Gauss pistol (Fallout 76)

The Gauss pistol is a weapon in the Fallout 76 update Wastelanders.

Characteristics
The Gauss pistol is a powerful sidearm with superior range and clip size to other weapons of its class. Like the larger Gauss rifle, the Gauss pistol can be charged to fire a more powerful round. When crafted, Gauss pistols use legendary modules, becoming legendary weapons with randomly determined effects.

As with other weapons only available after the main questline of Wastelanders, Gauss pistols cannot be traded, dropped, or sold to vendors.

Crafting
Gauss pistols are always crafted at the maximum level available to the player character. The weapon will be a one-star, two-star, or three-star legendary weapon with randomly determined effects.

Weapon modifications
Weapon mods can only be crafted if the corresponding plan is known. Mod plans for the Gauss pistol are bought from Regs for gold bullion and cannot be learned from scrapping Gauss pistols.

Locations

 * The Gauss pistol can be crafted at a weapons workbench if the corresponding plan is known. The plan can be bought from Regs for 250 gold bullion after the completion of the main questline for the settlers or raiders.
 * Once the plan is known, Gauss pistols may be found as legendary weapons, earned either as quest rewards or found on legendary enemies.

Behind the scenes
Joon Choi concepted the weapon and its modifications, recreating the Gauss pistol from Fallout 2. Its modifications included an accelerator barrel, super charger barrel, and a shielded barrel. Its drum magazine was also designed to spin when ejecting 2mm electromagnetic cartridge rounds, with a red dot indicating when it was full and when it needed reloading.