Modern Warfare 4 vertical recoil by weapon
Data updated · Latest official patch:
Of the 28 weapons with a reported base value, the Astaroth .57 has the lowest vertical recoil at 14.4. The Rezi 12 has the highest, at 98.5. Lower is better for vertical recoil.
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Community-reportedBase values from CODMunity's game data: community-reported and unverified, not published by Activision.
Vertical recoil is the source's index of how far the aim climbs while the weapon fires. It has no unit. It decides how hard the weapon climbs during a burst, and so how much you have to pull down to stay on target. A lower figure means less climb. It is one half of recoil; the sideways drift is listed apart as horizontal recoil.
Best in each class
| Class | Best | Value | Last | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | Hyeon Burst | 38.3 | Patriot XMR | 52.6 |
| SMG | X-58 Nyx | 36.0 | Wz.55 Striga | 56.1 |
| Shotgun | Warlord | 79.9 | Rezi 12 | 98.5 |
| LMG | Type 73 | 42.1 | APOC-338 | 57.6 |
| Marksman Rifle | Oris 8.6 | 52.0 | Mosin-Nagant | 78.8 |
| Sniper Rifle | Astaroth .57 | 14.4 | KG-7 Vulcan | 49.2 |
| Pistol | Mojave .357 | 31.0 | Krait P68 | 77.8 |
Every weapon, ranked
28 weapons with a reported base vertical recoil, lowest first. Weapons with equal values share a rank.
| Rank | Weapon | Class | Vertical recoil |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astaroth .57 | Sniper Rifle | 14.4 |
| 2 | Signal 50 | Sniper Rifle | 19.8 |
| 3 | Mojave .357 | Pistol | 31.0 |
| 4 | X-58 Nyx | SMG | 36.0 |
| 5 | Hyeon Burst | Assault Rifle | 38.3 |
| 6 | PPSh-41 | SMG | 38.6 |
| 7 | VEL 46 | SMG | 39.6 |
| 8 | M4 | Assault Rifle | 40.6 |
| 9 | ISO Nightshade | SMG | 40.9 |
| 10 | SANG 9mm | Pistol | 41.6 |
| 11 | Han 86 | Assault Rifle | 41.9 |
| 12 | Type 73 | LMG | 42.1 |
| 13 | .50 GS | Pistol | 45.8 |
| 14 | Axion | Assault Rifle | 48.9 |
| 15 | FiNN LMG | LMG | 49.0 |
| 16 | KG-7 Vulcan | Sniper Rifle | 49.2 |
| 17 | Oden | Assault Rifle | 49.4 |
| 18 | Cronen Squall | Assault Rifle | 50.4 |
| 19 | Kastov 762 | Assault Rifle | 51.9 |
| 20 | Oris 8.6 | Marksman Rifle | 52.0 |
| 21 | Patriot XMR | Assault Rifle | 52.6 |
| 22 | Wz.55 Striga | SMG | 56.1 |
| 23 | APOC-338 | LMG | 57.6 |
| 24 | MAR-9 | Marksman Rifle | 62.0 |
| 25 | Krait P68 | Pistol | 77.8 |
| 26 | Mosin-Nagant | Marksman Rifle | 78.8 |
| 27 | Warlord | Shotgun | 79.9 |
| 28 | Rezi 12 | Shotgun | 98.5 |
CODMunity reports no base vertical recoil for the PILA, the RPG-8, the JOKR, the PM-40 Anvil, and the FSS Carbon Edge 1095. That is unknown, not zero.
Attachments that change vertical recoil
CODMunity lists a change to vertical recoil for 268 attachments and Apex Attachments on 28 weapons (395 pairs of attachment and weapon). Anything the source lists nothing for is unknown, not neutral.
Recoil changes often come bundled with changes to other stats, so an attachment that cuts climb can cost aiming speed or movement. The builder lists the trade-offs of a set before you apply it.
