1. Combat Rifle (Best for secondary weapon)

This weapon is a solid choice when you're doing small supply runs. You know, the ones with pesky roaches. If you want to save better ammo for another weapon, this is a solid secondary.

Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 40
• Ammo: .38, .45, Ultracite if made prime
• Fire Rate: 33
• Clip: 20
• Weight: 7

Legendary Attributes:

• Your preference

What the Combat Rifle Excels In:

• Manual aiming
• Close range

2. Assault Rifle (Best for rapid damage)

This is the same gun as Whistle in the Dark, and it can be a grind to find good legendary perks on it, but it's worth it. The plans drop from Heart of the Swamp, It's a Trap, and Queen of the Hunt.

Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 33
• Ammo: 5.56
• Fire Rate: 40
• Clip: 20
• Weight: 8

Legendary Attributes:

• Your preference, Two-Shot is always helpful

What The Assault Rifle Excels In:

• Strength
• Works for tanky builds
• Great in power armor

3. Pipe Rifle (Best for new players)

When you're just a wee wittle Vault Dweller, this will get you through the basic levels.

Item Stats: (depends on the level, levels change quickly when below level 50)

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: ranges from 12-26
• Ammo: .38
• Fire Rate: 60
• Clip: Largest you can find
• Weight: 4

Legendary Attributes:

• Anything is helpful if you find it dropped from an enemy. You won't start caring about legendary attributes until you're a level 50 and can keep them long-term.
• What Pipe Rifle Excels In:
• Easily attainable mods
• Ammo is everywhere
• Repairing weapons uses readily available scrap.

4. Railway Rifle (Best for close range) 

This is good for close range. Players under 50 should consider this because crafting ammo is significantly cheaper in scrap.

  Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 84
• Ammo: Railway Spikes and Ultracite Railway Spikes if you make it prime
• Fire Rate: 75
• Clip: depends on what you pick, but you need to have a more oversized clip to use it as an automatic
• Weight: 9

Legendary Attributes:

• Your preferenc

What The Railway Rifle Excels In:

• Close combat

5. The Handmade (Best for manual aiming)

This is one of the most powerful automatic rifles in the game. It suits the players who don't play using VATS. Some say using VATS is cheating. Some can't ignore just how much Critical Damage does.

Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 20
• Ammo: 5.56 or Ultracite 5.56 if you make it prime
• Fire Rate: 40
• Clip: 20
• Weight: 8

Legendary Attributes:

• Your preference

What The Handmade Excels In:

• Manual aiming

6. Perfect Storm (Best for fire damage) 

After completing the "Cold Case" quest, you receive a reward. This does fire damage. It works with Commando, even though that doesn't make much sense. Sometimes Fallout doesn't make sense. Just go with it.

Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic and Incendiary
• Damage output: 35 + 24 fire damage over 3 seconds
• Ammo: 10mm and Ultracite 10mm if its made prime
• Fire Rate: 91
• Clip: 30
• Weight: 4.5

Legendary Attributes:

• Incendiary

What The Perfect Storm Excels In:

• Target takes significant fire damage

7. The Slug Buster (Best for AP Based Builds) 

During the "Buried Treasure" quest, RaRa will obtain it for you if you ask her to unlock the room when she goes through the vents. She will ask once if you want her to open the door; if you say know, she'll ask again. This is an excellent plasma gun. Great for regular normal enemies and doing moderate events.

Item Stats: (subject change upon modifications to make it an automatic rifle)

• Damage Type: Ballistic and Energy
• Damage output: 20 Ballistic and 20 Energy (40 total)
• Ammo: Plasma Cartridge and Ultracite Plasma Cartridge if made prime
• Fire Rate: 33
• Clip: 30
• Weight: 3

Legendary Attributes:

• Anti-Armor
• Lucky
• Reduced weight
• Critical Hits 50% more damage

What The Slugger Excels In:

• Less AP cost (20%)
• VATS build

8. Mind Over Matter (Best for Critical Hits) 

This is a plasma gun dropped as a pistol, but if you change the grip to stock and make the reviver automatic, it works for the commando build. The optional part of "Field Testing" is the only way to obtain it. You must choose Colin for this weapon. 

Item Stats: (subject to change when converting)

• Damage Type: Ballistic and Energy
• Damage output: 20 of each damage type (40 total)
• Ammo: Plasma Cartridge or Ultracite Cartridge if you make it prime.
• Fire Rate: 33
• Clip: 30
• Weight: 3

Legendary Attributes:

• 50% damage to ghouls
• 25% damage while aiming
• 50% damage resistance while aiming

What Mind Over Matter Excels In:

• Critical Hits goo enemies
• Radiation Rumble

9. The Fixer (Best for Stealth)

Item Stats

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 48
• Ammo: .45 or Ultracite .45 if you make it prime.
• Fire Rate: 33
• Clip: 20
• Weight: 13.8

Legendary Attributes:

• You can make it legendary, and the attributes added won't take away the bonuses already included with the gun.

What The Fixer Excels In:

• Sneak attack damage
• Stealth
• Faster sneak speed

10. Whistle in the Dark (Best for looking unique)

Whistle in the Dark is an assault rifle. The skin of the gun makes it sought after. There is a legacy version of this gun from when Survival Mode was around. The current version is different in appearance. There's a chance to get it from Daily Ops.

Item Stats:

• Damage Type: Ballistic
• Damage output: 33 (max with no cards)
• Ammo: 5.56
• Fire Rate: 40
• Clip: 20
• Weight: 8

Legendary Attributes:

• Nocturnal
• Perception +1
• VATS Enhanced

What The Whistle In The Dark Excels in:

• Boosted damage at night
• VATS
• Distinct appearance

You may also be interested in:

• Fallout 76 Best Perks To Start With And Level Up (Top 10 Perks)
• [Top 10] Fallout 76 Best Weapons
• [Top 10] Fallout 76 Best Armors
• [Top 10] Fallout 76 Best Mutations
• Fallout 76 Best Power Armors (And How To Get Them)