Top 15 Best Fallout 4 Automatic Weapons

Automatic weapons have an important role in Fallout 4. With the staggering number of enemies and lurking threats in the radiation shadows of the Commonwealth of Boston, players need strong rifles to keep a safe side and push up during combat. Especially players pursuing a unique playstyle with their character build often seek the best Fallout 4 automatic weapons to achieve a tremendous performance out of their character. 

Meanwhile, many automatic weapons cater to several characters and playstyle types. Every weapon has its benefits and downside during the intense combat in wide stretching open world of Fallout 4. Losing combat to a bunch of ghouls just because of a weak handgun is the last thing any player would want to experience in the game.

For that instance, we bring you the top 15 best automatic weapons in Fallout 4 that excel in promoting good and balanced combat to help you achieve an ideal playthrough. With that said, let’s get right into it. 

Related Reads: Best Fallout 4 Weapons

Comparison table for the best automatic weapons in fallout 4 are as below;

No.	Weapons	Damage	Clip Size	Fire Rate	Range	Weight	Accuracy	AP Cost
1	10mm Auto Pistol	18	12	46	83	3.5	60	21
2	Pipe Gun	13	12	55	83	2.3	57	-
3	Cryolator	20	25	90	71	13.2	66	21
4	Virgil’s Rifle	29	-	-	-	7.3	-	-
5	Combat Shotgun	50	8	20	47	7	23	35
6	Submachine Gun	10	50	127	107	12.7	63	-
7	Overseer’s Guardian	55	20	90	119	15.7	70	25
8	Prototype UP77	24	unlimited	90	227	3.99	96	-
9	Automatic Tesla Rifle	32	15	40	83	8.1	70	-
10	Survivor’s Special	31	-	-	-	4.8	-	-
11	Assault Rifle	30	30	40	119	13.4	72	32
12	Radium Rifle	27+57	20	40	119	11.1	69	-
13	Experiment 18-A	24+24	36	136	203	6.6	140	-
14	The Problem Solver	57	75	59	185	21.6	92	-
15	Railway Rifle	100	10	10	119	14.4	69	20

Fallout 4 Best Automatic Weapons

Meanwhile, automatic weapons can greatly improve your ranged combat in Fallout 4; you will still need to consider weapons’ damage output, fire rate, and the perks they can contribute to your character. Below are some top additions of automatic weapons that will enable players to clean sweep maps with best-ranged shootouts. 

10mm Auto Pistol

The first notable mention is the 10mm Auto Pistol. As the name implies, this pistol utilizes 10mm rounds with a default automatic receiver.

Meanwhile, many players overlook the weapon’s capabilities since it is a pistol. However, the 10mm Auto Pistol is an excellent weapon for beginner players and can assist players in putting down ground enemies and bosses like Mirlurk Queen.

It is also a good contender among other pistols and can go hand in hand with the Cowboy character builds. You can check out our Fallout 4 best builds guide to pursue an ultimate cowboy build while coupling it with a 10mm Auto Pistol. 

As for the stats, 10mm Auto Pistol is all about shooting and less talking. At an incredible fire rate of 46, players will be able to deal damage of 18 with each hit on the enemy. Considering it is an automatic pistol, you will not worry about missing any hits, thus dealing more damage on the enemies and clearing any beginner-to-mid-game levels quickly. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	18
Clip Size	12
Fire Rate	46
Range	83
Weight	3.5
Accuracy	60
AP Cost	21

Also, finding this weapon in the wide-open world of Fallout 4 is pretty straightforward. It is because the 10mm Auto Pistol is one of the first weapons players can obtain while leaving Vault 111. You may get the weapon from the Overseer’s Office. Check the Cryolater section; right next to it, you will discover the 10mm Auto Pistol. 

However, you must invest some work and grind boss fights to get a unique auto pistol with a legendary effect. Like most legendary weapons, farming on legendary enemies is crucial to enhance your chances of receiving a 10mm Auto Pistol with legendary effects. You can start grinding the legendary boss fights of Deathclaws or Mirlurk at the southern portion of the map.

