The 25 Best Weapons in Fallout 4

What are the best weapons in Fallout 4?

Fallout 4 is a fantastic post-apocalyptic game, and it is filled with places to explore and interesting NPCs to interact with.

However, the Boston ruins are also crawling with raiders, ferals, super mutants, and other horrors that could easily ruin your next scavenging trip.

Fortunately, this world isn’t lacking great weaponry, and today we’re looking at the best weapons you can find in Fallout 4.

The 25 Best Weapons In Fallout 4

We’ve played well over 4000 hours of Fallout 4 since its release, and to create this list, we went back in to compare all of the different types of weapons.

The ones that we’ve selected have been chosen based on their damage output, the abundance of their ammo type, and how useful they are in a fight.

So, before you go help another settlement, here’s our list of the 25 best weapons in Fallout 4:

25. Kellogg’s Pistol

Kicking off our list, we have the one and only Kellogg’s Pistol which you get to take off the body of the bastard who kidnapped your son!

This gun, we learn while digging through the mercenary’s memories, was given to Kellogg as a child, and ever since, it has been used to kill his numerous enemies.

Depending on what level you are when you kill Kellogg, this gun can be an incredibly high-powered weapon, especially during the early game.

With a base damage of 48, Kellogg’s Pistol can pack a punch, though it does use .44 rounds, which can be expensive and hard to find.

That said, it does come with a bull barrel and a comfort grip, which are some pretty good upgrades that early-game players may not have access to.

Once you pop a cap in Kellogg, you definitely won’t want to leave this weapon behind, and it can quickly become your go-to sidearm!

24. Le Fusil Terribles

Le Fusil Terribles is found in the captain’s cabin inside the floating raider camp of Libertailia, and it really is a terrible gun, at least to those you’re pointing it at!

This shotgun uses standard shells, which are found in abundance throughout the Commonwealth, and it packs a base damage output of 62.

It also has a clip size of 32, meaning you can get a ton of shots off during combat, which is great when going up against really tough foes.

As for upgrades, Le Fusil Terribles comes with a drum magazine, full stock, and a long ported and shielded barrel.

This gives it a superior recoil rate and a narrower spread, so that you’ll have a better chance of actually hitting your target.

If you’re stopping by Libertalia, it is definitely worth picking up, even if you don’t normally use shotguns!

We’re partial to giving it to Hancock ourselves, but all the Fallout 4 companions can handle this gun pretty well!

23. Righteous Authority

This variant of the standard laser rifle is given to players by Paladin Danse after completing the quest Call to Arms.

Personally modified by Danse himself, Righteous Authority has a base damage of 26, but it also has the Lucky legendary modifier.

This means it provides double damage to all critical hits while also allowing your critical meter to fill 15% faster.

We really love this gun because it’s easy enough to get, and the mission you complete to receive it allows you to grab an absolute ton of ammo for it.

Seriously, just keep letting synths spawn in the engine core for a few minutes and then fry them all. You’ll easily get hundreds of energy cells from their corpses!

Plus, Righteous Authority can actually be turned into a great mid-range laser sniper rifle, which is great in the early to mid-game!

22. Shishkebab

This flaming sword has been around since Fallout 3, and in this game, you get it by completing the quest Out of the Fire at Saugus Iron Works.

The Shishkebab has a base damage of 13 plus an extra 13 in energy damage with a medium swing speed.

Unlike other melee weapons, the damage inflicted by this weapon isn’t impacted by strength but rather by perks like Bloody Mess and Big Leagues.

Sure, it may not be the most powerful melee weapon in Fallout 4, but damn if it isn’t fun to swing around a fiery sword!

If you find yourself near the Slog, it’s worth checking out Saugus if you want to be able to pick up this great weapon!

21. Deliverer

Up next, we have the Deliverer, a unique semi-automatic 10mm that has a sleek design that we absolutely love.

