At the beginning of Season Three, Black Ops Cold War and Warzone^TM received two new weapons via the Battle Pass, which spiced up gameplay across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Battle Royale.

The first of these weapons, the PPSh-41, is a classic among the deep SMG category and unlocked at Tier 15 of the Season Three Battle Pass. Although this Soviet weapon was not the first of its kind in the history of automatic compact machine guns, it is still considered one of the “fathers” of the SMG platform in warfare, as its general design and features set the standard upon which others were built for decades to come.

Here is its in-game description:

“Full-auto submachine gun. Faster fire rate with a large bullet spread. Reliable damage range with less control when firing.”

PPSh-41 Overview

Out of all the characteristics of this open-bolt SMG, its high fire rate is the one that defines it the most. Among all other Black Ops Cold War SMGs, the PPSh-41 has the second-fastest rate of fire in its category and boasts better damage per shot than the fastest in the game, the MAC-10.

The PPSh-41 also has an excellent effective damage range, allowing Operators to deal a six-shot elimination (in Multiplayer) out past 15 meters, or even five shots if one is a headshot. Its recoil is also fairly manageable despite its fast rate of fire, making it possible to stretch engagements out to medium distances if you can learn its pattern and adjust accordingly.

Of course, the weapon has its quirks, namely its hip-fire spread. It is much higher than the category standard 7 mil (milliradians), which means, as its description states, a “large bullet spread.” This can be great for dealing with multiple targets at once and may not matter at point-blank range, but against a single target, aiming down sights (ADS) may be preferable even for an engagement that barely stretches out to 5 meters.

Furthermore, the weapon’s Bullet Velocity is among the slowest in the category, a product of this weapon being from the World War II era. When firing this weapon at longer distances, those bullets won’t reach their target as quickly as the LC10 introduced in Season Two, so you may need to lead your shots if you’re trying to hit a moving target.

Fortunately, the weapon’s available attachments can help you overcome these shortcomings, particularly in the barrel department. Outside of the standard attachments available across SMGs, the PPSh-41 offers one unique magazine: a drum magazine that can hold 71 rounds of ammunition. That’s a staggering 122% increase in Magazine Ammo Capacity and Starting Ammo from the weapon’s standard four 32-round magazines, although it comes at the significant cost of reload quickness and ADS time.

As the oldest SMG in its category, this versatile weapon makes plenty of noise, and one version of it is sure to amp up your gameplay:

Blueprint Review and Loadout

Loud Pipe

An Ultra-rarity Reactive Weapon Blueprint, the “Loud Pipe” is unlocked within the Season Three Battle Pass at Tier 95. Inspired by classic hot rods, the “Loud Pipe” evolves as you neutralize Operators in Multiplayer and Warzone or the undead in Zombies.

Here’s a sample loadout to use within Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer:

Primary: “Loud Pipe”

Secondary: Drab Deputy Pistol Blueprint (unlocked at Tier 89 of the Season Three Battle Pass)

Perks: Flak Jacket / Tactical Mask, Assassin / Scavenger, Ninja / Gung-Ho

Equipment: Frag Grenade, Stimshot

Field Upgrade: Field Mic

Wildcard: Perk Greed

It may be a good idea to use a second Primary Weapon with this SMG, as the other Secondary options mostly overlap with the weapon’s most effective ranges. Still, if you want to tailor a loadout toward aggressive play, you can’t go wrong with a solid three-round burst pistol that holds its own out to 30 meters plus.

Because close-quarter action will be plentiful, it’s wise to take along a Stimshot to heal quickly between engagements and a Field Mic to get intel on nearby enemy movements. Lethal equipment is up to personal preference, since all can work well here; we’ll recommend a Frag Grenade for this purpose.

It can be difficult to choose between the four available Wildcards, but for this loadout, we’ll take Perk Greed and load up on passive benefits across the board.

