# Stupid Star Trek Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820 "2004-12-20T17:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/1 "2004-12-20T17:13:36Z")
In _Star Trek: First Contact_, the crew begins to use rifles when they battle the Borg on their ship. A bit later in the movie, Picard tells Lily that the phaser she had pointed on him was set and maximum and would have vaporized him. If a hand-held phaser can vaporize someone, why would they need one the size of the rifle? Bigger power cells? More ability to make the phaser modulation randomize (wow, I almost sound like a Trekkie there, don’t I? 🆒 )? Some other reason? No reason at all? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/2 "2004-12-20T17:17:56Z")
So that Worf would look cool chucking a rifle at Data, who grimly catches it? I think that’s the most likely explanation. Worf also looked cool smacking that one Borg in the head with the rifle butt. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/3 "2004-12-20T17:22:28Z")
No, they had phaser rifles in TOS, too. So it couldn’t have been the ‘coolness’ factor. Well, it could, be we’re trying to work within the continuity here. I’m figuring they either held more charge or had a longer range or something. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/4 "2004-12-20T17:22:38Z")
To vaporize two people? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/5 "2004-12-20T17:23:15Z")
The Phaser Rifle has been around before First Contact, really. Some things are harder to vaporize than others, y’know. If I recall correctly, the tiny handhelds that look like TV Remotes are Type I Phasers; the pistols are Type II, and the Rifles are Type III. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/6 "2004-12-20T17:35:03Z")
In TOS, the explanation was that the rifles had bigger power packs, and thusly could fire longer. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/7 "2004-12-20T17:41:54Z")
Extra Geek points: The first appearance of the phaser rifle was in the episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/8 "2004-12-20T17:48:53Z")
There is no reason ever stated for the different kinds of phasers seen in the series but \*\*Jonathan \*\*and **silenus** ’ conjectures are the most likely. Just a bigger battery and higher energy output. One seeming specialization of the rifles is that they can fire pulses whereas the Type I and Type IIs are strictly beam weapons. Not sure what kind of advantage that would possibly give though. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/9 "2004-12-20T17:49:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Extra Geek points: The first appearance of the phaser rifle was in the episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” 😃 Wasn’t that also the _last_ appearance of the phaser rifle in TOS? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/10 "2004-12-20T17:50:13Z")
IIRC, Spock was going to use a phaser rifle to kill that one crewman who was rapidly developing god-like powers. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/11 "2004-12-20T17:55:29Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Wasn’t that also the _last_ appearance of the phaser rifle in TOS? Yes. They showed up in a couple TNG episodes prior to _First Contact_ though. And the crewman was Gary Mitchell, Kirk’s best friend, **Diceman**. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/12 "2004-12-20T18:39:42Z")
It seems to me that in the confines of the ship, pistols are a better choice than rifles.\* Also, since the Borg adapt and have shielding to stop phasers but they never develop shielding to stop a phisical attack, why not have Worf use that batlef (yes I know that is misspelled) and replicate some of those Tommy guns Picard uses in holodeck. \*I have never actually been in a battle for a space ship using energy beam type weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/13 "2004-12-20T18:42:53Z")
The Borg would have adapted to the bullets eventually, just like they adapted to the phasers. If they were particularly susceptible to kinetic energy weapons, Picard would have told the crew beforehand… instead, he just used their (temporary) unfamiliarity with the weapons to kill the drones. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/14 "2004-12-20T19:25:25Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > If a hand-held phaser can vaporize someone, why would they need one the size of the rifle? The Security Officers complained that stopping intruders with little dinky firearms that felt like TV remote-controls didn’t give them enough job satisfaction. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/15 "2004-12-20T20:00:07Z")
Ah, so they just felt more badass with the rifles. I understand now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/16 "2004-12-20T22:17:18Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > The Borg would have adapted to the bullets eventually, just like they adapted to the phasers. If they were particularly susceptible to kinetic energy weapons, Picard would have told the crew beforehand… instead, he just used their (temporary) unfamiliarity with the weapons to kill the drones. They would have probably developed organic Kevlar or some such thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/17 "2004-12-20T23:12:55Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > The Security Officers complained that stopping intruders with little dinky firearms that felt like TV remote-controls didn’t give them enough job satisfaction. 😃 If so, then you’ve got to wonder why they didn’t bitch about not being allowed to carry them on suicide, er _away_, missions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/18 "2004-12-20T23:31:52Z")
More on [phasers.](http://www.ship3.fsnet.co.uk/handweapons_how2.htm)😃 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/19 "2004-12-21T01:11:00Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > If I recall correctly, the tiny handhelds that look like TV Remotes are Type I Phasers; the pistols are Type II, and the Rifles are Type III. Which Type are the phasers that look like Dustbusters on _TNG_? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820/20 "2004-12-21T01:46:32Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > It seems to me that in the confines of the ship, pistols are a better choice than rifles.\* Also, since the Borg adapt and have shielding to stop phasers but they never develop shielding to stop a phisical attack, why not have Worf use that batlef (yes I know that is misspelled) and replicate some of those Tommy guns Picard uses in holodeck. Forget guns, how about a freakin Samurai sword, bayonet or even a pointy stick? People in this thread are speculating that the Borg would develop some form of Kevlar body armor to defend. Well, unless they covered up their entire bodies, it would have been better than shooting phasers to make pretty lights when it hit the Borg. Here is the question that has long bothered me about the Borg. In TNG, the Enterprise crew transports into the Borg ship multiple times, at one point shooting around the ship to cause damage and make the ship stop. My problem is, if you are going to enter the enemy ship to cause damage, how about using something a bit more powerful, like an H-bomb. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-star-trek-question/280820.md?page=2)