Pipe Gun

Although it is not an automatic weapon by default, players can easily add an automatic receiver to the Pipe Gun to achieve a smooth bullet fire rate and accuracy. Pipe Gun can also make a prominent addition as a secondary weapon to both mid to late-game players. The main reason behind it is its compatibility with the Commando perk to improve the accuracy of each hit. 

Speaking of perks, if you want to know more about utilizing the true capabilities of perks, you can check out our Fallout 4 best perks guide. With the right focused perks for your character build, players can pave the way for an ideal storyline and ultimately achieve a satisfying ending in the game. 

Unlike most weapons in Fallout 4, Pipe Gun might not be an appealing addition to your arsenal. Meanwhile, keeping a second gun in your inventory is always valuable, with the threats always lurking in the shadows. The cherry on top is that these weapons use easy-to-discover .38 rounds, while the gun is easily accessible to players.  

Attribute	Value
Damage	13
Clip Size	12
Fire Rate	55
Range	83
Weight	2.3
Accuracy	57
AP Cost	-

Pipe Gun has somewhat starting stats that can cater to dealing damage to lower-level enemies. For that instance, it will only contribute 13 damage values for players. Meanwhile, considering players getting outnumbered in intense combat situations where ammo is not accessible, a Pipe Gun with 12 magazine size and a fire rate of 55 can be a gold mine. 

As said above, finding the Pipe Gun is no struggle. You can easily purchase the Pipe Gun from Arturo Rodriguez merchant from Diamond City. It is going to cost you some Bottlecaps currency to make the purchase, but in the end, it is worth it in the long run. 

Moreover, if you are thinking of a vigorous approach, you may want to look out for raiders, which mostly use Pipe Gun. Hunt the raiders or fallen settlers, scavengers, or Diamond City Security officers. These are the most prominent NPCs that carry a Pipe Gun, which can be looted from their corpses. 

Cryolator

Moving on to the next weapon on the list is Cryolator. Do not scratch your head around the name; you will be pleased with the weapon abilities instead. The main reason behind the Cryolator being one of the top automatic weapons in Fallout 4 is because of its early accessibility and good damage output. 

If you look at the lore behind the weapon, it was developed by Overseer in Vault 111 with exceptional modifications. It utilizes Cryolator as ammunition and will shoot ice. Apart from leaving frostbite on the foes, the weapon deals a good energy damage output of 20 with a fire rate value of a whopping 90. 

Although this damage output may not be perfect for veteran and higher-level players, but what this weapon lacks in damage output, it makes up for the freezing effect on the enemy. The only major downside of the weapon is the cryo cell used by Cryolator for ammo. Finding these cryo cells is not going to be easy around the massive world of Fallout 4. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	20
Clip Size	25
Fire Rate	90
Range	71
Weight	13.2
Accuracy	66
AP Cost	21

But still, you will be able to use the weapon on special occasions like farming legendary bosses or acing a significant level in the game.

Surprisingly, players can get their hands on the weapons mid-way to the game from the Overseer’s room in Vault 111. But you will need a level 20 character build with a higher Perception value. The main reason is that the weapon is secured in a container with a master lock that requires higher-level lock-picking skills. Once you have unlocked the bobby pins, you can wield the mighty Cryolator and increase the damage done to the enemy with the unique legendary effect. 

Virgil’s Rifle

Moving further into the list, players can get their hands on more advanced automatic weapons in Fallout 4. It brings us to Virgil’s Rifle, a unique variant of the original Institute Laser. As you progress through the storyline, players encounter formidable foes that will challenge your character’s capabilities until the end. This is where you will need a quality arsenal to pave the way for progressing the storyline and ultimately achieve the ideal playthrough with your endgame character build. 

Virgil’s Rifle can meet your expectations with an intensely promising fire rate and damage output that will obliterate small enemies. Meanwhile, if you are planning on hunting down bosses, Virgil’s Rifle makes a perfect entry among the most potent automatic rifles in Fallout 4. 

