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Fallout: New Vegas
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Fallout: New Vegas is the fourth installment in the long-running Fallout series. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic Nevada, roughly four years after (but not influenced by) the events of the previous title, Fallout 3. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment (Alpha Protocol) and published by Bethesda in 2010. The game is available for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Ron Perlman, Danny Trejo, Kris Kristofferson, and Matthew Perry can be found among the voice actors of the game.
The game follows the story of Courier 6, who is ambushed while carrying a mysterious package bound for New Vegas at the behest of Mr. House, the reclusive ruler of the city. Shot in the head, Courier 6 survives and soon finds themself wrapped up in the oncoming battle between the New California Republic and a band of slavers from Arizona and Colorado known as Caesar's Legion.
A host of DLC were released for the game, which were then collected into the Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition. The first, "Dead Money," revolves around a long-planned casino heist in the Sierra Madre, a famous casino locked since the Great War. "Honest Hearts" takes place in the post-War Zion National Park and, among other things, adds a new caliber to the game, .45 ACP. "Old World Blues" takes place at the scientific research facility Big Mountain or the Big MT. The final DLC, "Lonesome Road," adds backstory for the main character, Courier 6, as well as taking place in the ruins of various military installations in the towns of Hopeville and Ashton. An optional pack, "Gun Runners' Arsenal," adds a host of weapons to the Gun Runners, a vendor located outside New Vegas proper.
Fallout: New Vegas has a very in-depth ammunition system. The player can reload ammo, and there are many variants of each ammunition type. For a list, see the discussion page.
(*) is a DLC only indicator.
The following weapons are seen in the video game Fallout: New Vegas:
Handguns
As an interesting note for the three "hammered" handguns (the Hi-Power and the two Colts): upon drawing the weapon, they will have an uncocked hammer. The first trigger pull is therefore technically in double-action mode; afterward, each subsequent shot the entire time the handgun is equipped is in single-action. While this is not correct for any of the three single-action handguns, it's still a nice touch.
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power appears as "9mm Pistol," manufactured in-game by M&A Gun Manufacturers. It can be modified with an extended magazine and a scope. The 9mm is by far one of the most common weapons in the Mojave, and seems to have been adopted by the NCR as their standard sidearm. The 9mm appears almost everywhere and is even given to you by Doc Mitchell at Goodsprings at the game's beginning. The standard Hi-Power is seen in the hands of series mascots Vault Boy and Vault Girl in various perk icons, and is used by Vault Boy on the achievement icon for the quest "You'll Know it When It Happens." It also appears in NCR propaganda posters. The Hi-Power is a very adequate firearm, with mediocre damage that benefits from how common 9mm ammo is, but still leads to it getting replaced quickly for better sidearms.
A unique version called "Maria", decorated with pearl grips (painted with Our Lady of Guadalupe) and nickel-plated with heavy damascene engraving, is carried by Benny (voiced by Matthew Perry), which he uses to execute the player in the opening FMV. The player can then return the favor upon confronting Benny at his casino, The Tops, earning the challenge "Talk About Owned," provided they chose to kill Benny before the completion of "Ring A-Ding Ding!". Besides being fashionable, Maria boasts a higher fire rate, damage per shot and accuracy over the normal 9mm pistol at a cost of not allowing mods to be attached.
Ruger Vaquero/Colt Single Action Army
The ".357 Magnum Revolver" appears to blend elements of both the Colt Single Action Army, various replicas and the Ruger Vaquero. The base gun has a 4.75" barrel, but can be modified with a 7.5" Cavalry barrel that increases the damage by +3, as well as an engraved cylinder which increases its condition by +50%. The .357 Magnum Revolver is a very common lower tier gun, used by everyone from Powder Gangers to NCR Patrol Rangers. Like the Vaquero, the cylinder can be moved without the hammer being half-cocked, uses a transfer bar instead of a firing pin, and the cylinder can rotate in either direction. However, it also shares physical similarities with the Colt, such as the three screws on the cylinder housing, where the Vaquero only has two, and lacks the base pin that is present on both Colt SAA's and Vaqueros, but is absent on several replica SAA's.
The .357 is one of the first guns you get besides the 9mm and the Varmint Rifle, and does very reliable damage until heavier armor gets involved.
A unique version called "Lucky" can be found in the Bison Steve casino in a safe in Primm, with a club symbol on ivory grips and an engraved black-and-gold finish. "Lucky" is a notable weapon, as it has the fastest rate of fire of all the in-game pistols. Lucky serves as a high-level eater of .357 Magnum ammo, with its fast ROF and damage muted only by it's 6-round capacity.
Smith & Wesson Model 29
The Smith & Wesson Model 29 returns from Fallout 3, now simply referred to as the ".44 Magnum Revolver". The .44 is a relatively common piece to find at higher levels, carried by some Legionaries, Gomorrah lieutenant Cachino, some Fiends, Old Ben in Freeside, and Raul Tejada (Danny Trejo), former vaquero and vagrant handyman, carries one as his signature weapon. The .44 Magnum is as powerful as it was in Fallout 3 and can be used more freely now that it lacks the scope. The scope is still available as a modification, plus a "heavy frame" that gives the gun a matte finish and bright S&W rosewood grips.
