Again, there seems to be some sort of misconception that the unlocks grant one an unfair advantage over another. Truth be told, the vast majority of the weapons I run with tend to be in the early or middle end of the unlock spectrum. The unlocks are by far a positive feature in that they provide a further incentive to continue playing, as well as providing that feel-good moment of reward upon unlock. If the unlocks actually affected balance, I would be right there complaining with everyone else, but the bottom line is that the unlocks, at least in BF3, are not gameplay changers or balance ruiners.