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Liberator Guns
article researched and written by A.A. Fox
BLAKE: (taking one of the guns) Handgun?
AVON: It's a bit elaborate for a toothpick.
BLAKE: Depends how elaborate their teeth were. (touches another of the gun handles) Ow. That one's hot.
AVON: (takes that weapon) No it isn't. (touches another handle) That one is, though. Jenna.
JENNA: What is it?
BLAKE: Seems to be an armory.
AVON: Take that one there.
BLAKE: Be careful, though. It may be hot.
AVON: No, I don't think so.
JENNA: (taking the gun) No, it isn't.
AVON: Single function isomorphic response.
JENNA: What?
BLAKE: I think he means it'll only let us have one gun each.
"Cygnus Alpha"
By "Project Avalon," this rule seems to have been forgotten; Jenna holds both Blake's and Vila's guns at one point, when they are pretending to be prisoners.
There is space for thirty-five guns in the armory, though we only see eight. Later episodes seem to indicate that there is another armory somewhere on the ship, possibly near the teleport bay.
Speculation: Given that a number of guns are lost over the course of the series, it seems reasonable that there was a backup supply somewhere on board, or that the crew learned to manufacture the guns themselves.
VARGAS: An interesting design. (picks up Blake's gun) A hand weapon of some kind. You will instruct me in its use.
BLAKE: I'm not too certain about it myself.
"Cygnus Alpha"
Speculation: at some point after this episode, someone in the crew, possibly Avon, investigated the guns to discover their limits and possibilities. The guns seem to require an outside power source or recharging device, since they are attached to small boxes by a cord that looks like a recycled phone cord. Presumably the boxes are the power source or recharge device. Alternatively, recharging could take place while the guns are plugged into the armory on the flight deck.
GAN: You stay here. I'll go and sort him out.
JENNA: Gan. (hands Gan a gun) Be careful.
"Time Squad"
The guns appear to be safe for use on a spacecraft; Jenna obviously thinks so in this scene, implying they've experimented. Vila holds a gun in "Breakdown," and seems intent on its use. A Liberator gun is fired on board Liberator in the episode "Volcano," for example.
The Altas in "Redemption" carry the same kind of guns found on the Liberator. The guns, therefore, probably originated with the System. Very similar-looking objects, but with longer barrels, are used by the Altas to inflict pain, by placing the cylindrical barrel against the side of a person's neck. There is no indication that Liberator guns have this function.
The Liberator guns were destroyed along with Liberator in "Terminal," and replaced by Dorian's clip guns in "Rescue." Presumably, any guns that the crew had with them on Terminal either ran out of stored power or died with Zen.
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