How do I get NPCs to reliably equip new armour or equipment?

[KewlCrayon 0]

Hmm, I never really realized that NPC's only equipted better stuff, but usually I'd only give stuff to Mission-Related NPCs, like at Yantar the scientist guy kept dying on me so I gave him a OC-14 Groza and some AP rounds so he wouldnt stand there with trying to fend of hordes of zombies with just a pistol.