel-46/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobility |  |  |
| Movement speed (higher is better) | 4.70 m/s | 4.77 m/s Ahead |
| ADS movement speed (higher is better) | 2.51 m/s | 3.22 m/s Ahead |
| Sprint speed (higher is better) | 6.18 m/s | 6.26 m/s Ahead |
| Tactical sprint speed (higher is better) | 7.26 m/s | 7.33 m/s Ahead |
| Crouch movement speed (higher is better) | 2.20 m/s | 2.25 m/s Ahead |
| Strafe speed (higher is better) | 3.60 m/s | 3.65 m/s Ahead |
| Firing movement speed (higher is better) | 4.15 m/s | 4.28 m/s Ahead |
| Handling |  |  |
| ADS speed (lower is better) | 240 ms | 230 ms Ahead |
| ADS out speed (lower is better) | 370 ms | 250 ms Ahead |
| Sprint to fire speed (lower is better) | 210 ms | 110 ms Ahead |
| Reload time (lower is better) | 2600 ms Ahead | 2633 ms |
| Raise speed (lower is better) | 933 ms | 800 ms Ahead |
| Drop speed (lower is better) | 667 ms | 550 ms Ahead |
| Recoil |  |  |
| Vertical recoil (lower is better) | 40.6 | 39.6 Ahead |
| Horizontal recoil (lower is better) | 17.1 | 12.5 Ahead |
| Vertical gun kick (lower is better) | 16.9 Ahead | 52.2 |
| Horizontal gun kick (lower is better) | 3.3 Ahead | 4.2 |
| ADS idle sway (lower is better) | 0.40° Ahead | 0.54° |
| ADS gun bob (lower is better) | 0.09° Tie | 0.09° Tie |
| Range and bullets |  |  |
| Bullet velocity (higher is better) | 590 m/s Ahead | 565 m/s |
| 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) | 13.0 in Tie | 13.0 in Tie |
| Hip fire and flinch |  |  |
| Hip idle sway (lower is better) | 1.31° Ahead | 1.63° |
| Hip gun bob (lower is better) | 1.15° | 1.09° Ahead |
| Hip turn sway (lower is better) | 20.9° Tie | 20.9° Tie |
| Flinch received (lower is better) | 0.29x | 0.22x Ahead |
| Fire rate and ammo |  |  |
| Headshot multiplier (higher is better) | 1.20x | 1.30x Ahead |

"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 M4 and VEL 46, not Activision data.

*Community pick rates, tiers and builds for M4 and VEL 46*

| Figure | M4 | VEL 46 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiplayer pick rate (CODMunity) | 5.6% | 7.4% |
| ggranked tier | Tier S, 819 ms time to kill | Tier S, 753 ms time to kill |
| DMZ Radar tier | Tier S | Tier B |
| Community builds listed | 3 Multiplayer and 2 DMZ | 4 Multiplayer and 2 DMZ |

## Latest official changes

The newest patch notes that change M4 or VEL 46, as listed on this site.

### 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/)

### VEL 46: 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/)

## Weapon pages, builds and tools

- [M4: stats, attachments and Apex Attachment](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/)
- [VEL 46: stats, attachments and Apex Attachment](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/vel-46/)
- [Best build for M4](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/m4/best-build/)
- [Best build for VEL 46](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/weapons/vel-46/best-build/)
- [Open M4 in the class builder](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=m4)
- [Open VEL 46 in the class builder](https://codloadout.gitlab.io/mw4/?w=vel-46)

## More weapon comparisons

### 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/)

### Other pair pages with VEL 46

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

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What do the Apex Attachments of M4 and VEL 46 do?**

A: 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. VEL 46 Snap (VEL 46): Tactical sling for very fast weapon transitions in exchange for stocks. Enables Quick Draw when used with Overkill. It blocks stock attachments.

**Q: Where is M4 ahead of VEL 46, and where is VEL 46 ahead?**

A: On CODMunity's base values (community-reported, read November 4, 2026): M4 is ahead on vertical gun kick (very wide), ADS idle sway (wide), horizontal gun kick (wide), hip idle sway (clear), bullet velocity (narrow), and reload time (tiny). VEL 46 is ahead on sprint to fire speed (very wide), ADS out speed (wide), horizontal recoil (wide), magazine size (wide), reserve rounds (wide), total rounds (wide), and 15 other rows.

**Q: How often are M4 and VEL 46 picked, and what tiers do they have?**

A: CODMunity's Multiplayer pick rate is 5.6% for M4 and 7.4% for VEL 46, so VEL 46 is picked about 1.3 times as often. ggranked places both weapons in tier S. ggranked gives a time to kill of 819 ms for M4 and 753 ms for VEL 46; that is the site's own calculation, not a published value. DMZ Radar places M4 in tier S and VEL 46 in tier B. 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.