Purpose of the weapons

[Tagaziel]

I've been wondering a bit, since a few weapons in the Fallout universe are European in origin and are... peculiar.

What makes me wonder is... their purpose.

The 14mm SIG-Sauer pistol, a Swiss weapon with extreme stopping power, extremely loud sound and generally an unwieldy weapon. Why was it created? Was it intended to give European troops an edge in urban combat against Middle Eastern soldiers (by giving the former the ability to PUNCH THROUGH WALLS)? Or was it a hunting weapon?

Next, the PPK12 and M72 Gauss weapons. Both have extreme range and accurancy, as well as armour-piercing capabilities. Long range anti-materiel rifles? The ultimate sniper rifles?

Food for thought.

 

[Spoonfeed]

Despite its high base damage, the 14mm Pistol is ultimately crippled by the absence of JHP ammunition. With the half damage from AP ammo applied, the 14mm compares unfavorably to alternatives like the .223 Pistol.

Equivalents of this weapon in real life would be either the .50 caliber Desert Eagle or Smith and Wesson's .500 Magnum available as a hunting and personal defense revolver.

This answers it somewhat, seems like it was originally intended for Hunting and personal defense, most likely due to it's high stopping power, I would imagine High-profile bouncers or bodyguards using it, as they favor high stopping power over high trauma/damage, usually.

 

[Chancellor Kremlin]

I always imagined the Gauss Rifles as Power Armour penetrators, so yes, a 'anti-material' rifle likely developed to counter either anticipated or current Chinese power armour models.

As for the European guns, well, just look at today, we have the Israeli desert eagle. Incredible stopping power and penetration. Why? Because we can...

 

[Wooz]

Don't try to rationalize it that far, Grizzers. It's just a second or third-tier handweapon that needed a cool look and a story, which description works fine.

As to gun looks, lemme restate again, I find a lot of similarities between Hard Boiled guns and the ones in FO.

 

[Ausir]

I always imagined the Gauss Rifles as Power Armour penetrators, so yes, a 'anti-material' rifle likely developed to counter either anticipated or current Chinese power armour models.

The Gauss weapons were actually developed in Germany, not in the US. And according to Operation: Anchorage were used by the Chinese as well. Perhaps the Germans sold them to both sides?

 

[Chancellor Kremlin]

I always imagined the Gauss Rifles as Power Armour penetrators, so yes, a 'anti-material' rifle likely developed to counter either anticipated or current Chinese power armour models.

The Gauss weapons were actually developed in Germany, not in the US. And according to Operation: Anchorage were used by the Chinese as well. Perhaps the Germans sold them to both sides?

Ahh yes thats right. Quite possible, seeing as Europe was apparently in chaos, each nation would try and find any way possible to make a profit, especially after the U.S said it would not share its oil, it could not expect much co-operation from other countries, meaning they could have easily sold them to China.

Personally I don't see why Beth decided to give them to the Chinese, but there you have it.

 

[your evil twin]

Well, in Fallout tactics there was the MEC Gauss Minigun, a Chinese weapon designed to counter US power armored soldiers. If they had gauss miniguns it is far to assume they had gauss rifles too.

(The canonicity of Fallout Tactics stuff is uncertain. Some stuff, like the lack of 1950s style, and the prescence of M16s and MP5s and berettas, are definately considered uncanon by Bethesda. But other aspects of Tactics are in Fallout 3.)

It's plausible they got ahold of European/US gauss weaponry, then reverse engineered it. Or, they independently built their own gauss weapons.

What is weird is that the gauss rifles used by the player and US troops in Operation Anchorage is the same type as seen on Chinese propaganda posters in the simulation, and yet no chinese use the weapons against you.

Of course, there is a terminal in the "real world" which comments on the simulation being very innacurate and divorced from reality. Perhaps "in reality" no US troops used those gauss weapons, or perhaps in reality the Chinese used them too. If the gauss weapon is a German weapon like the Fallout 2 M72 then I suppose it could have been used by both sides. In fact, its armour penetrating ability would make it more attractive to the Chinese than the US, maybe they were primarily used by Chinese rather than US forces.

 

[zenbitz]

M16s and MP5s fit right in with FO2s M60s, Light SAW, even FN-FAL.

 

[Ravager69]

M16s and MP5s fit right in with FO2s M60s, Light SAW, even FN-FAL.

My bet is that FO2 devs simply ran out of time and ideas to make them into non-real world weapons.

 

[Ah-Teen]

I've been wondering a bit, since a few weapons in the Fallout universe are European in origin and are... peculiar.

What makes me wonder is... their purpose.

The 14mm SIG-Sauer pistol, a Swiss weapon with extreme stopping power, extremely loud sound and generally an unwieldy weapon. Why was it created? Was it intended to give European troops an edge in urban combat against Middle Eastern soldiers (by giving the former the ability to PUNCH THROUGH WALLS)? Or was it a hunting weapon?

14mm(.55 caliber to those interested) appears to be a gigantic slug gun with heavy slow moving projectiles. If you look at the game image you see the magazine is quite thin meaning the 14mm round is probably quite short for the size of the round. Less powder with a bigger slug to compensate for knockdown power?

It could be that the weapon was designed for lower quality powders which would lead to lower bullet speeds. So then a reversal of what happed during the 20th century where bullets got smaller and faster. Bullets get bigger and slower. It would also make it perfect for the wasteland and the low quality powder being created for reloads. Thus it's reason for being EVERYWHERE!

Or it could have simply been whats called a "penis enlarger" as SuAside calls it for crazed American gun nuts to buy.

Next, the PPK12 and M72 Gauss weapons. Both have extreme range and accurancy, as well as armour-piercing capabilities. Long range anti-materiel rifles? The ultimate sniper rifles?

Food for thought.

*shrugs* I just like watching things sizzle with that other gun in the brotherhood bunker. Never paid much attention to the Gauss.

 

[Requete]

Next, the PPK12 and M72 Gauss weapons. Both have extreme range and accurancy, as well as armour-piercing capabilities. Long range anti-materiel rifles? The ultimate sniper rifles?

Anti Power armour weapon, since only US had ones and refused to share oil reserves with EC, I will be no suprised if Europe was allied with China; or just conquered by them.