Early years

The people who would establish the Gun Runners were originally a small-time gang from the Hub, which moved North into the Boneyard around 2131. The promise of new territory and influence appealed to them. They did indeed find it, though not in the way they expected it. The gang settled into a factory in The northeast Ruins. On top of usual gang activities, the Gun Runners started trading weapons taken from their marks or imported from their contacts back at the Hub to local communities and gangs.

 

The profits made on this deal prompted them to abandon their gang ties and focus on trade. Rather than keep importing weapons, the Gun Runners decided to put the machines inside the factory to use. Coupled with an abundant supply of scrap metal around their factory, they quickly established themselves as machinists and gunsmiths, capable of manufacturing military-grade weapons and ammunition with the use of pre-War schematics.

 

The independent metal supply lasted until 2151, when they had to start importing raw materials from The southern wastes to sustain their business. They adopted the Gun Runners name in 2155, formally establishing their business. The situation was stable and generated profits for both sides, until 2158, when the Enclave established their rule in the south. Exploiting the Gun Runners' reliance on imports, the Enclave started squeezing the Gun Runners, buying their weapons at bargain prices and pocketing the difference in value upon resale. Although the Gun Runners grew desperate in search of another source of supply, the deathclaws, which took up residence in the Boneyard made finding one or moving shop entirely an impossibility. The entire situation was a problem for Gabriel, their informal leader, especially since the deathclaws kept driving customers away and leaving Zack, their master merchant, without much to do.

 

New  Republic

The Gun Runners survived the problems with the deathclaws and The south, continuing to rise in prominence as the primary suppliers of high-quality weapons and ammunition in New Republic , eventually becoming one of two oldest and most influential merchant houses in the Republic Territority, together with Crimson Caravan. Their influence grew further with the foundation of the New Republic Army. As the standing army required weapons and ammunition, the Gun Runners answered that call. In time, they became what was commonly called an unofficial branch of the army.

 

By 2281, they dominate the conventional weapons market from the Boneyard to The scar. Army contracts account for a substantial part of their business, up to 90% in contested regions such as the Projects. Their influence is the envy of competing businesses, but the Gun Runners wield too much influence in the Hub for either Crimson Caravan or the Van Graffs to do anything about it.

 

Organization

The Gun Runners are a decentralized, loosely organized company of machinists and weaponsmiths, focusing on creating the finest high-grade weapons and ammunition for everyone in need of a firearm. Although they started with a single factory in the Boneyard, over a century of growth and expansion resulted in numerous additional centers of manufacturing opening across the across the wasteland. Gun Runner caravans deliver finished ordnance and are typically comprised of one of two brahmin loaded with weapons and a large escort of well-armed guards. On the off chance that the guards are killed, the weapons cases are rigged to explode if someone without proper clearance tries to access them.

Decentralizing production by relying on local factories with short delivery routes allowed the Gun Runners to practically monopolize the conventional weapons market. Weapons are constructed on-site using military schematics, ensuring consistent quality, and delivered to all nearby clients purchasing in bulk or sold to individual customers. This is particularly important in the Hub, where the local factory is a crucial element of the Republic's logistical chain and can respond to changes in demand as soon as they can be communicated to Isaac, the factory's informal leader.

Isaac exemplifies another unique part of Gun Runners' culture: Instead of imposing a strict hierarchy, the Runners rely on a flat organization where experts in their fields (gunsmiths, guards, supply managers) collaborate together for the benefit of the company, without a boss to impose his or hers will upon them. None of them would do anything to upset this arrangement, as working for the Gun Runners is considered one of the best professions in the wasteland.

This flat organization does not mean they are incapable of navigating the byzantine politics of the Republic. The Gun Runners hold a great deal of political influence, using their lobbyists to ensure any measures that impact their business do not leave the Senate - especially if they're tariffs proposed by their nearest competitors. Furthermore, they will use lethal force to defend their factories and curtail industrial espionage or retaliate against competitors who have slighted them. The measures range from assassination to using their influence to deny them access to various markets