Firearm: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 04:38, 29 January 2012

Firearm, commonly known as a "gun", was a term encompassing a variety of weapons which used a projectile fired from the weapon relying on chemical explosives to propel the projectile at high velocities from the firearm. They were typically used to penetrate surfaces to maim or kill and were usually human in origin.

Most firearms were ineffective against armoured races such as Daleks and Cybermen, (DW: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday) though specifically designed bullets were produced to take advantage of alien races' weaknesses (Gold in the Cybermen's case). (DW: Battlefield) Standard bullets were effective though against biological species similar to humans, such as the Ood, (DW: Planet of the Ood),Silents (DW: The Wedding of River Song) and Sontarans. (DW: The Poison Sky) Although bullets won't work on races such as the Cybermen and Stingray swarm (DW: Planet of the Dead), UNIT can use rockets and missiles to defeat these armoured species.

Firearms, as a relatively primitive technology, could be neutralised by more advanced technology. For example, Sontaran soldiers employed a cordolaine field that affects certain metals such as copper, causing weapons using copper casings on their projectiles not to fire. (DW: The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky)

Technological improvements such as the Bastic bullet could make firearms more effective, a viable weapon even against a Dalek. (DW: Revelation of the Daleks, The Parting of the Ways)

UNIT and other military personnel usually use weapons from the G36 weapons family. Officers usually carry pistols or revolvers. In future centuries future soldiers like the Anglican soldiers and soldiers in the Human-Hath War seem to carry modified P90s.

One practical limit on the use of firearms is that they were usually lethal. While it was possible to use a firearm to incapacitate rather than kill, this could be done only by inflicting serious injury and pain. While there were forms of ammunition known as "less than lethal" intended for incapacitation, such as rubber bullets, they still inflicted great pain, and were lethal under certain circumstances. For this reason, individuals such as the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith refused to use them on moral grounds. (DW: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End) [additional sources needed]

Despite their limitations, humans were known to use firearms well into the 2001st century and beyond. (DW: The Parting of the Ways, Utopia)

An appreciation of the usefulness of firearms was not limited to humanity. Upon landing on the planet Exxilon a Dalek taskforce's weapons were rendered inoperable, forcing them to replace their energy weapons with semi-automatic ballistic weapons. (DW: Death to the Daleks)

Bolt-Action Rifle use

Assault Rifle use

Handgun use

File:Rattigan with a gun.jpg
Luke Rattigan threatening members of the Rattigan Academy with a handgun. (DW: The Poison Sky)
The Fourth Doctor retreats, covering himself with a handgun. (DW: The Seeds of Doom)

Machine gun, Submachine gun and PDW use

Thawn and Fenner with machine guns. (DW: The Power of Kroll)

Behind the scenes

See also

Firearm