Modern Warfare: 2 Best Shotguns [First-Hand Experience]

Learn about ranking of all shotguns available in Modern Warfare 2 & select the best one.

Modern Warfare 2 has a plethora of weapons for you to choose from, but shotguns are the deadliest. These are designed to excel in close-range situations, as they can annihilate their targets in one shot. Today, we are going to talk about the best shotguns in Modern Warfare 2, along with the best loadouts for them.

Key Takeaways
  • Shotguns are the best for close-range combat as they can destroy your target in a single shot.
  • Of all the shotguns in the game, some of the Best ones include:
    • Bryson 890.
    • Expedite 12.
    • Bryson 800.
    • Lockwood 300.
  • The Lockwood 300 is considered the best shotgun in the game due to its power and range.
  • Shotguns are a viable secondary weapon, players usually run it alongside an AR or a moderately ranged SMG.

Let us first have a look at the comparison between some of the Best Shotguns MW2:

RankWeaponsReload TimeADS Time (ms)Fire Rate (RPM)Time To Kill (ms)Base Move Speed (m/s)
4Bryson 8902.25320718404.71
3Expedite 126.033201274724.71
2Bryson 8004.62365758054.65
1Lockwood 3002.06375171-4.65

Best Shotguns In Modern Warfare 2

I will only rank four shotguns from Modern Warfare 2 in this list. Some of them are unlocked by default, while others become available as you progress through the game. Nevertheless, each shotgun is unique, and you must choose the one that suits your playstyle. 

Bryson 890

Bryson 890
Bryson 890 – Image Credits [Exputer]
Fire RateAmmo CountADS timeSprint to fireTactical sprint to fireADS spread 
71 RPM8320 ms160 ms260 ms

Starting off in our list is the Bryson 890. This weapon is unlocked after you have made some progress with the Bryson 800 (a weapon we’ll discuss later in our guide.) However, even though it is a weapon that is unlocked at a later stage, it is not something special.

The Bryson 890 features a total of eight rounds in its clip and has 16 reserve rounds. The thing which makes this shotgun worth picking is the detachable magazine. If you’ve played any of the multiplayer modes, you already know how important it is to keep the weapon fully loaded at all times. As for the detachable magazine, it provides faster reloads, something that isn’t found in any other shotgun.

Overall, the Bryson 890 is a decent shotgun, but there isn’t any reason why you should choose it, considering there are much better options available. But if you want a shotgun that reloads quickly, then there isn’t a better option than the Bryson 890. To unlock it, you will need to level up Bryson 800 all the way up to 16. 

Best Loadout For Bryson 890

We recommend the following attachments for the Bryson 890:

  • Muzzle: XTEN Full Choke
  • Barrel: 21.5″ Bryson Tacfire
  • Laser: Schlager ULO-66 Laser
  • Stock: XTEN Ripcord Stock
  • Underbarrel: TV Wrecker Grip

Expedite 12

Best Shotguns In Modern Warfare 2
Expedite 12 – Image Credits [Exputer]
Fire RateAmmo CountADS timeSprint to fireTactical sprint to fireADS spread 
127 RPM7320 ms160 ms260 ms

Next, we have the Expedite 12. If you are a fan of semi-automatic shotguns, you will instantly fall in love with this weapon. In fact, it is the only semi-automatic shotgun present in the game at the moment. To unlock this weapon, you will need to reach level 9. 

The Expedite 12 is considered the best shotgun for those who are new to the game. It was insanely popular in the Modern Warfare 2 beta, and things haven’t changed in the final release. The weapon has a decent magazine size and fire rate, thanks to which you will be able to bag in kills quickly. It stores 7 rounds in its magazine, so you won’t have to worry about reloading the weapon again and again.

Overall, the Expedite 12 is a great shotgun for beginners. It can help you learn how to control shotguns, and you can later switch to better options. However, considering getting up close and personal with the enemies is pretty risky, the weapon will let you down at some points. 

