.375 Caliber Rifle

Lore & Background

In the Outer Worlds, firearms are a patchwork of Earth-era calibers and colonial improvisation. The .375 Caliber Rifle traces its lineage to the .375 H&H Magnum, a cartridge that on Earth was prized for big-game hunting. On Halcyon, where the biggest game is a mutated creature that wants to eat your face, the cartridge found a second life in a compact semi-automatic platform that the colony's quartermasters could mass-produce without exotic materials.

The Halcyon's supply ships brought crates of these rifles as standard-issue for survey teams and security detail. They were never intended to be hero weapons—just enough stopping power to keep a colonist from being torn apart while they walked between outposts. The semi-automatic action was a deliberate choice: in a world where you might be ambushed by a pack of predators or a squad of rogue colonists, the ability to fire a controlled burst without cycling a bolt between shots was a small mercy.

Over time, the .375 became a cultural shorthand for 'the gun you had before you had a real gun.' Veterans on Halcyon would glance at a newcomer carrying one and offer a knowing nod, the way someone might nod at a tourist still wearing their city-bus shoes. It wasn't a badge of honor, but it wasn't an insult, either. It just meant you were still figuring things out.

In Their Own Story

The dust on Halcyon had a way of getting into everything—joints of a rifle action, the creases of a collar, the back of your throat. You crouched behind the overturned supply crate, the .375 Caliber Rifle warm in your hands, and watched the two scavengers argue over a crate of canned protein. Their voices carried the flat, exhausted cadence of people who'd been walking this red dirt for weeks.

You didn't need the protein. You needed to not be seen. You eased the bolt back, checked the chamber—two rounds, maybe three—and let the rifle settle against your shoulder. The semi-auto trigger was light, almost too light, like pressing a button rather than pulling a sear. One shot, maybe two. Enough to drop the one closest to the crate and send the other scrambling into the scrub.

You didn't fire. You never did, not that time. You just watched them run, the rifle still warm, and thought about how a .375 was supposed to be a hunting cartridge. On Earth, you aimed at a bull elk. Here, you aimed at a man in a patched jacket who was trying to steal your lunch. The universe had a sense of humor, and it was very, very dry.

Reader's Guide

Item: .375 Caliber Rifle Type: Rifle (Semi-Automatic) Tier: 1 – Common

Stat Block: Deals Physical damage. Low-to-moderate damage per round with a semi-automatic fire rate. Light weight for a rifle, keeping your encumbrance manageable. No special effect or elemental modifier—pure physical impact.

Drop / Acquisition: Found as a common world drop in early-game areas on Halcyon. You'll encounter it in survey camps, security outposts, and the cargo holds of abandoned supply shuttles. It is NOT quest-gated and NOT DLC-exclusive. It can also occasionally appear as a random vendor stock item at early-game merchants.

Notable Notes: This is a starter-tier weapon. You will outgrow it quickly once you acquire Tier 2+ rifles with elemental or special damage. It does not have a unique name or special flavor text beyond standard common-item descriptions. There are no hidden easter eggs tied specifically to this weapon, though the .375 caliber designation is a nod to real-world big-game hunting cartridges, fitting the 'frontier' tone of Halcyon's early settlements.

Tip: If you're struggling with early encounters and haven't found a better rifle yet, this is your best semi-auto option for keeping enemies at range without the slow reload of a bolt-action.

Did You Know?

• The .375 Caliber Rifle's name references the real-world .375 H&H Magnum, a cartridge historically used for hunting large game like elk and moose—a fitting parallel to Halcyon's dangerous fauna.
• As a Tier 1 common weapon, it has no unique name, special effect, or elemental damage, making it one of the most 'vanilla' rifles in the game's arsenal.
• The semi-automatic action distinguishes it from the bolt-action rifles also available early in the game, offering faster follow-up shots at the cost of slightly lower per-round impact.
• The .375 Caliber Rifle is available in the base game and is not locked behind any quest, DLC, or prestige requirement, making it accessible to every player from the start.