The CAR-4 assault rifle is a primary weapon available in PAYDAY 2.
The CAR-4 is the most versatile assault rifle in the game. While it only possess average stats in all regards, its primary strength is that every part of the weapon can be customized, allowing for either all-rounder or specialized builds. With these options, the CAR-4 is a welcome weapon for any character build.
The CAR-4's iron sights don't significantly obstruct the players view
The CAR-4 is the second primary weapon unlocked and is a straight upgrade of the beginning AMCAR in almost every category.
With the large number of modifications available from the base game and DLCs, the CAR-4 is the most versatile primary weapon in the game. As well as being able to mod it for high damage and/or accuracy, it can also be modded for high concealment, making it an excellent companion on stealth heists.
Also, unlike most fully automatic weapons, it has clear and precise iron sights, making a sight modification largely optional. The only reason for a custom sight would be the need for magnification for long-range shooting, the stablity rating bonus, and personal preference.
Summary
Pros:
Versatile and highly customizable
Shares several mods with other weapons
A high capacity ammo pool
Good default iron sights
The best concealment rating of any primary weapon in the game with the proper mods
Unlocked early on and is fairly cheap
Cons:
Low rate of fire
Mediocre base stats
Somewhat lopsided performance when modded for any dedicated purpose
Many of the best mods for it require DLC, particularly the Gage Mod Courier DLC
Builds
All-Round Assault Rifle
This is a typical combat configuration with high Damage (44), good accuracy (80), high stability (88), a slightly larger magazine (34) with the option for slightly less accuracy (76) but a much larger magazine (60). In the right hands, it can be more ammo efficient than even LMG's due to higher accuracy, use of sights and selective fire.
The Long Barrel can be directly switched to the DMR Kit (-90 ammo, +120 dmg, +16 acc, -40 stb) and the War-Torn Stock switched to the 2 Piece Stock (+4 acc, +4 stb) to change the CAR-4 into a high powered rifle with extremely high damage (162) and high accuracy (88), but low stability (56). Increasing the low stability is generally best done with skills and can be brought up to (72) with Rifleman and Leadership.
High Concealment
A maximum concealment (30) silenced assault rifle for stealth heists with low damage (36) poor accuracy (52), poor stability (52) and a small magazine (22).
This build maximizes concealment while still boosting combat related stats resulting in high damage (44), average accuracy (72), low but usable stability (52) and good concealment (23), meaning you can get your detection rating as low as (7) and still take this rifle. This build is very useful for skills like Low Blow/Sneaky Bastard as well as providing the player a concealable but deadly backup weapon for Plan B.
It is highly recommended to use skills like Rifleman aced and have one player on your team with Leadership Aced to boost the stability to (68). Also this Build works very well when paired with The Bigger The Better Suppressor and Silent Killer/The Professional skills. When they are used in conjunction with Rifleman/Leadership Aced it will boost this builds total damage to (56.7) with F&F, accuracy to (76) and stability to (84) while still maintaining (22) concealment as well as being silenced.
Although the main flashlight has a toggle switch, the laser sight component of the LED Combo is pressure-activated, meaning the laser will stay on as long as the pressure switch is depressed. This switch is not placed where it should be, however (on foregrips, magazine wells, etc...) and is instead ziptied to the main taclight, leaving no plausible mean for the user to toggle it without awkwardly moving their off hand off the weapon and gripping the attachment itself.
Upon release, the default reticle of this sight was a chevron instead of the retail version's red dot. After the release of the Gage Mod Courier DLC, it was reverted to the regular sight's red dot.
It is functionally the same as the standard Military Red Dot Sight, but the sight's casing is tan instead of black with the line "A-10" scrawled on near the adjustment knob. The sticker on the lens cap's interior also says "I <3 Payday" instead of having a picture of an American flag.
This sight was based on the Aimpoint CompM2 optic. While it is portrayed as a high-zoom scope in-game, the CompM2 is actually a reflex sight, meaning it offers no magnification in reality.
This sight was based on the Aimpoint CompM2 optic. While it is portrayed as a high-zoom scope in-game, the CompM2 is actually a reflex sight, meaning it offers zero magnification in reality.
