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Fallout 76
 Work In Progress This article is still under construction. It may contain factual errors. See Talk:Fallout 76 for current discussions. Content is subject to change. |
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Fallout 76 is a 2018 role playing game and the 9th overall title in the Fallout game series, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout 76 is the first online Fallout title along with serving as Bethesda's first developed multiplayer game since 1997's An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire. It is a prequel to all previous games in the series and can be played in a first or third person perspective. Fallout 76 was released in November 2018, to much controversy.
Just like in previous titles, the plot centers on the player controller character leaving one of many fallout shelters built by Vault-Tec (this time, in Appalachia 25 years later) after a nuclear apocalypse from a result of conflicts between the United States and China.
Overview
A majority of Fallout 4's weapons and mechanics were reused for Fallout 76, with the latter including the ability to build weapons at workbenches and add various modifications to firearms such as alternative receivers, barrels, grips/stocks, sights and magazines by using various junk in the wasteland containing materials to craft the modifications. Crafting attachments and modifications for firearms usually requires nothing more than metallic components, oil and strangely, adhesive (which is apparently sourced from duct tape, glue and vegetable starch). Aside from requiring perks to craft modifications as was the case in Fallout 4, they can only be unlocked by the player after breaking down a copy of a firearm, learning their schematics or by redeeming a standalone modification piece.
As with Fallout 4, a weapon's name will reflect any non-standard attachments or mods it bears with it describing most of the accessories applied to it, such as a Hunting Rifle with both a compensator and "Marksman's" stock being displayed as "Marksman's Compensated Hunting Rifle".
The first firearms the player has access to in Fallout 76 are the "pipe guns" returning from Fallout 4, which are fictional improvised firearms visually made of metal and wood scrap. They start out as compact "pistol" variants with modifications such as stocks which reclass them as a rifle. The three pipe weapons available in-game are the "Pipe Revolver", "Pipe Bolt-Action" and the "Pipe Gun" (the autoloading counterpart), the latter of which can be either converted to full-auto or kept semi-automatic. Later on in player-progression, pipe weaponry is much less needed due to them only being viable as starter guns.
Until reaching level 50, a majority of weapons and armor pieces have a level limit. For example, a level 7 player may not use a level 15 item, but a level 47 may use level 45 gear.
Certain unique variants of weapons may be found in the game that possess a "Legendary" effect which is a special modifier that changes the statistics of the weapon and have three tiers, graded from 1 to 3 stars, with 3 star effects containing being less common. Since legendary modifiers are merely an RPG element, effects such as "Two Shot" (which turns a single fired bullet/grenade from a weapon into two projectiles) and "Quad" (a modifier that multiplies a weapon's ammo capacity by four) disregard the realism of the weapons they're applied to.
Item condition (which was previously absent from Fallout 4) returns in 76. Players will have to regularly maintain their weapons and armor so that they don't break. However, unlike Fallout 3 and New Vegas, weapon damage does not decrease nor do firearms jam when at poor condition. When firing weapons in first person view, no casings will eject from them (with the exception of some shotguns and rifles) but in third person, this is the opposite.
Unique variants of certain weapons can be obtained, mostly from quests or events. A majority of the game's unique weapons look exactly the same as their default variant and usually have pre-set legendary effects assigned to them. As such, not every unique weapon variant will be covered on this page unless it has a distinct characteristic or a unique appearance.
Handguns
"10mm Pistol"
The "10mm Pistol" from Fallout 4 returns and as its name suggests, chambers 10mm Auto ammunition and starts out as a semi automatic handgun. The pistol loosely resembles a Walther Volkspistole with some differences such as a steeply-angled grip and a Desert Eagle-esque slide. The 10mm can be modified with extended magazines (that increase its capacity from 12 rounds onwards), certain receivers that can increase damage or add a full auto conversion (essentially assigning the weapon a PDW style role). It becomes abundant at lower levels with random modifications applied and deals decent damage per shot, adding to its viability for starting players.
Colt Single Action Army
The Colt Single Action Army with a 7.5 inch barrel makes an appearance as the "Single Action Revolver" (despite the fact that all of the game's other revolvers are also operated in single-action mode) and is chambered for .44 Magnum. It can be obtained at early levels but is inferior to both Model 29 due to the former having only two alternative modifications (that only includes ivory grips and a "Prime Receiver" that rechambers the weapon to a special type of radioactive .44 ammo, which is most potent against "Scorched" diseased enemies which roam the Wasteland around Appalachia) and a long reload animation in which each round is replaced one at a time (compared to the Model 29 having all 6 rounds reloaded at once) but deals slightly more damage than a normal M29. The SAA revolver appears to be missing a firing pin on its hammer. While reloading in third person view, the player character neglects the use of the revolver's ejector rod, instead inserting ammo directly into the chamber without removing spent casings. Oddly, the model for the revolver only has a single round of ammunition in its cylinder while viewing in third-person. The game's files label this gun as "ColtSAA".
The "Fancy Single Action Revolver" is a rare variant of the SAA, added in the Wastelanders update which also implemented human NPCs into the game. The revolver features pearl grips, a brass front sight, ejector rod tab and frame along with a brass finish on the fluted sections of the cylinder. Statistically, it has better range, a faster rate of fire and a faster reload speed than the standard SAA. However, modifications cannot be added to the the Fancy Single Action Revolver. The reason it is a rare weapon is due to there being only one way to obtain it; by turning in special claim tickets to a Protectron robot named "Bellhop" at the Pleasant Valley Ski Resort. Finding these tickets is a rare drop of their own, and handing them in to the bot only yields a 1.5% chance of receiving the special Single Action Army. Upon obtaining a Fancy Single Action Revolver, it will have a guaranteed random one star legendary effect, but is permanent on the weapon and cannot be reconfigured by the player.
The 2022 Nuka-World on Tour update introduced a number of unique weapons, one of them being a variant of the Single Action Army named "Gunther's Big Iron". Visually, it has a slightly worn out red and white "Nuka-Cola" (the Fallout universe's equivalent to Coca-Cola beverages) finish, with the brand's logo appearing on the barrel. The gun's grips have a faint red and white curved stripe pattern to them. The revolver is obtained with legendary effects that turns each fired bullet into two projectiles, increases fire rate and increases reload speed. This variant also has two additional stats only exclusive to this weapon in that it has a further increased reload speed (+45%) and also chambers .45 pistol cartridges instead of .44 Magnum (despite reload animations still physically depicting the latter being loaded/ejected). Gunther's Big Iron is given as a potential reward for completing "Most Wanted", an event where players are instructed to play a minigame that involves robbing a carnival western-style town. Gunther is the name of the individual who oversees this minigame and "Big Iron" is very likely a reference to the Marty Robbins song of the same name which is especially known for being featured in Fallout: New Vegas' in-game radio stations.
