Ammunition

Ammunition was the energy or projectile fired from a gun. By the 22nd century, 23rd century and 24th century, most weapons were energy weapons, so didn't expel a solid projectile. Instead raw energy was converted into a particle beam, and fired at the target. Since energy weapons operated entirely on electrical, plasma, or similar energy, they could be charged from various energy sources, rather than loaded with a solid magazine. Some common methods were self-recharging guns (presumably via solar or other renewable power), being plugged into an energy generator (such as a power socket aboard a starship), or using ammunition battery packs often referred to simply as power cells (useful for field operations).

Firearm ammunition

A standard Starfleet phaser battery also known as a power cell

A standard Klingon disruptor recharge pack

A standard Romulan disruptor recharge pack

A standard Klingon dilithium cell

See also: Firearm

Firearms were the standard issue weapon for galactic governments' military forces. They were almost always carried during field operations for personal protection, such as on away team missions. In times of open warfare, they were the sidearms and main infantry weapons of various powers:

• Federation Type 1 phaser, could charge from a socket, or use a sarium krellide unit/power cell/phaser battery
• Federation Type 2 phaser pistol, could charge from a socket, self-recharge, or use a sarium krellide unit/power cell/phaser battery
• Federation Type 3 phaser rifle, could charge from a socket, or use a sarium krellide unit/power cell/phaser battery
• Klingon Disruptor pistol, could self-recharge, or use a 'recharge pack'
• Klingon Disruptor rifle, could use 'dilithium cells'
• Romulan Disruptor pistol, could use a 'recharge pack'
• Romulan Disruptor rifle, could use a 'recharge pack'

Generally rifles were reserved for special situations, and so pistols were the standard sidearm in most situations. These various ammunition cells could often be found in storage crates in military bases, onboard starships, or on the persons of soldiers. (TNG video games: Generations, Klingon Honor Guard, Elite Force, Elite Force II)

Exotic weapons

Exotic weapons were occasionally employed in field operations by various galactic governments. They were more typically used as heavy weapons in times of open war. Among the exotic weapons observed in the 24th century, and which ammunition they used, were:

• Federation Assault rifle, could use plasma ammunition, or charge from a socket
• Federation Enhanced compression rifle, could use plasma ammunition, or charge from a socket
• Federation Infinity modulator rifle, could use plasma ammunition, or charge from a socket
• Federation Sniper rifle, could use standard Federation ammunition
• Federation Grenade launcher, could use standard Federation ammunition
• Federation Photon burst launcher, could use charge from a socket
• Federation Quantum burst launcher, could use standard Federation ammunition
• Federation Isomagnetic disintegrator, used unknown ammunition
• Federation TR-116 rifle, used solid projectiles
• Federation TR-120 rifle, used solid projectiles
• Klingon Grenade launcher, used trilithium explosives
• Klingon Trilithium rocket launcher, used trilithium explosives
• Klingon Bach'Hich assault disruptor, used dilithium cells
• Klingon Sith Har Blaster, used a plasma fuel cell
• Klingon Ding-Pach, used a boomerang-like projectile
• Klingon Tetryon Gatling gun, could use plasma ammunition, or charge from a socket
• Klingon Particle dispersal cannon, used dilithium cells
• Breen CRM-114, used unknown ammunition
• Hirogen Tetryon pulse disruptor, could use power crystals, or charge from a socket
• Attrexian Arc launcher, could use idryllium energy cells, or charge from a socket

Grenade launchers and rocket launchers were likely carried by heavy weapons platoons in times of war. They were occasionally employed by special operatives on highly dangerous missions, such as the Klingon Honor Guard or Starfleet Hazard team. (TNG video games: Generations, Klingon Honor Guard, Elite Force, Elite Force II)

Artillery ammunition

A mortar being loaded with photon grenades in 2267.

See also: Artillery

Artillery weapons used larger munitions than infantry firearms. During a Gorn attack on Cestus III, Captain James T. Kirk loaded photon grenades into a mortar. (TOS episode & novelization: Arena)

A fixed disruptor emplacement at a Romulan base on Galorndon Core seemed to either recharge from an internal generator, or draw energy from the base's power grid. (TNG video game: Generations)

Starship naval artillery

A standard Starfleet photon torpedo changed little in appearance for 100 years

See also: Starship weapon

Starship directed energy weapons such as phasers were fed with power from the main reactor of a starship, such as the warp engines matter-antimatter reactor, or secondary reactors like the impulse drive engines fusion reactors, or had their own dedicated power generators. Explosive torpedo weaponry was stored individually or in magazines, before being fed into the ship's torpedo launcher.