Riot Shotgun

The riot shotgun is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics
The riot shotgun is a semi-automatic shotgun with a drum magazine. It has a high damage-per-second, due in part to its large ammunition capacity when compared to other shotguns, and its high rate of fire. With the Shotgun Surgeon and And Stay Back perks, it can be a very devastating weapon in close quarters combat. It also reloads much faster than any other shotgun and therefore can change ammunition types very quickly. It also has the distinction of having the lowest Action point cost of all shotguns at 17 AP per shot which is comparable to some pistols, making it very useful for VATS-dependent player characters.

There are several disadvantages with the weapon. Like most shotguns, it suffers at mid to long range due to its poor weapons spread, more so than most other shotguns. However, this can be countered to a certain extent by using the 12-gauge slug ammunition (which decreases spread considerably) but even then it is horrendously inaccurate. Also due to its rapid semi-automatic fire and fast reload, the weapon can use a large quantity of ammunition quickly, with 12 gauge shells being relatively rare and expensive to buy in large quantities.

Durability
The riot shotgun can fire a total of about 870 standard shells, the equivalent of 73 reloads, from full condition before breaking.

Locations

 * Camp McCarran - Fiends near McCarran may drop riot shotguns in poor condition.
 * Gomorrah - The Omerta thug guarding the bank has a riot shotgun. This is generally the only way a low-level character can get one, as he always has one even at level 1.
 * Gun Runners - A riot shotgun in nearly perfect condition can be bought from Vendortron after level 16.
 * Hidden Valley bunker - Knight Torres sometimes sells riot shotguns in varying states of repair.
 * Vault 34 - Riot shotguns in poor condition are located in the armory.
 * Hoover Dam - NCR troopers inside the visitor center may carry riot shotguns around level 20.
 * It is also possible to find one during the Birds of a Feather quest. At the final confrontation between the Van Graffs and Caesar's Legion, where three of the Legionaries carry riot shotguns (if above level 14).
 * Some NCR Veteran Rangers carry riot shotguns at higher levels.
 * At the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, if the Courier has recruited the Great Khans, they will show up carrying riot shotguns.
 * NCR troopers sometimes carry them at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam in the power plant if the Courier sides with the NCR.
 * White Legs occasionally drop riot shotguns at high levels.
 * Marked men regularly carry riot shotguns at high levels.
 * One in nearly perfect condition can be found in a very hard locked locker in the Hopeville armory.