As a reward for progressing far into the item scoreboard (a chart in which the player unlocks in-game items by doing gameplay challenges to gain points that levels it further) from Fallout 76's 8th season update, players will receive a damaged Vault-Tec jumpsuit that also contains a holstered shorter-barreled Single Action Army. It is strictly cosmetic and does not have any interaction with weapons, including the usable Colt SAA.
"Crusader Pistol"
The "Crusader Pistol" is obtained after learning its plan and constructing it, with the plan being obtainable either from Minerva's vendor inventory or as a rare drop from completing "Daily Ops", which are daily cooperative missions that task a team of players to kill waves of a randomly selected enemy faction in order to deactivate or set up a communications system. In appearance, the Crusader Pistol is based on the "12.7mm Pistol" from Fallout: New Vegas, (in turn modeled after the "SIG-Sauer 14mm Pistol" from Fallout, and again in turn resembles a large and chunky Hämmerli 280 pistol). By default the Crusader Pistol is chambered in 10mm but doesn't feed through the grip like the New Vegas version, instead feeding through a coffin shaped magazine housed ahead of the trigger and also somehow holds 12 rounds. The pistol can also be rechambered for 5.56mm and doing this replaces the magazine model with a more rectangular one, but is still too small to plausibly hold 12 cartridges. There is an extended magazine modification which increases the ammo capacity to 18 rounds but visually, the gun's magazine remains the same regardless of the ammo it is chambered in. Three other modifications also change the appearance of the magazine: the "Fusion receiver" which apparently rechambers the pistol for "Fusion cell" energy cartridges, the "Cryo receiver" which gives bullets freezing effects that slow down hit targets (this however does not assign the pistol to use already existing "Cryo cell" ammunition for an energy weapon with similar abilities and leaves it to still use 10mm even though its magazine gets replaced by a futuristic component with wiring connected to a visible cryogenic cell) and the "Pyro receiver" which as its name suggests, gives bullets incendiary properties. However, this mod visually replaces the pistol's magazine with a tank of flammable fuel even though it still uses 10mm in-game. Other modifications for the pistol include a suppressor and a reflex sight.
M1842 Cavalry Percussion Pistol
The M1842 Aston percussion pistol appears as the "Black Powder Pistol". Per its name, the pistol feeds and fires the powerful .50 caliber ball, though firing or loading it will not deplete gunpowder from the player's inventory nor do they replace the percussion cap in the reload animation. While it deals only slightly less damage than the Mississippi percussion rifle, the M1842 may be a more preferable choice due to it reloading much faster than the rifle.
A more uncommon variant of this weapon called the "Black Powder Blunderbuss" can be obtained but does not act as a blunderbuss, as it fires only one projectile while utilizing the same .50 caliber ball ammunition. The percussion cap appears to be missing on this model. It functions identically to the default muzzleloader pistol but according to the game, some have a range stat of 12, while others are at 204 (the default M1842's range is also 204). The main visual difference on the "Blunderbuss" is its lighter colored wood, a differently shaped barrel band and a slightly flared-out Blunderbuss-style barrel. It may be considered inferior to the default M1842 due to the inability to apply legendary modifiers to the former (this was possible however, before an update) as well as aiming being more difficult because of its flared barrel and the lack of a front sight.
A unique variant of the "Blunderbuss" version, named the "Pirate Punch" is a possible quest reward for the "Eviction Notice" public event (introduced in the "Test Your Metal" update) in which multiple players are tasked with defending a radiation-mitigating machine from waves of super mutant enemies who are attaching the point of defence. It is pre-configured in legendary effects that speed up reloading by 15%, has a 50% higher chance of hitting targets in V.A.T.S. (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, a mechanic in which the game aims the player's attacks for them and their chance of hitting a target is determined by a percentage) and each shot releases two projectiles (the way "Two Shot" legendary weapons work in the game is that two bullets are fired from one round discharged in a gun, with the second projectile not being affected by any perks or effects that would increase the weapon's damage output).
Smith & Wesson Model 29
The ".44 Pistol" (which should more correctly be referred to as a revolver) also makes a comeback and is quite a powerful weapon to come across for low level players; it is based on the Smith & Wesson Model 29. Ammunition for it is quickly loaded using full moon clips. Despite being a double action revolver, the player character will always cock the hammer after each shot (which lacks a firing pin), a trait carried over from Fallout 4. Modifications for the revolver include longer barrels, scopes and grips.
The "Western Revolver" starts appearing after the player reaches Level 20, though in rare amounts. It is visually identical to the .44 Pistol but with a cleaner appearance and different grips but does not share its unlocked modifications with the more common M29 variant, requiring players to scrap this particular weapon in order to unlock attachments and upgrades for it. The Western Revolver is considered the best out of the .44 Magnum revolver category due to its better damage overall and high modding capabilities (although it is slightly less flexible than the common .44). This version of the Model 29 originally appeared in Fallout 4's Nuka World downloadable content.
"Medical Malpractice" is a unique variant of the standard M29. Its frame, cylinder and barrel have a black finish and wooden grips present on the gun are colored with a dark brown appearence. If rubber grips are applied instead, they will be two-toned in red and black. Hence its name, it has a small medical symbol attached near the cylinder latch and comes configured with legendary modifiers that causes critical shots to heal the user and their group members, critical hits to deal 50% more damage and reduces the cost in V.A.T.S. for firing each shot. This is the current version of the weapon as another one existed and could only be rewarded to the player for completing a number of objectives in Fallout 76's Survival mode, which had shut down in October 2019, making this version of Medical Malpractice a legacy item. The new variant's workbench schematics can mostly be obtained as a rare reward for finishing a Daily Operation within a certain time limit.
