Fallout New Vegas Guide: Unique Weapons Locations How to Find All Weapons

Hidden behind every vault, corpse, and cave, a weapon awaits its own story-and every location hides a clue to mastering it.

Every unique weapon in the northern half of the Mojave Wasteland

The northern half of the Mojave Wasteland holds several standout weapons for players pushing through its rugged terrain. Camp McCarran armory stocks the Annabelle Carbine, a marksman carbine tuned for precision shots amid NCR defenses. Bitter Springs’ medical tents conceal the YCS/186, a Gauss rifle packing massive punch against distant threats. Charleston Cave yields the Blood-Nap, a chainsaw modded for savage close-quarters work. Goodsprings Saloon offers Lucky, a customized .357 revolver that shines in early scraps. Primm’s Bison Steve Hotel basement hides the Lucky, while the Crimson Caravan headquarters garage has the Pew Pew, a laser pistol firing fat energy bolts. Vault 34’s armory boasts the All-American, a grenade launcher rifle ideal for clearing flooded halls.

Including locations like The Strip and Jacobstown, here’s every unique weapon found on the northern half of the Mojave Wasteland map.

No.	Name	Type	Location
1	Chance’s Knife	Melee	On a hill just south of the Tribal Village, loot Chance’s Grave. Be sure to bring a shovel (you can buy one at the Goodsprings store). This is the easiest weapon to obtain as a new Fallout: New Vegas player.
2	Love and Hate	Unarmed	In Bonnie Springs, loot it from a Viper Leader (there’s more than one).
3	Greased Lightning	Unarmed	In the Hidden Valley, find the Hidden Bunker (the one with “Peace” in big red letters next to the door) and buy it from Knight Torres. You may have to complete the “Still in the Dark” quest first.
4	Annabelle	Explosive	Loot it from a nightkin sniper on Black Mountain. He’s on the ledge below the radio tower.
5	Paladin Toaster	Unarmed	Loot it from a dead prospector inside Black Rock Cave (near the back).
6	Mysterious Magnum	Gun	Along the road north of El Dorado Gas & Service, there’s a Sunset Sarsaparilla billboard. Pickpocket or kill The Lonesome Drifter sitting in front of it to loot this unique weapon. Alternatively, pick up a quest called “Talent Pool” at the Tops Casino on The Strip (chat with Tommy Torini in the Aces Theater), and try to recruit The Lonesome Drifter (Barter level 50).
7	Blade of the East	Melee	Defeat Legate Lanius at the Legate’s Camp and loot the blade from his body. You can only access this location near the end of Fallout: New Vegas‘s main questline and you must have sided with Mr. House, the NCR, or Yes Man.
8	Q-35 Matter Modulator	Energy weapon	Enter the REPCONN Headquarters and pick the “average” lock on the right. At the end of the path, pick the “very hard” lock (Lockpick skill level 100) and turn left to find the weapon. You can also hack the “very hard” terminal (requires Hacking level 100), or find a security keycard to access the room on the higher floor and drop down through a hole in the floor.
9	Nephi’s Golf Driver	Melee	Northwest of the Samson Rock Crushing Plant, find Nephi at the Fiend’s Rock ruins. Nephi won’t be the only enemy there; best to take them all out, then search for Nephi’s body.
10	Pew Pew	Energy weapon	Enter the Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters and speak with the puppet on your left to obtain “The Legend of the Star” quest. Complete that quest (or rather fail the quest – don’t worry, it’s part of the story), then speak with the puppet again to start “A Valuable Lesson”. Enter the hallway right of the bar, then go through the double doors on the left and climb up through the damaged ceiling. On the south side of this floor, find another hole, drop down, and pass through the red double doors. Loot the Pew Pew from the body.
11	Dinner Bell	Gun	Speak with Red Lucy at The Thorn in Westside to start the “Bleed Me Dry” quest. Complete the quest to receive the weapon.
12	The Humble Cudgel	Melee	This unique weapon is found in the Sealed Sewers. First, drop down through the manhole in The Torn (the location marked on the map), then enter the large room and take the path in the far left corner. Enter the North Sewers, head southeast for a bit, then take a right turn leading downward into the Central Sewers. Behind the door flanked by red lights, loot “Luke’s Find” from Blind Luke’s body, then turn back and go left, then right, following a lengthy pathway until you find a bunch of enemies behind a barricade made of tires. Go through the door behind them, walk upstairs, and use Luke’s Find to enter (at last!) the Sealed Sewers. The Humble Cudgel is found on a Prospector’s body.
