Weapon Accessory

Weapon Accessories are items that can be attached to a firearm to provide extra functionality, or swapped for a different purpose. Accessories are featured in many installments in the Battlefield Series and can be chosen from in the Customization screen.

Optics
Optics provide an alternative for a weapon's built-in sights (aka iron sights). Some sights merely elevate the user's sightline or otherwise increase peripheral vision, and often provide a reticle for improved aim. Scopes use lenses to magnify vision for long-range engagement. One thing to note is that different optics have different aim and acquisition speeds.

Attachments
Many accessories can be mounted on a modular rail system such as the MIL-STD-1913 rail, commonly known as the Picatinny rail. Prior to this, attachments were often custom-designed for specific weapons.

A modern weapon often has four such rails, a top rail for optics, a bottom rail for underslung weapons or stability attachments, and side rails for other devices.

Weapon Modifications
In certain games, parts of a firearm can be swapped out, such as the barrel or muzzle brake.

Alternate Ammunition
A variety of alternate ammunition is available for shotguns, 40mm grenade launchers, and mortars.

Battlefield 2142
An underslung shotgun is available for the Assault class, along with a rocket launcher. The two accessories can be used at the same time, using the same ammo. All weapons except for the Clark 15B and Clark 12-RDX have a distinctive optic.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Specializations are introduced, some of which provide accessories for the player's weapons. Alternate ammunition is available for shotguns and grenade launchers.

Prior to Bad Company 2, all sniper rifles used scopes.

Battlefield 3
Accessories are given their own system, and are unlocked via progression with individual weapons. Weapons can have up to three attachments:
 * Optics
 * Sights and scopes


 * Primary
 * Underslung rail or stability accessory


 * Secondary
 * Side rail device or barrel improvement

Scopes are on sniper rifles, to offset the new scope glint mechanic. BF3 also reintroduces the mortar, with various types of ammunition.

Battlefield 4
Accessories also appear in Battlefield 4. The system is largely the same as in Battlefield 3 albeit allowing more accessories to be added to weapons.