Submachine Guns
"10mm Submachine Gun"
The 10mm SMG from Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas appears again in a higher quality appearance. Like its previous incarnations, the 10mm Submachine Gun is in essence an SMG-ified Browning M2HB with a form factor similar to the prototype Heckler & Koch SMG. The Thompson-style trigger group and pistol grip from the original design have been removed, but now also has an M1A1 Thompson rear sight; the SMG's charging handle has also been redesigned to make more mechanical sense. It is now held with two hands (as characters in 3 and New Vegas held it only with one hand) and finally has a usable stock which are added via modifications despite there being an unused folded stock present. It deals a higher damage per shot than a standard 10mm Pistol and has a fair damage-per-second output, but produces a lot of recoil when continuously firing. It also lacks a front sight even though they are present in the game's files.
The "Perfect Storm" is a unique variant of the 10mm SMG, given to the player as a reward for completing the quest "Cold Case", in which the player investigates the whereabouts of a child kidnapped before the Great War. The Perfect Storm looks visually identical to its standard versions but possesses an ability only unique to this weapon, in that it fires incendiary bullets which deals 24 fire damage over 3 seconds to a target. A downside however is that players cannot manually add random legendary effects to this weapon, limiting further potential to it.
Thompson Submachine Gun
The hybrid Thompson Submachine Gun from Fallout 4 reappears. Again, it is mostly based on the M1928A1 Thompson, but with an M1-style barrel, rear sight, and charging handle, which is located on the wrong side along with the ejection port. The Submachine Gun is chambered for .45 rounds and deals low damage per shot, but its decent rate of fire and large magazine capacity makes up for this. It is depicted as firing from a closed bolt unlike the Thompsons it is referencing. Oddly enough, the default drum magazine equipped on the gun holds 50 rounds, even though it is much smaller than an actual 50-round Thompson drum, whilst the model for a larger drum magazine which holds 62 rounds sizes it up to a proper 50-round drum. Compared to its counterpart seen in Fallout 4, the Thompson hybrid in this game has an abnormally slow rate of fire, being roughly equivalent to that of a heavy machine gun's. Along with the 10mm SMG, the hybrid Thompson is oddly classed as an "automatic rifle" by the game, possibly due to the lack of a submachine gun category to distinguish the game's firearms.
The Nuka-World on Tour update introduced a variant of the replica Thompson, named the "Love Tap" after its associated event and the custom paintjob which it is applied on. The aformentioned paintjob gives the Thompson a faded black, pink and white finish with a pattern of differently colored love hearts across the drum magazine, receiver, grip, handguard and stock (if the lattermost is present). Statistically, the Love Tap comes equipped with legendary effects that grants a slower degradation to the weapon's condition (+50%), a faster fire rate of +25% and restores lost health to its user per hit. Aside from its legendary effects, this weapon may be considered a direct upgrade due to another added stat to the Love Tap which boosts its damage output by 20% compared to a standard Submachine Gun. The weapon has a chance to be given to the player after completing the event "Tunnel of Love".
Shotguns
12 Gauge Double Barrel Shotgun
A 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun appears in the game. Parts of the shotgun's in-game model appears disproportionate, with the furniture being thicker and both barrels appearing larger. The double barrel can be modified with different barrels and stocks. Performance wise, it deals the most damage out of the game's other shotguns, but is set back by the constant need to reload as well as its theoretical damage potentially being partly negated by armor stats on targets.
The "Cold Shoulder" is a special variant of the double-barreled shotgun, added in the Mutation Invasion update in February 2023. Visually, it sports a futuristic appearance previously used by cosmetic skins for the shotgun albeit with different textures. In-game it is also covered in frost particles and emits vapour effects when the shotgun is drawn. Also true to its name, the Cold Shoulder deals an additional punch in the form of cryogenic damage and so inflicts a cryo effect on targets hit, temporarily slowing their movements. Other weapon-specific stats include a 50% damage bonus against "Cryptid" enemies and an illogical capacity of 8 shells (given that it's a double-barreled shotgun), though this is attributed to the "Quad" legendary effect which quadruples its affected weapon's capacity. The Cold Shoulder's crafting schematic is granted to the player quite early in its update's scoreboard, which is themed after cryptid hunting with this shotgun being based on the personal weapon wielded by "Rip Daring"; a fictional character part of Fallout's in-universe pulp fiction who is depicted as a cryptid hunter whose story is the focus of Season 12's scoreboard legend.
"Combat Shotgun"
Since Fallout 3, the "Combat Shotgun"'s appearance in the franchise is based on the Soviet PPSh-41. By default, the Combat Shotgun has a sawed off stock and a very short box magazine that somehow holds eight shells. One of the magazine modifications for the shotgun resembles that from a Browning Automatic Rifle. By performance, it is an excellent weapon to utilize shotgun shells for due to its fast fire rate, high capacity that can be furthered to 12 rounds and modding flexibility. Adding modifications such as the drum magazine, front sight ring and a long barrel makes the shotgun closely resemble its variant in Fallout 3. This weapon is also the only shotgun in the game that can be modified to negate enemy armor to some extent (outside of legendary effects).
The "Test Your Metal" update added a unique variant of the Combat Shotgun, named the "Crowd Control". This variant has whitened furniture and bears a dark blue decal on both sides of its stock that features a white star insignia and the origin of the shotgun's name. The Crowd Control is obtained with pre-set legendary effects that add explosive properties to its shots, reduce its weight by 90% and the ability to temporarily decrease a target's damage output. This weapon is given to the player in the "Eviction Notice" event.
Remington Model 870
The Remington Model 870 shotgun appears as the "Pump Action Shotgun", with a left handed ejection port. It is quite a common weapon, can be obtained at very low levels and is superior to the Double-Barrel due to the former's capacity and spread. By default, the shotgun is modelled with a sawed-off stock, a short barrel and a four round magazine tube (which incorrectly holds eight shells) and an aperture sight by default. This form of the shotgun is somewhat similar to the real life "Witness Protection" configuration for the Model 870. Bizarrely, applying longer barrel modifications (which also changes the length of the magazine tube but not its actual capacity) decreases the accuracy of the shotgun despite in-game notes of the modifications stating otherwise. If one flips the text on the right side of shotgun's receiver, it reads "Romington 76 MAGNUM". Some modifications add a heatshield to the barrel of the shotgun, a synthetic stock and a tactical forend. When reloading, the player character will always pump the shotgun's forend backwards before inserting shells. Likely due to a bug, spent shells are ejected from the loading gate but while aiming down the sights, shell hulls correctly eject from the ejection port.
