After the weapon changes that were applied to Modern Warfare 3 at launch, the Striker 9 quickly became one of the best submachine gun options. To make the weapon competitive though, you need to have the best attachments and some supporting perks in a decent loadout.
Best Loadout for the Striker 9 in Modern Warfare 3
- Barrel: Striker Elite Long Barrel
- Underbarrel: XTEN Phantom-5 Handstop
- Muzzle: L4R Flash Hider
- Rear Grip: Sakin ZX Grip
- Optic: MK. 3 Reflector
This build is meant to bolster the natural mobility of the weapon while also focusing on the recoil control and range. After the last nerf, this SMG could use some help with range. We really only need one ADS attachment because the negatives everywhere else are so minimal. Meanwhile, the other supporting pieces ensure that we can get some range out of the Striker.
Barrel: Striker Elite Long Barrel
Most submachine guns don’t need a barrel, but I use one here because this weapon is pretty weak by default. We need a bit of a boost to range, bullet velocity, and recoil control. The Rival-9 is too much of a problem up close, so advantages elsewhere are essential.
Underbarrel: XTEN Phantom-5 Handstop
This is easily one of the best underbarrel attachments in the game. You gain recoil control and mobility, which is almost unheard of. In return, your weapon gets a minor Horizontal Recoil Control penalty.
Muzzle: L4R Flash Hider
The L4R is a great way to gain massive control buffs with a tiny ADS penalty. You can remove this and add a stock for mobility if you plan to fight a bit closer. However, I recommend sticking to the strengths of the weapon.
Rear Grip: Sakin ZX Grip
One last control attachment ensures that mid-range fights are easy to win. The main benefit is the lack of any mobility penalties. This is essentially a free control boost for your submachine gun class.
Optic: MK. 3 Reflector
Iron sights are bad on most weapons in MW3, and that’s true for the Striker 9. Optics that are 1x don’t hurt your mobility in this game, so just pick one you like. The Reflector is excellent because the picture is so clear.
Best Perks and Equipment for the Striker 9 in MW3
- Vest: Infantry Vest
- Gloves: Assault Gloves
- Boots: Covert Sneakers
- Gear: Ghost T/V Camo
- Tactical: Flash Grenade or Stim
- Lethal: Frag Grenade
- Field Equipment: Trophy System
- Sidearm: COR-45
Assault Gloves will allow you to fly around the map and jump shot without as much penalty. To get you there in one-piece, Covert Sneakers and Ghost will keep you off enemy radar most of the time. Everything else on the list is standard for most respawn loadouts. If you play Search and Destroy, you can swap out Field Upgrades and Tacticals.
How to Unlock the Striker-9 in Modern Warfare 3
You need to access the Armory after level 25 and complete five Daily Challenges to unlock the Striker 9 in MW3. You can complete the challenges in Multiplayer or the Zombies mode. And as always, you can extract the weapon from Zombies to instantly unlock it for custom loadouts.
For another build on the bigger brother of this SMG, check out the best loadout for the Striker in Modern Warfare 3.
