The Kastov LSW was added in MW3 Season 6, introducing a powerful LMG that is very strong when fired from the hip, especially with our recommended loadout.
When it was first released, the Kastov LSW dominated with Tac-Stance, but a later nerf removed its ability to use this alongside the Bracefire-HC Grip. With this combination no longer possible, this light machine gun isn’t nearly as powerful, but it can still be viable with the right build.
To help you figure out what this build should look like, we’ve created the best Kastov LSW loadout, including attachments, perks, and equipment to make your class as effective as possible.
Best MW3 Kastov LSW loadout
- Barrel: Bombast T54 Short Barrel
- Laser: Verdant Hook Box Laser
- Stock: Broadside Stock
- Underbarrel: Bracefire-HC Grip
- Rear Grip: State50 Grip
The Kastov LSW is most effective when used with the Bracefire-HC Grip, which allows the LMG to be fired minigun style, similar to the Chainsaw grip of past Call of Duty games. This massively improves hipfire accuracy while also providing big boosts to key mobility stats like sprint speed and ADS movement speed.
If that’s not enough, the Kastov LSW also gets access to the State50 Grip, a unique rear grip that further reduces hipfire spread by 15%. Incredibly, this powerful attachment has no cons at all, making it an obvious choice on this build and just about any other Kastov LSW build for that matter.
Those wanting to make the Kastov LSW as accurate as possible while hipfiring should also use the Verdant Hook Box Laser and Bompast T54 Short Barrel. As an added bonus, these also improve sprint to fire speed and every movement stat, giving this weapon mobility more comparable to a submachine gun than an LMG.
To truly capitalize on this gun’s impressive speed, you’ll want to use the Broadside Stock to further boost sprint speed, movement speed, and sprint to fire speed. Alternatively, No Stock provides unbelievably tight hipfire but literally doubles recoil gun kick as a tradeoff. If you are capable of controlling that recoil, it is a great option for run and gun playstyles.
Best Kastov LSW class: Perks and equipment
- Vest: Infantry Vest
- Gloves: Commando Gloves
- Boots: Stalker Boots
- Gear 1: Compression Plate
- Gear 2: EOD Padding
- Lethal: Frag Grenade
- Tactical: Stun Grenade
- Field Upgrade: Enhanced Vision Goggles
The Infantry Vest works well with the Kastov LSW, as it increases Tac Sprint duration and reduces its refresh time. This lets you run around as fast as possible, taking advantage of the LMG’s incredible mobility in Tac-Stance. Similarly, the Stalker Boots increase strafe speed, letting you move around the map even faster.
Next up, the Commando Gloves let you reload while sprinting and improve sprint to fire speed. These are both important on this LMG, as they directly enable Tac-Stance. If you find yourself struggling to spot enemies as you zoom around the map using these mobility perks, be sure to equip the Enhanced Vision Goggles to see them more easily.
In the first gear slot, Compression Plate acts like Quick Fix from past Call of Duty games, instantly regenerating your health after a kill or when playing the objective. This helps keep you alive during tense moments, which is made even easier by EOD Padding, another useful perk that reduces damage taken from enemy explosives.
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For lethal, a Frag Grenade is a classic option that can be cooked to explode at just the right moment, leaving other players with no chance to escape. If they do somehow get away, a Stun Grenade can be used to stop them in their tracks.
Kastov LSW pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accurate hip-fire | High recoil |
| High mobility | Bad iron sights |
| Fast fire rate | Mediocre TTK |
| Great damage range | Tac-Stance was nerfed |
Where is the Kastov LSW in the MW3 meta?
The Kastov LSW is a viable weapon that ranks in the middle of MW3’s meta. While not a top-tier gun per se, it offers enough to keep those elite options in check and outperforms the majority of other LMGs, with the TAQ Eradicator being the lone exception.
This gun used to be a powerful option due to the freakish mobility that was possible while in Tac-Stance and using the Bracefire-HC Grip. However, this was removed as a feature on the gun, with the grip now completely preventing you from using the alternate fire mode.
Following this change, the Kastov LSW is nothing too special, but it is at least a viable option. Like most other LMGs in Modern Warfare, this gun will serve you well in more relaxed lobbies but struggle in higher skill lobbies. Therefore, how good an option it is really depends on your personal skill level and the kinds of opponents you are expecting to up against.
Unfortunately, the Kastov doesn’t have the fastest time to kill at 300 ms. For comparison, this is identical to the STG44, but the AR is much more accurate, has better handling, and is even better at long range. Due to this, it’s difficult to justify using this gun in the current meta.
How to unlock the Kastov LSW
You can unlock the Kastov LSW in MW3 by completing Sector 9 of the Season 6 Battle Pass. This requires a minimum of 20 Battle Pass Tokens, which you can earn by playing or buy them to speed up the process at a premium.
MW3 Kastov LSW alternatives
For those wanting a more traditional LMG experience, the TAQ Eradicator is the best light machine gun in Modern Warfare 3. It deals a lot of damage, is easy to use, and outranges most other weapons in the game.
For more options, check out the best guns in MW3, as well as our recommended loadouts for the best assault rifles, Pulemyot 762, TAQ Evolvere, and DG-58 LSW.