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Description
The type 3C phaser rifle was developed shortly after the type 3B as a variant to that weapon with the intent of developing a lighter version while retaining the same functional capacities.
A type 3C phaser rifle with upgraded targeting/light assembly

Some type 3C phasers have been outfitted with an improved sight/light assembly. Like the type 3B, the type 3C fires a pulse for greater damage per discharge than a collimated beam.

Commander Riker using a type 3-E phaser rifle in 2378

It uses an advanced computer control system to allow for modulation characteristics to be modified faster than in previous phaser rifles, important when dealing with the Borg . The rifle has a range of 750 meters. First placed in service in 2378 in both regular fleet and Marine Corps service, the type 3E phaser rifle also includes a much more effective and elaborate targeting system over the type 3B.

A type 3-E phaser rifle being fired

The rifle is equipped with a gyro-stabilized targeting unit. This targeting unit incorporates sensors capable of detecting and tracking life forms and can perform the equivalent of tricorder short range biological scans, with a scanning range of 10,000 yards. Images of the targeted life forms would be displayed on the unit's display screen. This upgraded phaser rifle is called the type 3-E phaser rifle by Starfleet . The type 3-E has been found to have the unfortunate tendency to fracture or even completely break apart when used as a club.

Settings

All versions of the type 3 phaser are capable of the following settings:

Setting 1 - Light Stun This setting is calibrated for base humanoid physiology, and causes temporary central nervous system (CNS) impairment resulting in unconsciousness for up to 5 minutes. Higher levels of reversible damage to the CNS result from repeated long exposures Standard composite structural materials of median-density (consisting typically of multiple layers of tritanium, duranium, cortenite, lignin, and lithium-silicon-carbon 372) are not permanently affected, although some warming (from vibration) will be detected.

Setting 2 - Medium Stun Base-type humanoids remain unconscious for up to 15 minutes. Resistant humanoid types will be rendered unconscious for up to 5 minutes. Long exposures produce low levels of reversible damage to the CNS and epithelial layers. Structural materials are not affected, though higher levels of vibrational warming are evident.

Setting 3 - Heavy Stun Base-type humanoids will enter a deep unconsciousness for up to 1 hour. Resistant bioforms will be rendered unconscious for approximately 15 minutes. Single discharges raise 1cc of liquid water by 100ºC. Structural samples experience significant levels of thermal radiation.

Setting 4 - Low Thermal Effects Base-type humanoids experience extensive CNS damage and epidermal trauma Structural materials exhibit visible thermal shock. Discharges of longer than five seconds produce deep heat storage effects within metal alloys.

Setting 5 - High Thermal Effects Humanoid tissues experience severe burn effects but (due to water content) deeper epithelial layers will not char. Simple personal forcefields are penetrated after five seconds. Large fields as used by Away Teams will not be affected.

Setting 6 - Light Disruption Effects Organic tissues and structural materials exhibit comparable penetration and molecular damage as high energy causes matter to undergo rapid dissociation. The 'familiar' thermal effects begin to decrease at this level.

Setting 7 - Moderate Disruption Effects Organic tissue damage causes immediate cessation of life processes as disruption effects become widespread.

Setting 8 - Medium Disruption Effects Cascading disruption forces cause humanoid organisms to vapourise, as 50% of affected matter transitions out of the continuum. All unprotected matter is affected and penetrated according to depth and time of application.

Setting 9 - High Disruption Effects Medium alloys and ceramic structural materials (of over 100 cm thickness) begin exhibiting energy rebound prior to vapourisation.

Setting 10 - Extreme Disruption Effects Heavy structural materials absorb or rebound energy; there is a 0.55 second delay before material vapourises.

Setting 11 - Slight Explosive/Disruption Effects Structural materials utilising ultradense alloys absorb or rebound energy with a 0.20 second delayed reaction before vapourisation.

