The Ultimate Debate: Service Rifle or Cowboy Repeater?

[DragonSlayer667]

Eh, just drop in an IMOD that makes the gun full auto and voila it's suddenly actually usable.
IIRC assault carbine is 5mm and not 5.56 so it'll be a nice full auto gun in another crappy and abundant ammo type you're happy to splurge.
Won't increase raw damage but will certainly increase the pathetic DPS.

If you wanna be extra wild and wicked about it, balance the gun's health (condition) so it's just hardy enough to be reliable as a semi, but will absolutely break too soon in full auto.

[MuteSignals]

Well, that's where the light machine gun would come in for the 5.56mm which is not only full auto but larger magazine capacity though whether you can quickly obtain this weapon is another challenge.

[MuteSignals]

Marksman rifle in 5.56mm might be able to compete with the repeater though rarer.

Felt like reviving the thread since I'm hoping for at least ONE service rifle fan to roll in.

[laclongquan]

I just complete killing giant rats (an awop cell) with Service Rifle and match ammo today. It's so so experience. 20 rats say it's doable killing unaggressive targets like that in a sewer tunnel, but no challenge, no threat, no fun. If it's tougher like Yaoguai or pack of nightstalker it's going be too hairy with its rate of fire.

SR Competing with Cowboy Repeater is like Hotdog versus Banh Mi. There might be clear result but not that anyone would like it~

To be honest, my preference for tougher creatures make Service Rifle gain advantage with AP ammo, as CR can barely scratch other armored target. I imagine fighting in piss easy vanilla FNV repeater would gain advantage with its fun loading animation, but that's it.

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Try a zombie hunt action (Camp Searchlight Adobe). While the shooting is okay, kinda a slower marksman rifle, it doesnt feel... right. I actually like assault rifle (TTW) than service rifle in this one.

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Cazador hunting at SLwindfarm. Not impressed~

I have to conclude that unless you force this gun on players without alternative, it has no competing quality. Locations, Timing, of this placement is the key: Goodsprings is best, even Primm is chancy, what with a cowboy repeater in sheriff's shack.

Edited April 10 by laclongquan

[CliffSedge]

I'm not a big fan of either, but in the early game before I get to Novac, I prefer the cowboy repeater. I like the look and feel of the service rifle, the faster fire rate, and larger magazine are all great, but it's just not fun to shoot. It seems like the bullets go all over the place and don't do much damage when they do hit.

I am more of a sneak-attack sniper than a many-shot shooter anyway, so I overall prefer the higher one-shot damage of the repeater.

I might keep one or both as a backup weapon until I get Ratslayer, and then I give the service rifle to Veronica until I find her a good condition plasma rifle or tri-beam; and I give the cowboy repeater to Cass as a backup in case she runs out of 12-gauge.

That Gun and Ratslayer both use 5.56, so I don't need to worry about other ammo types. I give Boone a sniper rifle and all the .308 I find. Cass takes all the .357 for the cowboy repeater, and Raul gets 44 cal for trail carbine and .45-70 for brush gun. Only other weapons I need are Hyperbreeder Alpha and a shishkebab or proton axe (+ some grenades and mines too).