Weapons in Sci-Fi that do not make sense and why

[Lucky]

Feel free to post your own examples.

Vulcan Cannon
Why would anyone use a weapon that shoots what are basically humans as a weapon? A metal slug or explosive shell would be far more destructive and easier to store.

On top of that where are all these settings some of which don't have faster then light technology getting Vulcans from? It's highly unlikely the Vulcans will show up in the numbers needed to make such a weapon practical.

Rail Guns
Why would anyone make a weapon that can only shoot rails? Sure rails can be made from a wide variety of materials, but there are better shapes to use then a rail.

Coil Guns
Why would anyone want a weapon that fires only coils. This limits what you can use more then a weapon that only fires rails because there are fewer materials you can make coils out of.

Tractor Beam
Why would anyone build a weapon that fires a steady stream of tractors? Sure, tractors are big and heavy, but why bother to build the tractor in the first place when it is simpler to just produce a slug of the same mass.

[Praeothmin]

Photon Torpedoe: Why would an underwater weapon made of light by efficient? How would we make it? Why not just use a high powered laser?

[Lucky]

Photon Torpedoe: Why would an underwater weapon made of light by efficient?

1) Clearly it acts as a solid and explodes when it hits its target. It wouldn't be a torpedo didn't act like one.

2) You would only need the device to generate the torpedo and a power source. It could save a lot of space on your sub, ship, or aircraft/spacecraft. Space is a premium on those sorts of things.

How would we make it?

Who knows, but what does it matter? A lot of setting have "hard light" technologies

Why not just use a high powered laser?

A torpedo is not limited to line of sight, can be guided, and can be detonated on command often.

[Praeothmin]

But how do you guide Photons?

[Picard]

I don't know if you're joking, Praetho, or not, but PT is M/AM weapon, photons are result of reaction.

[Praeothmin]

I was joking, since this thread is to make fun of the names of some Sci-Fi weapons... :)

Else I've completely misunderstood what Lucky intended...

[Picard]

Sorry, misunderstanding was mine... but in that case, thread title should be changed in "weapon names that do not make sense and why".

Anyway...

Ray gun

Didn't know manta rays can be fired from sidearms...

[Mr. Oragahn]

There has to be a reason to use Rays. That said, some variants of the ammo are particularly rare, and I'm not sure how the blindness of some of these variants is going to be of any help. If you want some kind of dumb projectile, any Ray will do, really.

[Mr. Oragahn]

Any idea of what to do with a plasma bore by chance?
Shouldn't plasma be used as the projectile instead of wasting tech in order to constrict plasma to some tube shape?

The Heat Gun is even more puzzling. I guess any projectile, be it DVD or Bluray, will work at sufficient speed. The casting of those projectiles is quite impressive though.

[Lucky]

But how do you guide Photons?

You would already be building what amounts to be a solid object out of photons. Clearly the answer is with sufficiently advanced technology.

[Lucky]

Ray gun

Didn't know manta rays can be fired from sidearms...

I'd think a weapon that fired rays would be very useful even if it only fired fish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_ray

There has to be a reason to use Rays. That said, some variants of the ammo are particularly rare, and I'm not sure how the blindness of some of these variants is going to be of any help. If you want some kind of dumb projectile, any Ray will do, really.

Well a Ray gun would be able to fire any sort of ray obviously, and that would make the weapon very versatile. Think of all the different types of ray out there: gamma rays, cosmic rays, humans named ray, sting ray, torpedo ray....

[Lucky]

Any idea of what to do with a plasma bore by chance?
Shouldn't plasma be used as the projectile instead of wasting tech in order to constrict plasma to some tube shape?

bore 1 |bôr| |bɔ(ə)r| |bɔː|
verb
1 [ trans. ] make (a hole) in something, esp. with a revolving tool : they bored holes in the sides | [ intrans. ] the drill can bore through rock.
• [ trans. ] hollow out (a tube or tunnel) : try to bore the tunnel at the correct angle.
• [ intrans. ] ( bore into) figurative (of a person's eyes) stare harshly at : your terrible blue eyes bore into me.
• [ trans. ] hollow out (a gun barrel or other tube).
2 [ intrans. ] make one's way through (a crowd).