Largest reported reduction in vertical recoil: 12 Gauge Slug (ammunition) on the Warlord, −70% (better).
Largest reported increase in vertical recoil: Type 73 Assault (apex attachment) on the Type 73, +90% (worse).
Largest reported reductions
| Attachment | Slot | Change | Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Gauge Slug | Ammunition | −70% better | Warlord |
| Oden Sentinel | Apex Attachment | −60% better | Oden |
| Schlager Dogfight GI | Optic | −30% better | Axion, Cronen Squall, Hyeon Burst, Kastov 762 and 2 more |
| Locus PX3 Canted | Optic | −30% better | Axion, Cronen Squall, Hyeon Burst, Kastov 762 and 1 more |
| RVX9 Thermo | Optic | −30% better | Axion, Cronen Squall, Hyeon Burst, Kastov 762 and 1 more |
| Schlager 7x | Optic | −30% better | Axion, Cronen Squall, Kastov 762, Oden and 1 more |
Largest reported increases
| Attachment | Slot | Change | Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 73 Assault | Apex Attachment | +90% worse | Type 73 |
| X-58 Void | Apex Attachment | +36% worse | X-58 Nyx |
| No Stock | Stock | +30% worse | APOC-338, FiNN LMG, ISO Nightshade, Kastov 762 and 7 more |
| VEL 46 Snap | Apex Attachment | +30% worse | VEL 46 |
| No Stock | Stock | +28% worse | Patriot XMR |
| MG-Tac Trigger | Trigger Action | +20% worse | MAR-9 |
By attachment type
| Slot | Reported pairs | Largest reduction | Largest increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optic | 54 | Schlager Dogfight GI, −30% | none reported |
| Muzzle | 110 | ZLR Reverb90, −13% | none reported |
| Barrel | 99 | SA LYR-762 Barrel, −20% | Bruen Ironhide 76, +10% |
| Underbarrel | 19 | FSS Fireline Grip, −9% | none reported |
| Rear Grip | 45 | Bruen C-Wrap 60, −7% | EXP TRIM-54F, +6% |
| Stock | 47 | EXP Narrow-Lite, −25% | No Stock, +30% |
| Ammunition | 1 | 12 Gauge Slug, −70% | none reported |
| Comb | 4 | Hanbit CHK-1, −7% | Haebang YNC-45, +4% |
| Trigger Action | 1 | none reported | MG-Tac Trigger, +20% |
| Cylinder | 1 | none reported | Mojave Speed Cylinder, +4% |
| Apex Attachment | 14 | Oden Sentinel, −60% | Type 73 Assault, +90% |
Reading this stat
The source does not give a unit, so only the order and the percentages mean anything. Compare weapons of the same class, and read the attachment tables as percentages of the weapon they are fitted to. A large reduction on one weapon can leave it above a weapon that started lower. Read it with horizontal recoil for the whole recoil pattern, and with fire rate, which sets how many shots each second add to that recoil.
Other headline stats
Frequently asked questions
What is vertical recoil in MW4?
Vertical recoil is the source's index of how far the aim climbs while the weapon fires. It has no unit. Lower is better for vertical recoil.
Which MW4 weapon has the lowest vertical recoil?
Of the 28 weapons with a reported base value, the Astaroth .57 has the lowest vertical recoil at 14.4. The Rezi 12 has the highest, at 98.5. By class: Assault Rifle: the Hyeon Burst (38.3); SMG: the X-58 Nyx (36.0); Shotgun: the Warlord (79.9); LMG: the Type 73 (42.1); Marksman Rifle: the Oris 8.6 (52.0); Sniper Rifle: the Astaroth .57 (14.4); Pistol: the Mojave .357 (31.0).
Is the lowest vertical recoil always the best choice?
For keeping the aim steady it is, but it is one stat of many. An attachment that cuts it can slow aiming or movement, which the builder shows as a trade-off before you apply a set.