13	Vance’s 9mm submachine gun	Gun	Northeast of the Westside south entrance, you’ll find a shack called the Wins Hideout. Either open the safe (requires Lockpick 100) or convince Pauline Wins, who’ll be inside the shack, to give you the code (Speech level 55).
14	Golden Gloves	Unarmed	Inside the Lucky 38 casino on The Strip. After entering, turn left, walk upstairs, and find the gloves in the cabinet next to the “VIP Lounge” sign.
15	Two-Step Goodbye/Sleepytyme/Medicine Stick/Gehenna/Bozar/Esther	Unarmed/gun/gun/melee/gun/explosive weapon	Sold by Vendortron at the Gun Runners store.
16	La Longue Carabine	Gun	In Camp McCarran, loot it from Corporal Sterling. He’ll be walking around the tents. If you don’t want to kill him, you can steal his ammo instead, “reset” the location by teleporting away, and return to find La Longue Carabine in Corporal Sterling’s inventory. Now you can pickpocket this unique Fallout: New Vegas weapon.
17	Cram Opener	Unarmed	Loot this unique weapon from Little Buster in Camp McCarran. He’s usually hitting the training dummy next to old trucks. If you already did the “Three-Card Bounty” quest and Little Buster is not there anymore, you’ll find his body (and the Cram Opener) at the end of the railroad tracks in Freeside, right next to the Old Mormon Fort.
18	This Machine	Gun	Complete an unmarked quest called “Dealing with Contreras” in Camp McCarran. Hack Sgt. Contreras’s computer on the top floor of the supply shack, obtain the weapons manifest, and bring it to Lt. Carrie Boyd at the airport (upstairs). She’ll give you the unique weapon as a reward.
19	All-American/Pulse Gun	Gun/energy weapon	Enter Vault 34, which is at the end of the deep cave system. You have to clear the entire vault first (thereby unlocking the terminals and defeating the Overseer in his office), to gain access to the armory and the equipment room behind it, where you’ll find both weapons. The All-American is on the overturned table, and the Pulse Gun is in the gun case just behind that table. You need Lockpick level 100 to open the case.
20	CZ57 Avenger	Gun	Go to The Devil’s Throat, where you’ll find this unique weapon inside the blue truck, center of the crater.
21	Thump-Thump	Explosive	Go to the northeast corner of the Nellis Air Force Base (you might want to pick up the “Ant Misbehavin” quest from Raquel first), and enter the Nellis Array building. The Thump-Thump is in the southeast corner of the building, inside the large room.
22	Abilene Kid LE BB gun	Gun	It’s either inside the Field’s Shack (small shack southwest of the Nellis Air Force Base) or, if you have the Wild Wasteland trait (one of the best Fallout: New Vegas traits), inside Jimmy’s Well. In case of the latter, bring Rex (one of the Fallout: New Vegas companions) to Field’s Shack, ask him if something fell in the well, then enter the well opposite the Field’s Shack.
23	Alien Blaster/YCS 186	Energy weapons	East of the Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch and north of the Horowitz Farmstead, you’ll find a mercenary camp. Clear the camp, and one of the tougher enemies will drop the weapon. Beware that players with the Wild Wasteland trait will receive the Alien Blaster, whereas players without that trait shall get the YCS 186 instead.
24	AER14 Prototype	Energy weapon	Found inside Vault 22. Repair the elevator, go down to level 5, then open the door to the staircase on the right (Lockpick level 0), and grab the weapon at the end of the path.
25	Pushy	Unarmed	It’s inside the Ruby Hill Mine. Follow the path with the glowing mushrooms all the way down and loot the corpse at the exit.
26	Oh Baby!	Melee	Inside Charleston Cave (you’ll have to go there for the “Guess Who I Saw Today” side quest, too). At the bottom of a narrow, downward path full of glowing mushrooms, you’ll pass through a pool. On the other side, there’s a cavern with the Oh Baby! weapon on the ground.
27	Freeside unique weapons	Various	There are 10 unique weapons found in Freeside. See the list below for a more detailed (local) map.