noun
1 the hollow part inside a gun barrel or other tube.
• [often in combination ] the diameter of this; the caliber : a small-bore rifle.
• [in combination ] a gun of a specified bore : he shot a guard in the leg with a twelve-bore.
2 short for borehole .
ORIGIN Old English borian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German bohren.

bore 2 |bɔ(ə)r| |bɔː|
noun
a person whose talk or behavior is dull and uninteresting : a crashing bore who tells the same old jokes over and over.
• [in sing. ] a tedious situation or thing : it's such a bore cooking when one's alone.
verb [ trans. ]
make (someone) feel weary and uninterested by tedious talk or dullness : rather than bore you with all the details, I'll hit some of the bright spots.

That seems like a very useful weapon. Not only does it make holes in things, it also has a psychological aspect.

The Heat Gun is even more puzzling. I guess any projectile, be it DVD or Bluray, will work at sufficient speed. The casting of those projectiles is quite impressive though.

A heat sounds like a weapon that fires anything that is described as heat. off the top of my head that includes infrared and bullets.

[Praeothmin]

Well, why limit ourselves to Sci-Fi?

We have good old Elephant guns here on Earth...
I can see lots of times when firing an Elephant at something may prove useful...
Made to be fired by only one human while standing up and with no other support...
Though how one human can hold this gun in place with an Elephant loaded in one defies my understanding of physics...

[Mr. Oragahn]

There has to be a reason to use Rays. That said, some variants of the ammo are particularly rare, and I'm not sure how the blindness of some of these variants is going to be of any help. If you want some kind of dumb projectile, any Ray will do, really.

Well a Ray gun would be able to fire any sort of ray obviously, and that would make the weapon very versatile. Think of all the different types of ray out there: gamma rays, cosmic rays, humans named ray, sting ray, torpedo ray....

That's the problem. One has to look at the contract owner and see what type of ammo it specializes in. A projectile mounted with sunglasses... I dunno, I sense strong lobbying here, it baffles me.

[Mr. Oragahn]

Any idea of what to do with a plasma bore by chance?
Shouldn't plasma be used as the projectile instead of wasting tech in order to constrict plasma to some tube shape?

bore 1 |bôr| |bɔ(ə)r| |bɔː|
verb
1 [ trans. ] make (a hole) in something, esp. with a revolving tool : they bored holes in the sides | [ intrans. ] the drill can bore through rock.
• [ trans. ] hollow out (a tube or tunnel) : try to bore the tunnel at the correct angle.
• [ intrans. ] ( bore into) figurative (of a person's eyes) stare harshly at : your terrible blue eyes bore into me.
• [ trans. ] hollow out (a gun barrel or other tube).
2 [ intrans. ] make one's way through (a crowd).

noun
1 the hollow part inside a gun barrel or other tube.
• [often in combination ] the diameter of this; the caliber : a small-bore rifle.
• [in combination ] a gun of a specified bore : he shot a guard in the leg with a twelve-bore.
2 short for borehole .
ORIGIN Old English borian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German bohren.

bore 2 |bɔ(ə)r| |bɔː|
noun
a person whose talk or behavior is dull and uninteresting : a crashing bore who tells the same old jokes over and over.
• [in sing. ] a tedious situation or thing : it's such a bore cooking when one's alone.
verb [ trans. ]
make (someone) feel weary and uninterested by tedious talk or dullness : rather than bore you with all the details, I'll hit some of the bright spots.

That seems like a very useful weapon. Not only does it make holes in things, it also has a psychological aspect.

It's quite awesome. The more you fire, the stealther the weapon becomes because the target is desensnaitnzied to its presence and use. All you need is a lock and some good enough hit ratio on your first volley.

The Heat Gun is even more puzzling. I guess any projectile, be it DVD or Bluray, will work at sufficient speed. The casting of those projectiles is quite impressive though.

A heat sounds like a weapon that fires anything that is described as heat. off the top of my head that includes infrared and bullets.

[/quote]

Or hot frying pans. With eggs and sausages. And spam.
It's still heat in my book.