The Deliverer is often our go-to side arm as soon as we get it, and it can be found by completing Tradecraft with Deacon.

Easily able to hold its own against even the best Fallout 4 weapon mods, this pre-war weapon comes with a silencer pre-attached.

While you can remove the silencer for more range, as it is, this gun is perfect for players who prefer to stay stealthy.

Without improvement, this gun delivers 25 in base damage output, and it can hold 12 rounds at once.

Since 10mm ammo is some of the most prevalent in the Commonwealth, it’s really hard to run out of ammo for this sidearm!

Although the Creation Club added The Silver Sidearm as a reskinned alternative to The Deliverer, we still prefer this gun to all others with this ammo type.

20. Ashmaker

The Ashmaker is a unique minigun that comes with the incendiary legendary enhancement that deals additional fire damage.

This gun can be earned by completing The Big Dig quest, and it can either be given to you by Fahrenheit or looted from her corpse.

As a fast-firing gun, each bullet only does a base damage of 8, but you get a whole clip of 500 rounds to fire at anything in your way.

Ashmaker can easily tear through weak enemies and weaken even the toughest bosses, like the Mirelurk Queen.

If you’re planning on grabbing Mayor Hancock as a companion, you’ll do well to grab this minigun along the way!

19. Kremvh’s Tooth

While Fallout is not really known as a horror game, it does have an H.P. Lovecraft reference in the form of the Dunwich Borers.

Taking its name from the Lovecraftian short story The Dunwich Horror, it is in the depths of this mine that you’ll find Kremvh’s Tooth.

After delving into the deep tunnels and experiencing no shortage of hallucinations, you can dive into a flooded sacrificial chamber and grab this weapon for yourself.

There are also two mini nukes on the same altar, so make sure to grab those as well while you’re down there!

Kremvh’s Tooth comes with a unique mod called “sacrificial blade,” which gives it a solid damage boost that inflicts both poison and bleed damage.

However, unlike other legendary weapons, it is possible to apply this mod to another machete if you want!

That said, we love the look of this jagged weapon, and it’s definitely a must-grab if you’re near this terrifying quarry.

18. Spray n’ Pray

The Spray n’ Pray is just an incredibly fun weapon, and we always pick it up whenever we have the chance!

This legendary submachine gun is sold by the weapons vendor Cricket, who can often be found either at Bunker Hill or outside of Diamond City.

What makes this gun so unique is that it has the explosive effect, meaning every bullet explodes upon impact for 15 additional AoE damage.

Although this effect is always on the gun, the mods it comes with can vary, but it almost always has high-tier mods attached to it.

Spray n’ Pray uses the incredibly common .45 rounds, and it does a base damage of 34 but has a clip size of 100.

We really love using this gun against crowds, as the explosive effect can make enemies stumble, and the AoE damage is great for damaging multiple targets.

While it is a bit pricey, this submachine gun is worth every cap, and it’s worth grabbing whenever you see Cricket.

17. The Harvester

The Far Harbor DLC gave us some of the best Fallout 4 armor sets, and it also gave us this beautiful melee weapon!

A unique variant of the Ripper, a short handheld chainsaw, The Harvester, comes with the staggering legendary effect.

This means that while you’re tearing into an enemy, it has a good chance of knocking them off balance, leaving them unable to retaliate.

While exploring the fog in Far Harbor, this melee weapon can be found inside the red steamer trunk at Echo Lake Lumber.

Be careful, though, this location is crawling with feral ghouls, including a pretty tough glowing one and the now crazy former “owner.”

16. Kiloton Radium Rifle

A unique version of the radium rifle, the Kiloton, is given to players if they join the Children of Atom at the Nucleus in Far Harbor.

Like Spray n’ Pray, this gun has the explosive legendary effect that deals 15 points of explosive damage on top of 42 base damage.

It also adds 50 extra radiation damage, making it quite powerful against human enemies, but not so much against super mutants or ferals.