The unique version of the Model 29 is known as the "Mysterious Magnum" and features a nickel-plated finish with engravings, a mother of pearl grip, and a mysterious tune that plays whenever the pistol is drawn or holstered. The Mysterious Magnum can be obtained by talking to the Lonesome Drifter, who can be found by a Sunset Sarsaparilla billboard near the El Dorado Dry Lake. The Mysterious Magnum is also used by the Mysterious Stranger. The Mysterious Magnum is one of the more fun weapons to use; besides the obvious Mysterious Stranger noises it makes when drawn or holstered, it boosts the crit chance of the standard weapon and makes it a very useful and amusing tool for dealing in .44 caliber justice.
12.7mm Pistol
Based on the SIG-Sauer 14mm Pistol from Fallout and Fallout 2 except chambered for the fictional 12.7mm intermediate round (essentially the .50 BMG cartridge with shortened projectile and case length), allowing the magazine to be inserted in the grip instead of being housed in front of the trigger like the original 14mm. The 12.7mm Pistol is as rare as its ammo, such as in Bloodborne Cave and carried by NCR troops at Hoover Dam as well as NCR Ranger Presidential Guards. While it needs high Strength and Guns skill to use, the 12.7mm's power is one to be reckoned with, piercing flesh and armor alike with ease and making it a solid choice for a high-level sidearm.
A unique variant was added with the Gun Runners' Arsenal DLC, named "Lil' Devil". This unique variant has a shorter barrel and synthetic black grips, as well as a dark matte finish. Lil' Devil, besides being an adorable name for a sidearm, is better than the standard 12.7mm in almost every way, from damage to the fact it can be snuck into Strip casinos. However, it can't be modified with standard 12.7mm pistol mods, so get used to the loud firing sound.
N99 10mm Pistol
The 10mm Pistol returns from Fallout 3 and is loosely based on a Magnum Research Desert Eagle. The 10mm is very common, sold and carried by many merchants, Vault 19 Powder Gangers, and many members of the Kings. Unlike the Browning and two Colt pistols, it seems to operate entirely in double action and can be modified with a laser sight, suppressor, and extended magazine. The 10mm is a rather good weapon, beating out the 9mm in damage and DPS but falling short when the magnum revolvers come into play.
LAPD 2019 'Blaster'
The pistol from Blade Runner makes a return to the Fallout series. Called the "That Gun" in-game, in reference to "That Gun from Fallout 1 and 2", the .223 Pistol. Like its predecessor, it chambers 5.56x45mm NATO and can also chamber .223, which wears out the gun slower, though at the cost of some damage. The Gun Runners' Arsenal DLC adds a non-unique variant of this weapon, called the "5.56mm Pistol". "That Gun" can be purchased from Cliff Briscoe in Novac or stolen from the back room. The 5.56mm Pistol is more than just old Fallout nostalgia, but a rather good weapon. While it has no modifications available unlike most of the handguns, it can chamber the several 5.56mm variants, such as armor-piercing or hollow-point ammo.
Amusingly, the handgun is useable to complete two movie-related challenges (non-achievement-based tasks outside the main game). "Benefit or a Hazard" refers to the film the gun originated in, Blade Runner, and requires the Courier (fittingly) kill robots with the pistol, while "Dyin' Ain't Much of a Livin'" (a reference to Clint Eastwood's line to a bounty hunter in The Outlaw Josey Wales) requires the Courier kill members of enemy faction hit squads with "Cowboy" themed weapons.
Ruger 22/45
The Ruger 22/45 appears as the "Silenced .22 Pistol". The Silenced .22 is suppressed and will not alert enemies (who have not been shot) of your presence. It will not dismember on hit and does less damage to limbs. Also, it is one of the two guns player can bring into casinos, the other being a Hi-Power, if the player's sneak skill is not high enough to bring in larger weapons. The .22 Pistol is very common, being found in Camp McCarran, the Vikki and Vance Casino, as well as being sold by Mr. Holdout on the Strip. As stated before, the .22 Pistol comes suppressed off the bat and can be snuck into casinos, but its measly damage makes it useless in real combat. Interestingly enough, the real-life Ruger factory is located in Arizona (not too far from where the events of the game take place).
Colt New Service*
The Colt New Service appears in the first New Vegas DLC, Dead Money, as the "Police Pistol". It uses .357 Magnum rounds. It is fired exclusively in single action, despite the New Service being a double-action revolver. The inclusion of this pistol is a reference to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which was a major influence for the DLC alongside the Japanese suspense film Battle Royale. The weapon is extremely useful in "Dead Money" due to its very high critical hit ratio; it is incredibly useful for killing unconscious Ghosts, the zombie-like residents of the Sierra Madre. The Colt New Service can be found at the Sierra Madre in various containers, as well as in Dean Domino's Secret Stashes.
Magnum Research BFR
The Hunting Revolver is the Magnum Research BFR ("Big Frame Revolver," or sometimes "Biggest, Finest Revolver"), chambered in .45-70 Govt'. With the addition of the Gun Runners' Arsenal DLC, it adds a DLC variant which can accept modifications; this includes a 6-shot cylinder and a match barrel, decreasing weapon spread. The Hunting Revolver can be found in a variety of places, carried by the mercenary Orris in Freeside, at the campfire in Bloodborne Cave, and tucked away in the REPCONN Test Site. The Fallout version takes a few liberties, making the BFR a double action revolver that feeds through a swing-out cylinder, over the real-steel which is a single action only revolver that feeds from a loading gate. The Hunting Revolver is a solid way to use up .45-70 early in the game, with solid damage in accuracy that is only tempered by the wonky scope view.