Rifles
AK-47
Reused from Fallout 4's Nuka World DLC, the left handed Type 1 AK-47 reappears as the "Handmade Rifle"; however, due to a naming bug, all Handmade Rifles are instead called "Handmade". Unlike in said game, this rifle no longer chambers the "7.62" ammunition due to it not existing in this game (likely as an effort to minimize lesser used ammunition from the previous game) and is instead chambered in 5.56mm rounds despite using curved magazines for the aforementioned 7.62mm cartridge. The Handmade Rifle can be modified with different stocks, barrels, magazines and scopes. Despite the AK-47 being a select-fire rifle, the in-game version requires the player to build a new receiver in order to convert it from semi-auto to full auto (or the other way round).
American Percussion Combination Gun
"The Dragon" is a mid-19th century American-style quad barreled percussion combination rifle/shotgun. It is chambered in .50 caliber balls and firing will discharge all four barrels despite the fact that in reality the top two barrels are rifle barrels typically around .38-40 caliber and the bottom two barrels are shotgun barrels typically around .69-72 caliber. Strangely, the rifle only expends a single ball of ammunition despite releasing four projectiles and like every other muzzle loaded firearm in the game, the player character makes no effort to replace the rifle's missing percussion caps while reloading. Since the rifle which "The Dragon" is modelled after is a combination gun, it has four percussion nipples, one for each barrel. The game version depicts the bottom two percussion nipples rigged to a wire coming from an unknown power source, which could possibly explain how the rifle fires all four barrels at the same time. Performance wise, The Dragon deals an extremely high amount of damage but takes around ten seconds to reload as well as being very hard to find.
ArmaLite AR-10
The player character can obtain a microtransaction from the in-game "Atom Shop" called the "Screaming Eagle skin" (very likely a reference to the 101st Airborne Division, whose nickname is "Screaming Eagles") which cosmetically changes the Handmade Rifle's animations and appearance from an AK-47 to a Portuguese-model ArmaLite AR-10 rifle; this does not alter the weapon's performance nor statistics, and so the in-game weapon is essentially a 5.56mm version of the AR-10. Visually, the AR-10 style rifle lacks a carrying handle and instead utilizes a rail (similarly to the A4 models), has no charging handle but rather a bolt placed on the left side of the receiver (with a right handed ejection port). As of mid-2023, there are a number of AR-10 variants, each with a different skin. The first four include: a standard wood furniture appearance, a woodland camouflage skin, a custom "flyboy" skin that adds a decal of a bald eagle to the magazine well along with an olive-green handguard and a dark crimson tinted grip and stock and the "Enclave" variant which features the AR-10 with mostly a dark green finish including a single band of lime green on each piece of furniture and as per its name, the Enclave faction's emblem is stamped onto both sides of the rifle's stock. The woodland camouflage skin variant of the AR-10 is named the "Tropic Lightning", which may also reference the 25th Infantry Division with the nickname of "Tropic Lightning". When any AR-10 skin is selected and used, modifications for the AK-47 can still be applied and attachments such as scopes/optics and PBS-1 suppressor will appear on the rifle. When equipped with a drum magazine, the rifle oddly uses the Handmade Rifle's curved 7.62x39mm drums instead of a more appropriate one for a rifle that uses a straighter cartridge. Regardless of whether a player's Handmade Rifle is semi or fully automatic, the AR-10's selector switch is set to fully automatic. Due to how its model was made, the AR-10 skin's bolt does not reciprocate when firing but only the knob fixed to it does. When the first AR-10 model replacers were added into the game, attaching reflex or telescopic sights to the rifle would incorrectly place onto it the AK-47's mounting bracket which visually blocked part of the gun's ejection port. Also, when wearing power armor, the game incorrectly assigns the AK-47's original reload animation when the AR-10 skin is used, causing clipping from the mag being incorrectly rocked into the magazine well.
"Chinese Assault Rifle"
A recreation of the "Chinese Assault Rifle" from Fallout 3 was to appear in 76. However, it was cut from the game at the last moment. The unused model consists of a reused "Handmade Rifle" receiver instead of the fictional receiver design from its original incarnation, but with a proper AK-style grip (unlike said Handmade Rifle), the barrel/gas piston assembly of an RPD (flipped upside down with the front sight now attached on top of the gas tube), the stock of an AS Val and the handguard appears to be a cross between that of an AK-style and an RPD, unlike its previous incarnation. While the Fallout 76 rendition of the Chinese Assault Rifle is unusable as a standalone weapon, its model is available as a cosmetic skin for the Handmade Rifle when using certain weapon mods with it. This version is painted an olive color with a Chinese Communist style finish.
A sign inside Vault 76 depicts the Vault Boy firing a Chinese Assault Rifle.
"Combat Rifle"
The Combat Rifle, yet another weapon recycled from Fallout 4, is again heavily based on the PPSh-41 submachine gun. It looks exactly like the "Combat Shotgun", though the barrel, magazine, charging handle and sights are different. The Combat Rifle is chambered in .45 caliber (.45 ACP, as the Submachine Gun is chambered in this ammunition as well) and can alternatively be rechambered for the weaker ".38" (presumably meant to be .38 Special judging from the box, although the model for the cartridges themselves are the same as the 10mm round) even though the gun's magazine model is rifle sized with .308 cartridges being present in it. This was because a .308 receiver for the rifle existed in Fallout 4 but was not carried into 76.
The "Fixer" is a unique version of the Combat Rifle, obtained (along with its plan) from the side-quest "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing". Its stock, magazine and handguard have an olive color finish and provides stealth bonuses such as granting its user a 20% faster movement speed when sneaking and improved sneak in dark areas. It also deals 20% more damage than a generic Combat Rifle and can be modified with said rifle's upgrades that the player has unlocked. The Fixer is very frequently used by players as a fully automatic rifle due to its damage output and ability to have legendary effects added on top of its weapon-specific bonuses.
Gustloff Volksstrumgewehr
Another rifle recycled from the Far Harbor DLC in Fallout 4, the Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr makes a comeback as the "Radium Rifle". It is a Volkssturmgewehr rifle with random sci-fi parts installed on it which include gamma cartridges and wires. Like in its previous appearance, the Radium Rifle is chambered in .45 pistol cartridges and can deal some sort of radiation damage to its victims, with humans being the most effective targets.
