They are employed by technologically advanced organizations, such as the Enclave, or the Brotherhood of Steel, and historic sites for security detail, such as the Museum of History, though in the latter case their former operators had been long since dead. In one case, a raider gang near the Arlington Library has reprogrammed turrets to protect their camp and chem lab.
Automated turret
Specifications
Automated turrets can either be mounted to the ceiling or the floor. Those mounted on the ceiling fire conventional ammunition at an automatic rate, whereas floor mounted turrets fire laser beams similar to those of the laser rifle, but in a much faster succession. Both varieties have unlimited ammunition. As a rule, odd numbered turret models use conventional bullets and even numbered turrets use laser projectiles.
Gameplay attributes
Automated turrets are often found in military installations or areas of historical value. Although not too damaging at lower levels, they can be quite deadly if they surprise the player, or if they are in groups. Both types of turrets can be frenzied by shooting either the targeting chip (on ground units) or the lens (on ceiling units). Once frenzied, the turrets will fire on everything they see. All turrets can be shut down using the Robotics Expert perk if the player can reach them unnoticed while sneaking.
Alien turret (Mothership Zeta)
Specifications
Alien turrets are always ceiling-mounted and can be harder to see, due to their much smaller size. They shoot energy beams similar to the alien atomizer and disintegrator in rapid salvos of five shots. The individual pulses aren't highly damaging, but can take a chunk out of the player's health if the Lone Wanderer gets caught out in the open for too long.
Gameplay attributes
While they cannot be shut down or frenzied via terminal, it is possible to remotely detonate them using nearby switches aboard the Mothership. They explode in a blast of green plasma, similar to a plasma grenade. Like normal turrets, they are unable to shoot directly below them and can be shut down using the Robotics Expert perk if the player is able to reach them by jumping while crouched.
Ceiling mounted
Mark I (Capital Wasteland)
These can be found in buildings and on bridges and ceilings. A couple are found at Fort Independence. These turrets are often used by organizations such as the Brotherhood Outcasts, but can be found widely across the wasteland. Even raiders use them as sentries. They can be frenzied just like any other turret when the player cripples the lens.
These turrets can be found both inside and outside buildings, as well as on bridges. All floor-mounted models have laser weaponry and can be frenzied when their targeting chip is destroyed. Some can be found outside the Citadel.
These turrets are found on the Chinese compound wall during the final quest in Operation Anchorage. As expected at this stage, these turrets have much higher Hit Points than the Mark I bunker turrets.
Turrets are generally controlled from a nearby terminal. Using the Science skill to hack the terminal will allow you to reprogram the targeting parameters, which will allow you to either reset its targeting parameters, causing it to target any character (not just the player, similar to the frenzy effect), or shut it down completely. After being turned off, the turret can be reactivated at the same terminal if desired.
The ceiling-based turrets have a blind spot directly below them where they cannot attack. They also rotate rather slowly following a mark, so they can be outrun or circle-strafed at close distance.
With the Robotics Expert perk it is possible to sneak up on turrets and disable them, as long as you can reach them. It is not necessary to be hidden, simply being momentarily out of sight is enough to deactivate them.
Turrets, like eyebots, cannot be looted for scrap metal when killed, as they either explode into small pieces, or disappear altogether. However, sometimes floor-mounted turrets will not explode, yielding some scrap metal.
PC It's possible that alien turrets get glitched and appear with a permanent 0% hit chance in V.A.T.S., making it impossible to frenzy or destroy them through V.A.T.S. [verified]
Xbox 360 It's possible when using V.A.T.S, that you will not inflict damage even with a 95% hit chance. [verified]