In essence, it is an enhanced and modified institute rifle used by Virgil himself. Energy weapons already have a decent damage output in Fallout 4, while Virgil’s rifle is a cherry on top of the category. Looking at the stats, it deals with an energy damage output of 29. On top of that, when used against super mutants, Virgil’s rifle can extend the damage up to +50%, making the automatic rifle even deadlier. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	29
Clip Size	-
Fire Rate	-
Range	-
Weight	7.3
Accuracy	-

The only downside of this weapon is that it needs Fusion Cells as ammunition. For that instance, you may want to get your hands on as many Fusion Cells from the start of the game to ensure you can utilize them for Virgil’s rifle. 

Obtaining the weapon might involve hefty storyline progression and decision-making. Even though the game gives players complete freedom to make their own decisions, you can kill Virgil to loot the rifle from his corpse and be on your way. But still, it is not the recommended approach in the long run. 

Only one approach can help players obtain Virgil’s rifle: siding with the super mutant and giving him the Serum. This way, Virgil will reward your character with his rifle that you can keep forever. 

Combat Shotgun

Combat Shotgun is an incredibly powerful rifle that extends the damage output and has tons of modification abilities. Unlike most weapons in the game, Combat Shotgun is unique, with some of the most enjoyable mechanics in the game, allowing players to murder devils and deadly ghouls brutally. 

This might grab players’ attention looking for a psycho-focused character build and would like to kill everyone, leaving no witnesses behind. Even better, you can achieve the sweet Critical Hits with Combat Shotgun to deal massive damage to higher-level enemies. 

Although Combat Shotgun is a semi-automatic weapon, you can add a mod of Automatic Reciever to enhance the fire rate even further. Moreover, since you are focusing on the Commando Perk for automatic rifles, Combat Shotgun will also qualify for the perk giving you tactical leverage in combat against tricky enemies. 

Using the shotgun shells, players can yield a damage output of 50 at a decent fire rate of 20. The multiple projectiles can instantly kill the small enemies and stagger the giant foes so you can make a Critical Hit as a final nail in their death coffin. 

Obtaining the Combat Shotgun also has several ways. You can either purchase the Combat Shotgun from merchants like Arturo Rodriguez from Diamond City and Deb from Bunker Hill. Or you can pursue a hard approach of fighting the hordes of mercenaries to claim a Combat Shotgun for free. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	50
Clip Size	8
Fire Rate	20
Range	47
Weight	7
Accuracy	23
AP Cost	35

If you are thinking of a later approach, you might want to visit the dark alleyway behind Diamon City, which is crawling with Mongrels and mercenaries. Be warned, even if you are a stealth-focused character build, you will alert the guards and all the traps. At the end of the alleyway, players can get their hands on a Combat Shotgun by disabling a trap. 

This is one of the legit spots to get your Combat Shotgun. If you fail to obtain the weapon, you can reload your game world and return to the place to get your piece of the powerful weapon in Fallout 4. 

Submachine Gun

Submachine Guns are never an exception in shooting games. In fact, every player seeks weapons with a rapid burst fire rate and a good damage performance per hit. The base Submachine Gun in Fallout 4 can cater to these requirements of players for assisting in intense battle situations. 

While using the .45 rounds, each hit from the Submachine Gun can pierce through light walls and skins of super mutants and heavy enemies in the game. It is easy to encounter a situation, for instance, a Deathclaw encounter in survival mode, where your weapons fail to meet our expectations and exhaust your combat. Eventually, players fail the combat, losing all the progress midway. 

Submachine Gun does not push a good damage performance with only a small value of 10. However, at that massive mag size of 50 and a fire rate of 127, it is a deadly mass weapon for all kinds of players. With this automatic rifle on their side, players will not have to worry about missing any hits on the enemies and still stagger the huge bosses with a fatal fire rate. 

Once again, players can purchase Submachine Gun from Arturo merchant from Diamond City. Or you can start farming on the raiders and loot it off from the Triggermen gang in Commonwealth of Fallout 4. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	10
Clip Size	50
Fire Rate	127
Range	107
Weight	12.7
Accuracy	63

If this damage does not sound promising for your character, build, surprisingly, you can find a unique variant of the weapon known as Spray n’ Pray. The unique aspects of this weapon are a considerable damage of 34, and an extended clip size of up to 100 at the same fire rate of 127. This is a huge upgrade to the base Submachine Gun, thus assisting players with Commando-focused playthroughs in Fallout 4. 

