For an overview of combat shotgun models, see combat shotgun. |
The riot shotgun is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background[]
A drum-magazine-fed, semi-automatic shotgun. It has a high damage-per-second, due in part to its large ammunition capacity when compared to other shotguns, and its high rate of fire. With the Shotgun Surgeon and And Stay Back perks, it can be a very devastating weapon in close quarters combat. It also reloads much faster than any other shotgun and therefore can change ammunition types very quickly. It also has the distinction of having the lowest Action point cost of all shotguns at 17 AP per shot which is comparable to some pistols, potentially making it useful for VATS-dependent player characters.
There are several disadvantages with the weapon. Like most shotguns, it suffers at mid to long range due to its poor weapons spread, more so than most other shotguns. However, this can be countered to a certain extent by using the 12-gauge slug ammunition (which decreases spread considerably), but even then it is very inaccurate. Also due to its semi-automatic fire and fast reload, the weapon can use a large quantity of ammunition quickly, with 12 gauge shells being relatively rare and expensive to buy in large quantities.
Durability[]
The riot shotgun can fire a total of about 870 standard shells, the equivalent of 73 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
Ammunition type | Durability | |
---|---|---|
Shots | Reloads | |
Standard, 4/0 buck, slug, coinshot, bean bag, flechette, Dragon's Breath & pulse slug | 870 | 73 |
Magnum & 4/0 buck Magnum | 756 | 63 |
Locations[]
- Camp McCarran - Fiends near McCarran may drop riot shotguns in poor condition.
- Gomorrah - The Omerta thug guarding the bank has a riot shotgun. This is generally the only way a low-level character can get one, as he always has one even at level 1.
- Gun Runners - A riot shotgun in nearly perfect condition can be bought from Vendortron after level 16.
- Hidden Valley bunker - Knight Torres sometimes sells riot shotguns in varying states of repair.
- Vault 34 - Riot shotguns in poor condition are located in the armory.
- Hoover Dam - NCR troopers inside the visitor center may carry riot shotguns around level 20.
- It is also possible to find one during the Birds of a Feather quest. At the final confrontation between the Van Graffs and Caesar's Legion, where three of the frumentarii carry riot shotguns (if above level 14).
- Some NCR Veteran Rangers carry riot shotguns at higher levels.
- At the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, if the Courier has recruited the Great Khans, they will show up carrying riot shotguns.
- NCR troopers sometimes carry them at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam in the power plant if the Courier sides with the NCR.
- White Legs occasionally drop riot shotguns at high levels.
- Marked men regularly carry riot shotguns at high levels.
- One in nearly perfect condition can be found in a Very Hard locked locker along with a nearly-perfect-condition set of riot gear in the Hopeville armory.
Sounds[]
Notes[]
As critical hits count for each projectile shot out of a weapon (outside of VATS), if one has a high critical hit chance (~25%), Better Criticals, and Shotgun Surgeon, the player character can expect normal (7-shot) Magnum rounds to do the most damage against targets with 15 DT or less. At 20 DT, 4/0 Buck Magnum rounds win with Slug and Magnum rounds 10% and 18% behind respectively. At a DT of 25 or higher, slug rounds win, with both magnums falling about 30% behind. If one has 35% critical chance and both former perks along with Just Lucky I'm Alive, standard magnum rounds win against targets with a DT of 30 or less, which is just about every enemy in the game. With all these perks against a target with 12 DT or less, the riot shotgun can do roughly 630 DPS with standard Magnum rounds, 512 DPS with Buck Magnum, or 300 DPS with slugs.