I had a handgun and a rifle that shot Cell ammo and I put the same attachments on them, They look exactly the same with the same stats. Both have long barrels now, so are they both considered rifles? The reason I ask is that I am wondering if I should perk up my Riflemen perk because I am using them so much.

if they are called pistols, they are pistols.

if they are called rifles, they are rifles.


the barrel doesnt change the type, the stocks do. Just look at the names to tell.

I rename my weapons so they show on the top, so auto-rename does not happen. I can see now that it full stock is a rifle.

If it has a pistol grip, it's affected by Gunslinger. If it has a stock, it's affected by Rifleman. While the Grips do have an effect on stats (primarily recoil, hip-fire accuracy, and sighted accuracy), their main use is determining if the weapon is affected by the Gunslinger or Rifleman perk.

The 'handle' is what matters. A grip is for pistols, stock for rifles. So short stocks (like on shotguns) are still rifle-grip.

Barrel length instead determines hip-fire vs sighted accuracy - a longer barrel will actively aim better, but a short barrel is better for aimless spray 'n pray.