Fallout Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Fallout Wiki

Still, I haven't been exiled yet, or worse, assigned to latrine-cleaning duty. But I will, if you don't help me find that gun.— Stanton

Pistol Packing is an unmarked quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Unmarked Quest: Pistol Packing 
Talk to Quartermaster Knight Torres
Talk to the Brotherhood of Steel paladin who is sitting at the desk at the firing range right outside Torres' station. During the night, he is sleeping in the closest room. 
Talk to Initiate Stanton
Go to scorpion gulch
Retrieve the missing laser pistol
Return to Quartermaster Torres. 
Reward: Tri-beam laser rifle
Brotherhood of Steel fame 

Detailed walkthrough[]

Knight Torres, the quartermaster for the Brotherhood of Steel in the Hidden Valley bunker, will mention that she is missing one laser pistol from her inventory, which the Courier can volunteer to help find. After speaking to her, head next door to the firing range and speak to the paladin sitting at the desk there (if the paladin range master isn't at the firing range desk, try going down to the deck below and stepping into the large bedroom where he should be sleeping and speak to him). Mention the laser pistol, and the paladin will mention that Initiate Stanton was the last one to check it out, but signed it back in afterward. It is necessary to do this before talking to Stanton, or else he will claim that he doesn't know anything about it.

Initiate Stanton[]

Stanton can be found wandering around the first floor of the bunker or in the classroom during the daytime. At night, Stanton will be inside the initiate barracks, which is opposite of the long, oval-shaped hallway from the firing range. When speaking to him, mention the laser pistol he checked out. He will admit about how he and Apprentice Watkins went out to the scorpion gulch for a "training exercise." Once he and Watkins realized the scorpions were more than they could handle, they ran away and he dropped the laser pistol in the confusion. If mentioning that the laser pistol has been checked back in, he tells the Courier that he falsified the records. From here, the Courier may volunteer to retrieve the laser pistol (the laser pistol will not spawn in the gulch until the Courier speaks with the paladin at the firing range and then Stanton).

Scorpion gulch[]

Scorpion gulch is just southeast through a broken fencing line from the bunker. After going through the gulch, the missing laser pistol will be on top of a rock, in the middle of the lowest part of the gulch. The gulch will usually have various scorpions roaming around the area.

Conclusion[]

Once the laser pistol has been obtained, return to Torres. She will have a tri-beam laser rifle and will give it to the Courier as a reward for services rendered. The Courier will also receive Brotherhood of Steel fame.

Notes[]

  • Fast traveling to scorpion gulch will land the Courier near the missing laser pistol, but also very close to a number of scorpions, depending on the Courier's level.
  • The missing laser pistol is susceptible to being thrown off to other locations with explosives.
  • There is actually a misspelling in the subtitles during this quest. If asking Stanton where he specifically dropped it, he will say "I remember dropping it as we ran," but the subtitles will display "I remember dropping in as we ran."

Behind the scenes[]

The quest title is a reference to the 1943 song "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Al Dexter, who adapted it from the traditional folk song "Boil Them Cabbage Down."

Bugs[]

  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 At the end of the quest, the tri-beam laser rifle received as a reward will be bugged. Do not place it in the same inventory with another tri-beam laser rifle, as it will be replaced by the one received from Torres.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The "dead" wastelander could potentially be alive and fight the scorpions that occupy the gulch with an invisible varmint rifle. He will still drop the normal loot upon death.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 A corpse may not actually be present to mark the rock. If not, it's the large one at the bottom of the "bowl."[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 After speaking with Quartermaster Knight Torres to begin the quest, if asking Initiate Stanton where the laser pistol is before speaking with the paladin at the firing range desk, Stanton denies any knowledge of the laser pistol, and the paladin at the firing range desk can't be found to correct the quest. Exiting the bunker entirely and re-entering may correct the missing quartermaster's dialogue.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The icon of the missing laser pistol on the Pip-Boy will show that of a plasma pistol instead of a laser pistol.[verified]
  • PCPC The Search and Mark perk does not highlight the missing laser pistol.[verified]
  • PCPC If deciding to assist Edgar Hardin in his attempt to become the elder, this quest will automatically be removed. The missing laser pistol will still appear on the rock. The Courier will have to initiate a conversation with Torres, exit that conversation, and start a new one in order to be prompted to return the laser pistol.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The laser pistol may not appear on the rock, therefore voiding the quest. It may be found somewhere else in the gulch (as if a radscorpion moved it).[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 Upon getting the missing laser pistol and returning to Hidden Valley, the dialogue options to return the missing laser pistol may not appear. Restarting the game followed by equipping then unequipping the laser pistol may fix this.[verified]
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
Advertisement