Summary
Pistols will be some of the most used weapons for most players as they traverse the post-apocalyptic wastelands ofFallout 3. Players should expect pistols to remain in their arsenal from theinitial escape of Vault 101to the time the credits roll. Thankfully, the game has awide array of pistols and unique variantsof them to choose from.
To keep each entry feeling fresh, the list will attempt to restrict each weapon (including its variants) to a single entry. With this in mind, each entry features stats, including damage, fire rate, spread, and range. These determine how and where a gun should be used. Speaking of where a pistol is, each entry will also detail how players can get their hands on the pistols being discussed.
6Chinese Pistol
An Early-Game Weapon With A Fast Rate Of Fire
Most likely one of the earliest pistols that players will come across, theChinese Pistoldeals very low damage, but with a fast rate of fire, a decent amount of damage can be dealt if accurate. Unfortunately, the spread is the second-worst out of all the pistols on offer inFallout 3.
Players can find this weapon in a wide variety of places.Raidersoften carry this weapon at lower levels, and it will be available from most vendors. Specifically, this weapon can be found insidethe Museum of Davein theRepublic of Dave.
5Wild Bill’s Sidearm
A Significantly Better Version Of The .32 With A Higher Damage Output
A unique variant of the inferior .32 pistol,Wild Bill’s Sidearmis an improvement on that weapon in many ways. Firstly, the damage and critical hit damage is improved from 6 to 10 and 6 to 15. It is also far more durable than its base version. Players will be able to fire over 800 rounds before it needs fixing.
To get this weapon, players have to locateWild Billas part of a quest called"Wild Bill’s Last Stand.“This quest can be launched by speaking to Milly in the Downtown area of The Pitt before making one’s way to the steelyard to find Bill.
It should be noted that this quest and weapon are only available inThe Pitt, an add-on forFallout 3.
4Silenced 10mm Pistol
Very Useful In Stealth Situations
Coming with a suppressor as standard, this pistol allows for silent kills if the player can make the first couple of shots count. The rate of fire and magazine capacity help greatly here; the speed of attack can make up for a missed shot in a stealth situation. Stealth shots are always critical hits, and with all relevant perks leveled up, it can deal 80 damage per second. The major drawback is that once a player is discovered, it is not very useful.
This weapon can be acquired in a variety of places and settings. It can be found inMegaton, where it iscarried by Mister Burkearound the entrance ofVault 108, or bought from many shops, includingFlak ‘N Shrapnel’sin Rivet City.
3Dart Gun
Allows Players To Immediately Cripple An Enemy’s Legs
The Dart Gun is an extremely effective tool for dealing with difficult enemies inFallout 3. Hitting an enemy anywhere on their body will immediately cripple their legs. This weapon is an invaluable piece of a player’s arsenal as it makes dealing with a creaturelike a Deathclawmuch easier. It also deals poison damage over time to all organic enemies.
Players can’t acquire this weapon by simply finding it in the wastelands. They must gather a Paint Gun, Toy Gun, Surgical Tubing, and Radscorpion Poison Gland. Completing the"Head Of State"side quest (found in the Temple of the Union) will provide players with the schematic for the weapon as a reward. The Dart Gun can then be created at aWorkbench.
2Blackhawk
Doubles The Chance Of Landing A Critical Hit
The Blackhawk is a very powerful variant of theScoped .44 Magnum. Another variant of this weapon is Callahan’s Magnum, but considering the unpopular in-game story choice a player has to make to acquire it, the Blackhawk is arguably the better option.
Critical hit damage is the key component here, offering an additional 45 damage per shot and doubling the chance of landing a crit. It is also incredibly accurate and can deal incredible damage in a short amount of time. To acquire the Blackhawk, players should complete the quest"Agatha’s Song"and ask for a reward at the end. Her house is west of theScrapyard.
1Paulson’s Revolver
Functions More Like A Shotgun Than A Pistol
Paulson’s Revolver takes the top spot as thebest pistol inFallout 3. It operates unlike any other pistol in the game, which gives it an advantage over the rest. It fires out 9 projectiles per shot rather than the standard 1 projectile of all other pistols. Each projectile has a chance to cause a critical hit, which means that this weapon has the highest possible damage per second in the pistol category.
It can only be found in theMothership Zetaadd-on and from the body of a character calledPaulson. He isn’t dead when players meet him, soa morally debatable choicemay have to be made for those who wish to acquire his weapon.