Unfortunately, Spray n’ Pray is only available for purchase by a mobile vendor called “Cricket.” She is an authoritative end-game vendor that carries sellable items on two-headed cows, also known as Brahmin. Moreover, finding her around the huge wasteland is the crux of the matter, but she can be easily spotted around Bunker Hill, Vault 81, or Warwick Homestead. Make sure to visit these locations randomly and you may be able to spot her cattle to make the trade for powerful Spray n’ Pray quickly. 

Overseer’s Guardian

Moving further into the list, players must get their hands on Overseer’s Guardian. Overseer’s Guardian blows every weapon out of the water if you seek a rigid, long-range combat rifle. Now take on any legendary boss fight or grind on waves of ghouls and raiders; Overseer’s Guardian is a prime weapon that will not fail on your character. 

On top of that, it makes up for multiple types of playstyles so that you can consider it for any type of long-range character build. Since it is a legendary combat rifle, it shoots an extra bullet. If you are worried about higher-level enemies with strong armor, try using Overseer’s Guardian to achieve extra damage per bullet fired. 

However, you may want to add a barrel range of your choice, as this weapon is spawned with a random short or long barrel. If you received a short barrel Overseer’s Guardian, you might want to equip it with a long-range barrel to achieve far-range accuracy. 

Next, players can receive a damage performance of 55 per hit on the enemy. Although the weapon has a pretty downgraded fire rate of 90, you can still cover it with a magazine size of 20. Plus, the Two Shot unique effect on the weapon will not drain the bullets count. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	55
Clip Size	20
Fire Rate	90
Range	119
Weight	15.7
Accuracy	70
AP Cost	25

There is only one way to get the Overseer’s Guardian: to purchase it from Alexis Combes from Vault 81. It surely involves investing some hefty hard-earned Bottlecaps, but in the end, all the damage performance and the legendary effects are worth each currency invested.

Conversely, the weapon’s price also depends on your character’s S.P.E.C.I.AL stats. So make sure you set up perfect starting stats in Fallout 4 to receive a fair price for the weapon. 

Prototype UP77 Limitless Potential

Regarding the best pistols to produce damage, Prototype UP77 with Limitless Potential variant is never an exception. It is a mighty and snappy laser gun that players can utilize as an automatic weapon in Fallout 4. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	24
Clip Size	unlimited
Fire Rate	90
Range	227
Weight	3.99
Accuracy	96
AP Cost	?

Meanwhile, it may not have the best damage-per-shot ratio, but it takes pride in the unique effect for your character. If you manage to get your hands on the Prototype UP77 Limitless Potentia, you will be able to enjoy unlimited ammo. Moreover, players can register damage of 24 on each hit to clear any enemy outpost while staggering the large enemies with a remarkable fire rate of 90.  

To get your hands on the unique laser gun, you would want to visit University Point and gain access to the University Credit Union. Players will have to hack through different terminals and eventually reach a room with some safes. Here you can interact with one safe with a master lock that you might want to unlock using bobby pins. 

Once unlocked, you can interact with another button inside the safe that will open access to a laboratory with the mighty Prototype UP77 Limitless Potential. 

Automatic Tesla Rifle

Tesla Rifle sounds extremely futuristic, as it is part of the Automatron DLC for Fallout 4. With a game aging seven years after release, most players might already have Automatron DLC to experience the game’s new and more diverse content. If that is the case, the Automatic Tesla Rifle should be a top priority among players to qualify their character builds for best mid-to-long-range combat. 

The automatic Tesla Rifle uses Fusion Cells and packs a huge punch of electricity arcs that will dismember and kill any enemy within range. With each clip size of 15, Tesla Rifle can deal damage up to 32, completely decimating small enemies. On the other side, a base fire rate of 40 definitely makes this weapon worth considering in Fallout 4. 

