As an avid Fallout 4 enthusiast with over 100 hours of playtime, I‘ve become an expert in locating, customizing and dominating with the many pistols found scattered through the ruins of Boston.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll be unpacking my top 24 pistol recommendations plus where to acquire them, critical mods to maximize damage output, and how to leverage pistols to counter each enemy type lurking in the wasteland.
While sniper rifles and automatic weapons fill most players‘ armories, opting for a .44 revolver or plasma pistol as your primary armament can bring tremendous advantages:
Extreme Damage Potential
- Upgraded pistol receivers can inflict devastating damage, exceeding even some sniper and shotgun options. Securing a pistol with an additional damage boosting Legendary Effect multiplies one shot kill potential even further.
Efficient Ammo Consumption
- Small arms pistol rounds like .45 are extremely common crafting components or loot finds. Even rarer fusion cells can still be used judiciously when each pistol shot inflicts high damage. Staying stocked up on ammo is much easier compared to automatic options that quickly spray dozens of rounds.
Rapid Target Acquisition
- While lacking scoped optics in most cases, pistols provide excellent responsiveness and snap shooting ability in close quarters. Quick target transition and aiming down sights speed keeps you on target. Hip firing accuracy also exceeds most automatics thanks to Gunslinger Perks.
Now that you appreciate the often overlooked power pistols bring, let‘s count down my choices for the Top 12 most lethal, precise and versatile pistols in Fallout 4!
#1: Splattercannon (Unique Submachine Gun)
My #1 pistol pick isn‘t technically a pistol but hearing me out! This exceptional automatic handgun is modeled after a classic Thompson submachine gun with boosted stats across the board.
While lacking the sheer single shot impact of larger caliber revolvers, the Splattercannon makes up for it in lightning fast fire rate, fed by easy to find .45 rounds. In addition, the explosive effect adds 15 points of area damage per bullet! Combined with excellent handling traits suitable for VATS or run-n-gun tactics, the Splattercannon simply shreds groups of enemies.
The only downside is needing to align with the notorious Raiders faction to obtain it. Successfully capture 30+ Commonwealth settlements for the Raiders during the "Home Sweet Home" questline and the Smattercannon can be purchased from their vendor in Nuka World.
I strongly recommend investing in Commando, Demolition Expert and Heavy/Sturdy armor piercing magazines to get the most from this weapon. It excels when confronting multiple Super Mutants, Ghouls and humans thanks to the .45 caliber explosive rounds chewing through limbs and torsos!
Key Stats
Damage: 39
Fire Rate: 138
Range: 119
Accuracy: 72
Weight: 5.8
Ammo: .45
#2: Experiment 18-A (Unique Alien Blaster)
While all Alien Blasters pack a huge 50 damage punch, the special legendary properties of Experiment 18-A make it the clear top choice. The Lucky effect means that each round has possibility for double damage (critical hit) making it devastating for high health enemies.
With only 400-500 rounds possible to ever generate in the game, make sure to manually save Alien Blaster ammo for only challenging fights. Thankfully VATS can compensate for the slower projectile speed.
To obtain Experiment 18-A you must successfully persuade a high level character with 9+ Charisma to relinquish ownership OR travel to Vault 95 to battle a challenging Gunner Commander. This unique variant outpaces even the base Splattercannon thanks to Lucky crits routinely inflicting 100+ damage!
Key Stats
Damage: 50
Fire Rate: 3
Range: 119
Accuracy: 76
Weight: 4.2
Ammo: Alien Blaster Round
Legendary Effect: 25% Chance for 2x Damage
#3: Les Fusil Terribles (Unique Combat Shotgun)
Now I know what you‘re thinking, this is clearly a shotgun! However, the tight shot spread and semiauto firing mode makes Les Fusil Terribles extremely pistol-like. The high base damage paired with a 25% bonus limb damage legendary effect generates extremely reliable crippling attacks.
As a reward for reaching maximum affinity with MacCready, this rare combat shotgun excels at shutting down oncoming melee attackers by shattering limbs before they can close into range.
Take the Shooting to Live perk at level 46 to enhance hip fire accuracy further and you have an ultimate close quarters shutdown tool! The only downside is steady ammo consumption so invest in Scrounger perks or be diligent gathering shotgun shells.
Key Stats
Damage: 90
Fire Rate: 40
Range: 119
Accuracy: 69
Weight: 7.7
Ammo: Shotgun Shells
Legendary Effect: +25% Limb Damage
#4: The Gainer (Unique Alien Disintegrator)
While the standard Alien Disintegrator pistol deals a solid 20 energy damage already, the legendary Gainer variant adds explosive and staggering properties to every green bolt discharged.
Rewarding those who unlock Vitale Behemoth‘s secret Companion quest, the Gainer discharges charged blasts that detonate for 15 point splash damage on top of ballistic impact. This allows easy crippling of advancing enemies to set up execution shots.
The integrated suppressor means silent headshots that trigger sneak attack critical bursts capable of dropping even high health Deathclaw. Save it for tougher fights were splash damage and crippling can enable easy clean up kills.
Key Stats
Damage: 20 + 15 Explosive
Fire Rate: 37
Range: 119
Accuracy: 65
Weight: 4
Ammo: Common Alien Rounds
Legendary Effect: Explosive + Stagger Chance
#5: Aeternus (Unique Gatling Laser)
Hear me out again! Aeternus isn‘t a conventional pistol but it functions superbly as a high tech single shot laser. The charging barrels allow bolt action style firing while each depleted fusion core functions as its "clip".
Rewarding those who appease Lorenzo Cabot through quest line completion, Aeternus regenerates ammunition over time. This allows continuous blasting without ever needing to manually reload! Shutting down even the heartiest opponents blocking your path has never been simpler.
The main limitation is hauling sufficient fusion cores to power its thrist. For most efficient damage output focus on cranking charging speed to counter slow cycling between shots. Then savor that instant fusion cell regeneration on kills!
Key Stats
Damage: 61
Fire Rate: 1 shot every 7 seconds
Range: 120
Accuracy: 74
Weight: 20
Ammo: Fusion Core Energy
Legendary Effect: Unlimited Ammo Regen
#6: Kellogg‘s Pistol (Unique .44 Magnum)
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