How to repair weapons – Fallout 76 (2024)

Fallout 76 is a truly massive game and it has hundreds of different systems. As you start playing it, you discover them one by one. And at some point you figure out that something has happened to your gun – it shot just fine a few seconds ago but now it won't. You still have a lot of ammo, you haven't been affected by any negative effect... Why does this game allow such foul things to happen?!

Don't worry, this is not a problem at all. This must be your first encounter with weapon durability system. Repairing items is easy and, once fixed, they'll work as they used to. Of course, some players might be rather confused to learn that they have to do things like that. Inability to use your weapon comes as an unwelcome surprise in the middle of a forest.

But just like with most other things in this immersive MMO, you need to learn how to handle situations like that once – and it won't catch you unawares in future. In this blog post we'll tell you all you need to know about how to repair weapons in Fallout 76 – in simple words and with useful details.

Why do I need to repair weapons?

It's sad but with time your weapon becomes useless due to tear and wear in Fallout 76. Like most other things in the game, weapons are subjects to durability loss and you can't avoid it completely.

Take a look at your currently equipped weapon in the inventory menu. You'll see that it has the CND property which (somehow) stands for Condition. Here's where to find it:

When you first acquire the weapon, its CND is full. As you use it in combat, CND slowly goes down. At some point it can reach 0 and that's when the main negative effect of durability loss kicks in: you can't use the weapon anymore.

You also can't sell it for caps: vendors won't pay you anything for a broken weapon. Hence you'll see the sale price of 0. And the caps sale price goes down gradually as your weapon's Condition worsens: its maximum sale price can be seen only at 100% of CND.

Unlike the weapon's price, its effectiveness doesn't slowly wear off as it loses its durability. Your weapon will deal the same amount of damage at 100% CND and 1% CND. But when it reaches 0%, it just won't shoot or deal damage in any other way. You won't even be able to equip it after you've removed it from the equipment slot.

On average your weapon loses between 0.25% and 1% of durability per successful attack. An attack is successful if it hit a hostile target and lowered its HP. So just shooting around for fun won't do your gun any harm, don't worry about that.

But it's definitely not all doom and gloom. Durability loss sounds much worse than it really is. All you need to do to make your weapon shine again is to simply fix it. It's easy to do and doesn't consume unreasonable amount of resources. There are 2 ways to carry it out: using workbenches or using repair kits. Let's talk about either in more detail.

Repair weapons at a workbench

There are 2 types of workbenches: weapon & armor. Naturally, you need to use the former to get your weapon repaired – save the latter for repairing armor which is also something you'll have to do from time to time.

Workbenches can be found in so many places that you'll hardly ever wonder if there any around. And if for some reason you find yourself wondering, just check the nearest train station. Or install a workbench in your CAMP – this might be the most convenient way to have it.

It's always better to use workbenches in places where you can also access your personal stash. That will save you some time as a workbench like that will automatically draw required materials from the stash. Train stations, the Whitespring Mall, your CAMP, and several more locations are set up that way.

The process of repair is quite straightforward. You approach the workbench, interact with it, choose the weapon to fix, and, if you have enough resources, go ahead with it. Just note that different weapons require different resources, although none of them requires anything ridiculous. Most of the time it's aluminum, steel, screw, and other components of that sort.

Here's a video of the process to give you a better idea (credit goes to The Exiled Gamer):

Repair weapons with repair kits

Kits have both advantages and disadvantages in comparison with workbenches. Let's start with pros: they are portable and they don't require any resources. If you're reluctant to go back to a workbench from a wild thicket you've found yourself in, having a spare repair kit is certainly a blessing. You also won't have to worry about having the right amount of right resources to succeed at mending your weapon as kits need none to do their job. Also you can put back in shape not just arms with them – they'll work for armor & power armor as well.

The downside of repair kits is their scarcity. You'll hardly come across many of them as you travel. Some event bosses have a good chance of dropping one but that's not guaranteed: that applies to those in Project Paradise, Scorched Earth, and others. The easiest way to stock up on kits is by purchasing them in the Atomic shop, Fallout 76's premium currency. That's right, you'll likely need to pay real money for them. Of course, there are several ways to earn Atoms in-game without any extra transactions but they are not very reliable. So it's your call whether to spend your money on it or stick to workbenches and random drops of repair kits from bosses.

Make repair more effective with perks

Although your weapons can't avoid CND loss and repairs completely, there are ways to make them less of a nuisance. Let's take a look at 3 perks that can give you a pleasant bonus in that regard. All of them are of the Intelligence class and, consequently, consume your INT SPECIAL points, so you might not want to use all of them at once. But it's not against the rules: in fact, they stack up and can give you a very powerful durability bonus if used together.

The perk cards in question are:

1. Gunsmith

2. Licensed Plumber

3. Weapon Artisan

1. Gunsmith

Gunsmith seems to be the most versatile of the 3. Not only does it slow down your CND loss by up to a half (tier 5), but also it lets you craft Tier 5 guns. Note that the CND loss reduction applies to guns, not all weapons.

The 50% reduction bonus will cost you 5 Intelligence which is the most expensive option among the perk cards we're discussing here. However, if you're a gun enthusiast and plan on doing lots of weapon crafting as well as unleashing your arsenal of guns on your miserable enemies, having this double-bonus card is worth it.

2. Licensed Plumber

This perk card is more specific: you get up to 60% (tier 3) slower durability deterioration but only for pipe weapons. What's meant by pipe weapons are types of guns made with pipes, apparently. There 6 types of them:

1. Pipe Bolt-Action

2. Pipe Gun

3. Pipe Revolver

4. Rose's Syringer

5. Syringer

6. Vox Syringer

You might've already noticed that the list doesn't include Lead Pipe. A simple yet effective melee weapon that literally consists of a pipe isn't deemed pipe weapons by the developers. What nonsense! Yet it is what it is.

Equipping the max tier of Licensed Plumber costs 3 Intelligence which is cheaper than Gunsmith but you'll find it useful only if you frequently use any of the pipe-guns on the list above.

3. Weapon Artisan

Perhaps, the best option for people who just want to improve durability for their weapons regardless of their type, is this perk card. At tier 3 it increases the durability ceiling for your weapons to 200%. That means that you'll be good to use your weapon for twice as long without repair. Needless to say, it saves you resources, time, and energy.

Just as Licensed Plumber, it costs 3 Intelligence which is less than Gunsmith. But unlike Licensed Plumber, it doesn't affect only a particular range of weapons, so you can make use of it regardless of your current gear. We'd say, that this perk is more likely to end up in your active deck than the other two thanks to its universality.

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That's all you need to know about how to repair your weapons in Fallout 76! It's not rocket science, is it? Taking care of your weapons is easy – the hard part is obtaining great weapons. And we can help you with that! Browse our Fallout 76 Weapon boosting services to extend your arsenal sooner! Or get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help you with that or order a boost directly through a chat!

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