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Re-Used Props - Weapons
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider

Pistols - Rifles - Blade Weapons - Other Weapons

Many props of Star Trek were later modified or even recycled without changes to represent equipment for a different purpose or of another civilization. Here are quite a few examples of weapons. Please note that every statement made here should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no need to seek for explanations. Certainly we are not supposed to watch closely enough to notice that distant civilizations have the same weapons.

Pistols

TOS disruptor The disruptor which is nowadays familiar as a Klingon weapon began its life on Eminiar VII in TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon". It was later modified to serve as the Klingon disruptor in TOS: "Friday's Child" and "Day of the Dove". Aside from that, the Romulans used this type of disruptor too, in "The Enterprise Incident" where they had Klingon ships likewise. Even the original ribbed "barrel" of the Eminiaran weapon was re-used. It appeared as a part of a big scanning device in TOS: "Metamorphosis".

Eminiaran gun in TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon" (screen capture by Jörg)	Klingon disruptor in TOS: "Day of the Dove" (screen capture by Jörg)
Romulan weapon in TOS: "The Enterprise Incident" (screen capture by Jörg)	Scanner in TOS: "Metamorphosis" (screen capture by Jörg)

Scalosian weapon The same pistol is used by the Scalosians in TOS: "Wink of an Eye" and, a few episodes later, by the Ardanans in TOS: "The Cloud-Minders".

Scalosian weapon in TOS: "Wink of an Eye" (screen capture by Jörg)

Ardanan weapon in TOS: "The Cloud-Minders" (screen capture by Jörg)

Varon-T disruptor This weapon was originally built for TNG: "The Most Toys" where it was prominently featured as a Varon-T disruptor, a cruel weapon outlawed in the Federation. The disruptor reappeared in a number of later episodes, each time in the hand of a single person because there is obviously only one copy of the prop. However, on few of these occasions the weapon may have been another Varon-T disruptor. There may have been changes to the prop. Most noticeably in TNG: "Captain's Holiday" it seems to include parts of the even more often re-used Rutian pistol (see below), while the grip is obviously the one of the Varon-T prop.

Varon-T disruptor in TNG: "The Most Toys" (screen capture by Jörg)	Finn's pistol in TNG: "The High Ground" (screen capture by Jörg)
Sovak's pistol in TNG: "Captain's Holiday" (screen capture by Jörg)	Terrorist pistol in TNG: "Starship Mine" (screen capture by Jörg)
Tallera's pistol in TNG: "Gambit" (screen capture by Jörg)	Maquis pistol in TNG: "Preemptive Strike" (screen capture by Jörg)

Alien pistol in VOY: "Fair Trade"
(screen capture by Jörg)

Rutian pistol This pistol is one of the most frequently re-used weapon props. Unlike the Varon-T disruptor there are at least three of these props so that alien security forces may be armed with it. The pistol first showed up in TNG: "The High Ground", used by the Rutian planetary security. Its color was silverish dark gray on the grip, with colorful red, silver and gold details around the barrel. The prop remained unchanged for several more appearances, in TNG: "Legacy", "Man of the People", "Starship Mine", "Frame of Mind", "Attached", DS9: "The Passenger", "Necessary Evil", "Whispers" and "Who Mourns for Morn?". The weapon was painted brown in TNG: "Gambit, part II", DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets" and "Melora". Finally, a plain black variant could be seen in VOY: "Time and Again", "Resistance" and "Living Witness".

Rutian pistols in TNG: "The High Ground" (screen capture by Jörg)	Terrorist pistol in TNG: "Starship Mine" (screen capture by Jörg)
Pistol in DS9: "In the Hand of the Prophets" (screen capture by Jörg)	Kobliad pistol in DS9: "The Passenger" (screen capture by Jörg)
Assassin pistol in DS9: "Necessary Evil" (screen capture by Jörg)	Pistol in DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?" (screen capture by Jörg)
Pistol in VOY: "Time and Again" (screen capture by Jörg)	Kyrian pistol in VOY: "Living Witness" (screen capture by Jörg)
Four appearances of the pistol (screen capture by Jörg)	Four more appearances of the pistol (screen capture by Jörg)

Ferengi pistol A weapon with a typical flat nozzle which may have been formerly envisioned as a Vulcan phaser was consistently used as a Ferengi pistol in two DS9 episodes and even in ENT: "Acquisition" (though we should expect their technology to progress in 220 years). Only on one occasion, in DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak", we could see this weapon type in human hands in the Mirror Universe, but here it could have easily been a Ferengi pistol as well.