This gun definitely lives up to its name, and in the right situations, it can be an absolute lifesaver!

15. Protectron’s Gaze

Added by the Automatron DLC, the Protectron’s Gaze is a unique laser pistol that deals 26 base damage with a clip size of 30.

This pistol is used by the Mechanist, and it can be earned by completing the quest Restoring Order in a pacifist or violent manner.

A call back to its counterpart from Fallout 3, one of the best Fallout games, this gun is amazing and worth picking up.

However, what really makes this laser pistol special is that it has the rapid legendary effect affixed to it.

This boosts its fire rate by 25% and increases the speed of reloading by 15%, which is nothing to turn your nose up at.

If you have a preference for laser weapons in Fallout 4, Protectron’s Gaze is definitely something you’ll want to grab!

14. Gamma Gun

The gamma gun is a favorite of the Children of Atom, and it unleashes waves of radiation that are incredibly lethal to humans.

While this gun has little effect on ghouls, robots, and super mutants, against humans, it is devastating. As anyone who’s ventured to the Kingsport Lighthouse knows firsthand!

When firing this weapon, it produces an AoE effect that deals 23 radiation and explosion damage. However, direct hits cause 110 radiation damage in total.

This stacks up really quickly when you’re hitting a target with little to no rad resistance, and it can be incredibly effective in combat.

It is definitely fun to use, and this gun can be reliably found on most Children of Atom cultists at the aforementioned lighthouse!

13. The Striker

Added by the Far Harbor DLC, The Striker is a unique variant of the Fat Man, but it doesn’t fire mini nukes!

Instead, this weapon fires modified bowling balls by default, though you can mod it to fire mini nukes if you really want to.

However, hitting people with bowling balls is absolutely hilarious, and because this weapon has a 50% chance to cripple a target’s legs, it’s really effective!

We also love that it sometimes makes a “strike” sound effect when hitting a target, sort of like how the railway rifle in 3 would make a train whistle sound when reloaded.

Sure, it’s a bit of a gag weapon, but you can’t argue with the results, and we were able to mow down quite a few tough enemies with this bad boy!

12. Atom’s Judgement

Atom’s Judgement is another weapon you can get by joining the Children of Atom in Far Harbor, and it’s given to players after the quest The Heretic.

A unique variant of the super sledge, this giant glowing hammer is slow to swing but deals 40 base damage and 100 radiation damage!

Like other radiation weapons, Atom’s Judgement does wonders against human enemies, and it is affected by the Big Leagues and Blood Mess perks.

If you’re a melee user, it’s worth playing nice with the Nucleus for a bit just to get this weapon given how powerful it can be!

Of course, you can also use one of the best Fallout 4 companion mods to spec out one of your followers to use this weapon as well!

11. Cito’s Shiny Slugger

We love Cito, and no, we don’t accept criticism. While some may find this discount Tarzan to be irritating, we find him absolutely hilarious.

Plus, he’s got a tragic backstory and gives us this awesome melee weapon! How can we complain about that!?

Cito’s Shiny Slugger is, indeed, shiny, and it hits like a truck when you’re using a melee build with maxed-out Big Leagues!

This spikey baseball bat deals 123 damage and has rocket and aluminum modifications along with the relentless legendary effect.

When beating people to death with this bat in VATS, all critical hits will completely refill your action points so you can keep swinging for the fences!

To get this bat for yourself, you’ll have to finish cleaning out the Gatorclaws from Safari Adventure in the Nuka World DLC.

It’s worth noting that if you just straight-up kill Cito like a horrible person, he won’t drop this weapon, so to get it, you’ll have to be nice!

10. Admiral’s Friend

The Admiral’s Friend is another weapon added by the Far Harbor DLC, and, oh boy, is this heavy weapon fun.

A unique harpoon gun, the Admiral’s Friend, comes with the instigating legendary effect, which means it will deal double damage to targets with full health.

Without the damage bonus, this weapon provides a solid 150 points of damage, but it only holds one harpoon at a time.