Every unique weapon in Freeside

Freeside offers a mix of unique weapons that reflect the chaos and charm of the area. Players can find weapons like Maria, owned by Benny during the quest Ring-a-Ding-Ding!, or the Recompense of the Fallen, hidden in Mick & Ralph’s inventory for those with high Barter skills. These weapons often tie to local factions and story events, rewarding exploration and smart dialogue choices in one of New Vegas’s most unpredictable districts.

Freeside, the area directly north of The Strip (see location no. 27 on the map above) is stacked with unique Fallout: New Vegas weapons. The trouble, of course, is finding them. Here’s where to look.

No.	Name	Type	Location
1	Nuka-Breaker/Lil’ Devil/Embrace of the Mantis King	Melee/gun/unarmed	Buy them from Mick at Mick & Ralph’s shop in Freeside. It’s ahead of you, on the right side, if you enter Freeside through the eastern gate. If the vendor has perished, buy it from Vendortron at Gun Runners instead, just south of Freeside’s east gate.
2	Euclid’s C-Finder	Energy weapon	Get it from Max, a boy in Freeside. At night, enter Freeside’s east gate and walk up to the first building to your right, where you’ll find Max asleep (and ready to get pickpocketed). During the day, you’ll find him chasing a girl through the streets of Freeside. You can purchase his weapon for 1000 or 20 caps, depending on whether you’ve got 45 Barter.
3	Figaro	Melee	Loot it from Sergio at King’s School of Impersonation in Freeside. Pickpocketing the weapon doesn’t seem possible. Sergio is usually in a small room at the back.
4	Van Graff Laser/Plasma Rifle	Energy weapon	During the “Birds of a Feather” quest, you can choose between the Van Graff Laser Rifle (faster, low crit) and the Van Graff Plasma Rifle (slower, high crit). Enter the Silver Rush building in Freeside (northwest of King’s School of Impersonation) and have a chat with Gloria to begin this quest.
5	The Smitty Special/Sprtel-Wood 9700/Cleansing Flame	Energy weapons	Buy them from Gloria von Graff at the Silver Rush. If Gloria dies, buy these unique weapons from Vendortron at Gun Runners instead. It’s just south of Freeside’s east gate.

Every unique weapon in the Mojave Wasteland south

South of the Mojave Wasteland holds several rare weapons that reward players who explore off the beaten path. Among the sandy canyons and abandoned outposts, you can find powerful gear such as the Mysterious Magnum in Novac, the YCS/186 near the Mercenary Camp, and Chance’s Knife hidden beside a small grave by Cottonwood Cove. Each item carries its own history and advantages, making exploration in this region worthwhile for anyone seeking an edge in combat.

Time to head south for more unique Fallout: New Vegas weapons. Here’s every unique gun and melee weapon found below the Hidden Valley on the Mojave Wasteland map.

