The M8A1 is an absolute monster in Black Ops 7, and here’s the best loadout for it.
The M8A1 has, at long last, returned to Call of Duty. It's available as a marksman rifle in Black Ops 7, which is a shift from the last time we saw it in Black Ops 3, when it was an assault rifle. Despite that detail, though, the M8A1 fully acts like an AR in Black Ops 7, and this goes double when you equip the gun's best overall loadout.
Packed with damage and accuracy, the M8A1 can one-burst enemies with ease in Black Ops 7. However, this is only possible after you've managed to unlock all of its meta attachments and build its strongest loadout. You can see exactly what that loadout is in the guide below.
Best loadout for the M8A1 in Black Ops 7
As a quick note, we're writing this loadout guide during the multiplayer beta, so the meta attachments for the M8A1 could very well change by the time the full launch of Black Ops 7 rolls around. For now, though, we have access to a solid number of attachments for the marksman rifle, and they all aim to make the M8 an even stronger version of itself, which is one of the strongest weapons in Black Ops 7.
The overall goal of the loadout is to ensure you can one-burst enemies as much as possible with the M8A1, as it's a four-round burst rifle. Failing to secure a one-burst means you have to rely on additional accuracy and damage, so you want to try to hit the one-burst every time.
For the best chance of that, take a look at the best M8A1 loadout below:
- Optic: Lethal Tools Elo
- Muzzle: Redwell 5.56
- Barrel:" 23" Barrier Ba
- Underbarrel: Force Stabilizer
- Stock: Swiftline Stock

This loadout comes directly from former pro and current streamer Seth "Scump" Abner. He used this exact M8A1 loadout at the COD Next event and absolutely shredded with it, securing easy kill after easy kill. While you can increase the strength of the M8A1 with the Gunfighter Wildcard, which gives you an additional three attachments, you don't really need it with this M8A1 build.
We'll make sure to keep this guide updated as the meta shifts and new attachments are made available in Black Ops 7.
For more Black Ops 7 news, make sure to check out our other guide about the return of the iconic Nuketown map. You can also take a look at our pieces going over how to earn Black Ops 2 camos in BO7 and every confirmed weapon in multiplayer so far.