Outside of Far Harbor, it can also be really hard to find ammo as well, though we were able to stock up fairly well while on the Island.

If you want to give the Admiral’s Friend a try, you can pick it up from Allen Lee in Far Harbor for about 1,500 caps. He’s also got plenty of ammo!

9. The Problem Solver

Added by the Nuka World DLC, The Problem Solver is a unique handmade rifle with the furious legendary effect.

This causes each consecutive bullet to deal increased damage on the same target, which is really useful.

While it only has a base damage output of 57, it can be raised by investing in either the Commando or Rifleman perks, depending on what mods you attach.

The only way to get The Problem Solver is by passing a charisma check with the Pack’s leader, Mason, during An Ambitious Plan.

However, you’ll also need to say the right things leading up to the check, which means choosing aggressive conversation options.

If you don’t pass the check, there won’t be another chance to grab this gun, even if you kill Mason, so be prepared to reload, put on your best dress and eat some Mentats!

8. Nuka-Nuke Launcher

Outclassed only by a Fat Man with the MIRV modification, the Nuka-Nuke Launcher is ridiculously powerful, and it was added by the Nuka World DLC.  

This weapon uses specially created Nuka-Nukes, which are mini nukes modified with Nuka-Cola Quantum.

The Nuka-Nuke Launcher deals 50% more damage than an average Fat Man, yielding 675 damage upon exploding.

If you want to grab this weapon, you’ll first need to complete the Cappy in a Haystack quest for Suierra Petrovita and side with Bradberton.

By doing this, you’ll be able to access the weapon storage where this bad boy is stored, along with schematics for crafting Nuka-Nukes!

We kind of wish we had a weapon like this when fighting the hardest bosses in Elden Ring because it would certainly be a huge help!

7. Experiment 18-A

Experiment 18-A is a unique weapon that can only be purchased from the synth requisition officer inside the Institute.

While it will cost you nearly 2,400 caps, it’s definitely worth the price, as it deals 24 base and 24 energy damage and has a clip that holds 36 shots.

It also comes with the rapid legendary effect that gives it a 25% faster firing rate and a 15% faster reloading speed.

There are also a ton of modifications for this weapon, so you can really trick it out to suit your playstyle!

6. Overseer’s Guardian

This unique combat rifle can be purchased in Vault 81 from Alexis Combes for around 3,000 caps, and it’s certainly worth the money.

Sold as either a long or short-barrel variant, this gun is randomly generated but always comes with the two-shot legendary effect.

This means that it will always fire an extra projectile that won’t impact your ammo count, effectively giving you two shots for the price of one.

The Overseer’s Guardian has a base damage of 55 and uses the common .45 round with a clip size that holds 20 shots.

It is typically affected by the Rifleman perk, but if changed to an automatic receiver, the Commando perk will take over.

We love this gun because it can be acquired extremely early in the game, so long as you have the caps.

Plus, its legendary effect makes it one of the most powerful weapons in Fallout 4, and you can easily use it through to the end!

5. Never-Ending Double-Barreled Shotgun

Double-barrel shotguns are powerful but not game-changing. Add the never-ending legendary effect to them, though, and you’re going to have a good time!

This legendary effect makes it so that you never have to reload, so you can keep firing off shots as much as you like!

The double-barreled shotgun does 45 base damage on its own, and while you’d usually be limited to two shots, not anymore!

If you really want to get crazy, you can use an advanced receiver and max out the Rifleman and Bloody Mess perks to really make this gun OP.

Really, the biggest issue is that this is a completely random spawn, so you’ll have to farm legendary enemies until you get lucky!

On the plus side, trying to get this gun will keep you plenty occupied while waiting for Fallout 5, which is likely still years off!

4. Big Boy

Comparable to the MIRV Launcher, the Big Boy is a unique Fat Man with the Two-Shot legendary effect that allows it to fire two mini nukes at once!