Not to mention the unique effect on the Tesla Rifle of shooting an arc poses a deadly challenge for enemies. In essence, this arc can hit multiple enemies in a range, thus giving players a massive advantage of defeating enemies without wasting much ammo. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	32
Clip Size	15
Fire Rate	40
Range	83
Weight	8.1
Accuracy	70
AP Cost	-

Players first must progress the storyline for Automatron DLC to receive the Tesla Rifle. We might not reveal many storyline details, but players will receive the Tesla Rifle as a reward during the infamous Headhunting quest. So make sure you are coming prepared with your best weapons to make sure you succeed in the quest and reward your character with the Tesla Rifle.  

Another vital aspect to note here is that Tesla Rifle may not come with an Automatic barrel at the start. However, you can add the Automatic barrel to smoothen the weapon’s fire rate experience. 

Survivor’s Special

While no matter how much post-war has affected the Commonwealth Boston of United States of America, laser pistol will never go outdated. Survivor’s Special is a unique laser pistol in Fallout 4 coupled with excellent fire rate and damage output. 

If the looks of the weapon are not appealing for your character build, you can consider it for the unique effect. While using the unique pistol, if your character is low on health, you will be able to deal more damage with each hit. It can come in handy during combat situations, and you have Surivor’s Special as a secondary weapon. 

The weapon’s stats reveal 31 damage outputs at the cost of Fusion Cell. If you are pursuing a Power Armor, you may not have a problem in discovering Fusion Cell to utilize it as rounds for Survivor’s Special weapon. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	31
Clip Size	?
Fire Rate	?
Range	?
Weight	4.8
Accuracy	?

Conversely, obtaining your piece of Survivor’s Special also depends on your choices for the storyline. In this case, you must complete The Lost Patrol quest and ensure Paladin Brandis joins the Brotherhood of Steel faction. Otherwise, you may lose your chance of getting your hands on the weapon forever. Of course, you can also mod the weapon to your game, but for the completionist’s sake, that is the only approach guaranteed to reward players with the unique laser gun. 

Assault Rifle

It is quite easy to miss out on the Assault Rifle in Fallout 4, especially when there is a huge list of weapons accessible to players. Assault Rifle really lacks the attention of players because of the rarity of 5.56 ammo rounds. Meanwhile, it still ranks higher in the list for being the best damage-dealing automatic weapon effective for all kinds of playstyles. 

Assault Rifle can contribute a damage output of 30 for your character by using the 5.56 rounds as ammo. On the other side, it also features a massive range and fire rate of 40, so you do not have to worry about closing in on the dangerous monsters. Instead, keep your distance and drain all the HP out of your opponents. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	30
Clip Size	30
Fire Rate	40
Range	119
Weight	13.4
Accuracy	72
AP Cost	32

Additionally, players can easily access the weapon by killing the higher-level raiders or Triggermen. But there is one feasible approach to this, which requires purchasing the weapon from a trustworthy vendor, Arturo Rodriguez. 

Radium Rifle

Another weapon from an intensely widespread Fallout 4 DLC, Far Harbor is the Radium Rifle. Considering that you have the DLC installed, Radium Rifle is a prime weapon coming out of the add-on that keeps players hooked in the game. What makes this weapon popular is the damage output and the unique effect it contributes to your character build. 

The base stats of the Radium Rifle reveals a 27 damage that will hit an enemy like a fatal blow. Meanwhile, a fast fire rate of 40 at the cost of 20 magazine size can easily make it a primary weapon choice for players. 

The major aspect that makes this weapon outperform the others on the list is the unique effect of radiation damage. It means that every bullet hitting the opponent will add a damage of 27 and a radiation damage of 50. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	27+57
Clip Size	20
Fire Rate	40
Range	119
Weight	11.1
Accuracy	69

Radium Rifle is easily purchasable from Kane, a merchant in Nucleus. All you need to do is to speak to him to start bartering the weapons and armor along with that variant of Radium Rifle. Once purchased, you can attach an automatic receiver and start utilizing the explosive punching damage using .45 rounds. 

