For an overview of Gauss rifle models in all games, see Gauss rifle.

	Operation: Anchorage unique weapon Gauss rifle
	Requirements skill Energy Weapons Attack statistics dmg/attack 100 (110) DPS 107.1 (117.9) DPS (reload) 30.6 (33.7) crit dmg 50 crit % mult x5 attacks/sec 1.1 AP 38 projectiles 1 spread 0 crit effect Knockdown for 4s Ammo & reloading ammo type Microfusion cell ammo/shot 1 shots/rel. 1 ammo cap. 1 reload time 2.3 Other weight 12 value 500 item HP 1500 repair Merchants base id xx00c07d xx003a04 (sim version) Perk effects perks (dam.) Bloody Mess (+5) Ghoul Ecology (+5)

 

The Gauss rifle is an advanced sniper rifle included in the Fallout 3 add-on Operation: Anchorage.

BackgroundEdit

The Gauss rifle, also called a coil gun, is a device used to propel a ferromagnetic projectile by accelerating them through a process of magnet induction. The Gauss rifle (and Gauss gun) are named after German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, who formulated mathematical descriptions of the magnetic effect demonstrated by magnetic accelerators.

CharacteristicsEdit

This rifle uses a series of electromagnetic fields to propel 2mm rounds at tremendous speed. It has a knockdown effect that will knock enemies off their feet following a critical hit.

Unlike the German M72 Gauss rifle, which uses 2mm EC magazines containing both batteries and ammunition, this gun requires the user to load in the microfusion cells needed to magnetize each pre-loaded round contained in the magazine attached to the side of the weapon.^[1] Each round produces a small "explosion" on impact, dealing minor splash damage.

The Gauss rifle has greater reliability per shot than the Victory rifle for knocking down enemies, but its buggy V.A.T.S. performance and low magazine size limits its usefulness in close-quarters combat.

DurabilityEdit

The Gauss rifle can fire a total of about 375 shots from full condition before breaking.

VariantsEdit

• Sim version (Operation: Anchorage add-on) - A sim-only version of the weapon which differs only in health (essentially non-degrading).

	The following is based on Fallout 3 cut content and has not been confirmed by canon sources.

• Gauss rifle - There is a beta version of the Gauss rifle that uses the model of a laser rifle and features a five round magazine. It does only about 25% of the damage of the final version, but has a 100% knockdown chance. It is only obtainable through console commands.

	End of information based on Fallout 3 cut content.

LocationsEdit

In the Capital Wasteland:

• One is located in the VSS Armory after completing the Anchorage Reclamation simulation with 300 microfusion cells with it.

In the Anchorage Reclamation simulation:

• During The Guns of Anchorage quest, a paratrooper gets shot down by Chinese soldiers, and leaves behind a Gauss rifle.
• One can be obtained from the Quartermaster at the U.S. Army Field Headquarters after successfully passing a speech check.
• One can also be found on an American power armored soldier during the fight with General Jingwei.

NotesEdit

• The version you acquire from the VSS Armory cannot be equipped by followers or any other non-player character, but the simulation version obtained through the glitches or console commands can.
• With 100 energy weapons skill, the scope doesn't sway, the same as with other sniper rifles with the small guns skill.
• The Gauss rifle is one of the few energy weapons that doesn't disintegrate the target when they are killed on a critical hit.
• Even though it does have a very large 2mm round magazine located on the right of the gun, no matter how many shots are fired it never needs to be replaced or reloaded. Only the microfusion cells used to charge the 2mm rounds need to be reloaded.
• Although quite a powerful ranged rifle, its firing and reload times are extremely time consuming.
• You can only obtain this weapon once without glitches, so you can only repair it with Alien Epoxy (Mothership Zeta add-on) or ask an NPC to do the repairs.
• If you have the Finesse perk, nearly every shot you fire (V.A.T.S. or not) will score critical. This is useful against enemies like Super Mutant Overlords, Feral Ghoul Reavers, Enclave Hellfire Troopers, Albino Radscorpions, or aliens.

BugsEdit

• pc ps3 xbox360 The scope on the Gauss rifle, like on the sniper rifle, is not perfectly zeroed. The shot will travel up and to the right of the target at extreme distances.
• pc ps3 xbox360 Occasionally, shots dealt from the Gauss rifle will not do damage, regardless of the type of hit it was (crippling hit, critical strike, sneak attack critical). However, it can still knock down enemies and cripple them.
• pc ps3 xbox360 This weapon does not deal proper damage when in V.A.T.S. Any hit will do exactly 95.244% of the maximum damage, regardless of enemy DR, critical hits, or sneak attacks. This means that, with 100 energy weapons, a Gauss rifle shot will do 95.244 points of damage with every V.A.T.S. shot. This is still lower than free aiming, and no bonuses are applied to headshots.
• pc ps3 xbox360 If your character is knocked down, either by a gas explosion or a frag grenade, the Gauss rifle may go flying. It will stay wherever it lands, and pulling the trigger will cause the rifle to fire from wherever it landed. Holstering the weapon has no effect. Equipping another weapon will fix the issue.
• pc ps3 xbox360 If you have any type of power armor equipped at the same time the rifle is equipped, the air tanks and valve on the armor will disappear. This is because it has the "hide backpack" flag marked, despite not having a backpack component like other weapons with this flag (minigun, Gatling laser, etc.).
• pc ps3 xbox360 Critical shots to the target's weapon will still knock them down.
• pc ps3 xbox360 Critical shots that do not kill will occasionally cause the target to fall through the map.
• xbox360 Sometimes in V.A.T.S when firing there will be a slight delay for firing but the firing sound will be normal, like when you reload and the sound for reloading is already done.
• xbox360 ps3 Sometimes if you fire the Gauss rifle straight down when standing, the camera will be switched to third person and the rifle will be knocked out of your hands until the reload animation finishes. It usually takes more than one shot since it doesent always do damage.

GalleryEdit

The scope view and the required aim compensation for a head shot.

A Chinese propaganda poster featuring the weapon. Translation: "Long live the People's Liberation Army!"

Add an image to this galleryAdd an image to this gallery

SoundsEdit

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ We did it this way because we knew we wanted to have an energy weapon equivalent of the sniper rifle, but also have it be consistent with other fictional versions of the Gauss rifle, including the one known in the Fallout universe. We also knew it had to use and existing ammunition type, since the player was going to get access to the Gauss rifle in the Wasteland, and would need to be able to find ammunition for it. It didn't feel right using the sniper rifle ammunition (we had considered it), and instead opted to "power" the weapon with the microfusion cell, but (fictionally) have it fire a standard slug, which is already pre-loaded into the weapon. - Emil Pagliarulo in the Bethesda Game Studios forum