Ferengi pistol in three episodes (screen capture by Jörg)

Terran pistol in DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak" (screen capture by Jörg)

On an interesting side note, the phaser started its life as a Robotech Invid Shock Trooper. One shoulder cannon of the toy was made into the barrel, a leg became the handle of the Trek weapon.

Origin of the Ferengi phaser
(The Art of Star Trek / source unknown)

Finnean pistol Quark holds a weapon resembling the above Ferengi pistol in DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs". But this pistol is a distinct type and has previously been used by the Finnean thugs in DS9: "A Simple Investigation".

Finnean pistol in DS9: "A Simple Investigation" (screen capture by Jörg)

Quark's pistol in DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs" (screen capture by Jörg)

EM pistol This weapon has a characteristic boxy case and a vertical nozzle. It appears as a human phase pistol precursor in ENT: "Broken Bow" (Starfleet) and "Fortunate Son" (Earth Cargo Service). The Enolians, however, seem to be using this weapon too, as seen in ENT: "Canamar".

EM pistol in two ENT episodes (screen capture by Jörg)

Enolian pistol in ENT: "Canamar" (screen capturs by Jörg)

Rifles

Jem'Hadar rifle Interestingly, the weapon we know best as Jem'Hadar rifle first appeared as a Hunter weapon in DS9: "Captive Pursuit" and then more or less as a weapon-of-the-week. It even adorned James T. Kirk's souvenir wall in "Generations" until it finally and steadily became a Jem'Hadar weapon. In its first appearance the prop still had two large spikes on the front end making it look almost like a crossbow. These spikes were later removed. In some episodes the weapon sports what looks like a large "front sight" which is sometimes mounted pointing forward and sometimes backward. There are also different versions with bayonets in DS9: "Blood Oath" and, for the Jem'Hadar weapon, in DS9: "Rocks and Shoals". The Jem'Hadar weapon consistently fires blue plasma bullets.

Hunter weapon in DS9: "Captive Pursuit" (screen capture by Jörg)	Nol-Ennis weapon in DS9: "Battlelines" (screen capture by Jörg)
Kellerun weapon in DS9: "Armageddon Game" (screen capture by Jörg)	Albino weapon in DS9: "Blood Oath" (screen capture by Jörg)
Jem'Hadar weapon in DS9: "The Jem'Hadar" (screen capture by Jörg)	Jem'Hadar weapon in DS9: "Rocks and Shoals" (screen capture by Jörg)
Kirk's souvenir wall in "Generations" (The Art of Star Trek, scan by Bernd)	Jem'Hadar rifle photo (The Art of Star Trek, scan by Bernd)

Romulan disruptor rifle The Romulans carried this disruptor rifle with its characteristic curved shape in several episodes and in "Star Trek Nemesis". But it also appeared in the hands of the Ferengi, once in DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi" and once in the Mirror Universe in DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak". The weapon could also be seen in VOY: "Memorial", albeit just in an illusion.

Romulan disruptor in DS9: "Improbable Cause" (screen capture by Jörg)	Weapon in DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi" (screen capture by Jörg)
Weapon in DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak" (screen capture by Jörg)	Nakan weapon in VOY: "Memorial" (screen capture by Jörg)

Romulan disruptor rifle after 2368
(The Art of Star Trek, scan by Bernd)

Rutian terrorist rifle This prop belongs to the most frequently used guns in Star Trek. More than one copy exists of the weapon. We can see it for the first time in TNG: "The High Ground" where it was carried by the Ansata terrorists. The prop, with the same black or dark gray color scheme, is also used in TNG: "The High Ground", "Ensign Ro", "Rascals", "Starship Mine", "Gambit, part I", VOY: "The 37's" and "Dragon's Teeth". But the weapon is definitely most prominent as the Romulan rifle, although it appeared in this role in just one episode, "Unification". This variant of the rifle with a silver-gray coating was created relatively early, for TNG: "Captain's Holiday". It appeared once more in DS9: "The Passenger". Finally, there is a brown version of the weapon in DS9: "Armageddon Game", VOY: "Ex Post Facto", "Tattoo" and possibly in "Unity".

