Trying to stay on topic to what he was asking, right below where the scope is, is wooden, and personally I don't think it's worth getting at all. Maybe like, a golden M40A3, or a golden R700 or .50 cal. I don't really care, but something all golden, like the AK or something. Lazy designers, haha, jk.

quote Soule147

I don't really care, but something all golden, like the AK or something. Lazy designers, haha, jk.

Umm...the golden AK has a wood grain section near the front of it like the Dragunov. Personally, I love the Dragunov as a sniper rifle. Even before I got it golden, I preferred it to the other rifles. I will explain why in detail here:

First off, despite what most people think, EVERY sniper rifle in the game does IDENTICAL damage. Numerically, they all do 70, with the players life equalling 100 in standard game modes. The ONLY exception to this is adding an ACOG to an M40. I wont go into details, but people who use it know what I am talking about. That being said, I like to snipe, and you are not as effective as a sniper with an ACOG. Sure, you can fight easier at mid range, but you have several disadvantages against another sniper across the map. If you want to argue the merits of ACOG sniping with me, we can do it in another thread, but I had to address that issue to continue my post.

Now you are thinking, "but it is much easier to one shot someone with a .50 cal or an R700 instead of other sniper rifles. This is true, but not because of damage. This is because of the damage multiplier you get for hitting specific areas of the body. With the R700 and the .50 cal, you do 1.5x normal damage when you hit the head, neck, or the torso. You will deal 1.1x damage to the stomach, and 1.0x to the limbs. Of these two, the .50 cal has the advantage of being semi automatic, so a second shot is easier to pull off. The R700 also has slightly more aim sway than other sniper rifles. The downside of the .50 cal, however is the fact that is is very loud, and people can hear it from just about anywhere on the map. It also has much more muzzle flash. After only a couple shots, people can usually figure out where you are quickly.

The Dragunov is my favorite because it does 1.5x to the head, neck or torso like the previous two, but only does 1.0x to the stomach and limbs. Therefore, in the Dragunov, you have a semi automatic rifle, with less kick than the . 50 cal. It is also quieter, and has less muzzle flash. It has the same advantages over the R700 as the .50 cal has as well. The 1.0x vs 1.1x damage to the stomach is really about the same thing, in the long run...It will save you from having to fire a second shot if you hit them in the stomach, with stopping power, IF they dont have jugg.

Next, there is the M40. This rifle does 1.5x to the head or neck, but only 1.1 to the torso or stomach. With stopping power, you could argue that it is as powerful as the Dragunov if they arent using jugg. It is, however, bolt action like the R700, so a second shot will take longer. I wasnt going to go into this point, but I guess I will...you can also add an ACOG to the M40 to increase damage to 75. That, plus stopping power, will make it a one hit kill no matter where you hit the enemy. To do this, you are giving up the extra zoom of the sniper scope, and the ability to steady your aim. It will give you a one hit kill for mid-long range, but you will lose a sniper duel at long range against an experienced sniper more often than not.

Finally, there is the M21. This rifle is semi automatic, with less recoil than any of the other rifles, but since it does 1.5x to only the head, stopping power is necessary to take someone down to the neck or torso(1.1x), and a second shot is needed to the stomach or limbs(1.0x). The good news here is that a second shot is easier to pull off with this rifle than any other.

All of these rifles are balanced from a gameplay standpoint, but you should choose the one that matches your playstyle. For players who think they need an auto controller to win, they will probably pick the .50 cal. For people who want to have a sniper rifle, but still attempt to fight at closer ranges, they will choose the M40 with an ACOG and stopping power. For someone who wants to sit back, bunker up with claymores and try to lay low while taking people out at a distance, like myself, we will choose the Dragunov or the R700. For people who want to snipe, but are not confident that they can pull off a headshot often enough, they will choose the M21. I am not saying that any of these things are wrong, I am simply commenting on their uses. Realistically, any one of these weapons can be used any way you like. If it works for you, then that is great. I am simply analyzing each weapon based on my experience with them, and on the facts of how the weapons are coded into the game.

How do you know that?