Kentucky Flintlock Rifle
A skin released for the in-game "Atom Shop" changes the Black Powder Rifle's appearance to that of a maple and ornate Kentucky Flintlock Rifle. This is cosmetic and does not change the performance of the rifle. Applying the skin also doesn't change the weapon's reload animation and as such, the player character will not reload the rifle's action mechanism (in this case, adding powder to the flintlock's pan).
A different skin for the "Dragon" percussion gun mentioned above called the "Nighthawk" is also obtainable from the Atom Shop. It has the exact same stock as the Black Powder Rifle's flintlock reskin and its percussion system is replaced with dual flintlocks.
"Lever Action Rifle"
The "Lever Action Rifle" which originally appeared in the Fallout 4 Far Harbor DLC now returns in 76. Visually, the rifle is a cross between a Marlin Model 336 and a Marlin 1895G Guide Gun, with a barrel similar to the former with the straight stock of the latter, aperture sights, a thicker trigger guard, and a left handed receiver. Its lever loop is also enlarged. In the case of Fallout 4, the Lever Action Rifle was chambered for .45-70 which no longer exists in Fallout 76 and instead loads .45 caliber pistol cartridges (despite animations still using .45-70 Gov't casing and round models) with the same 5 round capacity. This rifle begins appearing roughly after level 35 (though in rare quantities) and deals reasonably high damage, outclassing a .308 caliber hunting rifle in damage (somehow) and cycling rate but the lever gun still possesses a slower fire rate than other rifles. Like almost every other shotgun and rifle in the game, the Lever Action Rifle by default has a sawed off barrel and stock, both of which can be restored by modifying. In third-person view, the rifle's hammer does not lock back. Unlike in Fallout 4, the player properly reloads the necessary amount of cartridges into the Lever Action Rifle instead of always inserting 5 rounds into the loading gate regardless of how many were left in the tube. Although, when performing a partial reload, the rifle's user will cycle the action when finished, inaccurately causing a spent casing to eject. If one sets their game's field of view to an extremely high setting, it will reveal that in the Lever Action Rifle's animations, the user's right hand does not move to cycle the gun's action and instead the lever moves on its own.
The "Sole Survivor" (not to be confused with the protagonist from Fallout 4) is a variant of the lever-action, originally being given to players by doing certain objectives in the now-defunct Survival mode, similarly to the Model 29's "Medical Malpractice" variant. A newer, updated version of this variant now exists and its crafting plans can be obtained by the gold bullion vendor Minerva or as a rare drop from "Daily Ops" missions. This version of the Sole Survivor has a worn out, rusted body, a discolored stock with numerous tick marks inscribed on it and an also discolored handguard with a strip of duct tape wrapping part of it along with the marked words "This is not the end!". The rifle comes pre-set with legendary effects which increases damage by 25% when aiming, provides 50 damage resistance to the user when also aiming and add a 50% damage bonus to human targets. When crafted, the Sole Survivor will by default be equipped with a full stock, barrel, suppressor and a long range night vision scope.
Added by the Nuka-World on Tour update is the unique "Western Spirit" variant of the Marlin repeater. Its custom paint finish features a black finish to all metal exterior parts of the gun (excluding the hammer and trigger, which are purple), the "Nuka-Cola" logo stamped onto the receiver's left and a faded purple/beige pattern with stars on the furniture. It is pre-set with legendary effects that grant additional damage on consecutive hits scored on the same target, a damage bonus while aiming (+25%) and a faster reload speed (+15%). Another attribute exclusive only to this weapon is its increased ammo capacity; it loads 7 rounds at a time. Unfortunately, longer barrel modifications for the repeater still do not raise its capacity. The Western Spirit is given as a possible quest reward for the "Most Wanted" event.
As part of a bundle for the Amazon Prime Gaming service, those with an Xbox Game Pass or Prime Gaming subscription could claim from November 2022 to February 2023 a skin for the Lever Action Rifle that gives it a finish that includes receiver inscriptions similar to those on "Lincoln's Repeater", a weapon from Fallout 3. This rifle itself is based on the customized Henry 1860 rifle which was presented to Abraham Lincoln.
M1841 Mississippi Percussion Rifle
The 1853 version of the M1841 Mississippi Percussion Rifle is featured as the "Black Powder Rifle". Like the muzzle loading pistols, it is chambered in .50 caliber balls, deals devastating damage and does not deduct gunpowder from the players inventory upon firing. In its reload animation, the player character completes the proper steps for reloading but does not replace the percussion cap which is already missing nor is any wadding used in the rifle's barrel (none of the muzzleloaders in the game utilize wadding in their reload animations).
Remington Model 700
This "Hunting Rifle" which first appeared in Fallout 4 is based on the Remington Model 700 with a left handed bolt. The Hunting Rifle is common very early in-game and at first is only found with a short barrel/handguard and sawed-off stock, but modifications can extend the overall length of the rifle. It is chambered for .308 caliber but optional modifications can rather bizarrely convert the Hunting Rifle to load either .38 or .50 caliber rounds. Equipping a scope changes the Remington's name to "Sniper Rifle".
Machine Guns
"Assault Rifle"
The evil creation from Fallout 4 known as the "Assault Rifle" returns. It is an amalgam of real life machine guns such as the grip and receiver resembling that of the French MAS AA-52, the handguard of an M249 SAW, a side loading box magazine similar to one from an FG42 (but chambered in 5.56mm rounds), and an anti-aircraft type front sight; the weapon's default cooling jacket is now the rather more Vickers-like "Ported Barrel" from Fallout 4, but the Lewis gun-style jacket can be restored through modifications. Despite being named an assault rifle, the weapon starts off as firing in semi-automatic (and assault rifles require select-fire capability in order to be truly classed as one) until the player character decides to modify the receiver which gives the gun full-auto capabilities. Other modifications include longer barrels and extended magazines. During the development of Fallout 4, the "Assault Rifle" was originally named the "Machine Gun" and its bulky appearance was apparently a design choice in order to fit the look of power armor wearers who have the weapon in their hands.
