Fallout 3: Have assualt rifle ammo but cannot use it. Why?!

Soldato
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Hey guys

I finally got me an assault rifle in Fallout 3 and spent time looking for as much ammo for it as I can find (5.56mm). Ive managed to collect about 350 rounds for it.

The other day after a frantic session fighting the Ghouls in the subway :D the ammo-counter wound down to zero on the assuault rifle. I was like "Huh"...I checked Pip-Boy screen and it shows 5.56 ammo = 350....but I cant seem to load any of it in the rifle.

So I have the ammo but cant use it.

:confused:

I did have *two* rifles (I wasted a guard at Tenpenny Tower and nicked it off him) but then I threw it away as its condition was crap. Do you think that had anything to do with it?

Thanks for any help!
 
ah, the latest bethesda bugfest strikes again :( fantastic game when it's working, not so good when it's not..

Basic suggestions,
1. Does dropping the rifle and picking it up again make any difference?

2. Try going to a container and depositing all of the 5.56 ammunition inside. Close the container, reopen and retrieve it again.

3. Go to a container and deposit both the rifle and the 5.56 ammo. Close the container, reopen and then retrieve.
 
I did have *two* rifles (I wasted a guard at Tenpenny Tower and nicked it off him) but then I threw it away as its condition was crap. Do you think that had anything to do with it?

Just so you know, you can use spare weapons to repair your current one, because the condition will decrease over time. What's the condition of your weapon right now? If it's completely empty, then I believe it'll act in the way you describe.
 
Finding a gattling laser should sort out any problems you would once have had with the assault rifle. :D

But yes, sounds like your gun is borked and in need of fixing.

I've recently started playing Fallout 3, and am very much enjoying it. However, I'm finding less diversions from the main storyline than in Oblivion. Maybe I need to explore more...
 
I think it's because Oblivion has more big cities (hence many characters that could cause a diversion) that you visit frequently. Fallout 3 has a lot to do as well but it's just a bit more dispersed, I found taking the Explorer perk (reveals all locations on map) helped me in this regard. In Oblivion you keep getting sent backwards and forwards between the cities and thus it's easy to get sidetracked as opposed to going to a small hamlet to perform a specific task in FO3, you just don't bump into as many people offering sidemissions.
 
Good point. I forgot about the explorer perk - I'll try to remember to select it when I eventually get to level 20 (level 17 at the moment). Still, I'm really enjoying the game, and have recently acquired Fawkes as a tag-along buddy which is most useful!
 
Ok guys I tried those tricks out and it worked :) - Alex74 suggested I chuck all the ammo away and then collect it again and doing this "registered" it to the rifle and now I can reload! The condition of the weapon...hmm....looking at the condition-bar on Pip-Boy Id say its at about 70%! Anyways good trick to remember for the future if this ammo-bug appears again!

Finding a gattling laser should sort out any problems you would once have had with the assault rifle.

Omg where can I find that?!!!!! Where where?!

Fallout 3 has a lot to do as well but it's just a bit more dispersed

Thats very true!

Thanks again for all ur replies!!
 
tip ine always have your repiare quite high so stuff you find you cna repire...better "cnd" stuff = more caps
 
Omg where can I find that?!!!!! Where where?!

Don't worry about finding the big weapons in the game. Trust me, by the time you get done with the main quest you will have more end game weapons than you know what to do with!

If you have the Broken Steel DLC, you can go to level 30 and even more chance to get the weapons. Enjoy the game. I found FO3 really does not push you to find the best weapons straight away - my main two weapons almost until level 20 were the Hunting Rifle and Combat Shotgun.

The Gatling Laser is nice, but only for a bit of fun. Still, if you really want want, search around the DC ruins - you will bump into either some Outcasts or Super Mutants soon enough and they tend to carry them.
 
:D glad it worked.

As SiriusB said, you'll encounter pretty much everything you could want along the way in the game. Gatling Laser is a lot of fun though :p
 
Don't worry about finding the big weapons in the game. Trust me, by the time you get done with the main quest you will have more end game weapons than you know what to do with!

Hmmm...youre right...i shouldnt be impatient...this isnt COD4 after all and I should discipline myself and explore & enjoy! Ohh but the gat-lazer does sound sha-weet. Hmmm maybe I can go back to a save BEFORE I killed the Ghouls....and just wander around...and when I find the gat-lazer I can go back to the subway and give em the good news :p

@Alex74 - yea nice one dewd....will defo remember that one! :)
 
when you go to Littletown, don't forget to pickup the Wazer Wifle - it's the best laser rifle in the game!
 
when you go to Littletown, don't forget to pickup the Wazer Wifle - it's the best laser rifle in the game!

i think you mean little lamplight you can find Biwwy in the little lamplight great chamber IIRC it cost 500 caps 250 if you have barter or it's free if you have child at heart perk. If i were you i would put all your decent weapons in a locker back in megaton then bring them out to play l8er in the game when things get a little more difficult. A fully upgraded plasma rifle is worth about 2000 Caps so it's worth collecting as many weapons as you can then traveling back home once in a while to store them, the caps come in quite handy later in the game, obviously don't matter if playing on easy but if on normal or hard you can buy ammo and stimpacks which always come in handy as some ammo is quite scarce
 
I would recommend getting A3-21's Plasma Rifle as soon as possible. When you get to Megaton go down the ramp toward the atomic bomb, turn right and go in the doctor's clinic, inside is a holotape, pick it up and that will begin The Replicated Man side quest. You have to find other holotapes to proceed further with the quest, I usually get the one in the doctor's clinic, talk to Moira she will give you one, there's one in the church in Rivet City, also one can be gained by talking to the doctor in the medicine bay of Rivet City.

I was going to write a full walkthrough of this side quest here but it will take too long, here's a link to the Fallout Wiki which is a bit easier on the eye than me typing a wall of text.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The_Replicated_Man

In short the A3-21 Plasma Rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in the game and you can acquire it so early on that you'll be almost unstoppable, a quick hint, on the way to Rivet City you'll probably encounter a lot of Raiders, I'd just run away from them if you're a low level as you won't be combat effective enough yet to make the slight XP they give you worth your while, you'll end up expending too many stimpaks and too much ammo to bother fighting them so sneak or run away if you have to.
 
I would recommend getting A3-21's Plasma Rifle as soon as possible. When you get to Megaton go down the ramp toward the atomic bomb, turn right and go in the doctor's clinic, inside is a holotape, pick it up and that will begin The Replicated Man side quest. You have to find other holotapes to proceed further with the quest, I usually get the one in the doctor's clinic, talk to Moira she will give you one, there's one in the church in Rivet City, also one can be gained by talking to the doctor in the medicine bay of Rivet City.

I was going to write a full walkthrough of this side quest here but it will take too long, here's a link to the Fallout Wiki which is a bit easier on the eye than me typing a wall of text.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The_Replicated_Man

In short the A3-21 Plasma Rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in the game and you can acquire it so early on that you'll be almost unstoppable, a quick hint, on the way to Rivet City you'll probably encounter a lot of Raiders, I'd just run away from them if you're a low level as you won't be combat effective enough yet to make the slight XP they give you worth your while, you'll end up expending too many stimpaks and too much ammo to bother fighting them so sneak or run away if you have to.

Nice one, i've only just started playing this game now so i might try and do that quest now and see how i go :-)
 
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