Ranger (weapon)

The Ranger is a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun. While use of the double-barrel has fallen in modern times, they are often sawed off and used as concealed weapons. Some are light enough to be fired one-handed.

In Game
The Ranger is unlocked at Level 42 in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode. Its sights cannot be aimed down. Instead, the aim down sights button fires the second barrel. With the Akimbo attachment, the aim down sights button fires one shotgun while the fire button fires the other. Pressing the button again fires the second barrel of the respective shotgun. Thus, at most Ranger users can only fire two barrels at a time. Akimbo is one of the more preferable attachments as it gives you four shots without reloading, as opposed to only two without Akimbo. The attachment has little cost since you cannot use the iron sights on the Ranger even without Akimbo. Being able to fire four shots helps at medium range when the target is too far away to be killed in one or two shots. It is also fairly accurate, despite what the Create-A-Class stats and common sense would say.

Akimbo Rangers are often seen in multiplayer due to their sheer power. Much of the skill using the Ranger requires knowing when to fire two barrels or only one when faced with multiple enemies and knowing when to fire two shells from one shotgun, which allows the player to reload only one shotgun with the other still available for defense.

But the single Ranger can boast a few attributes that its akimbo counterpart nor the other shotguns in the game can. The single Ranger has the "special ability" of being able to kill enemies within its maximum and minimum range almost 100% of the time without the need of the perks Stopping Power or Steady Aim. This is because the game calculates the Ranger's damage formula as 25-75 (x6) (150-450) + 25-75 (x6) (150-450) = Damage per shot (if the user is within the Ranger's bullet range and if they fire both shells at once)

So this makes the minimum damage 300 (at the maximum range limit if all 12 combined pellets hit) and 900 (very close and if all the combined pellets hit). Since each player has 100 health total, the Ranger's damage per shot is potentially overkill. But even if very few of the pellets hit, all a user needs is 4/12 pellets to make contact in order to get a kill (which is extremely likely of happening because of the much smaller spread of the single Ranger compared to the akimbo Rangers). But the setback of the single Ranger is the constant reloading (especially if firing two shells at once).

These perks are recommended for the Ranger:


 * Sleight of Hand (Offsets the long reloading time, especially useful with the single ranger)
 * Lightweight (Allows you to get closer to the enemy faster)
 * Steady Aim (Not needed for single ranger) (Allows for a tighter pellet spread)
 * Stopping Power (Not needed for single ranger) (Allows for a slightly greater pellet distance and more power)
 * Commando (Allows you to counter melee farther if your shots miss)

Trivia

 * 4 shots will destroy a car at full health at point-blank range.


 * The challenge "Both Barrels" requires you to kill a player by firing both barrels of the shotgun at the same time. This can also be accomplished by using Akimbo and firing both guns at the same time. This can also be accomplished on the single Ranger by killing two enemies, one kill per shot.


 * When reloading with one shell still in the barrel, the user discards both shells even when there is still a shell left.


 * There is only one trigger on the create a class picture.


 * The Ranger actually has an extremely high rate of fire, but its ammo capacity balances it out.


 * The Ranger and the Model 1887 have the least attachments in the game, only being able to accept Akimbo and FMJ.


 * Akimbo Rangers long reload time can be mitigated by reload canceling.
 * The Ranger is one of the few weapons in the Call of Duty series that doesn't allow ADS.