Setting 12 - Light Explosive/Disruption Effects Structural materials utilising ultradense alloys absorb or rebound energy with a 0.1 second delayed reaction before vapourisation. Moderate geological displacement, as approximately 50 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 13 - Moderate Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits minor vibrational heating effects. Medium geological displacement, as approximately 90 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 14 - Medium Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits medium vibrational heating effects. Heavy geological displacement, as approximately 160 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 15 - High Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits major vibrational heating effects. Extreme geological displacement, as approximately 370 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 16 - Extreme Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits light mechanical fracturing. Catastrophic geological displacement, as approximately 650 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively.
There were originally two versions, which are almost identical. The designations ‘Type-IIIa’ and 'Type-IIIb' are ones I chose to differentiate between them, and was initially based on the fact that one version, with its slim, rounded, almost phallic barrel has been seen more often since: on Voyager; carried by Nog in DS9's "Empok Nor;" and in Star Trek: Insurrection. However! It's been many, many years since then, and over time the popular opinion has the original Type-3b to be the FIRST model, making the Type-3a now the 3b. I have redesigned this page to accomodate this. It's a point of view I've held for a while, and have admitted publicly when challenged (ironically, I did originally consider making the square-barrel the A and the curvy-barrel the B, because 'A' is an angular letter and 'B' is curvy!); but the increasing number of abusive emails (yes, really) has forced me to get around to making this change.

The other version has a blunt triangular barrel. Why they’d design two so similar is uncertain - in fact, continuity errors in Star Trek: First Contact suggest no-one has noticed the differences. It hasn't been seen since, apart from an appearance in an Okudagram in Voyager's "Bliss" (I know I didn't imagine it, but I've been unable to obtain a screencap); and, I originally thought, also re-dressed as a non-Federation weapon sold by arms dealer Hagath in DS9's "Business as Usual." (but DVD caps have since proved me wrong); Perhaps most telling is the fact, unnoticed by me for a long time, that at no point in First Contact is this model seen to fire! All FX shots involving weapons fire are done with the curvy-barrel. . .

It would appear that what happened is, the first sequence to be filmed was the sneaking-to-Engineering scene, using the angular-barrelled props (plus a few other scenes with them in - the Captain Ahab scene, for one; plus they're visible in racks in the background in the Armoury scene). These were then replaced with the curvy-barrels for all later scenes. Stranger still, in the approach to engineering the rifles all have smooth featureless upper barrels, yet elsewhere they have a ribbed cutaway section. Why? I've never received a satisfactory/official answer. In the images below, I've arranged them in exact chronological order to show how and when the change-over(s) happen.

Quite recently, however, Kevin Ericon got in touch with a fantastic discovery about the fate of the angular-barrelled rifles. He suggests they were converted to curvy-barrels by having the angular barrel removed. Which makes sense. More importantly, he's found a re-use of the angular barrel, re-dressed as a Ferengi rifle prop in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Acquisition." And indeed there it is, flipped upside down, with a couple of TNG Rifle handles added (in an almost Sten-gun configuration) and painted rust-red!

In Star Trek: Nemesis, the IIIa prop design has been overhauled with some redressing of the weapon, and a new light/sight array. This comprises a powerful Maglite-style torch with a Bushnell HOLOsight (the model 50 range, since replaced with the model 51 ), a real-world hunting sight that provides holographic crosshairs. Since even a working basic model has a price tag of US$100+ in 2002, it would appear that upgrades to rifle props (unnoticed by the majority of the cinemagoing public) would cost several hundred dollars each!

These rifles fired silvery-gold pulses in First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis, and gold beams and pulses in Voyager.

Nemesis also revealed the on-ship storage arrangements for such rifles, at least on a Sovereign-class vessel: rotating panels that spin round to reveal two rifles per panel. More interestingly, one crewman on removing a rifle first pulls open a small slot aft of the sight, showing a red light beneath - was this meant to 'cock' the rifle, or check for the presence of a power cell? After letting the panel snap back home, he then pressed the left-hand button (as on a Type-II phaser) which caused the green LED to light up, showing a full charge. . .

I've often wondered if these are actually disruptors. They obviously operate in a very different manner to the traditional phaser, although this could be explained by classifying them as the 'regenerative phasers' mentioned in DS9's "Field of Fire." As I understand it, disruptors work on different principles - might this be why, in First Contact, after warning against using phasers in Engineering and inadvertently hitting the Warp Core with particle beam fire, Picard then tells them to aim for the coolant tanks - right next to the Core?!

The props were designed by John Eaves. Patrick Stewart's "hero" version even had a working retractable nylon strap - apparently the only one to be made thus, all others had simpler adjustable straps. Prop images: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5.

