A-Z Fallout lore

G is for the Gun Runners

The Gun Runners are the largest weapons, armor and ammunitions producers and suppliers in the wasteland. The group originated from one of the many gangs roaming the deserted streets of the downtown Los Angeles Boneyard, trying to carve out some territory for themselves. Making their hideout in an abandoned factory with still functioning manufacturing equipment, the gang decided to set up shop and took its first tentative steps in the gunrunning business. The factory was slowly restored to working order and an unscalable moat was dug around it and filled with toxic waste. Dubbed the Fortress, it would become the headquarters of their entire operation. Trade began with the settlers in Adytum and soon after the other groups in the Boneyard, and picked up even more when the Boneyard joined the NCR. Over the years the Runners acquired pre-War military schematics and started manufacturing superior energy weapons, much more advanced than the weaponry of even their closest competitors. As the NCR grew so did its need to maintain and outfit a sizeable standing army, and the Gun Runners saw the lucrative government contracts pour in, soon becoming the NCR's main military contractor. Branches were established in many major settlements, and the company also ventured into riskier, lawless areas, where the demand for guns and thus profit margins were exponentially greater. Their valuable cargo makes Gun Runner caravans an attractive target for raiders and highwaymen, so one will rarely see one of the Runners' caravans without an escort of guards, armed to the teeth. The number of attacks steadily declined once the Runners started rigging all their wares with explosives, in order to blow up the shipment if the guards should be overcome, rather than have it fall into the hands of the raiders: a strategem that successfully seems to discourage all but the most foolhardy. A competitive business prone to sabotage and espionage, Gun Runner factories are highly secured and great precautions are taken to keep secret weapon schematics away from prying eyes.