Experiment 18-A

The next contender in the list of best automatic weapons in Fallout 4 is Experiment 18-A. While it may look like a heavy Plasma rifle, it also packs huge damage output capabilities giving players complete freedom to decide and take on with anyone at any moment. It is a mass murdering weapon and a result of an experiment. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	24+24
Clip Size	36
Fire Rate	136
Range	203
Weight	6.6
Accuracy	140
AP Cost	?

While looking at the stats, Experiment 18-A yields double damage of 24 for physical and 24 for energy damage. While small enemies can not tolerate such damage and will explode on a single hit, large and legendary monsters will not stand a chance with this weapon as it tends to break their limbs. With such a massive advantage, players can consider this weapon for Power Armor-focused gameplay in Fallout 4. 

Like most legendary weapons, Experiment 18-A also comes with a unique effect that improves the fire rate up to 25% and also the reload speed is enhanced by up to 15%. On the other side, acquiring the weapon also requires players to progress the storyline until they reach The Institute. 

Here you will have to find another vendor known as the Synth Requisition Officer. Open up his inventory, and you can barter for Experiment 18-A. After the purchase, you can modify the weapon to enhance its capabilities even further. 

The Problem Solver

The Problem Solver is an all-rounder solution to all your problems. Be it the damage output, range, accuracy, or ammunition; The Problem Solver is the perfect choice to go for. While coming from the Nuka-World DLC, this unique variant of Handmade Rifle boasts about the damage output, thus ranking higher among the best automatic weapons in Fallout 4. 

The Problem Solver utilizes 7.62 rounds for piercing through enemies and also breaking limbs. Meanwhile, the damage value of 57 is top attention among players, which gives leverage to keep the distance from foes and kill them before they even figure out your location. 

Obtaining the Problem Solver weapon is also a massive luck-based approach. It is because, this time, you will not be hacking terminals, purchasing the weapon from a vendor or looting it off from a corpse. Meanwhile, for this weapon, you must progress the storyline of the Nuka-World DLC of the game and meet the Mason during the Ambitious Plan quest. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	57
Clip Size	75
Fire Rate	59
Range	185
Weight	21.6
Accuracy	92

Before meeting the NPC, you might want to save the game here, which may come in handy later. While talking to Mason at Nuka-World, it is essential to keep a vigorous and intense discussion. This will allow your character to pass the Charisma check after gaining the attention of Mason. Remember, if you fail to amuse the NPC during the conversation, you will never be able to get your hands on the Problem Solver. 

Since you saved the game earlier in the conversation, you can reload the game and again start the conversation until you pass the speech test and Charisma. Eventually, Mason will be amused by your confidence and reward you with the Problem Solver. 

Railway Rifle

Last, Railway Rifle is the best automatic weapon you can acquire in Fallout 4 to decimate enemies at any range. It is also one of the rare weapons in the game and requires significant campaign and level progression for your character. 

Attribute	Value
Damage	100
Clip Size	10
Fire Rate	10
Range	119
Weight	14.4
Accuracy	69
AP Cost	20

Railway Rifle uses railway spikes as the ammo rounds while dealing damage of a whopping 100 per hit. That is a lot of damage, considering it is not an energy or laser weapon. Conversely, players can use the weapon at a far range and end all kinds of enemies without going into hand-to-hand combat. 

As said earlier, players must progress the storyline and level their character to at least 25. Once this requirement is met, you can visit Bedford Station to find a blue carriage on a railway track. Inside the carriage, you will be able to discover a skeleton and a Railway Rifle right next to it. Or you can progress the storyline and complete the quest known as Underground Undercover to receive the Railway Rifle. 

Final Words

While automatic weapons can improve the overall accuracy of the shots fired, there is still major consideration involved in what type of weapon will meet your character’s requirement. Our guide answers these questions with the best damage and fire rate weapons, so you can easily progress the campaign and defeat the enemies during battle. 

That is about it for our guide on Fallout 4 automatic weapons. Do you find this guide helpful for obtaining your weapon in the game? What is your favorite automatic rifle or pistol in Fallout 4? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.