The Ranger Sequoia is a unique version given to NCR Rangers, with a black finish, gold engraving, the NCR bear and Ranger symbol on the wood grip, a brass plate reading "20 Years" on the underside, and "For Honorable Service" and "Against All Tyrants" engraved on the different sides of the barrel. The Ranger Sequoia is much rarer, found on some NCR Veteran Rangers as well as their commander, Chief Hanlon (Kris Kristofferson); his can be acquired during the quest "Return to Sender," depending on its resolution. The Ranger Sequoia is one of the game's most powerful weapons, and with good reason. Firing .45-70 and without a scope, this allows the Sequoia to be used more freely than its normal counterpart, making it a very potent high-level sidearm if one can keep up their supply of .45-70.
Colt M1911A1*
The Honest Hearts DLC introduces the M1911A1 as the ".45 Auto Pistol." Joshua Graham describes the gun as "designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago," referring to fellow LDS follower John Moses Browning. The Dead Horses, and most tribes in Zion, make extensive use of this weapon. After beating the main questline of Honest Hearts, .45 Auto (and the weapons which fire them) are carried by the Gun Runners outside New Vegas; the weapons themselves are never used by NPCs outside the Park, however. The .45 Auto Pistol can take two upgrades: the HD Slide improves the weapon's durability, while the suppressor eliminates the gun's report. After these upgrades, the pistol resembles a Colt XSE. At one point, the in-game iron sights where going to be an upgrade, with the gun having default, more traditional M1911 sights; this ended up being cut, and these sights are permanent on the default weapon in the final game. It correctly holds 7 rounds. The M1911A1 is a powerful weapon, with damage output on par with the 12.7mm Pistol, though during your trip in Zion, ammo may be hard to come by.
Colt New Agent*
Joshua Graham from the "Honest Hearts" DLC carries a unique .45 Auto pistol, a Colt New Agent with a snakeskin-pattern grip and Greek script engraved into the slide. The script (καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει on the right side and και η σκοτια αυτο ου κατελαβεν on the left side) is a quote from the Bible (John 1:5) "And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not," whence the weapon's name "A Light Shining in Darkness" is derived. In keeping with this name, the slide glows in the dark, making it easier to use in poorly lit caves and ruins. A Light Shining in Darkness holds 6 rounds of .45 Auto in its magazine. As stated before, A Light Shining in Darkness is a rather solid handgun stat-wise, and while it doesn't come with any night sights, the glowing slide is good enough.
Brescia Model 00*
The "Lonesome Road" DLC adds a modified Brescia Model 00, appearing simply as the "Flare Gun". Many marked men have it (and, in some cases, are scripted to fire it into the air, presumably signaling for help), and some emergency kits do as well. As an in-game weapon, it cannot be used for any sort of signaling, but can be used to do damage to (and ignite) enemies from a distance- provided, that is, that the player can compensate for the arc-type trajectory of the flares. However, its main advantage is its ability to frighten away abominations- even the mighty deathclaw is terrified by flares. Bizarrely, while the animations suggest that the weapon fires ordinary flares, it actually consumes 10 units of flamethrower fuel per shot. The flare gun is also an improved holdout weapon, in case anybody had some strange desire to shoot people inside a casino with a flare gun.
Submachine Guns
10mm SMG (Heckler & Koch SMG-2)
The 10mm SMG from Fallout 3 is found on many mid-level humanoid mobs such as Jackal gang members and members of the Kings. It can also be found as level-adjusted loot in gun lockers once you're at a high enough level. It bears a distinct resemblance to the Prototype from the Defunct H&K SMG Programme, though the pistol grip and trigger guard are that of the Thompson line of submachine guns.
Although the in-game description for the 10mm SMG lists a high DPS, it shares the common weakness of most shotguns and automatic weapons in Fallout: New Vegas in that much of its theoretical power is negated by the new Damage Threshold system. In addition to losing much of its damage, the high spread of this weapon requires you to be at close ranges for all of the rounds fired to impact on the target. Keeping these limitations in mind, it can be highly effective in certain situations. It can be an ideal sneak-attack weapon if you have a high enough Sneak skill to get into point-blank range. Coupled with the Run 'n Gun perk, you can "kite" melee enemies by backing away just out of their reach. Against ranged attackers, you can fire a shot, duck around a corner or behind cover, then ambush them at point-blank range as they run up to you.
The Gun Runners' DLC adds a unique variant known as "Sleepytyme", which has an integral suppressor and greater damage and rate of fire. It is also a holdout weapon that can be carried into casinos and is the ONLY automatic holdout weapon available. Sleepytyme is one of the rarer SMGs that allows to be suppressed and snuck into casinos make it a solid SMG.
M3 "Grease Gun"
An M3 Grease Gun appears in the game, scaled down so it can be held one-handed, and rechambered for 9x19mm (such conversion kits did, indeed, exist for the M3). Called the "9mm Submachine Gun" in-game. It can be modified with an SMG Drum that increases the capacity by 30 rounds and a Light Bolt that increases the rate of fire. The 9mm SMG is fairly common, with one in Doc Mitchell's house waiting for repairs just at the start of the game. The 9mm SMG is a very good starter to the world of fully automatic pistol-caliber carnage. Its standard 30-round magazine and easy-to-find 9mm ammo make it one of the better starter weapons, but it loses its effectiveness once armor gets involved.
