I have pretty much ruined a big part of my game due to a lucky find, an Explosive Combat Shotgun. Each pellet it fires explodes. I know the casuals among you are thinking "what, how can that be bad?" Its taken all challenge out from the game. I've played since the start on Survival. EVERYTHING melts before this gun. Legendary Deathclaw? Dead in no time. Behomoth? a joke. Anything not legendary or super high levels is a 1 shot. A legendary glowing one got the drop on me, 1 shot to his legs and hes gone.

In addition to this weapon being hyper over powered, Rifleman, a perk thats already OP as hell (Double damage for 5 points, really?) effects the explosions aswell.. not just the base damage... so my damage is off the charts. Also, the pellets have pretty good range, so I can now snipe with an AOE weapon... its robbed me of any joy of finding a better weapon, or of anticipating a tough fight.

"You can just put it away and not use it" I can... but I know its there.. pretty much a cheat weapon dropping without putting in a cheat code. Why did they put in weapons like this in the first place? Why break their own game and remove all challenge because of a lucky drop?

So sell it or stick it in an unsafe container. Poof.

You can limit yourself

edit: the drops are RNG. some are godlike, some are crap. i get pool cues that do more damage to super mutants.

I never got an exploding weapon, but I got a kneecapper combat rifle with a 20% chance to cripple the targets legs *per bullet*. It has made things quite easy to the point of being boring. I literally crippled a mirelurk queen and immobilized her in the first second of a fight, then just kept deeking in and out of cover to blast her face.

Just wait until you per impulse pulls the trigger on that shotgun on a Stingwing that is up your face

Stop using the weapon. Problem solved. Can legendary weapons be scrapped? I've never even thought to try it. But you can. Or sell it.

Also, you don't get double damage with any weapon perk (Rifleman, Command, Gunslinger) until you're around level 40. And by that point, some of the enemies you face can be bullet sponges so the extra damage is almost necessary. If you could unlock all 5 ranks right off the bat, then it would be unbalanced.

Personally, I'd LOVE to find an exploding combat shotgun. I would abuse the hell out of the thing and laugh and probably enjoy the game even more than I already do.