.223 pistol (Fallout 2)

.223 pistols are ballistic revolvers that can be found, bought and obtained in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas and were to make an appearance in Van Buren.

Irwin's .223 pistol


The original .223 pistol that became one of the iconic weapons of New California, was originally a full sized .223 revolving rifle, belonging to Irwin, a farmer outside of The Hub. He cut his rifle down to the size of a large pistol, but leaving the vestigial double trigger intact. This unique weapon offered firepower comparable to a hunting rifle in the compact package of a pistol. 

5.56mm pistol


This iconic sidearm caught the eye of gunsmiths the following years, and the pistol was reproduced multiple times, while it was also modified to fully accommodate the more powerful 5.56mm. The vestigial double trigger was removed to improve performance, while the internal mechanisms were retained from the original .223 revolving rifle. 

One of the pistol's advanced systems is its cylinder. Protected by an external gate with LEDs signaling the weapon's status (orange reloading, green ready to fire), it is mounted on a mechanized crane. When all five shots are fired (or the operator triggers the reload sequence), the firearm automatically opens the gate and the cylinder extends on the crane outside while auto-ejecting the spent cases, allowing for fast, easy reloading with a speed loader. 

For the unique version that appears in Fallout: New Vegas, see: That Gun.

Behind the scenes

 * A version of the weapon would have also appeared in Van Buren, as the .223 autoloader.
 * The pistol is modeled on Deckard's blaster from Blade Runner by Gary Platner.