When you arrive at the Vikki and Vance Casino in Primm, you will find that Vance's famous SMG is missing. If one goes to the Wins Hideout near Westside, the unique version of the "9mm SMG" can be acquired and either returned or kept for one's self. "Vance's 9mm submachine gun" comes with a pristine black finish, wood or bakelite grips, no stock, express-type sights, and a drum magazine. It serves as New Vegas's SMG bullet hose, with 60 rounds of 9mm to spare, that allows anything to be killed up to a Deathclaw.
In the Lonesome Road DLC, the Courier can use the "H&H Tools nail gun" as a weapon. The nail gun bears a striking resemblance to the M3, featuring a very similar profile and layout, even having the M3's crank lever and the ejection port having been replaced by a safety switch. The Nail Gun's a rather amusing and powerful weapon in the right hands, doing double damage to limbs if one can keep a nice stockpile of nails.
American-180
The American-180 appears in-game as the "Silenced .22 SMG". It is a .22-caliber SMG with a pan magazine and integral suppressor, but the stock is removed. The Silenced .22 SMG can be upgraded with a larger drum magazine that increases capacity by 60 rounds. It can be found on Fiend raiders in Vault 3 and Gomorrah Bank Guards. Its high rate of fire and rather large magazine capacity make the gun somewhat useful against lightly armored foes, but the overall weakness of .22 render it moot when even slightly heavy armor gets into the fray.
Thompson Sub-Machine Guns
Two variants of the Thompson SMG series appear in game, one as an energy weapon, the other as a conventional slug-thrower.
M1928 Thompson
An M1928 Thompson modified to be an energy weapon appears as the "Laser RCW". It also resembles the Tommy Gun-esque laser guns from the TV show Futurama, as evidenced by the three glowing green rings at the end of the barrel. It holds 60 Electron Charge Packs in a drum and can be modified with a Recycler attachment, which replenishes 1 shot per 4 fired. In addition, on the rear portion of the receiver, it has a rail-top carry handle based on the H&K G36C's. The RCW is a fairly common energy weapon, used by Fiends, Brotherhood of Steel scribes, and members of the Bright Brotherhood. The RCW is a rather decent energy weapon, beating out the pistol-based weapons but falling short in the long run due to its overall low damage.
Thompson M1A1*
The M1A1 Thompson appears as the .45 Auto Submachine Gun, introduced in the "Honest Hearts" DLC. It can be modified with a new magazine well to accept the M1921/M1928 50-round drum magazines, as well as a Cutts compensator to reduce spread under sustained fire. The weapon is used heavily by the White Legs tribe, who call them "storm drums," and is stocked by a variety of traders in the Mojave following the completion of the DLC's campaign. The .45 Auto SMG is a powerful SMG on par with the 12.7mm SMG, with a high rate of fire combined with powerful round tempered by rather bad inaccuracy.
Rifles
Colt Model 733
The Colt Model 733 appears as "Assault Carbine" with a 24-round magazine and a very high rate of fire. It can be upgraded to hold 30 rounds. With the addition of the Gun Runners Arsenal DLC, the Assault Carbine features additional modifications such as a Forged Receiver which increases the weapons durability and a light bolt which increases rate of fire. The Assault Carbine can be found in any former military installation in the Mojave such as Vault 34 as well as the Nellis Air Force Base. Possible Companion Lily Bowen's personal Assault Carbine is fitted with a suppressor, which is not available as a mod for either of the 2 playable Assault Carbine variants. The Assault Carbine is similar to the Light Machinegun as both serve as rifle alternatives to the miniguns. The Carbine boasts a high rate of fire and same 5mm caliber, allowing for very good damage against armor that's hindered by the small magazines.
Colt Model 933
There are 2 variants of this rifle in the game, but basically they both look like the Colt Model 933 with a SIR railed foregrip and a Magpul PRS stock. They both have a low-power ACOG-style scope. The unique variant is painted with woodland camouflage. The standard variant is called the Marksman Carbine and the unique is called the All American. Like the Service Rifle, both these rifles lack the charging handle on the rear, which is a knob located directly on the bolt on the right side where the brass ejects instead. The Marksmen Carbine is a common weapon, and most military facilities contain a couple. The Marksman Carbine is a powerful weapon, dealing very accurate shots to most targets and allowing for immediate follow up shots, but is restricted by its caliber.
The All American is found only in the armory at the bottom of the irradiated-, ghoul-infested Vault 34 located east of New Vegas. It has a woodland camo finish, a 24-round magazine, and the 82nd Airborne division badge on the magazine well. The All American is one of New Vegas's best scoped weapons, dealing accurate shots with high damage without eating through hard to find ammunition.
