Shoot like a pro. M4A4 & M4A1-S: features, spray, recoil

We continue our series of articles about CS:GO weapons with the main Counter-Terrorist assault rifles - M4A4 and M4A1-S.

How can this article help you?

You’ll learn something new about every weapon in the game, it’s main features and tricks that will help you get better at CS:GO.
You’ll get acquainted with spray-patterns of every weapon and how to control it.
You’ll understand how to analyse your own spray and how to master it.

Forget about the silencer! M4A4, or when 30 bullets are more than worth it.

Fully-automatic M4A4 is a more accurate, but less powerful AK-47 alternative.

M4A4 is a Counter-Terrorist only weapon. It can be interchanged with M4A1-S on the loadout tab.

It should be noted that one of its main features is a 30 bullet magazine with 90 more in reserve. It’s especially effective on medium distances due to the rapid rate of fire.

M4A4 costs $3100

Pros:

Rapid rate of fire (666 points against 600 points of AK-47) and small recoil will allow you to quickly dispatch your opponents on short and medium distances.
Great for spraying and intuitional shooting through the smoke with a high chance to kill your opponent.
Ammo capacity of 30/90 will last you through any round.

Cons:

More expensive than it’s CT alternative M4A1-S ($3100 vs $2900)
Lack of silencer makes it easier for your opponent to understand where he’s fired from.
Has really weak accuracy while moving (sometimes even this parameter can be crucial).
Low effectiveness on longer distances, headshot accuracy and damage decreases with range.

Shooting with M4A4

The best way to shoot M4A4 is spraying.

This rifle is the most effective on short and medium ranges, so it’s extremely important to find balance between shorter and longer sprays. Short 3-5 bullet sprays can be complemented by longer bursts. This type of shooting will work wonders against grouped enemies, the only thing you need is a proper spray control.

The main weakness of this gun is low damage of the first bullet on longer distances. Usually the best course of action is to do short 2 bullet bursts. In this situation, even though your opponent may survive the first headshot, he’ll either suffer significant damage or die from the second bullet.

Well placed M4A4 spray can outplay an opponent with an AK-47 with no trouble at all. Weapons with higher recoil and lower rate of fire will prove inferior to M4A4 on short distances. Due to this fact, holding a closer position with this rifle can get you several important kills throughout the game.

Spraying with M4A4. Finding the correct timing for recoil control.

It’s always better to spray than not to spray. Firing with bursts will allow you to be more effective against players with heavier and slower guns.

To control the spray, you have to know its spray pattern. As with the AK-47, it has the same idea - lower your crosshair as bullets start to hit higher. In that case M4A4’s bullet density will become its greatest strength.

The GIF above shows the spray pattern of M4A4’s 30 bullet spray without any control over it.

As you can see, M4A4’s spray looks like 7. You can use that while learning the shooting technique by drawing the number in your head.

To practice your spray you can use the same methods as we mentioned in our previous article about AK-47.

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Silent “ninja” in Counter-Terrorist’s hands or what are the advantages of M4A1-S

Even though M4A1-S has lesser ammo capacity compared to M4A4, it makes up with silenced fire, higher accuracy and lower recoil.

M4A1-S is a Counter-Terrorist only weapon. It can be interchanged with M4A4 on the loadout tab.

Lower price along with a silencer makes this assault rifle an excellent choice for a lurker. Its low ammo capacity makes it less effective for spraying. Most effective while shot with short bursts on short and medium distances.

M4A1-S costs $2900

Pros:

An ability to use a silencer. While using it, M4A1-S has increased accuracy during jumps and decreased recoil. Shooting with a silencer makes it harder for your opponents to determine your location.
Lesser price compared to M4A4 - $2900 vs $3100.
Bullets don’t leave tracers while silenced.
Good spray control while moving.
Better recoil compared to M4A4 - 19 points vs 20 points.

Cons:

Silencer makes the weapon visually bigger.
Lesser ammo capacity compared to M4A4 - 25/75 vs 30/90.
Slower rate of fire compared to M4A4 - 600 vs 666.

Shooting with M4A1-S

The most efficient way to shoot is with short bursts of 2-5 bullets at a time.

The main reason for this type of spray is this rifle’s weak armor penetration. It’s important to note that you should try to spray on short or medium distances. This way it won’t be difficult to land a couple of lethal headshots in one burst.

Silencer plays the most crucial role in this rifle’s effectiveness. It decreases the recoil, bullet spread and increases accuracy while jumping. Using a silencer will increase your survivability, as an opposing team will have more trouble understanding your position from further away. But it’s important to remember that a silencer also visually elongates the weapon. There’s always a possibility that a silencer may give out your position from behind the corner to an enemy.

Spraying with M4A1-S. Advantages of short bursts.

Bullets in M4A1-S’s spray are closely-grouped. You’ll need to control your spray after the fifth bullet. To practice your spray you can use the same methods as we mentioned in our previous article about AK-47.