Standard weapons for the U.S Army pre-war?

Sn1p3r187

Sn1p3r187

Carolinian Shaolin Monk
Honestly I don't whether to go by Fallout 3, 4, or New Vegas for what the standard weapons were for the U.S Army pre- war. Does anyone have a list or an idea of their own what the U.S Army used? I think would've likely used the R91 or a certain derivative of the M16/Service rifle we all know and love. But I'd hope it'd used a different caliber than the 5.56x45mm. In that case I'd hope they'd switch to using 6.5x39mm Grendel, 6.8x43mm SPC, or maybe .300 Blackout (7.62x35mm). So any thoughts here on what they likely would've used?
 
From what I know, the 10mm pistol and the AEP-7 laser pistol were the standard military sidearms by 2077. Primary weapons would've included the Service Rifle, the Assault Rifle and the Infiltrator. Heavy weapons specialists would've used miniguns, flamethrowers and gatling lasers. Laser rifles and plasma casters were coming into their own as potential service weapons, with the urban plasma rifle entering it's prototype phase. Melee weapons would've included combat knives and Rippers. Frag, flash and pulse grenades were also apparently standard issue.
 
Provided that STANAG was still in effect, then it's more than likely that 5.56 would still be in circulation. However, at least if I recall correctly, and I'm entirely disregarding Bethesda's Fallouts, that at least the US Army had gone to directed energy weapons for all personnel down range, though Guard and Reserve units were still being issued with conventional ballistic weapons.

Also, I'm not sure whether or not the USMC, USAF and USN had yet transitioned to directed energy weapons or not.
 
RetroAmerica said:
Provided that STANAG was still in effect, then it's more than likely that 5.56 would still be in circulation. However, at least if I recall correctly, and I'm entirely disregarding Bethesda's Fallouts, that at least the US Army had gone to directed energy weapons for all personnel down range, though Guard and Reserve units were still being issued with conventional ballistic weapons.

Also, I'm not sure whether or not the USMC, USAF and USN had yet transitioned to directed energy weapons or not.
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Yeah especially the Air Force. They'd likely be the first ones getting laser and plasma weapons and making them standard issue.
 
Fallout 1 manual says energy weapons had just started to come into actual use in warfare, when the world blew up. I think EWs are only issued in limited quantity in US Army, and majority of them probably got sent to troops in China mainland.
I'd say 5mm is the military standard assault rifle/minigun cartridge, along with some M16-like derivatives like Assault Carbine in New Vegas (or AK-112 in Fallout 1 & 2, if the Army did use any Kalashnikov variants), not 5.56mm and a cheap copy of Spanish CETME C rifle (R91) established by Bethesda in their FO3. Can't say I'm not biased. :P
 
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NovaRain said:
Fallout 1 manual says energy weapons had just started to come into actual use in warfare, when the world blew up. I think EWs are only issued in limited quantity in US Army, and majority of them probably got sent to troops in China mainland.
I'd say 5mm is the military standard assault rifle/minigun cartridge, along with some M16-like derivatives like Assault Carbine in New Vegas (or AK-112 in Fallout 1 & 2, if the Army did use any Kalashnikov variants), not 5.56mm and a cheap copy of Spanish CETME C rifle (R91) established by Bethesda in their FO3. Can't say I'm not biased. :P
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Ehh point. But I don't think the U.S Army would ever use Kalashnikovs because of the Soviet Union at the time in 2077. Unlikely, they have their own industry to produce weapons that are likely superior.
 
RetroAmerica said:
Short answer: NO

Long Answer: Deployment of materials/ordnance and logistics would no doubt vary between CONUS and OCONUS.
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What does CONUS and OCUNUS mean? Is that like the logistics support and what they're able to send to certain detachments wherever in the U.S or overseas?
 
BairdEC said:
Yep. Continental United States vs. Outside Continental United States.
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Ahh so it makes sense that say if every unit within the CONUS got the R91 Assault rifle, but units outside the CONUS still use the service rifle and N80 service pistol?
 
It could, although on a full-on war footing, most of the units left in CONUS would probably be training units for new recruits (who would get sent piecemeal out to deployed units as required), high-level command staff that won't see combat unless their duty station is invaded unexpectedly, or second-line units from the reserves or National Guard who are getting used for internal security. I'd guess that the posse comitatus restrictions for Federal units went away in the FO universe.
 
To add to what's being said, deployed units get first priority on equipment and manpower. The closer to the fighting, the larger the budget and equipment priority, so units within the US would be the last units to get cutting edge equipment. You could expect units closer to Alaska and China to be equipped first, meaning that the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast would house units with better equipment than the East Coast. There's an argument to be made that the Northern States might house some peacekeeping units for the newly annexed Canada, but I think that'd likely be National Guard, who are always the last to get newer and better equipment (typically the NG gets the equipment that the Regular Army is phasing out or replacing).
 