The "Whistle in the Dark" is a variant of the "Assault Rifle". Similarly to the "Sole Survivor" version of the Lever Action Rifle and the "Medical Malpractice" Model 29, the Whistle in the Dark was originally rewarded to the player for completing challenges in Survival mode. A new version of this variant was added and sports an orange and yellow striped paintjob, along with legendary effects that grant the player a single point to the Perception stat, a 50% higher chance of hitting targets in V.A.T.S. and an increased damage bonus at nightly hours in-game. Also like the aforementioned Sole Survivor, the crafting schematics for the Whistle in the Dark "rifle" can be obtained either as a rare reward from doing Daily Ops or by buying it from the gold bullion vendor Minerva.
Browning M2HB
The ".50 Cal Machine Gun" is based on the Browning M2HB and is chambered in .50 caliber cartridges which are fed by belt in an ammo box, with an incorrect feed of 250 rounds per belt box. The M2 appears to be in a handheld configuration, carried by the player character using with a chainsaw-type grip; one is mounted onto the gun's top cover and the other quite high above the trigger mechanism, which raises the question as to how exactly the gun is fired. It also lacks iron sights and weighs significantly lighter in-game than in real life (18 lbs compared to 84 lbs). The machine gun deals reasonable damage for heavy weapon-centered player builds and has quite a high rate of fire compared to a real M2. The M2HB becomes accessible to the player when they reach level 25 but has only two modifications: a "Heavy Barrel" (although the standard barrel is modelled after the M2's actual heavy barrel), which increases damage while visually installing a barrel similar to one from the Aircraft version and a "Prime Receiver".
MG42
The German MG42 without a bipod appears as the "Light Machine Gun"; this is somewhat incorrect, as the MG42 is a general-purpose machine gun, though the in-game version lives up to its name by weighing a mere 8 pounds (over 17 pounds less than the real steel). The Light Machine Gun is chambered in .308 Winchester, similar to the MG42's modern counterpart, the MG3, which is chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO. It deals a decent amount of damage per shot and can deal even more per second thanks to its fire rate (lower than a real MG42's, but still rather high), however one needs to monitor how much they fire as the gun can eat through a large amount of .308 cartridges. The machine gun is modelled with a 50 round "assault drum", but has an incorrect capacity of 75 rounds. The schematic plan to build the weapon refers to it by its real life name as "MG42 light machine gun". In-game, the MG42 is classed as a heavy weapon, with it being affected by perks that modify stats of this weapon class.
"Minigun"
The Minigun from Fallout 4 returns. It similar to the GE M134 Minigun with its design based on the M61 Vulcan, has a capacity of 500 "5mm" rounds which are stored in a large drum mounted underneath the barrels and has a very low damage per shot stat, with its fast fire rate (still slower than a real life minigun) making up for this. Strangely, the ammo box model used for the fictitious "5mm" cartridge contains inscribed text that reads "7.62x51mm NATO" and "USE IN M.G.GAU-2B/A OR M134". The Minigun can have its barrels swapped out with the "Tri Barrel" modification which gives it a General Dynamics GAU-19/A barrel assembly. One of the "muzzle" slot modifications for the Minigun, the "Shredder", covers the weapon's barrels in slabs of metal that are wrapped with barbed wires, saw blades and metallic shards which serve as a deadly melee weapon for when its user runs out ammunition, after when the gun's barrels can be endlessly spun and used like a chainsaw to mow targets.
The "Test Your Metal" update added a variant of the Minigun, "Foundation's Vengeance". This Minigun has a rusted finish, with a cyan color paintjob and white stripes on both its body and ammo drum. It can be received as a reward from the update's "Eviction Notice" event. Foundation's Vengeance is included with a set of legendary effects that grant its bullets explosive abilities, a large damage bonus the more injured its user is, and a 250 damage resistance buff while reloading the Minigun.
Model 1874 Gatling Gun
The "Gatling Gun" is based on the camel Model 1874 Gatling Gun which in the game is available in a makeshift handheld configuration (despite a real life Gatling Gun being far too heavy for a single person to be able to carry, run with, and reload without issue). The Gatling Gun is chambered in the fictional "5mm" cartridge and uses straight .45-70 Gov't magazines by default (which somehow hold 250 rounds) and a modification may equip it with a short .45-70 Gov't Broadwell drum which unrealistically doubles its capacity to 500. The Gatling Gun in the game is operated by a left handed crank that appears to be located further ahead of the gun's action (which would not succeed in rotating the barrels in reality) and is also incorrectly depicted as firing one round per full crank rather than consecutively discharging rounds the more the crank is turned, resulting in an extremely slow rate of fire. The Gatling Gun is a better alternative to the Minigun due to the former's higher accuracy and range, damage output, and more manageable preservation of ammunition (as a result of the gun's slower firing rate which doesn't eat through too many rounds). Optionally, the player can add a large drillbit shaped bayonet which attaches to the center on the front of the gun's chasis. There also is a patent plate present at the rear of the Gatling Gun's frame, just like on a real Gatling.
"Appalachian Thunder Pipe"
The "Appalachian Thunder Pipe" is an optional cosmetic skin for the Gatling Gun that was obtainable in the game's first season in mid-2020. It remodels the weapon as a steampunk-style Gatling Gun, with some inspirations from certain versions of the Mitrailleuse, a French rapid firing volley gun. Some parts of the original Gatling Gun's model are retained, such as the cartridge chute/drum mounting assembly, vertical magazine (though the Broadwell drum is reskinned with its own mesh), drillbit bayonet and carrying handle. Occasionally, the Appalachian Thunder Pipe skin is temporarily added to the in-game Atomic Shop for purchase by any players who were not present in the 2020 game seasons.
As a note of trivia, "thunder pipe" is the literal translation of the Dutch word "donderbus", from which the word "blunderbuss" is derived; whether this was intentional or not on Bethesda's part is difficult to say.
PKM
While the in-game "Gauss Rifle" is largely fictional, its default stock resembles that of a PKM, but is missing the butt plate.
Launchers
"Broadsider"
The "Broadsider" is what appears to be an 18th century swivel gun attached to a metallic frame with an assembly of recoil dampeners and two handles that the user holds the weapon with. The back handle has a button connected to wiring which leads to the touch hole of the cannon. In reality, the cannon would be too heavy for a single person to carry, fire, and reload with their two hands. Strangely, during the Broadsider's reload animation, no powder is loaded into its muzzle and the player character simply inserts the cannonball. There is a modification for the Broadsider, the "multi shot cannister", which adds a tube to the underside of the cannon. This mod somehow increases the capacity of the weapon to 3 cannonballs, although the reload animation still shows one cannonball being dropped into the muzzle.