Four appearances of the rifle (screen capture by Jörg)	Four appearances of the rifle (screen capture by Jörg)
Four appearances of the rifle (screen capture by Jörg)	Romulan disruptor rifle in 2368 (Star Trek Fact Files, scan by Bernd)

Starfleet rifle Quark demonstrates a rifle with gold tarnish to his customers in DS9: "Business as Usual". The weapon appears to be a modification of the Starfleet weapon that is in use since "Star Trek: First Contact".

Golden rifle (DS9: "Business as Usual")
(screen capture by Michael Minnick)

Blade Weapons

Tamarian knife The knife of the Tamarian captain Dathon featured in TNG: "Darmok" reappears in TNG: "Man of the People" when the aged Deanna, under the influence of Ambassador Alkar, attacks Picard with it.

Tamarian knife (TNG: "Darmok") (screen capture by Jörg)

Deanna's knife (TNG: "Man of the People") (screen capture by Jörg)

Jem'Hadar halberd In DS9: "To the Death" the Jem'Hadar had blade weapons resembling medieval halberds. We can see this prop again in DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water", this time, in Kira's flashback about the Cardassian occupation, as a Bajoran weapon.

Jem'Hadar blade weapon (DS9: "To the Death") (screen capture by Jörg)

Bajoran weapon (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water") (screen capture by Jörg)

"Needle glove" One of the typical Ligonian weapons in TNG: "Code of Honor" was a poisoned needle glove. The same prop can be seen in Worf's quarters in TNG: "Reunion" (when Worf shows his armory to Alexander), this time apparently representing a genuinely Klingon weapon. On the other hand, he may have been so impressed with the Ligonians that he took it as a souvenir or to honor his commanding officer Lt. Yar who may have fought with exactly this glove.

Ligonian needle glove (TNG: "Code of Honor") (screen capture by Jörg)

Worf's needle glove (TNG: "Reunion") (screen capture by Jörg)

Other Weapons

Agonizer In TOS: "Mirror, Mirror" small triangular agonizers served to punish the crew for offenses. The same devices were used by the Klingons of our universe in TOS: "Day of the Dove".

Mirror agonizer (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror") (screen capture by Jörg)

Klingon agonizer (TOS: "Day of the Dove") (screen capture by Jörg)

Tantalus generator & medical console The Tantalus generator from TOS: "Mirror, Mirror" reappeared in a quite peaceful incarnation as a console in Dr. McCoy's sickbay in TOS: "Journey to Babel".

Tantalus generator (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror") (screen capture by Jörg)

Medical console (TOS: "Journey to Babel") (screen capture by Jörg)

Forcefield generator & columns The Cardassian forcefield generators in DS9: "The Homecoming" are used by the Paradans in DS9: "Whispers" for a completely different purpose: as structural reinforcements of their cave.

Field generator (DS9: "The Homecoming") (screen capture by Jörg)

Parada columns (DS9: "Whispers") (screen capture by Jörg)

Forcefield generators The lighted part of the prison forcefield on the Mokra homeworld (VOY: "Resistance") was redressed to become the Ilari forcefield generators (VOY: "Warlord").

Mokra forcefield generator (VOY: "Resistance") (screen capture by Jörg)

Ilari forcefield generator (VOY: "Warlord") (screen capture by Jörg)

Credits

Thanks to Michael Minnick for spotting the Starfleet phaser rifle and the halberd, to Battybattybats who pointed me to the Robotech toy, to Jernej L. who noticed the re-uses of the Tamarian knife and the Ligonian glove and to Phoenix Merrick for a hint about the Ligonian glove.

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	Last modified: 15.07.08
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/reused_props4.htm