Colt M16A1
The M16A1 appears in the game, called the "Service Rifle" in-game. It is chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO and is semi-auto only. It features wood furniture instead of the nylon-plastic furniture typical of real M16s (Fallout's Earth ran out of petroleum before the nuclear war). The upper receiver has a forward assist and a case deflector. Like all of the other M16 derivatives in this game, the Service Rifle's charging handle is located on the right side of the receiver, attached directly to the bolt in the ejector port. While rarely seen due to the weapon's high durability and common replacement parts, the jam animation involves one of the few instances of the forward assist actually being used in fiction. It can be modified with a forged receiver that increases its durability and upgraded springs that increase its fire rate. An aperture sight and bayonet are included in the files, but not implemented. As the name suggests, the Service Rifle is standard issue to the NCR Military and can be found wherever NCR Army troops are or were stationed. While not mentioned in-game, developers have confirmed the semi-auto only nature was a decision of NCR bureaucracy to lower ammo use, similar to the adoption of 3 shot burst fire in the real world. The Service Rifle is a better rifle in comparison to the Varmint Rifle as it loads more ammo per magazine and deals more damage, but gets outclassed quickly by other rifles like the Assault Carbine.
A unique Service Rifle called the Survivalist's Rifle appears in the Honest Hearts DLC. It was the weapon of a US Army serviceman who fled to Zion Canyon after the Great War. In-game lore describes the weapon as a "U.S. Checkpoint Guard Carbine built around the 12.7mm caliber, to offer guards firepower necessary to intercept anyone attempting to breach a checkpoint, regardless of equipment." It is based on the AR-15 .50 Beowulf upper receiver tested for US serviceman to stop vehicles at checkpoints. It features a blocky heat shield somewhat reminiscent of the M16 LSW/LMG, but has numerous makeshift repairs along the body work and a damaged front sight. The words Stop and Arrêt! are scrawled onto the stock of the weapon, a stamp on the receiver reads "PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVT CHKPNT CARBINE 12.7MM CAL," and a stamp above the trigger reads "LONG BRANCH ARSENAL ONTARIO, USA TERRITORY." The Survivalist's Rifle can be found on top of the Red Gate, next to the remains of the Survivalist himself. The Survivalist's Rifle lives up to it's name. The accuracy of the standard Service Rifle combined with the power of the 12.7mm Round are a lethal combination for any target, only capped by the damaged front sight making aiming a bit difficult.
PGM 'Hecate II'
The PGM 'Hecate II' appears in Fallout: New Vegas as the .50 caliber "Anti-Materiel Rifle". A variant added through the Gun Runners' Arsenal DLC gives it the capability to mount modifications such as a Carbon Fibre body, which decreases weight, a custom bolt increasing rate of fire, and a suppressor which doesn't actually suppress gun noise but merely lowers and muffles the gun's extremely loud report to a more comfortable level. The Hecate appears very late in the game, sold by the Gun Runners or Knight Torres of the Brotherhood of Steel and only seen on Veteran Rangers, a few Legion troops and various DLC enemies. The Hecate is a weapon intended for long-range shooting, easily able to pick through highly armored enemies, including deathclaws, and is capped by its slow rechambering speed, rarity of .50 BMG and a strength of 8 being required to even shoot it properly.
"Varmint Rifle"
Bolt action rifle chambered in 5.56; holds 5 rounds; along with the Browning Hi-Power, it is probably the first weapon acquired by the player, as a free one is received from Sunny Smiles during "Back in the Saddle." It can be upgraded with 8-round extended magazines, a night vision scope and a suppressor. Originally, the Varmint Rifle was intended to be another .22LR weapon, but that was so unpopular during play testing that Obsidian changed it to use 5.56, but the original chambering is still shown with the magazine texture and a few NPC's still carrying .22 with this rifle. The Varmint is a good starter rifle, boasting some decent DPS and accuracy, but after armor and such get pulled into the picture, it would be a good idea to replace the Varmint Rifle with a more powerful weapon.
There is a unique variant called the "Ratslayer" which features all the Varmint's upgrades along with a black polymer stock featuring a stylized mole rat skull and 69 (heh) tally marks on the rear right. The Varmint Rifle is very common early in the game and is given to you for free by Sunny Smiles during the non-optional quest "Back in the Saddle." The unique "Ratslayer" rifle can be found in Broc Flower Cave. The Ratslayer is a useful little rifle for animals, but its low damage makes it pretty hard to use effectively on human targets.
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand was supposed to appear in Fallout: New Vegas as the "Battle Rifle", but withheld from the final product. However, its unique variant was left in, called This Machine. The Gun Runners' Arsenal DLC released in September of 2011 re-added the non-unique variant into the standard game. The rifle has been rechambered to fire .308 Winchester / 7.62x51mm NATO, as was done in the 1950's to many Garands in service with the US Navy. The Battle Rifle can only be obtained from the Gun Runners, the 188 Arms Merchant or Mick of Mick & Ralphs. With a high rate of fire and a powerful cartridge, the Battle Rifle is a useful mid range weapon, but suffers from high spread at long range.
The unique version is also the only version of the Battle Rifle that people who don't own the Gun Runner's Arsenal DLC can acquire. Named "This Machine" (a reference to Woodie Guthrie's famous guitar sticker, which read "This Machine Kills Fascists"; seemingly as a response, the in-game weapon's stock is marked "Well This Machine Kills Commies"), getting it is a bit convoluted, either you do a unmarked quest given to you by Sgt. Contreras at Camp McCarren, and then get the ability to buy it from him. Or you can download the weapon manifest in his room and give it to Lt. Carrie Boyd and get the rifle for free. This Machine is one of New Vegas's most useful weapons, with high damage and crit chance only tempered by the rifle's piddly accuracy at long range.
