Quick answer
Prioritize FG42 (free on Battle Pass page 3), AN-94, Gremlin, and Sturmwolf 45 first — they're this season's strongest and most-used picks, so leveling them pays off in every mode, not just camo grinding.
Which Guns Are Worth Leveling First
Not every gun deserves equal grind time. This season's standouts: FG42 as an AR is unlocked free on Battle Pass page 3 and is genuinely top-tier, so there's no reason to delay it. AN-94 came back through an in-season event and is widely called the single best AR in the game right now. Gremlin is a permanently dual-wield SMG with no ADS, built around hip-fire aggression — different enough from a normal SMG that it's worth learning even if it's not your usual playstyle. Sturmwolf 45 tops the SMG class overall. Rounding out the picks worth prioritizing: Mammoth and TR-2 in their respective classes, Akita as the top shotgun (though its short range limits it on bigger maps), and Swordfish A1 as the top marksman rifle.
| Class | Top pick | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | FG42 / AN-94 | FG42 is free at Battle Pass page 3; AN-94 returned via event |
| SMG | Sturmwolf 45 / Gremlin | Gremlin is dual-wield, no-ADS hip-fire only |
| Shotgun | Akita | Best in class, but short range hurts on open maps |
| Marksman Rifle | Swordfish A1 | Top pick for mid-to-long range precision |
Fastest XP Methods for Weapon Leveling
Weapon XP scales with kills and headshots specifically, so objective modes still help but the real lever is time-on-target with that gun. Running the weapon in Hardpoint or Domination gets you more total engagements per match than Search & Destroy's shorter rounds. If you're leveling several guns for camo purposes rather than one gun for ranked use, a bot lobby session removes most of the resistance — see the bot lobbies guide for how those sessions run.
Attachment Priorities Once a Gun Levels Up
Unlock order matters less than which attachments you actually equip once available — a barrel or optic upgrade sitting unused doesn't help your TTK. Prioritize whatever directly addresses the gun's weak point: a longer barrel for range on an AR, a laser or grip for an SMG's hip-fire spread, a stock for aim-down-sight speed on anything you're using aggressively.
Known issue, now fixed
The Aug 5 hotfix resolved a bug where the M34 Novaline Garand Conversion showed other stock attachments as "incompatible." If you saw that before, update and it should be gone.
When to Offload the Grind
Leveling one gun for its unique attachment is one thing; leveling ten guns for camo mastery is another. cod-weapon-level-services gets specific guns to max level directly, and pairs well with cod-augment-level-up-services if you're chasing augment unlocks on the same account. For the full camo challenge order once your guns are leveled, see the camo unlock roadmap.