The Real Guns of Call of Duty: The Fictional Names Decoded

Here’s something a lot of players never notice: modern Call of Duty games don’t use a single real gun name. Around 2021, Activision stopped paying manufacturers to license their trademarks, so every weapon got a made-up name slapped on a very real design. The Kastov is an AK. The Lachmann is an H&K. It’s the same trick Hollywood and video games have used for years, and once you know the code, you can ID every gun in the game. Here’s the real firearm behind each fictional Call of Duty name, and where to buy the genuine article.

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M4 = Colt M4 / AR-15

The one gun that kept something close to its real name, the “M4,” is exactly what it looks like: a Colt M4 carbine, the flat-top AR-15 pattern rifle that’s armed the US military for a generation. It’s the balanced, do-everything assault rifle that most players default to, and its civilian twin, the semi-auto AR-15, is the best-selling rifle in America. Start with our best AR-15 for the money guide.

Kastov-762 = AK-47

The “Kastov-762” is the game’s dressed-up AK-47, right down to the 7.62 in its name and that unmistakable slant brake and curved magazine. It’s the hard-hitting, heavy-recoiling counterpart to the M4, exactly like the real AK. American-made and imported AKs are everywhere, and the short-barreled AK pistol has its own following in our Draco guide.

Lachmann Sub = H&K MP5

The “Lachmann Sub” is the H&K MP5, the most famous submachine gun on the planet and the SMG that defined hostage-rescue teams for fifty years. That roller-delayed action and the smooth 9mm recoil made it a legend. Civilians can buy the semi-auto version, sold as the H&K SP5, and clones are everywhere for pistol-caliber carbine fans.

TAQ-V = FN SCAR-H

The hard-hitting battle rifle “TAQ-V” is an FN SCAR-H, the 7.62 special-operations rifle from Belgium. Its side-folding stock and monolithic upper rail are dead giveaways. The real SCAR is a premium rifle, and the civilian SCAR 17S is the version you can actually own if your wallet is feeling brave.

.50 GS = Desert Eagle .50 AE

The hand cannon “0.50 GS” barely bothers to hide it: GS stands for the desert bird, and it’s a Desert Eagle in .50 Action Express. It’s the biggest, loudest, most cinematic pistol in the game, and the real thing is a gas-operated monster that every shooter wants to fire at least once. Chrome finish optional but encouraged.

Signal 50 = Barrett M82 .50 BMG

The one-shot-one-kill “Signal 50” is a Barrett M82, the .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle that can reach out past a mile and turn cover into a suggestion. That giant muzzle brake and the length give it away instantly. It’s a real, buyable rifle in the United States, and it’s about the largest thing a civilian can legally put to their shoulder.

X13 Auto = Glock

The rapid-fire machine pistol “X13 Auto” is a Glock, specifically the select-fire Glock 18 that dumps a magazine in about a second. Civilians can’t own the full-auto version, but the semi-auto Glock underneath it is the best-selling handgun in America and the benchmark every other striker pistol gets measured against. See our best concealed carry handguns guide.

Crack the Code and You Can’t Unsee It

Once you know the naming game, the whole armory opens up: the Bryson shotguns are Remington and Mossberg pumps, the Basilisk is a big-bore revolver, the Bryson bolt guns are hunting rifles you’d find in any gun shop. Activision changed the names, but the engineers who designed these guns are all real, and nearly every one is sitting on a dealer’s shelf right now. If Warzone gave you a real interest, our AR-15 and handgun guides are where to begin.

Almost everything on this list starts with an AR-15 once you take the fictional name off it, and AR prices move constantly. We keep track of them on our AR-15 deals page. If the budget is doing the deciding, cheap AR-15 rifles is the better place to start.