How to Repair Weapons and Armor in Fallout: New Vegas

Open the Pip-Boy, highlight the weapon or armor you want to keep, and choose Repair. Select a compatible spare item to use as the donor. The donor disappears and the chosen piece gains condition. If you lack a donor, use a Weapon Repair Kit for a weapon or pay an NPC who offers repair services for the piece you need.

1. Inspect condition before choosing a repair

Check the CND display for the equipment you carry. A worn weapon or piece of armor can still be useful, but condition affects how well it works. Look at the gear you actually use and repair the worst of it first. An armor piece that stays in storage does not need the same immediate attention as the only protection you take into a fight.

Decide which copy you want to keep. Read the name and inspect any modifications before starting. Two weapons can look similar in the item list while one is the one you customized. Select the keeper as the target and treat the other item as the material. If you reverse that selection, you may consume the piece you wanted to preserve.

2. Repair an item in the Pip-Boy

1. Open Items in the Pip-Boy.
2. Highlight the weapon or apparel you want to improve.
3. Choose the Repair action shown in the menu.
4. Read the available donor list and pick a compatible spare.
5. Confirm, then check the keeper's condition and name.

The donor is consumed. If the menu offers several options, avoid using something that you still need or that is worth more to you than the condition gained. Look at the list before confirming. Your Repair skill affects the value you get out of combining items, while the menu shows which pieces are compatible with the selected target.

3. Use a kit or ask a vendor when no donor fits

A Weapon Repair Kit can restore the weapon you have equipped without consuming a duplicate. Equip the intended weapon first, then use the kit from your items. Check condition after using it so you know which piece received the repair. This is a useful option for a unique weapon whose compatible donors are harder to find. The kit is for weapons, so do not spend time trying to use it on armor.

For armor or a weapon you cannot otherwise repair, ask an NPC who offers the repair service. Inspect the price and available result before paying. Repair the piece that matters most if you cannot afford every item. You can come back later with caps or carry a compatible spare for the next trip.

4. Use Jury Rigging carefully

Jury Rigging broadens the range of items you can combine. It can let a cheaper piece in a similar category repair more valuable equipment. Read the donor list to see which items the game accepts for the target you selected. Some equipment still has limited compatibility.

Bethesda documents a case where using a modified weapon as the donor for an unmodified one can make the modified weapon disappear from the setup you intended to keep. Save before experimenting and keep modified weapons out of the donor choice. Always select the item you want to improve first.

5. Fix a missing Repair option

If the option is unavailable, check whether you have a compatible donor and whether the target already has full condition. If a kit did not repair the piece you intended, verify which weapon was equipped at the time. If you want to fix armor without a suitable spare, use a repair vendor and review the cost.

After a repair, equip the piece you intended to keep and check it in the Pip-Boy before leaving. If you repaired the wrong copy and the donor mattered, reload a save from before the operation. For your next trip, keep one cheap, compatible donor or a repair kit for the weapon you use most.

If you are planning a long trip, inspect the weapon and armor you expect to use before leaving town. Repairing a worn piece while a merchant is nearby can be easier than carrying several heavy duplicates in case it needs attention later.