Q-35 Matter Modulator

The Q-35 matter modulator or "Quantum Plasma Modulation Matter Injection Rifle" is a unique version of the plasma rifle in Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics
The differences between this weapon and the standard variant in terms of combat capability include the amount of ammunition used, with the Q-35 using one microfusion cell per shot instead of two. It fires faster, degrades slower, and does 50% more damage per second. In addition, the Q-35 uses 2 less AP in V.A.T.S. and weighs one pound less. This weapon cannot receive modifications. Its projectile velocity is similar to that of its standard variant with the magnetic accelerator modification.

Durability
The Q-35 matter modulator can fire a total of about 1,245 times using standard cells, the equivalent of 104 reloads, from full condition before breaking. It has the second highest item HP of all the rifle type energy weapons (the laser RCW having the highest), at 250 HP. This is more than triple the durability of a standard plasma rifle which has 75 HP.

Variants

 * Plasma rifle - The common variant found in the Mojave Wasteland.
 * Van Graff plasma rifle - A special variant given by the Van Graffs during the quest Birds of a Feather.

Location
The weapon is located on the REPCONN headquarters main floor, behind a Very Hard locked (100 Lockpick skill to open) door. A wall terminal (100 Science to hack) next to the door can also be used and can be unlocked with the keycard in a briefcase on the third floor, near the remains of the Brotherhood of Steel paladins.

Alternatively, taking the stairs (near the aforementioned door) to the second floor, turning left, continuing forward and taking the next three rights leads to a Hard locked door (75 Lockpick skill to open) which allows access to the room containing the weapon through a hole in the ground.

Behind the scenes

 * The item was named by Akil Hooper, who designed REPCONN HQ.
 * Its name is a reference to the "Illudium Q-36 Space Modulator" weapon used by Looney Tunes character Marvin the Martian.

Bugs

 * If picked up, the gun could cause problems when loading a game. When loading it, the console reads "cannot open file because there are some mods that cannot be held." There is no known fix.
 * The gun may be wedged in the wall, making it difficult to retrieve. Go up against the wall in third person, aim at the ground and grab the gun. Another option is to use C-4 to move the gun until it can be picked up.
 * Often, the gun will not be found floating in the middle of the capsule as shown in the images below. It will be on the floor beside the container.
 * Sometimes the gun will appear stuck in the bottom of the container, making it difficult to get. Leaving the building then re-entering may fix this.
 * If the weapon is dropped, it may become invisible, making it hard to find. The "Pick up" text will still be visible, however.