Second episode of 'Time To Kill', a series devoted to the inner workings and mechanics of Call of Duty's multiplayer. Episode two focuses on optical attachments - and the effect they'll have on your precision. It was Call of Duty 4 that first introduced weapon attachments to the series, and with it 2 optical options: the Red Dot Sight and ACOG Scope. Modern Warfare 2 expanded this to incorporate both an Eotech holographic sight, and a infra-red thermal scope, that highlights enemies in white. Now, in Modern Warfare 3 there are more options than ever - with the introduction of versatile hybrid scopes for both the assault rifles and SMGs. Of course, these attachments are optional - and most weapons can perform just as well without the addition of an optical attachment. Most come with iron sights, a cruder, more mechanical way of indicating your point of aim - but sufficient nonetheless. Iron sights are innate to the weapon, and usually quite distinctive - they contribute much to a weapon's character, from the occlusive sights of the G36 - to the wide open if slightly-unusual sights seen on the FAD. Aiming down your sight with most weapons will zoom in your view slightly - some more so than others, and naturally the optical attachments will affect this too. When aiming with iron sights, typically your view will zoom to about 1.2x magnification, providing a marginal benefit to your accuracy. This 1.2x magnification applies to SMGs, LMGs, Shotguns and Machine Pistols. Assault Rifles are an exception - they benefit from a slightly elevated zoom level, at about 1.35x magnification. This gives them the edge in precision when used without an optic, but enhanced magnification does come at the cost of reduced peripheral vision when aiming. Pistols are another exception, as they gain no magnification whatsoever when aiming - making long-range precision tricky, and limiting the pistols to close-range engagements only. Unlike most other weapons, sniper rif