Call of Duty isn’t all about running around and getting into crazy gunfights. Sometimes, posting up with an LMG and becoming a turret is the key to success, and our PU-21 loadout guide, complete with attachments and perks, will help you become just that.
LMGs have always been a part of Call of Duty for a long time, but they haven’t always been relevant to the meta. While the PU-21 isn’t dominating proceedings in Black Ops 6 just yet, it is a powerful option that is worth your time, especially when you consider the fact that it hasn’t got much recoil.
That’s why we’ve put together our guide to the best PU-21 loadout, so you can try it out for yourself and see if you can use it to improve your K/D ratio.
Best PU-21 loadout
- Muzzle: Suppressor
- Optic: Merlin Reflex
- Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
- Fire Mods: Recoil Springs
- Magazine: Fast Mag 1
If you’re using the PU-21, chances are you’re not going to be moving around a lot. So with that in mind, we didn’t bother looking at mobility and instead focused on accuracy and handling. That’s where the Vertical Foregrip and Recoil Springs come into play, reducing both horizontal and vertical recoil so you can hit your shots better.
The iron sights on the PU-21 weren’t particularly bad when we tried it out, but when a lot of your gunfights are at a longer distance, it doesn’t hurt to have the Merlin Reflex optic equipped. With any LMG, reloading is a slow process, so we think it’s worth adding the Fast Mag 1 to speed up that process.
Finally, if you’re not moving around much, you’ll want to stay off the minimap so opponents can’t follow your red dot, so the Suppressor is key.
Best PU-21 class: Perks, Equipment, and Wildcard
- Wildcard: Perk Greed
- Perk 1: Flak Jacket
- Perk 2: Fast Hands
- Perk 3: Cold-Blooded
- Perk Greed: Ghost
- Lethal: Frag
- Tactical: Concussion
- Field Upgrade: Assault Pack
As mentioned before, we expect that you’ll be posting up on a headglitch with the PU-21, so we’ve picked perks to make the most of that playstyle.
First, we want to use the Perk Greed Wildcard to add an extra perk to our class, and we’ve picked Ghost to keep you off Scout Pulses and UAVs when moving, so you can make it to your spot without being caught. Cold-Blooded is included for similar reasons, as it makes you undetectable to thermal scopes, and means you won’t be highlighted on enemy-controlled scorestreaks.
Fast Hands lets you swap weapons quickly, which will let you pull out a pistol if an enemy gets too close, while Flak Jacket will give you extra explosive protection when enemies are launching grenades at you.
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Finally, we’ve opted for the Assault Pack so you always have plenty of ammo for your bullet-hungry LMG, along with a Frag and a Concussion grenade.
PU-21 pros and cons
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Fast TTK to take down enemies quickly | Slow mobility makes it hard to move around |
| Low recoil | Slow ADS time can put you at a disadvantage |
| Iron sights are not the best |
Where is the PU-21 in the Black Ops 6 meta?
In terms of the overall Black Ops 6 meta, the PU-21 currently ranks 17th in terms of pickrate, with 1.48% of players opting to use it at the moment. This is a long way off the current king of the meta, as the C9 SMG boasts a 14.3% pick rate, according to WZStats.gg.
If you look exclusively at long-range weapons, it doesn’t fair that much better. The AEK-973 leads the way at 11.5%, with the XM4 not far behind at 10.6%. It isn’t even the most used LMG right now, with the XMG pipping it by 0.02%.
Still, don’t let these numbers put you off the PU-21, as it’s a solid gun and worth trying out, especially if you like a slower playstyle.
How to unlock the PU-21
The good news is that the PU-21 is one of the default guns in the game, so once you reach Level 4 and unlock custom loadouts, it’ll already be available for you to use.
Best PU-21 alternative in Black Ops 6
If the PU-21 isn’t cutting it for you, it’s hard to look past the previously mentioned XM4 if you fancy something that can deal damage at range. The AK-74 could also be a good choice, as it has good damage output and long range, and is more mobile than an LMG.
If you want to stick to picking players off at a distance but fancy doing it with one bullet, then add the LR 7.62 or LW3A1 Frostline to your loadout, as they are the top snipers in the game right now.
For more, check out our guide to the best controller settings in Black Ops 6, or improve your FPS with our comprehensive look at the best PC settings.