Some info for you, ofc. without considering Beth stuff as canon:

PISTOLS

SP: 10mm pistols and SMGs were abundant in Fallout. Was 10MM ammunition standard ballistic military issue at the time of the war?
CT: It was the standard ammunition for the BATF. The military was into energy weapons.
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Also, look at Wattz 1000 description:
{1601}{}{A Wattz 1000 Laser Pistol. Civilian model, so the wattage is lower than military or police versions.
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Probably military was using some non-civilian version of Wattz 1000 laser pistol.

PERSONAL RIFLE

Wattz 2000 laser rifle and Winchester P94* were standard issue for soldiers for sure. (Future Weapons Today)
*(plasma caster by 2077 was slowly becoming outdated, that's why REPCONN was working on new better one)

(Urban rifle is just beth creation, and it was in testing phase pre-war so wasn't used at all by military).

OTHERS

Also, gatling lasers:
"{2801}{}{An H&K L30 Gatling Laser. Designed specifically for military use, these were in the prototype stage at the beginning of the War. Multiple barrels allow longer firing before overheating. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells. Min ST: 6.}"
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Plasma and pulse grenades/mines.
Combat shotguns probably from old Fallouts (Winchester City-Killer, H&K CAWS and Pancor Jackhammer) but it's hard to say which one was most popular, probably all of them were rare to use against Chinese.

ARMOURS

About armours, its damn easy.
For the masses: Second generation of combat armours (with third generation for some units)
For the front units: Power Armours

GAUSS TECHNOLOGY

And the only question is about Gauss Rifles, but I doubt USA has plenty of them so they can be omitted. Seems like ALL of them in post-war wasteland was coming form Enclave (or their outposts or magazines). (in Fallout 2 there was one pistol in Mariposa from post-Enclave hands and one rifle in the hands of Karl in NCR, but it's hard to say from what source they got it.)

However, considering it was german design and Chinese created gauss minigun, IMHO gauss was mass used (or at least, mass used in comparision to USA) by chinese troops, especially that they needed it to pierce PA. (and Gobi campaign rifle just confirms that USA snipers weren't using it)
 
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Languorous_Maiar said:
Some info for you, ofc. without considering Beth stuff as canon:

PISTOLS



Also, look at Wattz 1000 description:


Probably military was using some non-civilian version of Wattz 1000 laser pistol.

PERSONAL RIFLE

Wattz 2000 laser rifle and Winchester P94* were standard issue for soldiers for sure. (Future Weapons Today)
*(plasma caster by 2077 was slowly becoming outdated, that's why REPCONN was working on new better one)

(Urban rifle is just beth creation, and it was in testing phase pre-war so wasn't used at all by military).

OTHERS

Also, gatling lasers:


Plasma and pulse grenades/mines.
Combat shotguns probably from old Fallouts (Winchester City-Killer, H&K CAWS and Pancor Jackhammer) but it's hard to say which one was most popular, probably all of them were rare to use against Chinese.

ARMOURS

About armours, its damn easy.
For the masses: Second generation of combat armours (with third generation for some units)
For the front units: Power Armours

GAUSS TECHNOLOGY

And the only question is about Gauss Rifles, but I doubt USA has plenty of them so they can be omitted. Seems like ALL of them in post-war wasteland was coming form Enclave (or their outposts or magazines). (in Fallout 2 there was one pistol in Mariposa from post-Enclave hands and one rifle in the hands of Karl in NCR, but it's hard to say from what source they got it.)

However, considering it was german design and Chinese created gauss minigun, IMHO gauss was mass used (or at least, mass used in comparision to USA) by chinese troops, especially that they needed it to pierce PA. (and Gobi campaign rifle just confirms that USA snipers weren't using it)
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Ah that makes sense they were using laser and plasma weaponry as standards.
 
um... No. No it doesn't. If memory serves, energy weapons (especially lasers) were supposedly fragile. I think it had something to do with lens or a crystal array or something, but laser weapons weren't particularly hardy. Even if they aren't any more fragile than conventional firearms, they've got to be a lot more expensive, considering that microfusion cells are probably using uranium, which is in much shorter supply than lead, copper and iron, not to mention the complex electronics being put into the guns themselves.

For America to field such a large army without breaking the bank, they'd probably wind up using more traditional firearms and leave the advanced tech for the special forces and heavy troops.

I'd wager that the Service Rifle and Assault Carbine, as well as the R91, are the standard service weapons of the US armed forces, with the N80 and potentially the AEP-9 as the standard sidearm.

It is possible that the military wanted to phase out standard firearms, but it's still rather impractical. Then again, this is the same government that spend trillions and trillions of dollars on over 100 oversized death traps, so perhaps money wasn't an issue.

EDIT: I said AEP-9. I actually mean AEP-7, but I was confused because Bethesda did a dumb and fused the AER-9 and AEP-7 into one weapon. Damn it, Bethesda.
 
I'd wager that the Service Rifle and Assault Carbine, as well as the R91, are the standard service weapons of the US armed forces, with the N80 and potentially the AEP-9 as the standard sidearm.
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It is, but only in Beth literation of Fallout.
But not form original developers.
 
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