We’ve all been there. You unlock a cool new Assault Rifle in *Call of Duty: Black Ops 6*, you jump into a match, and you realize you have no optic, no grip, and the recoil is kicking like a mule. You look at the attachment list and see you need level 45 just to get a decent silencer. It’s enough to make you want to go back to your old “Meta” build and never try anything new.
But here’s the thing: leveling weapons in BO6 can actually be pretty fast if you stop playing it like a regular shooter and start playing it like a grind. I’ve maxed out almost every primary in the game so far, and I’ve found a few tricks that the “pro” YouTubers usually skip over.
Here is my personal, honest guide to maxing out your weapons in record time.
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🎒 The Prep: Before You Pull the Trigger
Before you even join a lobby, you need to make sure you aren’t wasting your time.
1. **Tokens!** I see so many people sitting on a hoard of Double Weapon XP tokens. Use them. If you’re planning to play for an hour, pop a 60-minute token. Don’t “save them for later”—leveling up early gives you the attachments that help you play better *now*.
2. **The Decoy Meta:** This is the most important tip I can give you. Always, ALWAYS run **Decoy Grenades**. Every time you throw a decoy and someone dies near it, YOU get weapon XP. Even if you didn’t see the guy. It’s literally free XP just for throwing a plastic stick on the ground.
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🕹️ The Best Modes for the Grind
If you are playing Team Deathmatch or Search and Destroy to level up guns, you are doing it wrong. Those modes have too much downtime.
1. Hardpoint (The XP King)
Hardpoint is where it’s at. The matches are long, and the “Defense” and “Attack” XP bonuses are huge. If you stand inside the hill while getting a kill, you get a massive boost to your weapon XP.
**My Strategy:** Don’t just sit in the corner. Throw a decoy into the hill, run in, get a trade kill, and repeat.
2. Kill Confirmed
This is great for lower-skill players or when you’re using a weak gun like a sniper or a pistol. You get weapon XP for **picking up the tags**. Even if your teammate got the kill, if you slide over that tag with your gun out, that gun gets the XP. It’s basically scavenging your way to max level.
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🧟 The Zombies “Secret” Path
If Multiplayer is getting too sweaty and you just want to relax, jump into Zombies.
* **The Strat:** Get a “Double XP” token active and just survive until round 20-25. The XP starts to drop off significantly after round 30, so if you’re just there to level guns, it’s actually faster to **Exfil early and restart**.
* **The Power-Ups:** Always prioritize “Insta-Kill” and “Full Power.” The faster you kill the horde, the faster the XP pours in.
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📈 Planning Your Progression
One of the most annoying parts of the grind is not knowing how much longer you have to go. That’s why I always have the [LevelTimer CoD Weapon Calculator](https://leveltimer.com/cod-weapon-xp-calculator/) open on my phone.
I’ll check my current weapon level, see how much XP is needed for that final camo or attachment, and it tells me roughly how many matches of Hardpoint I have left. It keeps the “grind fatigue” away because I can actually see the finish line.
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🏁 Final Advice: Don’t Burn Out
Leveling every gun to max in one sitting is a recipe for a headache.
* Switch between a “Fun” gun and a “Grind” gun.
* If a lobby is too hard, don’t be afraid to back out. You aren’t getting XP if you’re stuck in the respawn screen.
Go get those attachments, build your ultimate weapon, and I’ll see you at the top of the leaderboard!