This equates to roughly 936 damage if both of your shots manage to hit their target! Now that’s a lot of damage!

However, Big Boy is also a very expensive boy, as you’ll need over 14,000 caps if you have low charisma and no perks.

If you do have the money, you can head over to Arturo in the Diamond City Market to pick it up at any time!

Plus, if you download Infinite Ammo For Your Companion, one of the best Fallout 4 mods, you can always turn them loose with the Big Boy and take cover!

3. Splattercannon

This unique handmade rifle comes with the furious legendary effect, which causes increased damage with each consecutive hit to a target.

Slightly less powerful than The Problem Solver, this gun deals 51 damage per hit, and its clip can hold 75 rounds.

We ranked this one higher because it’s a guaranteed spawn, whereas the other relies on a Charisma check that some characters might not pass.

However, it is still very expensive, costing roughly 12,000 caps if you have no charisma or bartering perks.

Aaron sells it in the Nuka-Town Market, but if you’re teaming up with the raiders, you’ll probably earn enough to buy it in no time!

2. Final Judgement

Final Judgement is a unique Gatling laser that comes with the rapid legendary effect and it’s the personal weapon of Elder Maxson.

If you’re siding with the Brotherhood, you will see him wielding it during a couple of quests, most notably Ad Victorium and The Nuclear Option.

Due to how damage is calculated in the game, this weapon gets a massive damage boost, and the result is a weapon that fires 41.5% faster than normal!

This, combined with the quadruple barrel damage, makes the Final Judgement absolutely insane. It’s easily one of the most powerful weapons in the game!

However, the only way to get it is by looting it from Maxson’s corpse during the quests Airship Down, Precipice of War, or Rockets’ Red Glare.

So, if you’re a die-hard BOS soldier and really want this gun, you might have to betray your cause. Ad Victorium, indeed!

1. Wounding Combat Shotgun

Taking our number one spot as the best weapon in Fallout 4, we have the wounding combat shotgun!

The combat shotgun is a beast of a weapon, and it deals a solid 50 damage per shot without any bonuses from levels or perks.

By default, it has an 8-round box magazine, but this can be modified into a drum magazine that holds 32 rounds.

Now, couple that with the wounding legendary effect, and anything that gets in your way is about to have a really bad day!

The wounding effect deals bleed damage over time at a rate of 5 damage per second for 5 seconds.

However, bleed damage also stacks, which means if you hit a target twice with a wounding combat shotgun, they’ll suffer bleed damage twice.

On guns with a high fire rate, like the combat shotgun, this effect is totally overpowered, and we absolutely love it.

Unfortunately, like the Never-Ending Double-Barreled Shotgun, this is a random drop from legendary enemies, so you’ll have to get lucky!

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the 25 best weapons in Fallout 4 and learned about some you might have missed out on!

Fallout 4 is loaded with great weapons, but these are the ones you’ll definitely want to grab if you want to stay alive in the harsh wasteland.

Make sure to keep an eye out for that legendary wounding combat shotgun, especially as it packs a punch!

Here’s a quick recap of the 25 best weapons in Fallout 4:

1. Wounding Combat Shotgun
2. Final Judgement
3. Splattercannon
4. Big Boy
5. Never-Ending Double-Barreled Shotgun
6. Overseer’s Guardian
7. Experiment 18-A
8. Nuka-Nuke Launcher
9. The Problem Solver
10. Admiral’s Friend
11. Cito’s Shiny Slugger
12. Atom’s Judgement
13. The Striker
14. Gamma Gun
15. Protectron’s Gaze
16. Kiloton Radium Rifle
17. The Harvester
18. Spray n’ Pray
19. Kremvh’s Tooth
20. Ashmaker
21. Deliverer
22. Shishkebab
23. Righteous Authority
24. Le Fusil Terribles
25. Kellogg’s Pistol

What’s your favorite weapon in Fallout 4? Leave a comment below.