Description
The type 3C phaser rifle was developed shortly after the type 3B as a variant to that weapon with the intent of developing a lighter version while retaining the same functional capacities.
A type 3C phaser rifle with upgraded targeting/light assembly

Some type 3C phasers have been outfitted with an improved sight/light assembly. Like the type 3B, the type 3C fires a pulse for greater damage per discharge than a collimated beam.

Commander Riker using a type 3-E phaser rifle in 2378

It uses an advanced computer control system to allow for modulation characteristics to be modified faster than in previous phaser rifles, important when dealing with the Borg . The rifle has a range of 750 meters. First placed in service in 2378 in both regular fleet and Marine Corps service, the type 3E phaser rifle also includes a much more effective and elaborate targeting system over the type 3B.

A type 3-E phaser rifle being fired

The rifle is equipped with a gyro-stabilized targeting unit. This targeting unit incorporates sensors capable of detecting and tracking life forms and can perform the equivalent of tricorder short range biological scans, with a scanning range of 10,000 yards. Images of the targeted life forms would be displayed on the unit's display screen. This upgraded phaser rifle is called the type 3-E phaser rifle by Starfleet . The type 3-E has been found to have the unfortunate tendency to fracture or even completely break apart when used as a club.

Settings

All versions of the type 3 phaser are capable of the following settings:

Setting 1 - Light Stun This setting is calibrated for base humanoid physiology, and causes temporary central nervous system (CNS) impairment resulting in unconsciousness for up to 5 minutes. Higher levels of reversible damage to the CNS result from repeated long exposures Standard composite structural materials of median-density (consisting typically of multiple layers of tritanium, duranium, cortenite, lignin, and lithium-silicon-carbon 372) are not permanently affected, although some warming (from vibration) will be detected.

Setting 2 - Medium Stun Base-type humanoids remain unconscious for up to 15 minutes. Resistant humanoid types will be rendered unconscious for up to 5 minutes. Long exposures produce low levels of reversible damage to the CNS and epithelial layers. Structural materials are not affected, though higher levels of vibrational warming are evident.

Setting 3 - Heavy Stun Base-type humanoids will enter a deep unconsciousness for up to 1 hour. Resistant bioforms will be rendered unconscious for approximately 15 minutes. Single discharges raise 1cc of liquid water by 100ºC. Structural samples experience significant levels of thermal radiation.

Setting 4 - Low Thermal Effects Base-type humanoids experience extensive CNS damage and epidermal trauma Structural materials exhibit visible thermal shock. Discharges of longer than five seconds produce deep heat storage effects within metal alloys.

Setting 5 - High Thermal Effects Humanoid tissues experience severe burn effects but (due to water content) deeper epithelial layers will not char. Simple personal forcefields are penetrated after five seconds. Large fields as used by Away Teams will not be affected.

Setting 6 - Light Disruption Effects Organic tissues and structural materials exhibit comparable penetration and molecular damage as high energy causes matter to undergo rapid dissociation. The 'familiar' thermal effects begin to decrease at this level.

Setting 7 - Moderate Disruption Effects Organic tissue damage causes immediate cessation of life processes as disruption effects become widespread.

Setting 8 - Medium Disruption Effects Cascading disruption forces cause humanoid organisms to vapourise, as 50% of affected matter transitions out of the continuum. All unprotected matter is affected and penetrated according to depth and time of application.

Setting 9 - High Disruption Effects Medium alloys and ceramic structural materials (of over 100 cm thickness) begin exhibiting energy rebound prior to vapourisation.

Setting 10 - Extreme Disruption Effects Heavy structural materials absorb or rebound energy; there is a 0.55 second delay before material vapourises.

Setting 11 - Slight Explosive/Disruption Effects Structural materials utilising ultradense alloys absorb or rebound energy with a 0.20 second delayed reaction before vapourisation.

Setting 12 - Light Explosive/Disruption Effects Structural materials utilising ultradense alloys absorb or rebound energy with a 0.1 second delayed reaction before vapourisation. Moderate geological displacement, as approximately 50 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 13 - Moderate Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits minor vibrational heating effects. Medium geological displacement, as approximately 90 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 14 - Medium Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits medium vibrational heating effects. Heavy geological displacement, as approximately 160 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 15 - High Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits major vibrational heating effects. Extreme geological displacement, as approximately 370 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively decoupled by a single discharge.

