10mm pistol

10mm pistols are sidearms using the 10mm ammunition that was common before the Great War. They were used extensively by the Bureau of Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco, Firearms and Lasers, while in the military such pistols were being phased out in favor of energy weapons.

Colt 6520 10mm Pistol


The Colt 6520 10mm autoloading pistol is a highly durable and efficient weapon developed by Colt Firearms prior to the Great War. It proved to be resistant to the desert-like conditions of the post-nuclear wasteland and is a fine example of workmanship and quality construction (at least for the pre-War models, which became more scarce over time). The simple design of the gun allows it to be easily manufactured with relatively basic equipment, making it possible to be replicated in workshops in the post-nuclear world.

N80 10mm Pistol
The 10mm N80 sidearm was standard issue military gear until it was phased out in 2051.

N99 10mm Pistol


 After the phase out of the N80, the N99 sidearm became standard issue military gear. The N99 was known for its ability to survive in the harshest of conditions and in many tests, as the weapon was able to reliably be restored to working condition after an extended period of time exposed to hard elements and without maintenance.

The N99 proved to stand up to its claims and as a result, is one of the most common weapons found in use in the Wasteland. While many civilian weapons were ruined beyond use in the extreme conditions following the war, the N99 is commonly able to be easily restored to working order by anyone with even the most basic knowledge of firearm mechanics.

However, an N99 in poor condition can often deliver low target and armor penetration, frequent jamming, and greatly reduced accuracy. Fortunately, the weapon was produced in great numbers and units are available for replacement parts. 

Silenced 10mm Pistol


An N99 10mm Pistol equipped with a suppressor. The benefit of the suppressor is that when one fires at an enemy and kills them with the first shot, no nearby enemies will be alerted. The downside is the slightly decreased damage compared to a regular N99.

Shansei C96 Chinese Pistol


This Chinese 10mm pistol is a higher-caliber variant of the original German 9mm Mauser. It is nearly useless as a weapon, as it has worse spread than the N99 pistol, deals less damage per bullet, and holds less ammunition in a magazine.

Zhu-Rong v418 Chinese Pistol


The Zhu-Rong is a unique incendiary pistol, created by L.O.B. Enterprises for the People's Republic of China. The v418 is the final version of the project (slated for mass production).

Zip Gun
Hand-made pistol with one shot piecemeal.

Holdout 10mm Autoloader
Around 2230, NCR slowly began to phase 10mm Pistols out of the police and army forces and replace them with 9mm Pistols, which were cheaper. The small bullets couldn't punch through Power Armor, which served to aggrevate the NCR deserters led by Presper even more. The soldiers under Coleridge have kept their antiquated sidearms, and are willing to put them to use on the next suit of Brotherhood armor they see.

Behind the scenes
The Colt 6520 10mm pistol's visual appearance is a reference to the Hard Boiled comic books.

The FBI also actually tested this caliber for their sidearms. Its plausibility as a real weapon is disputable, however there are real 10mm pistols available to civilians today. The 10mm Auto round is used for hunting. It is interesting to note that in the Fallout universe, 10mm is generally the pistol round, while in real life, the number of 9mm weapons and its widespread adoption make 9mm a much more likely caliber to encounter in survival situations.