This modification seems to have been based on a Sightmark Sure Shot, though altered somehow as it has a perfectly vertical lens frame while the supposed base model had a slightly-trapezoidal one.
•This mod is incompatible with some secondary sights. •This mod is not available for Rodion 3B, VD-12 Shotgun, SG Versteckt 51D, Akron HC & Aran G2 Sniper rifle.
The Reconnaissance Sight is based on the NcSTAR Advanced Dual Optic, but instead of an integral flip-up reflex sight, the in-game model has a rangefinder.
•This mod is incompatible with some secondary sights. •This mod is not available for Rodion 3B, SG Versteckt 51D, Akron HC, Kahn .357 Revolver, Miyaka 10 Special & Aran G2 Sniper rifle.
Mall Ninja Modify the CAR-4 rifle with a Gazelle Rail, Tactical Compensator, Compact Holosight, Wide Stock and a Military Laser Module.
The Collector Kill 100cops using only weapons from the AK or CAR weapon families. Unlocks the "Keymod Rail", the "Crabs Rail" and the "Modern Barrel" for the AK weapon family.
Trivia
The CAR-4 is likely a composite of the M4A1 and the LR-300 assault rifles, with its default state resembling the M4A1 and closely impersonating an LR-300 when the Aftermarket Special Handguard and Folding Stock are added.
Normally it is impossible to fit weapons of the AR-15 family with a side folding stock since they all use a cylindrical recoil buffer tube that extends 20cm from the rear of the receiver, the weapons cannot function without it and it normally restricts them to using either fixed or telescoping stocks. However the ZM LR-300 was specifically designed to be able to accept such a stock and has an adapted buffer system to accommodate this feature.
The front sight along with the entire gas block is removed when a foregrip/handguard mod (sans the Aftermarket Special) is installed. An AR-15 derivative like the CAR-4 cannot fire normally without the gas block and the bolt has to be manually actuated after each shot instead of how the weapon works in the game. This is almost certainly a developer oversight.
It is one of the two weapons whose name derives from the AMCAR-4, the other being the AMCAR.
The CAR-4 is frequently used by both Law Enforcers and is Chains' default weapon if he is controlled by the AI.
A member of the FBI Hostage Rescue Unit, taking aim with his modified CAR-4.
The CAR-4s used by the AI is a bit odd compared to the ones available to the players. While it uses the standard parts plus a Holographic Sight, the Tactical Laser Module is mounted on top of the weapon's handguard instead of on the right side, and the barrel used by the AI is much shorter than the short barrel mod available, barely protruding from the handguard and resembling the ultra-short 6 inch barrels used with Colt Commandos (or from an ingame standpoint the Para), instead of the 10-inch short barrel available to players. The handguard itself appears to have been extended (compared to the regular CAR-4 handguard), and strongly resembles the Tactical Handguard available for the AMR-16.
As it shares the lower receiver model with the AMCAR, AMR-16, and Para, the model name AR-15 can be seen stamped onto the side of the CAR-4.
The CAR-4 is the most concealable primary weapon in the game so far at 30 if you mod it with Short Barrel, Competition Foregrip, Straight Grip, Vintage Mag., and the Folding Stock.
It uses, like most guns, a few matching parts: the Tactical Stock, Ergo Grip, Tactical Mag, and the Tactical Laser Module, all using a bright tan.
In the Gage Assault Pack update, OVERKILL changed the CAR-4's reload animation; the charging handle isn't pulled anymore on empty reloads, the bolt release is pressed to chamber a new round instead.
The "Mall Ninja" achievement refers to a term in the shooting community that describes a shooter who puts a ridiculous amount of modifications on an otherwise poor quality weapon. This is a rather appropriate term for a fully modified CAR-4 since it starts out as relatively cheap, low tier weapon but can become incredibly powerful on higher difficulty levels if it is modified enough.
Found in the game's texture directory is a set of attachments consisting of an unused barrel, handguard, pistol grip, upper and lower receiver mods for the CAR-4. It is unclear what changes do they apply to the weapon as they are all identical to the respective parts on the vanilla rifle.
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Red Spider Packages
Green Mantis Packages
Yellow Bull Packages
Purple Snake Packages
Blue Eagle Packages
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