So Which is better

I say the M1 Garand, I prefer semi automatic more than full automatic. And on the difficulty I play on it doesnt matter how much damage they do

I don't care. While both are cool, both also take too much work to get. The AR is obviously *more* work, but there's an annoyingly large amount of trekking around just to get This Machine (and it's that trekking around that really chaps my ass).

That all might be secondary to the fact that I like to use a very specific weapon set that does not include either of those weapons.

Trekking to the upstairs computer really chaps my ass too.

This Machine. Semi-Auto over Auto. I like to hit what I aim for. 100% of the time. :foodndrink:

This Machine has my pick as its easier to get and it can do a ton of damage. The Automatic rifle is nice but the Marksman Carbine works just fine and saves the ammo of the 308 for either the Sniper Rifle or This Machine.

I like anchoring things with the BAR at close to medium range....for distance shooting I bring a Sniper Rifle or La Lounge Carabine. I like to free-aim at distance targets and This Machine doesn't cut it as they made the sight aperture too small. For me, the BAR replaces shotguns...even though the ammo costs more, it'll take down a Deathclaw faster than a Hunting Shotgun will.

BAR is a pretty deadly room clearer, and This Machine is great for sneak attacks and picking off at range. I say bring both, I can't decide which is better because they're both great.
I just pushed through the Dam using the BAR with JSP ammo, Slasher and Psycho, and 30 Turbos to use.
I was killing whole swaths of Legion Centurions and Primes in seconds, cutting through contubernia like a Superheated Cosmic Knife through Warm Butter. It was amazing and cemented my love for the gun.
Using it a medium-long to long range is a waste though.
Use "This Machine" to pick at those targets, and then when they close in to medium-close range you let loose with the Auto-rifle. There is no defense. Deathclaw Promontory is easy with this thing, especially with turbo. It's more than capable of cutting down a whole horde of deathclaws and not break a sweat, as long as you have the juice for it.

This Machine. Having to go through an entire DLC to just get a gun that is not as great (IMO) as one I can get with but a few dialog options is a hassle.

I don't think that kind of information should factor into this discussion. I mean, if you're going to do the DLC eventually ANYWAY, you're going to come out with the BAR. And I don't think availability affects how "good" a gun is. Perhaps its usefulness to you, but since it's entirely possible to scraqe by in New Vegas with inferior weapons, the assessment of a weapon's quality should only begin after you have it in my opinion.

Not true. As I said, I do not think the AR (BAR) is as effective as This Machine in overall performance, which means I had both at some time or another. In my opinion, the AR is lackluster compared to This Machine, and what one has to go through to get the AR is more of hassle than to get This Machine IMO, which makes my choice favor This Machine even more.

I respect the fact you think that factors like how to acquire an item do not fall into this, but I disagree with your disagreement. Convenience can be just as much of a factor as practicality.

LMFAO.

When you start a new game do you immediately go for This Machine or whatever weapons you want? I don't. I just go with the flow.
I also disagree that the AR is lackluster. The AR absolutely outclasses this machine at close range.
While it has slightly less damage per shot than This Machine, it has more than Double the damage per second, and more than double the ammo capacity.
It also has a higher crit chance, which when combined with its high fire rate means it will in practice crit way more often than This Machine.

This machine has good accuracy slightly higher dam and crit dam, which makes it good for sneak crits at long range.
The AR has high rate of fire, decent accuracy at mid range, and enough power to cut through most any DT in the game.

Let me put it this way. I wouldn't take just This Machine to deathclaw promontory. Sure, it will do just fine against one or two deathclaws. You can probably take them down before they close in.

But a whole horde? I wouldn't trust anything other than the Automatic Rifle to save my ass there. Before I got Dead Money, Deathclaw Promontory was a challenge. So was dead wind cavern. Now I just pop some turbo and mow them all down like they are made of rice paper.
I also replayed the Dam battle. Legate Lanius fell to the BAR in seconds.

Try doing either of those things with This Machine.
The reason I'm against saying one is better than the other is that they both have their uses. If you don't allow yourself to get into close or medium range battles, This Machine is for you. Otherwise, you need a powerful backup.

All I know is that when I took my EW character through Dead Money, the BAR was doing more damage than my Holorifle. I have like a 11 in Guns and maxed EW with all the EW perks. EW still svck and the BAR, with its Mod is a great weapon.

Look, I know we're trying to have a discussion about the two weapons, but is it not a bit silly you're trying to debate my opinion? Just because you see something one way does not mean that I do. Your experiences are probably different from mine, which is cool. That means we have different outlooks. Just because you happen to find both weapons useful in different situations does no mean that I do. I have used the AR, and I do not like it. I have used This Machine, and I think it is alright. That is why I am more keen on This Machine than the AR.

I am sure the numbers speak for themselves, but my experiences say otherwise.

This Machine deffinetly gets my vote! Its an absolute beast of a rifle!

Hmmm.......I like both to be honest. But it's important to realize that we are comparing apples to oranges between the M1 Garand (This Machine) and the BAR (Automatic Rifle). My one complaint about the M1 is the front and rear sights.......they are horrible, I mean.....Nintendo 64 style horrible. The sights are very thick and blocky (like most of the weapons sights in this game) and if you have an a 1080P HDTV like me, the front sight post is lopsided. Other then that, the M1 has good damage, good recoil, and is fairly correct in it's design when compared to a a real M1. The BAR on the other hand, is not a long range weapon, even though it's real life counterpart is, or rather, capable of long range (250 to 800 meters on a point target). In fact......the BAR (in this game) is closer to a shotgun, considering it's bullet spread, then a rifle capable of automatic fire. In the game, the BAR does massive damage and is the most powerful automatic in the game. Besides being highly inaccurate even at medium distances, the sights for the weapon are ridiculous, although, I've never looked down the sight of a real BAR....so I can't compare. Also, it's one of the fastest decaying weapons in the game in my opinion. For some reason Bethesda decided to make the decay rates for automatic weapons reduce quickly. Nevermind that the full auto's cost 2 or 3 times more then a semi-auto of the same calibre, usually weigh 2 or 3 times more then a semi-auto of the same calibre, and chew through ammo super fast.....making them very expensive to operate.....especially in "Dead Money" where ammo is very hard to come by. But that is just my personal opinion. Regardless, the BAR will chew up anything and if you can land about 50% or more of the rounds on target per magazine (easier said then done).......it (what ever "it" is) will be dead and probably missing one or more body parts. If you ask me they probably should have used the M-14 (which is exactly like an M1, but with detachable 20 round box magazine and full-auto fire) instead of the BAR.....IMHO

But the BAR is way more powerful and plust it takes hardly any shots to kill anything. I love the m1 grand also dont get me wrong

This Machine just about 2-shots everything with .308 JSP. I use the AR for when things get close.

After going through all of Dead Money to get it and mod it, I prefer the AR. I like the sight much better on the AR. Only problem was that by the time I got the AR, stuff to shoot at in NV was a lot more sparse. I'd like to take the AR to Fallout 3 and start adding up the body count.

that would be sick and epic but i found that the mod for the ar was useless like serously increase rate of fire it has a 20 round clip why would u put that mod in there why not extended mags

balance be kinda hilarious fi u could add a drum magazine to it X D

It would if you couldn't crack an average computer.