Winchester 1886
The Winchester 1886 appears as the Cowboy Repeater in the game. The rifle takes .357 Magnum ammunition and is common mid-game. The Cowboy Repeater effectively serves as the replacement for the Varmint Rifle, and is accurate and a reliable killer of animals and raiders, but any armor tends to make it less useful.
There is a special variant called La Longue Carabine (a reference to The Last of the Mohicans) fitted with a scope, an engraved stock, and an Octagon Barrel. It reloads like the Henry 1860 in Fallout 3 (which is done by opening the muzzle-end of the mag tube and then inserting rounds in), as the La Longue's model lacks the 1886's loading port on the receiver. La Longue Carabine is found on Corporal Sterling of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion that are stationed at Camp McCarran. La Longue Carabine is a very interesting weapon, adding a scope to the Cowboy Repeater equation. Its accuracy and DPS make it a good weapon, but the weakness of .357 Magnum make it useful only on lightly armored opponents.
Marlin Model 336
The Marlin Model 336 appears in game as the "Trail Carbine", and fires .44 Magnum. It can be found in places such as Bonnie Springs or Red Rock Canyon. The Trail Carbine is a straight upgrade over the Cowboy Repeater, boasting a damage boost plus the ability to use a scope, but still pales in comparison to the powerhouse that is the Brush Gun
Hunting Rifle
The Hunting Rifle makes a comeback in Fallout: New Vegas, but the rifle now has proper iron sights and chambers .308 Winchester. Most likely based off the Winchester Model 70. It can be modified with high-cap 10 round magazines, a Custom Action that reduces the re-chambering delay, and a high-power scope for those long-range shots. The Hunting Rifle is one of the higher-level rifles and serves as a sniping tool sitting between Varmint and Sniper rifles. It's precise, reliable and good at dealing with anything short of a BoS Paladin or a Deathclaw.
A unique variant added through the Gun Runner's Arsenal DLC is called the "Paciencia" (Spanish for Patience), boasting has extra damage and reliability, but aptly-named due to a reduced magazine capacity of 3 rounds, making patience a virtue, and each missed shot even more punishing than with the regular rifle. It is also much different than the normal version as it isn't as beaten up as the normal version, it also has a Mexican flag wrapped around the stock as a makeshift cheek rest and a gold bead sight. Paciencia's a interesting rifle, dealing more damage than it's standard counterpart and boasting a zoom level on par with the Sniper Rifle, but is tempered by it's 3 round magazine capacity.
Another unique variant is carried by former 1st Recon sniper Craig Boone. Called simply "Boone's Hunting Rifle" it has the distinction of being the only companion weapon in the game to feature a valid attachment, a scope. Depending on how the player completes Boone's quest "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," Mister New Vegas, the DJ who runs Radio New Vegas, will describe the rifle as "a .308 flaming sword of Justice with a telescopic sight."
Brush Gun
The rifle of the New California Republic (NCR) veteran ranger, as well as Legion Assassins, the Brush Gun is a lever action rifle firing .45-70 Gov't ammunition. According to the 3D modeler at Bethesda, "The Brush Gun is not based on one gun specifically, but guns like the Winchester Model 1886 and Marlin Guide Gun," alhough it appears to also be based on the Marlin Model 1895. Its forged receiver modification, however, does resemble the receiver of a Model 1886. The Brush Gun is the king of the rifle class of weapons, dealing a ton of pain to anything on the receiving end and with very good accuracy as well. While .45-70 is fairly uncommon in the wastes, the fact both sides in the war carry it should be a good sign.
The Gun Runner's Arsenal DLC adds a unique variant known as the "Medicine Stick", which is superior to the regular Brush Gun in nearly every aspect, and features a much less intrusive ghost ring sight and has a stainless steel or nickel finish on the reciever. It also has a dream catcher on its stock. Namesake aside, the Medicine Stick is one of the best guns out of the Gun Runner's Arsenal, managing to make the Brush Gun better in every way except magazine capacity, and is one of the best ways to remove bad spirits in the Mojave.
Gauss Rifle
The game's only real energy-based "sniper rifle", the Gauss Rifle is found on BoS Paladins, Y-17 Trauma Override Harnesses in Old World Blues, and Father Elijah in Dead Money, and can be bought from Knight Torres (provided the appropriate quests have been completed) and the Silver Rush. The weapon uses microfusion cells, of which it holds 5, and consumes 5 per shot, essentially making it a single-shot rifle. Bizarrely, while the weapon still does behave as a coilgun logically should, propelling ferromagnetic projectiles with electromagnetism, these projectiles (presumably contained in the weapon's side-mounted box magazine) are never replenished, and never run out. The name is also technically incorrect; a rifle, by definition, must have a rifled barrel, while a coilgun/Gauss gun, by the nature of the device, cannot have one. While fictional, the Gauss Rifle is rather clearly inspired by the Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle, particularly in the receiver area; it even retains the L-39's crank-type cocking handle. The Gauss Rifle is the sniper rifle option for characters spec'd into Energy Weapons, with very high damage that will cause hilarious overkill on anything short of Deathclaws, but is restricted by its single shot nature and its overall rarity.