The Nuka-World on Tour update added a special variant of the Broadsider, named the "Grand Finale". Visually, it has a red, white and blue paintjob similar to some circus cannons and statistically it bears legendary effects that fire two cannonball projectiles with one shot, grants extra damage (+25%) when aiming and also provides the user with 250 damage resistance while reloading. A stat unique only to this weapon is that it deals +10% more damage than a normal Broadsider along with fired balls producing a firework style effect upon exploding. It has a chance of dropping as an event reward for completing "Seismic Activity", also added by the Nuka-World on Tour update.
Cannon
Added in October 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fallout franchise, a cosmetic carriage-mounted cannon named the "Ceremonial Cannon" was added to the in-game Atomic Shop for free on day 1 of the Fallout 25 event. This cannon is painted with US flag colors, and is fixed to a carriage bearing bronze plates and Vault Boy-themed caps on the sides of its wheels. The cannon can be built in player-occupied workshops or in their "C.A.M.P." (a portable base built by the player character) and the only use of it is as a harmless firing prop that can be activated and discharged multiple times by the player without the need to reload.
Cannons can also be found in locations such as Philippi Battlefield Cemetery (the in-game equivalent of the Grafton National Cemetery), mounted in carts and positioned in various numbers. However, they are static objects and are thus unusable by players and NPCs.
Greener Percussion Harpoon Gun
The "Harpoon Gun" (originally appearing in the Fallout 4 add-on Far Harbor) appears to take inspiration from the Greener Percussion Harpoon Gun, though some differences include the player holding it with two hands (as is the case with every heavy weapon in the game) in a makeshift handheld configuration and each harpoon instead being loaded a breech from the gun's left side rather than from the muzzle with black powder. The Harpoon Gun's model has a grip-mounted button connected to wiring which leads into the percussion mechanism, although reloading it is dismissed by the player character, leaving how exactly the gun launches its projectiles a mystery. Modifications for the "Harpoon Gun" include a barbed modification to the harpoons which adds a "health drain per second" effect to targets or alternatively, a "flechette" mod may be applied which transforms the single loaded harpoon into a cluster of several projectiles, making the weapon function like a heavy shotgun.
"Hellstorm Missile Launcher"
The "Hellstorm Missile Launcher" appears to take inspiration from the M202 FLASH incendiary launcher. The body of the launcher resembles the M202 but lacks flap lids and a scope (by default, the launcher has iron sights but a modification adds on the scope, replicating that from the M202's); its gripstock assembly are identical to that of the default "Missile Launcher", being based on the Heckler & Koch MP7 and PIAT. Instead of loading rockets through the rear in a clip like the real M202, the Hellstorm's chambered "missiles" are loaded in a bulky clip that makes up a portion of the launcher's front. One of the weapon modifications can convert the standard four barrel assembly into a revolving chamber 6-shot launcher that fires through a single barrel. The left side of the Hellstorm Missile Launcher contains an inscription that reads "LAUNCHER ROCKET 4 BARREL 66MM" and the capacity mod changes it to "LAUNCHER MISSILE 6 BARREL 58MM"; this does not affect the in-game missile ammunition that both launcher weapons use. Alternatively, the Hellstorm launcher can have its missile properties modified with either a plasma, incendiary or cryogenic blast. These modifications change the front end of the launcher with a more sci-fi appearance. The Hellstorm Missile Launcher was added in the game's Steel Dawn update and plays a part in its questline.
Leuchtpistole
The German Leuchtpistole reappears as the "Flare Gun" and is the only weapon in the game chambered for the "flare" ammo. In Fallout 4, the main purpose of the Leuchtpistole was to signal the Minutemen faction for help, which leaves owning one in 76 largely pointless as it is also highly impractical as a combat weapon. However, one potential use for this "weapon" in-game is to attract the attention of other real players in the event of an emergency, though whether they respond or not is up to them. Amusingly, scrapping a Leuchtpistole will yield the player with only rubber junk materials.
M79 Grenade Launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is referred to by its real-life name (a rare sight in a Fallout game since 3). It correctly chambers 40mm and by default has a sawed off barrel and stock, both of which can be brought back by modifying means. Aside from this, no other mods exist for the launcher and it can easily be replaced in favor of the "Auto Grenade Launcher" that happens to deal the exact same explosion damage per shot.
"Missile Launcher"
The "Missile Launcher" returns from Fallout 4. It is loosely based on the RPG-7 and has the rear sight and trigger group of the PIAT. Part of the diagonal area near the muzzle and the foregrip resembles sections from a Heckler & Koch MP7. The weapon appears to be a breech-loading single-shot launcher that fires caseless "missiles". Modifications range from a targeting system which enables the user to lock onto targets, a "Triple Barrel" attachment which despite its name actually adds a detachable box device that increases the launcher's capacity from one to three missiles, and alternatively a "Quad Barrel" that replaces the weapon's breech with four barrels (although the rear is still a single tube with no explanation as to how the other three barrels are discharged as well as any regard to their potential backblast), giving the launcher an appearance similar to the M202 FLASH. The Missile Launcher deals decent explosive damage. However, its default single shot capacity proves weak against higher level enemies along with its ammunition weighing a lot to the unprepared player. Fired projectiles will travel in a straight line until detonating upon impact. A stationary variant with four barrels can be built as an unmanned defence weapon in player owned areas.