• Perk 1: Flak Jacket and Tactical Mask. This is a deadly defensive combo against enemy equipment.
• Perk 2: Assassin and Scavenger. Assassin gives us great occasional point boosts from taking down high-value targets, while Scavenger helps us resupply, since our Primary Weapon can spit out our whole ammo supply in under 30 seconds.
• Perk 3: Ninja and Gung-Ho. Ninja keeps our footsteps silent, which is great for approaching engagements quietly, while Gung-Ho plays with our aggressive build by allowing us to fire weapons while sprinting, move at full speed when reloading, and fire more accurately while sliding, among other benefits.

This Weapon Blueprint is also outstanding in Warzone; in fact, we recommended it as a weapon within our Loadout Drops chapter of the Warzone Official Strategy Guide, which you can check out here. 

Attachment Advice for Multiplayer

Now that you know a sample loadout for this weapon, let’s talk about how you can configure the PPSh-41 for a variety of modes, broken down by attachment type:

Optic: This is all down to personal preference, although we don’t recommend anything above a 2x sight for this fast-firing weapon unless you’re going for longshots. The weapon’s iron sights are not as obtrusive, so if you can learn to work with them, you can skip this section.

Muzzle: Suppressors will cut the weapon’s effective range back down to the SMG category standard, but they’re great for staying off the radar for a silent Assassin build. Also, a little vertical recoil control never hurts.

Barrels: We highly recommend taking one of these, given the weapon’s slow Bullet Velocity. Experiment often to figure out what works best for you.

Body: Want less bullet spread? The 5mW Laser brings the hip-fire accuracy down to below 4.8 mil. Otherwise, it may be useful to have an attachment in this category that provides enemy data downrange.

Underbarrel: Better movement speed is always a plus for an SMG. A simple Foregrip could also work. Want the best of both worlds? Take the Speedgrip when you unlock it. If sprinting speed is your top priority, take the Patrol Grip.

Magazine: The 71-round drum mag has its use for specific builds, but you will have to build around those penalties. The 55-round drum, meanwhile, gives a big enough increase without an ADS penalty, so it’s one to consider. Alternatively, it’s nice to have reloads that take less than two seconds, making fast magazines something to consider.

Handle: Those looking to snap quickly into ADS out of the weapon’s wide hip-fire radius will want to thoroughly experiment with the Grips and Wraps in this category.

Stock: When using a loadout without Gung-Ho, it may be wise to look for a Stock that quickens Sprint to Fire speed, given that SMGs are usually best used when running and gunning. Alternatively, a Duster Stock makes for faster slides, which could be fun when used with Gung-Ho.

Attachment Advice for Zombies

The PPSh-41 can also be an effective weapon within Zombies, although we would give the same advice for attachment usage across the Optic, Barrel, Underbarrel Handle, and Stock categories as we would for Multiplayer.

Muzzle: Consider taking the suppressor options for increased equipment drop rates if you find yourself running out of grenades quicker than the average Requiem Operator.

Body: It’s always worth considering any body attachment that increases Salvage Drop Rate, as it can allow you to more quickly scale the weapon’s overall damage.

Magazine: Because Speed Cola exists, the 71-round drum magazine is a tantalizing option for an attachment, given that it offers a massive increase in reserve ammo. Still, in the middle of a horde, having a faster magazine option could be better.

Attachment Advice for Warzone

The PPSh-41 stands out among the dozen-and-a-half-plus SMGs in Warzone, with its high fire rate and manageable recoil, making it a potential meta choice for a CQB weapon. Pair it with a long-range assault rifle or sniper rifle, and you might have a game-winning Overkill loadout.

Advice for Optics, Barrel, Underbarrel, Handle, and Stock attachments remain the same as before. Here’s the rest:

Muzzle: The GRU Suppressor’s boost to effective range can be great for stretching engagements out. However, it may not be necessary for a configuration built solely for close-quarter battles. No matter what, suppressors are recommend for staying off radars in a game where intel is power.

Body: Flashlights and the like are great for increasing damage range, if you want to make this weapon a bit more viable at medium distances.

Magazine: In Trios and Quads games, a 32-round magazine can run dry long before engagements are over. We highly recommend considering a drum magazine at the very least to avoid having to reload during intense fights.

No matter the mode you use the PPSh-41 in, it’s an excellent addition to your arsenal.

Execute the mission.

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