Setting 16 - Extreme Explosive/Disruption Effects Shielded matter exhibits light mechanical fracturing. Catastrophic geological displacement, as approximately 650 m3 of rock (of average density 6.0 g/cm3) is explosively.
There were originally two versions, which are almost identical. The designations ‘Type-IIIa’ and 'Type-IIIb' are ones I chose to differentiate between them, and was initially based on the fact that one version, with its slim, rounded, almost phallic barrel has been seen more often since: on Voyager; carried by Nog in DS9's "Empok Nor;" and in Star Trek: Insurrection. However! It's been many, many years since then, and over time the popular opinion has the original Type-3b to be the FIRST model, making the Type-3a now the 3b. I have redesigned this page to accomodate this. It's a point of view I've held for a while, and have admitted publicly when challenged (ironically, I did originally consider making the square-barrel the A and the curvy-barrel the B, because 'A' is an angular letter and 'B' is curvy!); but the increasing number of abusive emails (yes, really) has forced me to get around to making this change.

The other version has a blunt triangular barrel. Why they’d design two so similar is uncertain - in fact, continuity errors in Star Trek: First Contact suggest no-one has noticed the differences. It hasn't been seen since, apart from an appearance in an Okudagram in Voyager's "Bliss" (I know I didn't imagine it, but I've been unable to obtain a screencap); and, I originally thought, also re-dressed as a non-Federation weapon sold by arms dealer Hagath in DS9's "Business as Usual." (but DVD caps have since proved me wrong); Perhaps most telling is the fact, unnoticed by me for a long time, that at no point in First Contact is this model seen to fire! All FX shots involving weapons fire are done with the curvy-barrel. . .

It would appear that what happened is, the first sequence to be filmed was the sneaking-to-Engineering scene, using the angular-barrelled props (plus a few other scenes with them in - the Captain Ahab scene, for one; plus they're visible in racks in the background in the Armoury scene). These were then replaced with the curvy-barrels for all later scenes. Stranger still, in the approach to engineering the rifles all have smooth featureless upper barrels, yet elsewhere they have a ribbed cutaway section. Why? I've never received a satisfactory/official answer. In the images below, I've arranged them in exact chronological order to show how and when the change-over(s) happen.

Quite recently, however, Kevin Ericon got in touch with a fantastic discovery about the fate of the angular-barrelled rifles. He suggests they were converted to curvy-barrels by having the angular barrel removed. Which makes sense. More importantly, he's found a re-use of the angular barrel, re-dressed as a Ferengi rifle prop in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Acquisition." And indeed there it is, flipped upside down, with a couple of TNG Rifle handles added (in an almost Sten-gun configuration) and painted rust-red!

In Star Trek: Nemesis, the IIIa prop design has been overhauled with some redressing of the weapon, and a new light/sight array. This comprises a powerful Maglite-style torch with a Bushnell HOLOsight (the model 50 range, since replaced with the model 51 ), a real-world hunting sight that provides holographic crosshairs. Since even a working basic model has a price tag of US$100+ in 2002, it would appear that upgrades to rifle props (unnoticed by the majority of the cinemagoing public) would cost several hundred dollars each!

These rifles fired silvery-gold pulses in First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis, and gold beams and pulses in Voyager.

Nemesis also revealed the on-ship storage arrangements for such rifles, at least on a Sovereign-class vessel: rotating panels that spin round to reveal two rifles per panel. More interestingly, one crewman on removing a rifle first pulls open a small slot aft of the sight, showing a red light beneath - was this meant to 'cock' the rifle, or check for the presence of a power cell? After letting the panel snap back home, he then pressed the left-hand button (as on a Type-II phaser) which caused the green LED to light up, showing a full charge. . .

I've often wondered if these are actually disruptors. They obviously operate in a very different manner to the traditional phaser, although this could be explained by classifying them as the 'regenerative phasers' mentioned in DS9's "Field of Fire." As I understand it, disruptors work on different principles - might this be why, in First Contact, after warning against using phasers in Engineering and inadvertently hitting the Warp Core with particle beam fire, Picard then tells them to aim for the coolant tanks - right next to the Core?!

The props were designed by John Eaves. Patrick Stewart's "hero" version even had a working retractable nylon strap - apparently the only one to be made thus, all others had simpler adjustable straps. Prop images: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5.