There are 2 unique variants of the Gauss Rifle in-game. The first, the YCS/186, is found on a mercenary in a camp east of Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch (unless the trait Wild Wasteland is selected, in which case there will be aliens there instead). When compared to the standard Gauss Rifle, the YCS/186 deals more damage, is more accurate, has greater durability, and consumes only 4 MFCs per shot, but weighs one pound more (8 instead of 7). The YCS/186, old school internet reference aside, is a perfect upgrade to the Gauss Rifle, with even higher damage and accuracy that is only capped by the slightly heavier weight.
The second unique variant, the Faderator, is visually identical to the standard variant, and was clearly intended as a development tool; it cannot be obtained in-game without cheats. It, among other things, holds far more ammunition (and, due to the cell breeder effect, never actually runs out), fires full-auto, fires 3 projectiles per shot, and has a resultant DPS (damage per second) of 20,160. Balanced? No. Hilarious? Yes.
Machine Guns
FN Minimi
What appears simply as "Light Machine Gun" in the game, seems to be an FN Minimi with a wooden M60 style hand guard and wooden pistol grip. It seems it has some kind of magazine instead of an side-inserted belt. It can be modified with a Light MG expanded drum that increases capacity from 90 rounds to 200 rounds. Fires the standard 5.56 in the game. It can be found either on NCR Heavy Troops at Hoover Dam, or in the deathclaw filled Quarry Junction. The Light Machine Gun is a powerful weapon for someone sitting on a bounty of 5.56, giving you a large magazine and a controllable rate of fire to allow you to be Post-Apocalyptic Rambo.
The Gun Runners Arsenal DLC adds a unique variant known as the Bozar, previously seen in Fallout 2. The rifle, described as the "ultimate refinement of the sniper's art", has a light stainless or nickel finish, a scope, a lengthened barrel, a unique solid stock, and a 30 round magazine; it, along with the 5.56mm Pistol, are used in the challenge "Vault 13's Revenge." The Bozar is a rather interesting weapon, being a fully automatic sniper rifle it can reach out and touch enemies from afar, so long as you want to hit them with more than one shot.
M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle*
The M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle, modified with a pistol grip more commonly seen on the BAR's European variants, appears in the first DLC for New Vegas, Dead Money as the "Automatic Rifle", firing .308 rounds. The "Automatic Rifle" comes with one modification, "upgraded internals" that boost it's rate of fire. The Automatic Rifle can be found in the Sierra Madre in a multitude of places, from the Villa Police Station's contraband store room to one of Dean Domino's Secret Stashes. The Automatic Rifle is a powerful weapon, while chewing through .308 and feeding from small magazines, its high damage makes it a powerful weapon in and out of the Sierra Madre.
Shotguns
Remington 870 Wingmaster
The Remington 870 Wingmaster (with the magazine tube cap of a Winchester) appears as the "Hunting Shotgun". It starts off with a capacity of 5 shots, but it is possible to upgrade the capacity to 8 with an upgrade. The shotgun can also be upgraded with a shotgun choke that decreases the spread of each shot. The Hunting Shotgun is a useful shotgun as it allows a much more accurate use of 12 gauge over the more spray and pray Riot Shotgun, making it incredibly useful for Magnum and Slug shells.
The unique version, the Dinner Bell, has synthetic camo furniture and is the most accurate scattergun-style weapon in the game. Dinner Bell is a reward for the quest "Bleed Me Dry," given by Red Lucy, who runs The Thorn. Dinner Bell serves as the game's most accurate scattergun, and is useful for hitting angry raiders with Slug shells at ranges past any other shotguns.
Over-and-Under Shotgun
A 20-Gauge double-barrel shotgun called the "Caravan Shotgun" appears in game; those who pre-ordered the 'Caravan Pack' version of New Vegas could get a 'Sturdy' Caravan Shotgun which is more resistant to wear-and-tear, with duct tape around the stock and a crack in the forend. The gun itself appears to be an 'over-and-under' style; visually, it bears resemblance to a Winchester Model 101 and Otto Seelig brand Over/Unders. The "Caravan Shotgun" is commonly found on, fittingly, Crimson Caravan guards. The Caravan Shotgun is a decent weapon, being a direct upgrade over the Single Shotgun but still kept back by the weaker 20 gauge chambering.
Hawk Semi-Auto Tactical
A drum-magazine fed semi-automatic shotgun based on the Hawk Semi-Auto Tactical, sans the "tactical" features and with a wooden pistol-grip and handguard, appears as the "Riot Shotgun". A rare find in the Mojave, usually being found on specific troops at Hoover Dam, or on Gomorrah Bank Guards. A powerful weapon in the right circumstances, the Riot Shotgun spits shells at a faster rate than any other shotgun, enough to stun lock even the toughest opponents with the And Stay Back perk, but requires a hefty surplus of 12 gauge to kept fed.
Winchester 1887
This Winchester 1887 differs from the real life model and it's fed with 20-gauge shells instead of 12 or 10-gauge shells. The animation for ejecting shells are poorly done that it appears to be coming from the gun itself and not really the bottom. The "Lever-Action Shotgun", as it is called in game, can be found in certain locations, like Durable Dunn's sacked caravan, the back room of the Big Horn Saloon in Boulder City and on Crimson Caravan, Great Khans and Fiend NPCs. While it has more rounds and a higher rate of fire than its other 20 gauge brethren, the same caliber caps off the usefulness of the shotgun as well, making it usable against smaller and less armored foes, but loses out against medium armor.
