The newest weapon introduced to Apex Legends as of Season 11 is the C.A.R. SMG which should be a familiar firearm for those who played Titanfall previously. The acronyms stand for Combat Advanced Round submachine gun and it was a fan favorite SMG that many are excited to see enter the Apex Legends arena. While it was an absolute beast back in the day, how does it fare among the Legends? In this C.A.R. SMG Guide, we examine what’s great about this weapon, when to best use it, and how it compares to the rest of the arsenal.
Apex Legends C.A.R SMG Guide
The C.A.R. SMG is a devastating monster in close ranges. Its extremely fast fire rate can shred through enemy armor like paper in a matter of seconds. This is balanced by how difficult the gun is to control. It will take a while to master the C.A.R but once you get used to the kickback, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
C.A.R. SMG Stats
C.A.R SMG is unique weapon in the game in that it is the only firearm capable of using two ammunition types. It is a full automatic weapon with no alternative fire modes. However, it can switch between Heavy and Light ammo by switching magazines on the fly.
Gun Details
Gun Type: Sub-Machine Gun
Fire Mode: Automatic
Ammunition Type: Heavy and Light Ammo
Rounds Per Minute: 930RPM
Damage Per Body Shot:
- Head: 19-20
- Body: 13
- Feet: 10
Usable Optics:
- 1x HCOG Classic
- 1x Holo
- 1x-2x Variable Holo
- 2x HCOG Bruiser
- 1x Digital Threat
Arena Costs
- Base: 550 materials
- Level 1 Upgrade: 200 materials
- Level 2 Upgrade: 250 materials
- Level 3 Upgrade: 350 materials
- Total Cost Fully Upgraded: 1350 materials
Type | Base | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
Magazine Size | 20 | 22 | 24 | 27 |
Tac Reload Time | 1.70 secs | 1.64 secs | 1.59 secs | 1.53 secs |
Full Reload Time | 2.13 secs | 2.06 secs | 1.99 secs | 1.92 secs |
C.A.R. SMG Light vs Heavy Ammo
After testing the C.A.R. SMG multiple times at different distances, there are no significant differences between using Light Ammo or Heavy Ammo. Using either ammunition deals the same damage. Equipping extended magazines of either type do not give any extra ammunition over the other.
It should be noted that once you equip a magazine type, the C.A.R. SMG will not automatically equip any other type of extended magazines. So if you have a heavy extended magazine you want to switch for a light extended magazine, you’d have to discard your heavy extended magazine manually.
How Best To The C.A.R. SMG
The C.A.R. SMG has heavy recoil which isn’t strange for submachine gun. It can be very challenging to control so it’s ideally used as a weapon for close quarters. Any Legend you use can be viable for the weapon but it will truly shine on the hands of Legends able to close the distance quickly like Octane or Ash.
C.A.R. SMG vs R-99
From our testing on the firing range, the C.A.R. SMG is a better gun that the R-99 but they can be nearly identical at a glance. They hold the same amount of base ammunition at twenty rounds and can be both fully upgraded to hold twenty seven but the C.A.R. deals more damage than the R-99 which makes those precious shots hit harder. The C.A.R. also reloads much faster than the R-99 no matter what at what level.
In terms of versatility, the C.A.R. can do everything the R-99 can do but better. The biggest advantage of the R-99 is that it fires more rounds per minute than the C.A.R. but is more difficult to control as to where the C.A.R. SMG is more balanced.
If you want to compare and contrast weapon statics, you can click here for our weapons tier list.
