In the desolate wasteland of the Fallout universe, the weapon you’re packing can mean the difference
between certain death and living long enough to see another brutal day.
One very obvious example is the .32 Pistol, which
is directly based on the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model. This is made especially clear by the
Smith & Wesson logo that can be seen on the gun’s hilt. The real world inspiration for
the R91 Assault Rifle is a bit more obscure. It appears to be based on an early version
of the Heckler & Koch G3 that was developed in Germany in the 1950s. Unlike later models,
it featured a wooden handguard and buttstock, much like its in-game model.
Fallout 3’s Shansei Type 17 is based on a real pistol called The Shansei Type 17 but
what you may be surprised to learn is that this gun is just a Chinese copy of the German-made
Mauser C96, or as it is often nicknamed: “The Broomhandle”. Manufactured from 1896 to
1937, this pistol was a favorite of young Winston Churchill who used it in the bloody
Battle of Omdurman in 1898 and often claimed that it had saved his life. Fallout: New Vegas’
Grenade Launcher also appears to be artistically based on the China Lake Grenade Launcher which
was originally created especially for Navy SEALs in 1968. One gun referenced in Fallout
3 is not actually a usable weapon, but if you look closely, the Ruger GP100 revolver
handgun appears on the cover of “Gun and Bullets” magazine.
The extremely deadly Lincoln’s Repeater probably has the most interesting real-world
counterpart: the Henry 1860, or as it is usually called, “The Henry”. Due to being both
expensive and incredibly effective, it was highly prized by any Union Soldier who could
afford one during the American Civil War. Then, there’s the Flamer, which appears
to be directly based on the M2 Flamethrower used by American troops across the world in
World War II.
Fallout: New Vegas’ Joshua Graham is a big
fan of the .45 Auto Pistol; in fact he is seen loading a whole table full of them when
the player is introduced to him. When the player comments on them he says that this
type of .45 Automatic Pistol was designed by one of his tribe almost four hundred years
ago. The real-life pistol he is referring to is the M1911, a famous weapon that saw
an incredibly long life-span. First developed in 1911, the gun was used in both World Wars
and the war in Vietnam, until finally being replaced as the standard issue pistol in the
US Army in 1986 . It was designed by John Browning, who was, you guessed it, a devout
Mormon. The connection between Joshua Graham and John Browning goes a bit deeper than their
shared faith, they both happen to share the same birthplace: Ogden, Utah.
One of the Chinese assault rifles has an interesting historically-inspired name that probably goes
unnoticed by most players. As any Fallout fan knows, the Xuanlong assault rifle is the
most powerful Chinese assault rifle to be found in the game; so the developers cleverly
named the weapon after the Xuanlong dragon. This creature (which is most commonly referred
to as the Black Dragon) is a prominent figure in Chinese mythology, he is the highest tier
of dragon and the most powerful among the “king” dragons. This legend proved popular
enough to inspire the name of The Black Dragons, a feared Chinese-American gang that continues
to operate out of Southern California.
Reilly’s Rangers, one of the kinder mercenary
factions in Fallout 3, were inspired by a real life British Army infantry unit in the
French and Indian War called Roger’s Rangers. Robert Roger’s men were proud of their Irish
heritage and reflected that in their signature green uniforms. Likewise, Reilly’s Rangers
wear green battle armor which prominently features an emblem of a four-leaf clover.
Another character that appears to be inspired by a real world figure is Fallout 2’s Pretty
Boy Lloyd, who is not-so-subtly named after 1930s American gangster Charles “Pretty
Boy” Floyd. Like Pretty Boy Lloyd in the game, Floyd was known for being a very efficient
thief. If his name sounds familiar, you may recognize him as the character Channing Tatum
portrays in the 2009 film Public Enemies. Many Fallout fans have had the opportunity
to virtually visit the city of Pittsburgh in the Fallout 3 DLC “The Pitt” but you
may not be aware of some of the obscure local references that can be found in it. The character
of Lulu, a raider who can be seen around the uptown area, has an odd habit of giving you
bowls of noodles. This is a reference to a beloved Asian restaurant, Lulu’s Noodles,
which is located in uptown Pittsburgh. Another character, Reddup, is thought to be named
after a bit of colorful Pittsburgh slang, where “redd up” is often used to mean
“clean up” or “tidy up”, perhaps a joke on the developers side, since if you’ve
seen Reddup, you know that a bath or two would probably do him some good.
You thought you knew Fallout, but hopefully you’ve learned just a thing or two more.
Do you know of any other historical or literary references we didn't cover here? Share them
in the comment section below and we might include it in a future episode. If you like
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