New England Pardner
The New England Firearms Pardner appears in the game as the "Single Shotgun". The Single Shotgun is used by members of the Powder Gangers and lower level enemies. One such shotgun can be found in one of the houses in Goodsprings. The Single Shotgun is a good starter shotgun, with very good accuracy at a cost of its lack of real damage to anything wearing armor.
Occasionally, the Courier will encounter Single Shotguns rigged up as tripwire-based traps, commonly set at doorways. Bizarrely, when a rigged shotgun is disarmed, it will remove the shotgun from the trap (unlike other traps, this can be done even after the trap has been activated- provided, that is, that the player character has a Repair skill of at least 45), and will grant the Courier a 20 gauge shell; it will not, however, give them the shotgun itself, despite removing it from the trap, which begs the question of where it actually goes when this happens.
Launchers
M79 Grenade Launcher
The M79 Grenade Launcher is called the "Grenade Rifle." The Grenade Rifle can be found in one of the houses at Nipton, various Fiends and Vipers as well as Oscar Velasco and sold by many different vendors. The Grenade Rifle is the first launcher you get your hands on, and is an admirable weapon for annoying your enemies from afar, but loses effectiveness due to the single-shot nature.
The M79 has the distinction of having the most unique variants of any weapon in the game. The first, called the "Mercenary Grenade Rifle" is available as a pre-order bonus, and features a unique, longer barrel; this is given to the player as soon as they wake up inside Doc Mitchell's house in Goodsprings, suggesting it was originally the Courier's. Regular version can be upgraded with a longer barrel for longer range.There is also another special variant called "Thump-Thump" found in Nellis Array next to a skeleton on the bottom floor, with a drawing of an angry beaver holding a rifle on the stock and the long barrel modification built in. Thump-Thump is more than a basic upgrade, coming with increased attack speed and durability, half the weight and a fun attribute making any grenade launched from it go twice as fast, for instant gratification.
Lonesome Road adds the Red Victory, with a stock painted to resemble the Chinese flag, and the Great Bear grenade rifle, which has a blue grip and forend and a white Army star on the grip. The Great Bear and Red Victory variants can only be obtained following the completion of the Lonesome Road campaign and depends on your actions at the end of the quest. The Red Victory is a useful version over the base Grenade Rifle, with a higher rate of fire, lower weight, is more durable and costs less points to use in VATS. The Great Bear is a fitting opposite, being slightly heavier, but coming with a massive boost in durability plus doing more damage initially, making it more powerful than any other version of the Grenade Rifle.
China Lake Launcher
The China Lake Launcher is called the "Grenade Launcher" ingame. It uses standard 40mm shells, and can be bought at Gun Runners, the 188 Trading Post arms dealer, the armory of Vault 34 and found on most Boomers at higher levels. The model is slightly mis-shapen over the real steel, with a much lower stock in comparison to the real weapon. While it initially seems like an upgrade over the Grenade Rifle, the Grenade Launcher is a fiddly beast. While it allows quicker rounds on tap, the slow pump animation and reload speed hamper its effectiveness.
A modified one called the "Holorifle" appears in the Dead Money DLC, with a futuristic short-range scope and various electronic pieces to convert the weapon to a microfusion cell-based energy weapon, firing some kind of odd hard light projectiles, and loading MFCs into the tube magazine and ejecting them after firing. The "Holorifle" is given to the player once they arrive at the Sierra Madre. The Holorifle is decent against the enemies that stalk the Madre, though MF cells are hard to find there.
Norinco QLZ-87
The "Grenade machinegun" is a large fully-automatic grenade launcher firing a fictional 25mm grenade and is comparable to the game's gatling guns and flamethrowers in size and layout, also utilizing an ammo storage carried on the user's back. The gun also carries a large amount of electronics , complete with a monitor at the top which seems to be feeding Bash script; as the "high-speed kit" modification which improves the rate of fire changes the colors of the electronics on the side, they might assist in feeding the weapon. The large muzzle brake, drum magazine, side-mounted handle and use of small-caliber grenades bears resemblance to the Norinco QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher, though unlike the QL, the barrel is reciprocating, implying recoil operation instead of the gas operation of the QLZ. Instead of the drum being replaced when reloading, the side of the drum opens up and the Courier inserts in a disc-shaped rack of grenades, which's spares are presumably carried in the backpack. The Grenade Machinegun is a fairly powerful weapon, boasting some very good damage that is doubled by its controllable rate of fire, but is limited by how rare 25mm is in the wasteland.
In Dead Wind Cavern, one can find an unique version of the weapon called "Mercy." Mercy fires the larger 40mm grenades, similar to the Mk 19 grenade launcher, giving it even more destructive potential with the cost of less ammo per magazine, and in Hardcore mode the ammo is quite heavy. Apparently a relic from the Old War, it has "Hei Gui Bye Bye" spraypainted on it's body (Hei Gui is the name of a group of Chinese commandos in the game) and is in extremely rusty state, though it still has two-and-a-half times the durability of a standard grenade machinegun. Mercy is an impressively powerful piece of kit, with higher damage over the standard version and can be used to hilarious effect on everything in the wasteland, so long as you're packing enough grenades.
Grenades
M84 Stun Grenade*
The M84 stun grenade is added in "Lonesome Road". Referred to as "Flash Bang". These come into use against some of the more mutated creatures in Lonesome Road like deathclaws and tunnelers.
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