- "The weapons we carry are more powerful than any you have ever seen."
- ―Teyla Emmagan
- "Your weapons are formidable, yes, but they lack the endurance of a staff."
- ―K'tano
Firearms, guns, or projectile weapons are kinetic energy weapons (KEW's) extensively used by the Tau'ri. They launch projectiles accelerated by rapidly expanding high-pressure gas generated by chemical propellants. The most primitive form of propellant is gunpowder, a blend of charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate, while modern firearms use more powerful "smokeless" propellants based on nitrocellulose, with additions of nitroglycerine in some types. While considered technologically primitive compared to most energy weapons they are more than capable of piercing the armor worn by Jaffa, Ori soldiers, and Wraith warriors. Compared to the firearms of other human cultures, Tau'ri weapons are considerably more advanced and refined, which should not come as any surprise, as there are hundreds of different models of firearms being developed by dozens of manufacturers.
Interestingly, kinetic energy weapons are the only known weapon capable of permanently damaging insect-form Replicators, prior to the invention of the Replicator disruptor. While the blocks may come back together after one shot, several shots will destroy them. Firearms are also not susceptible to energy disruptions or loss of power over time. However, since firearms require ammunition they lack the endurance of energy weapons. They are typically much more effective than than Staff weapons and similar weapons under many battle conditions; firearms possess superior accuracy and effective range over most commonly used energy weapons. Semi-automatic pistols such as the Colt M1911A1 pistol and M9 pistol are enough to kill Jaffa and provide cover fire to a certain extent while submachine guns such as the popular FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon can easily take down several Jaffa before they can fire a single blast. In heavy battle, more powerful projectile weapons, such as the Colt M16A3 rifle mounted with a Colt M203 grenade launcher, are clearly superior to the Staff weapon.
Moreover, the Tau'ri have a wide array of other projectile weapons that can be used under many situations, such as assault rifles and submachine guns; G36K and the H&K MP5A3 submachine gun, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns such as the M60 machine gun, light machine guns such as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon are highly efficient. Even the older assault rifle Kalashnikov AK-47 is a clearly a match for both Jaffa and Wraith. And even though designed in 1944, it is a much more advanced rifle than those of the Genii, who possess weapons technology similar to that of late 1930's to early 1940's Earth. The Genii are very advanced according to human standards in the Pegasus Galaxy. The weapons of the Tau'ri during the American civil war (1861-1865) are still superior to many, if not most, of the human populations in the Pegasus - further proof of how advanced the Tau'ri firearms are.
Known firearms
- Armsel Striker
- AT4
- Barrett M82
- Colt M16A3 rifle
- Colt M1911A1 pistol
- Colt M203 grenade launcher
- Cobray CM79LF 37mm launcher
- FIM-43 Redeye
- FIM-92 Stinger missile
- FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon
- G36K
- Glock
- GP-30 grenade launcher
- HK SL8 sniper rifle
- H&K MP5A3 submachine gun
- Kalashnikov AK-47
- M2 Browning
- M224 mortar
- M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
- M4 Carbine
- M9 pistol
- M60 and M60E3 machine gun
- M72 LAW
- Micro 16 assault rifle
- MP7 submachine gun
- PKM general purpose machine gun
- QBZ-97B
- Remington Model 700
- Shotgun
- SPAS-12 semiautomatic shotgun
- SVD sniper's rifle
- Taurus PT92
- Thompson submachine gun
- UMP .45
- USAS-12 automatic shotgun
- Uzi
- Zastava M85