Mk 19 Grenade Launcher
The Mk 19 grenade launcher makes an appearance as the "Auto Grenade Launcher" and is chambered for 40mm grenades along with being fed a short belt of only 12 grenades at a time (despite the seated ammo can). The weapon incorrectly shares its 40mm grenade ammunition with the M79; the Mk 19 uses a high-velocity 40x53mm round, whereas the M79 uses low-velocity 40x46mm rounds. As with all heavy weapons in-game, the launcher is in a handheld configuration with similar carry handles as the game's Browning M2, which still doesn't explain how the player character pulls the trigger while carrying the weapon. In reality, the Mk 19 grenade launcher weighs almost 80 lbs, while the in-game version weighs only 18 lbs. The launcher's model has rear sights which are unfortunately folded and unusable. Unlike a real Mk 19, the in-game version fires extremely slowly with a long pause between shots, even when holding down the trigger. The only modifications for the Mk 19 are two other barrels which increase the weapon's range stat (but only changes the model of the flash hider and not the length of the barrel). The default barrel contains the Mk 19's older flash hider while another barrel upgrades adds on the current production flash hider. The reload animation for the Mk 19 is more or less identical to that of the M2 Browning's. However, it differs between perspectives - first-person view depicts the belt can being replaced, the weapon's top cover is opened and the ammo belt is loaded with charging handle being worked lastly. Third-person view only shows the feed tray cover being opened which is then proceeded by the ammo box being replaced and later, the charging handle racked.
The Nuka-World on Tour update added the "Nuka-Launcher", a legendary variant of the Mk 19. Its pre-set legendary effects include: a 50% damage bonus to targets' limbs, a 90% lighter weight (only at 1.8lbs) and the ability to fire two projectiles with one shot. As with other unique weapons introduced with this update, it has a weapon-specific bonus with the Nuka Launcher's being that it deals 50% more damage against "Mole Miners", mutated pre-War mine workers often encountered as enemies. This special Mk 19 also has a faded red and blue paintjob with white stars stamped over the weapon and a "Victory" text decal on its exterior, referencing one of the Nuka-Cola beverage flavors. Unlike the other unique weapons from this update however, the Nuka-Launcher (or rather its crafting plan) can only be obtained by reaching level 85 out of 100 in the Nuka-World on Tour update-specific scoreboard. As a new update in February 2023 replaced this scoreboard with a newer one, the Nuka-Launcher cannot be gained unless its schematics are added elsewhere.
Explosives
"Fragmentation Grenade"
The seemingly Mk 2-inspired "Fragmentation Grenade" returns from Fallout 4.
Unusable Weapons
1911 Pistol
On the illustration for the "Modern Renegade" perk card, Vault Boy is equipped with a dark toned M1911-pattern pistol.
Blunderbuss
A cut weapon skin for the in-game "Atom Shop" would have changed the appearance of the Black Powder Rifle into a Blunderbuss, though this would be cosmetic and the weapon would still function as a rifle. The Blunderbuss would have likely required a separate animation, which could have been a reason as to why Bethesda cut the item from the game.
Beretta 3032 Tomcat
On the cover for one of the "Live & Love" in-game magazines (reused from Fallout 4), a woman is shown armed with what appears to be a Beretta Tomcat-style pistol, which is fitted with a suppressor.
Browning Hi-Power
One of the in-game "Guns & Bullets" (an in-game parody of the real life Guns & Ammo firearms publication) magazines features a Browning Hi-Power in the hands of a US soldier.
Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
On the card image for the "Gunsmith" perk, the Vault Boy is shown taping a Red Ryder BB gun, which was likely based on the specific BB gun from Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas. The Red Ryder also previously appeared as a usable weapon in all previous Fallout games except for Tactics and 4.
Derringer
A Derringer pistol appears on the "Little Guns for Little Ladies" issue of the Guns & Bullets magazine. This magazine is also reused from Fallout 4.
Double Barrel Over Under Shotgun
Another "Guns & Bullets" magazine cover includes a Mr. Handy robot holding some type of over/under double barreled shotgun.
Heckler & Koch G3
In an attempt to bring back the "R91" rifle from Fallout 3, the "R91 skin" was due to be released as a cosmetic reskin for the "Handmade Rifle", but was cut from the game for unknown reasons. The rifle is modelled after the earlier model of the Heckler & Koch G3 but with an erroneous charging handle located on the left side of the receiver (most likely to fit with pre existing rifle animations). This version of the G3 appears to be a recreation of the "R91 assault rifle" from Fallout 3, whose name references the HK91.
Some perks, including the "Commando" set of cards depict the Vault Boy mascot brandishing an R91 style G3 rifle.
Henry 1860
The Country Flair Bundle in the in-game Atomic Shop is promoted with an illustration featuring a woman holding a Henry 1860 rifle.
Ingram MAC-11
The "Guerrilla" list of perk cards feature a picture of the Vault Boy mascot firing an Ingram MAC-11 without a folding stock.
M1928 Thompson
Other than the odd hybrid model usable in-game, an illustration of a proper M1928 Thompson with a vertical foregrip and 100-round drum magazine appears on the cover of the "Trapped in the Dimension of the Pterror-dactyls!" issue of the "Unstoppables" magazine, which also appeared in Fallout 4. Some wooden cutouts also feature Thompson submachine guns with a foregrip.
M84 Stun Grenade
The M84 stun grenade would have made an appearance in the game's Wastelanders update, under the name "Flashbang". However, it was cut for unclear reasons. The in-game M84 when thrown, would impair the senses of player targets and physically stagger creature targets.
Smith & Wesson J-Frame Revolver
A silhouette of what seems to be a J-frame Smith & Wesson revolver appears on the ammo box pickup for ".38" cartridges.
"Soundmaker"
The "Soundmaker" is a cut thrown item from the Wastelanders update that visually consists of the base from a Model 24 Stielhandgranate with a trio of siren speakers tied to where the explosive head of the grenade would be (which happens to be missing). The purpose of this weapon was to produce loud noises, causing a blast that would knock down and stun targets. It is not known why this item was cut from the game.
Sten Mk II
The Sten Mk II is a cut weapon, appearing as the "Black Knight". Strangely, it is exactly identical to the Hunting Rifle (obviously excluding its appearance) as the game's files lists the Sten as using .308 ammunition, bearing a capacity of 5 rounds along with dealing the same amount of damage as said rifle. The "Black Knight" would have been a variant of the Hunting Rifle that would allow players to add on a cosmetic skin, but Bethesda had scrapped it in favor of adding appearance altering skins to existing weapons.
Winchester Rifle
On the cover for the "Starlet Sniper" magazine of the in-game "Astoundingly Awesome Tales" series, there appears to be an illustrated Winchester-style repeater, likely a Winchester Model 1892.
Walther PPK
The Walther PPK originally appeared in Fallout 4 as the "Deliverer", a one-of-a-kind pistol. However, despite it not being obtainable in this game, a picture of it with a suppressor is present on a poster, which fittingly advertises suppressors.