No.	Name	Type	Location
1	Great Bear	Explosive	Inside a large weapon crate at the Long 15 ruins, just behind Colonel Royez. This crate only appears if you directed the missile toward the NCR or both the NCR and The Legion during the “The Apocalypse.” Beware of the high radiation in this area.
2	Old Glory	Melee	It’s carried by Ulysses (Lonesome Road DLC). If he dies in Ulysses’ Temple, on The Divide map, you can already loot this unique weapon there. Otherwise, you can loot it from the footlocker that spawns next to a small rock in the Canyon Wreckage after you’ve completed the Lonesome Road story.
3	Lucky	Gun	In the Bison Steve Hotel in Primm. Go to the first floor and open the safe in the gift shop, which requires Lockpick level 75.
4	Mercy	Explosive	In the deepest part of the Dead Wind Cavern. Beware of the Deathclaws!
5	Chopper	Melee	Inside the Wolfhorn Ranch, on top of the stove.
6	Tesla-Beaton Prototype	Energy weapon	It’s on the ground, right next to the Crashed Vertibird (crashed helicopter).
7	Big Boomer	Gun	Steal or loot it from Old Lady Gibson at the Gibson Scrap Yard.
8	That Gun/Paciencia/MF Hyperbreeder Alpha	Gun/gun/energy weapon	Buy them from Cliff Briscoe at the gift shop inside the massive dinosaur statue in Novac. “That Gun” can also be stolen from the storage room after you pick the lock.
9	Liberator	Melee	Go to Nelson and find Dead Sea, who’s carrying this weapon. He usually hangs around the barracks. Either follow the “We Are Legion” quest or kill Dead Sea and loot his body.
10	Ratslayer	Gun	At the end of the Broc Flower Cave, leaning against a desk in the laboratory.
11	Knock-Knock	Melee	In the fire station at Camp Searchlight, hidden away in one of the bathroom stalls upstairs. To get the key to the fire station, find Logan in the church basement and follow his “Wheel of Fortune” quest, or kill him and loot the key.
12	Holy Frag Grenade	Explosive	Enter the church on the east side of Camp Searchlight. The Holy Frag Grenades are in the basement (your character must have the Wild Wasteland trait to find them).
13	Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle	Gun	In a weapon case in Sniper’s Nest. Beware of the “very hard” lock; you need Lockpick level 100 to open it.
14	Recompense of the Fallen	Unarmed	Go to Cottonwood Cove east of Camp Searchlight, and find the Office of Aurelius of Phoenix in the Cottonwood HQ, second floor. The weapon is inside the desk.
15	Red Victory Grenade Rifle	Explosive	Found in a crate west of Dry Wells. It’s inside the tent frame in the middle of the area. You can only get this unique weapon if you directed the missile toward The Legion or both The Legion and the NCR during “The Apocalypse”.

Every unique weapon in Zion Canyon

In Zion Canyon, each unique weapon has a distinct origin and a specific location tied to its discovery, offering players a rhythm of exploration that rewards keen investigation and careful pattern recognition.

As part of the Honest Hearts DLC in Fallout: New Vegas, you’ll get the opportunity to explore the Zion Canyon. You can find five unique weapons here.

No.	Name	Type	Location
1	A Light Shining in Darkness/Salt-Upon-Wounds’ Power Fist	Gun/unarmed	You can loot the pistol from Joshua Graham and the power fist from Salt-Upon-Wounds. Alternatively, complete the full Honest Hearts DLC and collect both weapons from a footlocker in front of the Southern Passage.
2	Survivalist’s Rifle	Gun	Inside a duffel bag at the Red Gate. It’s on top of the hill, behind the three trees, next to the skeleton.
3	Compliance Regulator	Energy weapon	Inside Fallen Rock Cave. It’s in the room with the workbench (left side, on the ground). Watch out for the many traps!
4	She’s Embrace	Unarmed	Complete the “Rite of Passage” quest in the Honest Hearts DLC. To start this quest, speak with Waking Cloud in the Sorrows Camp after completing the “Deliverer of Sorrows” main quest.

Every unique weapon in Big MT

Every unique weapon in Big MT offers a distinctive blend of wacky gimmicks and pragmatic firepower, reflecting the harsh, radioactive humor of the Mojave Wasteland’s most chaotic workshop.

As part of the Old World Blues DLC in Fallout: New Vegas, you’ll get the opportunity to explore the Big MT map, also known as the Big Empty. You can find five unique weapons here.

No.	Name	Type	Location
1	X-2 Antenna	Melee	Go all the way up through the X-2 transmitter building. On the roof, stuck to the glowing peak on top of the tower, you’ll find the X-2 Antenna.
2	Dr. Klein’s Glove	Unarmed	In Higgs Village, enter House #101 and walk to the top floor, where you’ll find the glove on the ground.
3	Christine’s CoS Silencer Rifle	Gun	Climb the old watchtower just north of Little Yangtze, where you’ll find this unique sniper rifle leaning against the wall in a corner on the top floor.
4	Dr. Mobius’ Glove	Unarmed	Pass through the Forbidden Zone’s dome entrance, and you’ll find the glove on a table ahead of you, left side of the stairs.
5	Elijah’s Jury-Rigged Tesla Cannon	Energy weapon	Travel to Elijah’s Watch and look to the northwest. You’ll find the unique energy weapon on a wooden crate between the rocks.