Best Loadout For Expedite 12

We recommend the following attachments for Expedite 12:

  •  Stock: Resonance Stock Collapsed 
  •  Bolt: Expedite L Bolt 
  •  Rear Grip: Schlager Void Grip 
  •  Ammunition: 12 Guage Dragon’s Breath 
  •  Laser: 1MW Quick Fire Laser Or The STOVL Tac Laser 
  •  Muzzle: XTEN Full Choke 

We recommend that you replace the regular ammunition of this shotgun with the 12 Guage Dragon’s Breath, as they will burn your enemies and deal a little extra damage.

Bryson 800

Bryson 800
Bryson 800 – Image Credits [Exputer]
Fire RateAmmo CountADS timeSprint to fireTactical sprint to fireADS spread 
75 RPM6365 ms182 ms296 ms

This is where things start getting a little better. The Bryson 800 is one of the most used shotgun due to multiple reasons. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about doing something extra to unlock it, as the Bryson 800 is unlocked by default.

Compared to the Bryson 890, this one is better in every way. This is a little weird, considering the Bryson 890 is meant to be a better version of it. Furthermore, the Bryson 800 can be considered the same as Expedite 12, only that this shotgun has much better attachments available.

As discussed earlier, the Expedite 12 has a short range, due to which you need to be extremely close to your targets to secure a perfect kill. However, the range of the Bryson 800 can be increased significantly, thanks to the attachments available for it. This can help you transform the Bryson 800 into a shotgun that can not only help you, clear groups of enemies, quickly but also let you stay at a safe distance from your targets.

Best Loadout For Bryson 800

We recommend the following attachments for the Bryson 800:

  • Stock: Sawed Off Mod
  • Guard: Demo X50 Tactical Pump
  • Barrel: 16″ Bryson Shockwave
  • Muzzle: XTEN Modified Choke
  • Underbarrel: VX Pineapple

Lockwood 300

Best Shotguns In Modern Warfare 2
Lockwood 300 – Image Credits [Exputer]
Fire RateAmmo CountADS timeSprint to fireTactical sprint to fireADS spread 
171 RPM2391 ms182 ms296 ms2.7 °

Finally, we have the Lockwood 300. This is considered the best shotgun in MW2. However, it isn’t an early-game weapon, as you will unlock it after reaching level 36. This means that you won’t be able to create chaos with it until you have made significant progress in the game.

The Lockwood 300 is the kind of shotgun that only carries 2 rounds. That’s right, compared to other shotguns that have 7 to 8 rounds packed inside them, this one only offers 2. For some, this is a big disadvantage. But for those who can handle shotguns properly, this is all you need to secure kills.

The shotgun has a better range and spread than all of the other shotguns available in the game, and you can accurately land your shots with it. There are also numerous attachments available for it, which can further boost the range and power of this weapon. Thanks to them, you can transform the Lockwood 300 into a weapon that can help you out in critical situations. 

Overall, the Lockwood 300 is a powerful shotgun. Its only downside is that it offers 2 bullets, but this is enough for those who land their shots accurately. Using it, you can instantly eliminate your target before they even get a chance to aim down their sight. 

Best Loadout For Lockwood 300

The attachments we recommend for the Lockwood 300 are:

  • Muzzle: Bryson Series XII Choke
  • Barrel: Matuzek 812 Barrel
  • Underbarrel: Agent Grip
  • Stock: Heist Stock Mod
  • Laser: Point-G3P 04

These were the best shotguns in Modern Warfare 2. At the time of writing, there are only four of them available. However, the developers will most likely add more of them through future updates. We will make sure to update this list when that happens. 

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Moiz Banoori


Moiz Banoori is the brains behind eXputer. Having worked at various Video Game sites, with 8 years of Content Writing Experience and a Journalism Degree at hand, he presently monitors teams, creates strategies, and publishes qualified pieces through his aptitude at eXputer. Feel free to get in touch with him on his gaming profile at Steam and PSN. Experience: 8+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Journalism || Published 500+ Guides || Manages Teams, Creates Strategies, and Publishes Guides on eXputer

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