Both seem to be non-automatic weapons. But which is better? So far it seems that I can mod the combat rifle to be more powerful than the assault rifle.

I prefer the combat rifle if only because it take up a lot less screen real estate.

I've only been able to make use of the assault rifle as an automatic, so far. With both the combat rifle and hunting rifle being good sniper/long and medium range rifles, the assault rifle doesn't really offer any bonuses as a semi-automatic. It's great as an automatic, though.

Both can be modded to semi-auto or full auto. Combat rifle seems to be better at semi-auto and assault rifle seems to be better at full auto. I prefer the combat rifle, better single shot stopping power and I use less ammo with it. Oh, and never give your companion a full auto anything or you'll be spending all your caps to resupply their ammo.

Both can be modded to auto I believe, but I've left them as single-shot due to the Rifleman perk.

It was a while back, but I did a quick compare between the two. From memory, I *think* the combat rifle modded to .308 was ultimately more damage than the assault rifle. I believe you can obtain a higher fire rate tho with the assault rifle.

Both can be used full auto or semi auto, I have an two bullet legendary of both and have the combat rifle as semi auto with .308 and the assault rifle as full auto.

The assault rifle looks more like an machinegun and this give most damage for each setup with extra bullet at least.

I build them both as fully automatic on my current character, then just use whichever has the most ammo and leave the other home.

I plan on turning one Combat Rifle into a sniper as soon as I can mod it for .308 ammo and then also carry another modded fully auto for close encounters. I'd like to use the assault rifle but as others have pointed out it takes a huge piece of the screen and it's very heavy. I may still use the assault rifle though since this is my commando build, but still it's hard to find a lot of differences between the two in full auto when they are fully maxed out so it generally goes to screen coverage and weight.

Thanks for the information, guys! I will scrap my assault rifle and keep the combat rifle. I am focusing on the non-automatic rifles Perk.

Put a silencer on it and get the Sandman perk. 50% extra dmg at perk lvl 3 helps a lot.

I do like the Assault Rifle more :/

the Combat Rifle provides more damage, but is way more clunky and takes longer to shoot

the Assault Rifle feels way more semi-automatic and while making less damage per shot, it feels like it makes more DPS due to it's high fire rate

The Combat Rifle also requires less investment in Gun Nut to use effectively, especially early on. Most of the Assault Rifle mods require rank 3 or 4 of Gun Nut, meaning it's better suited for lategame use. Solid automatic weapon though.

well imo

assault rifle for short to med distance combat and non vats use

combat rifle for med to long distance, sniping and vats use

i use both

Even if you put a hair trigger on the combat rifle?

Using comparative mods to both weapons, the assault rifle will come out on top, with higher accuracy over longer range. For single shots, that may well be questionable, but if you modify an AR to full auto, with a short scope and silenced, and vented barrel, with the commando perks you'll get 68 damage per round, out to 161 range, with high accuracy (can't recall but somewhere around the 100+ mark). Basically, on full auto, it will put all rounds in a three shot burst (comparable to a VATS phase) into a target at max range, which an auto CR won't do...which basically means that an auto AR has far more utility than a CR, and is more than suitable as an all round weapon, negating the need for separate firearms for differing ranges.

doesn't it lose damage then?

I'm using a .308 receiver

Yes, but I think it would still do more than the Assault rifle with its 5.56mm.

The Assault Rifle is the best weapon in the game. Most of my kills come from it. From sniper distance to right here, it's great. The Combat Rifle can be made to hit a little harder in .308 but any scope turns it into a screen hogging pig. The Assault Rifle can be made to hit nearly as hard but handles quite a bit better. I can put 3 in the head with it at pretty serious distances and actually fight, acquire targets, and kill them, with out dropping the gun from scope mode. As well the little scope on it allows better grenade handling as it does not obscure the arc.

I go through a pile of 5.56 but I sell .44, .45 and other common ammos, so it all works out.

i have a wounding assault rifle and its probably the sickest weapon i every found besides an instigating plasma rifle which kills behemoths on survival in one shot

I just like the look of the combat and hunting rifle cause it looks like an oldschool rifle... i miss the lever action rifles from new vegas tough, they were so cowboy

I loved using combat rifles earlier in the game. As an example, Overseer's Guardian was the TRUTH for around 100 hours or so of gameplay. Then I ultimately traded up to a legendary Assault rifle with fires two rounds, all aspects fully level (non-auto) and a longrange Recon scope. People don't know what hit them, and I'm able to snipe nearly as far as away as I am with a fully spec-ed out hunting rifle (I checked). So, really, why carry anything else?

In fact, I would say that with fully leveled Ninja and Rifleman perks, it's pretty much gamebreaking. If I get Mr. Sandman and level IT three times...I mean, what's left for me to do at that point? There won't be an enemy in the game who can stand against me at all. I don't even have Cloak and Dagger.

Overseer's guardian, short ported barrel, large mag, powerful full-auto (I think), with a muzzle break, marksman stock and a red dot is the closest I can get to something I would use. Would prefer the combat rifle in 5.56/.223 and the so called "assault rifle" should be in 7.62 x 54 as it looks more like a squad gun.

Wish they would use more realistic naming when making these guns, anything semi-auto is not an assault rifle they should call the full-auto mods assault rifle mods.

Evolution of rifle power in the game.

1-Combat Rifle 1-30 LV

2-Plasma Rifle 30-50 LV

3-Gauss Rifle end game content

while a combat rifle does more damage and more versitile since it can be upgraded into a sniper rifle i found the assault rifle better late in the game when you find much more ammo for it especially fully upgraded with 4 ranks of gunnut the assault rifle wins , faster rate of fire and much less kickback than a combatrifle even as a automatic rifle it has much less kickback than a combat rifle

o,my downside of a assault rifle is the scarcity of the ammo early and mid game

I scored a legendary 'Penetrating Assault Rifle'...I am the war god.

"Which weapon is better?" in Fallout 4 is like asking how long is a piece of string.

If you've got a high Strength, got the relevant perks for the firing type and to handle recoil, a semi-auto or full-auto Assault Rifle that's modded right can chew through an opponent with ease. Legendary Explosive or Penetrating tags or the Legendary Double Shot tag can extend the Assault Rifle's life well into the upper 90 levels, especially if you've been collecting the right magazines to up the critical damage bonus.

Personally, however, I am cursing the Commando Perk and my investment in it as I am constantly forced to do small bursts, even with Strength 6, just to ensure that the rifle doesn't buck itself way off target. Even with Gun Nut Rank 4, and the relevant mods to the weapon to diminish kick from firing and both arm-armor slots modded with 'Stabilisers', it's still a battle to keep a bead on an enemy, especially a moving one.

I'm still trying to figure out how laser weapons have recoil, personally.

That said, I strap myself into a set of Power Armor modded for high strength (Strength 14) and the issue is instantly gone unless I just let the damn thing rip, so I guess that's working as intended rather than just a bug with the Assault Rifle's design.

Ultimately, however, I would recommend all but the most determined to go with either the non-auto Pistol perk or the non-auto Rifle perk, and then upgrade to Heavy Weapons/Explosives at high-level play for that one-punch kill ability or the ability to cripple/burn away the defences of super-tough opponents like Primus Super Mutants or high-level Deathclaws.

Of the two rifles, I would have to say the Combat Rifle ends up being the better choice due to the ability to mod it to .308 ammo, which allows you to either use .45 ammo as currency, along with the ever-present .38 ammo, both of which are staggeringly plentiful at higher levels with the Ammo Scrounger perk and can be used to buy better ammo such as missiles, plasma cartridges and grenades or materials for grenades.