Every unique weapon in The Divide

The Divide features some of the most powerful and rare weapons in Fallout: New Vegas, each tied to the region’s harsh environment and battle-scarred history. Weapons like the Red Glare rocket launcher, the Shoulder Mounted Machine Gun, and the unique laser rifle known as the Laser Detonator can be found throughout this war-torn area. Exploring missile silos, collapsed tunnels, and hidden bunkers rewards players with gear that reflects the destruction left behind by the Courier’s past actions in this devastated wasteland.

As part of the Lonesome Road DLC in Fallout: New Vegas, you’ll gain access to The Divide map. You can find two unique weapons here.

No.

Name

Type

Location

Blood-Nap

Unarmed

First, complete the main quest called “The Launch,” then find the Path to the Courier’s Mile just south of the Hopeville Missile Silo Bunker. The Blood-Nap is stuck on the lamp post ahead of you.

Which unique weapons are best for a melee build

For a melee build in Fallout: New Vegas, unique weapons excel with high damage output, critical chance bonuses, poison/DTC (damage to cripple) effects, and perks like Slayer that amplify close-range combat.

Top Melee Picks

These stand out for end-game viability across base game and DLCs, prioritizing raw DPS, speed, and utility.

Oh, Baby! (super sledge): Absurd 180 DPS with 50% cripple chance on back attacks; found in Charleston Cave (Atom shrine).
The Hand of Glory (unique chainsaw, Dead Money DLC): Fast attacks, high crit (2x), +25 bleed; in Proton Axel/Thompson safehouse.
Blood-Nap (unique fire axe, Dead Money): 10 poison + cripple chance; on a pillow in the Dead Money villa.
Nuka Meteor! (unique pool cue, Honest Hearts DLC): Massive crits (175 multiplier), knockback; hidden in a cave near Ranger Station Charlie.

Base Game Alternatives

Lacking DLCs? Focus on these reliable options.

Knock Knock (unique pool cue): Knockdown effect for crowd control; Camp Searchlight fire station toilet.
Liberator (unique machete): Fast, ignores 30% DR; Devereaux Manor basement.

Build Tips

Pair with Super Slam! perk, Slayer, and high Strength/Agility. Use implants/armor like Remnants Power Armor for survivability. DLC weapons dominate due to scaling, but base game options suffice early.

Best unique weapons for unarmed melee builds

For unarmed melee builds in Fallout: New Vegas, unique options shine through high DPS, knockback, crit multipliers, and synergy with perks like Slayer, Super Slam!, and Paralyzing Palm.

Top Unarmed Picks

Prioritize these for end-game power, especially with high Strength and Agility.

Pushy (unique Power Fist): 80 damage, massive knockback for crowd control; found in the safe (Very Hard lock) at the New Vegas Medical Clinic.
Ballistic Fist (unique Power Fist): 70 damage, ignores 50% DT after consecutive hits; Fisherman’s Karma quest reward from NCR sharecropper farm east of Novac.
Embrace of the Mantis King (unique Mantis Blade): Fast 75 DPS, armor ignore; on the Mantis King in the Bug Master’s cave near Nipton.

Base Game Alternatives

These provide solid early-to-mid game utility without DLC.

Golden Gloves (unique Boxing Gloves): Speedy attacks, +5% crit chance; Lucky 38 VIP Lounge bookshelf.
Dr. Klein’s Glove (unique Power Fist, Old World Blues DLC): High crit (x3), poison; Dr. Klein’s lab in the Sink.

Build Optimization

Stack with Tribal Wisdom (Legion rep), Implant GRX, and Legion armor for reach. Pushy excels on Very Hard due to stagger, while Ballistic Fist ramps up in prolonged fights.

Sophie McEvoy

As a freelance gaming and entertainment writer here in the UK, my passion for games started early. It all began when my cousin passed down their treasured Pikachu edition GameBoy Color, and I’ve been hooked on Pokémon ever since. When I’m not writing

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