M72 Gauss rifle (Fallout 2)

The M72 Gauss rifle is a small gun in Fallout 2.

Background
Patterned after conventional rifles, the M72 has a seven stage electromagnetic accelerator mounted onto a standard frame. A classic stock and grip are provided to make handling easier. This design uses an auto-loading 2mm EC cartridge (carrying both the 2mm slugs and the battery necessary to power it) slid into the magazine well in front of the trigger group. The combination of German engineering and attention to detail make it a tremendously powerful weapon, with the slugs capable of piercing most targets at extreme ranges.

The rifle is a rare sight in the wasteland. Its use is restricted to the most technologically advanced organizations, such as the Enclave or select members of NCR law enforcement groups.

Characteristics
The M72 Gauss rifle is an extremely powerful and effective weapon, capable of demolishing most foes in only one or two shots. When equipped with this weapon, the Bloody Mess trait is seldom necessary to see the most violent death animations. Its ammunition, 2mm EC, is quite rare however, like the rifle itself, which appears most often at high levels but still remains uncommon.

It has high damage, the best range in the game, on par with the sniper rifle, and a good-sized magazine. It also has the ability to knock down foes, which is useful for stalling enemies using short ranged attacks. A targeted shot to the eyes deals brutal amounts of damage, not even Frank Horrigan is able to stand such punishment.

Locations

 * Vendors
 * San Francisco, Red 888 guns: Sold alongside Gauss pistols and 2mm EC.
 * NPCs
 * NCR: Carried by Sheriff Dumont and Deputy Karl.
 * San Francisco, PMV Valdez: Marc carries one. Can be stolen or looted. Another black haired vagrant also carries it.
 * Steel Palace: Carried by some guards.
 * Control station Enclave: Standard service weapon of low ranking soldiers. Some are also present in the armory.
 * Random encounters: Cave robbers can carry them (if the player character is level 19 or higher).

Behind the Scenes

 * The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series pays homage to the Fallout series with several weapons, while most of them were cut from the finished product the Gauss Gun was included in the main game and both expansion packs. It bears striking similarities to the M72 Gauss Rifle including very similar external appearance, extraordinarily high accuracy and damage output plus the use of rare 2mm projectiles as ammunition.