Best FR 5.56 MW3 Loadout: Class setup, attachments, perks

Sourav Banik
an image of FR 5.56 in Modern Warfare 3

Although it is no longer dominant, the FR 5.56 is still a viable weapon in Modern Warfare 3, especially if you use this best loadout designed to make the AR as accurate as possible in MW3 Season 3.

The FR 5.56 was once dominant in multiplayer but a series of nerfs have seen it become one of the least popular weapons in the game. This trend has continued into MW3 Season 3, where its usage rate has hit an all-time low.

Despite not being popular, the FR 5.56 is still a good weapon that can be laser accurate with the right attachments and setup.

Here is the best FR 5.56 loadout in MW3 to make the burst rifle more accurate and consistent at long range.

Contents

Best FR 5.56 MW3 loadout

Attachments

  • Muzzle: JAK BFB
  • Barrel: 435mm FR435
  • Laser: SL Razorhawk Laser Light
  • Optic: JAK Glassless Optic
  • Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop

The JAF BFB was added in Season 1 Reloaded and its arrival was a huge buff for the FR 5.56. This muzzle provides the biggest improvement to recoil control of any attachment in MW3, which is perfect given the FR 5.56 needs just that to be an effective weapon.

You can further improve recoil control by equipping the 434mm FR 435 barrel which is preferred over the 600mm FR Longbore as it doesn’t hurt the gun’s handling nearly as much.

In saying that, these attachments do still slow down the FR 5.56 a lot which isn’t ideal given how fast-paced multiplayer is. To fix this equip both the SL Razorhawk Laser Light and DR-6 Handstop as these provide massive boosts to key stats like ADS Speed, Movement Speed, and Sprint To Fire Speed.

The final attachment should be used on an optic that makes aiming accurately with the FR 5.56 much easier. This is important as burst weapons require precision to be effective. There are several good choices, but the JAK Glassless Optic is the best overall option in MW3 Season 3.

FR 5.56 previewed in Call of Duty: Warzone.
The FR 5.56 isn’t top-tier anymore after being nerfed but it is still a capable burst weapon.

Best FR 5.56 MW3 class: Perks & equipment

  • Vest: Gunner Vest
    • Can carry two primary weapons, deploy with max ammo for all weapons, and improves reload speed.
  • Gloves: Marksman Gloves
    • Reduced sway and flinch while ADS.
  • Gear: High-Gain Antenna
    • Zooms out minimap and makes enemies firing unsilenced weapons remain on it for longer.
  • Lethal: Frag Grenade
    • Cookable fragmentation grenade.
  • Tactical: EMD Grenade
    • Applies a tracking device to enemies hit, revealing their location on your team’s minimap until removed.

It’s best to use perks that benefit a slower playstyle as the FR 5.56 is not an effective run-and-gun weapon. The likes of Marksman Gloves and High-Gain Antenna are ideal for this, with the latter being new to Season 3. Equally, the Gunner Vest lets you take another primary weapon to help cover the FR 5.56’s weaknesses, which is best used on a meta SMG like the RAM-9.

For equipment, a Frag Grenade is practically never a bad option as it has more potential than any other lethal in MW3. Meanwhile, the EMD Grenade is underrated option that provides additional intel on top of High-Gain Antenna, making it impossible for enemies to escape.

How to unlock the FR 5.56 in Modern Warfare 3

The FR 5.56 can be unlocked through the Armory by activating the assault rifle and then either completing 3 daily challenges or winning 3 games.

Best FR 5.56 alternative in Modern Warfare 3

The DG-56 is another burst assault rifle that differs slightly from the FR 5.56, performing better at close to medium range but not being quite as accurate from afar.

Be sure to check out these other MW3 loadouts to stay ahead:

Best MW3 guns: Ultimate tier list | Best Modern Warfare 3 AR class loadouts | SVA 545 loadout | MCW loadout  | BP50 loadout