Firefly was a science fiction series that aired for one season on the FOX network. Created by Joss Whedon, the series starred Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of a "Firefly"-class spaceship named "Serenity". Throughout the series, Reynolds and his crew travel through a distant solar system, making a rough living on frontier planets as smugglers while fighting various adversaries. The series mixed the "space opera" genre with certain elements of the Western, thus the mix of American Western weaponry with the more modern firepower. The series only aired 11 of its 14 episodes in 2002 before being canceled (the remaining episodes aired in 2003), but would subsequently gain cult status, leading to Whedon continuing the series' plot in the 2005 feature film Serenity. NOTE: The episode numbering is based on the order reflected in the subsequent video releases (the series actually aired out of sequence, see sortable table below.)
Episode title
Intended order
Aired order
Channel/Network
"Serenity"
1
11
Fox
"The Train Job"
2
1
Fox
"Bushwhacked"
3
2
Fox
"Shindig"
4
6
Fox
"Safe"
5
7
Fox
"Our Mrs. Reynolds"
6
3
Fox
"Jaynestown"
7
4
Fox
"Out of Gas"
8
5
Fox
"Ariel"
9
8
Fox
"War Stories"
10
9
Fox
"Trash"
11
13
Sci-Fi
"The Message"
12
14
Sci-Fi
"Heart of Gold"
13
12
Sci-Fi
"Objects in Space"
14
10
Fox
The following weapons were used in the television series Firefly:
The signature pistol of Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) in the series is a Taurus Model 85 revolver completely covered by a brass casting to make it resemble a semi-auto handgun. The look of the weapon was based on the Volcanic repeaters used in the Civil War as explained by Firefly creator Joss Whedon in the visual companion book of the series. In the Firefly universe, the gun is a "Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model B". The same prop gun was used for the feature Serenity, but given to a new prop house who made the magazine straight on the bottom, and bulked up the right side plate and added a spring loaded rear sight. This pistol was then held by Fillion in his series Castle.
LeMat Revolver
Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) also carries a custom sidearm, which is a visually modified single-action LeMat Revolver.
Colt Shopkeeper
A Colt Shopkeeper is used by one of Patience's henchmen in "Serenity" (S1E01).
Jayne loads a Dan Wesson Supermag with a red dot sight before boarding the derelict vessel in "Bushwhacked" (S01E03). He's later seen armed with his LeMat on the derelict though.
Nathaniel Grange also briefly uses a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 10 in "Safe" (S1E05).
Webley Mk. VI
One of the captain's men (uncredited) in "Out of Gas" (S01E08) is armed with a Webley Mk VI. Mal cleans one in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). One of Ranse Burgess' henchmen is also armed with one in "Heart of Gold."
Colt Single Action Army
A Single Action Army is also seen notably in "Trash" (S1E11) and "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
Colt Python
Wash's personal sidearm is the Colt Python. Alan Tudyk said he thought it was a Colt Cobra in the commentary to "War Stories" (S1E10). However, Tudyk shows considerable taste in weapons by stating he "loved" the revolver.
Smith & Wesson Model 15
A Smith & Wesson Model 15 is seen in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13), this ornate, gold-plated revolver with ivory grips was Nandi's (Melinda Clarke) favorite gun, who said it had a history of "violence and crime." At the end of the episode, Petaline (Tracy Ryan) uses it to kill Rance Burgess, the father of her child and Nandi's killer.
Pistols
Colt M1911A1 (Stainless)
In the series pilot episode "Serenity" (S1E01), Badger's writer (who apparently was typing the conversation in the room) pulls a stainless M1911A1 during the standoff.
Astra 400
Lawrence Dobson (Carlos Jacott), an Alliance agent that comes onto Serenity, carries an Astra 400 in "Serenity" (S1E01). Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) manages to take it away from him before handing it over to Zoë.
Wildey Magnum
A Wildey Magnum is seen in the hands of one of Badger's men in the pilot and also in the hands of Lund (Tom Towles) at a bar Mal decided to start a fight in "The Train Job" (S1E02).
SIG-Sauer P220 Sport
Lawrence Dobson gets a SIG-Sauer P220 Sport out from his bag after he knocks out Book, which is used to threaten both Kaylee and River in "Serenity" (S1E01). When Alliance troops search his cabin in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03), Jayne (Adam Baldwin) either has an identical pistol or kept Dobson's after "Serenity".
Vektor CP1
In "Serenity" (S1E01), Laurence Dobson also gets a two-tone Vektor CP1 from his bag. Dr. Simon Tam (Sean Maher) later gets his hands on it.
Beretta 92FS
Commander Harken (Doug Savant) is armed with a reverse two-tone Beretta 92FS in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). In a continuity error, it later turns into another pistol.
Beretta 21 Bobcat
In "Shindig" (S1E04), a weapons scanner detects a pistol the party guest William Cortland (uncredited) had concealed. He then is seen giving up what appears to be a Beretta 21 Bobcat.
A nickel-plated Colt Model 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless is also seen in "Out of Gas" (S1E08).
Colt Government Model 380
In "War Stories" (S1E10), Hoban "Wash" Washburne (Alan Tudyk) takes up what appears to be a Colt Government Model 380.
In "Heart of Gold" (S1E13), a Colt Government Model 380 is seen on the table while Malcolm cleans his revolver on the Serenity.
Star Firestar M-45 with Custom Longslide
In "War Stories" (S1E10), the Star Firestar M-45 with a custom longslide is the handgun River took from a frightened Kaylee (Jewel Staite) to shoot the three Skyplex guards before stating, "No power in the 'verse can stop me".
Jericho 941R
In a continuity error, Commander Harken's reverse two-tone Beretta 92FS in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03) turns into a two-tone Jericho 941. Dual stainless-steel Jericho 941 pistols are carried by Zoë, notably in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Glock 17
A Glock 17 is seen in the hands of an angry drinker and a corrupt cop. Simon carries the Glock 17L variant with a optics rail and an under-barrel laser-sight attached to it during the assault on the Skyplex.
SIG-Sauer P229
Jayne (Adam Baldwin) carries a SIG-Sauer P229 with stainless-steel slide during the assault on the Skyplex in "War Stories" (S1E10). An interesting note: SIG-Sauer P229 similarly customized was also the weapon of choice for John Casey, Adam Baldwin's character in the series Chuck.
Goncz GA
A Goncz GA-9 is seen in the hands of one of Niskas Skyplex guards in "War Stories" (S1E10). Jayne also has one on his gun rack in his room.
Ruger Mk II Pistol
A Ruger Mk II Pistol is used by Inara in "Trash" (S1E11), only when Saffron (Christina Hendricks) is rifling through the trash for the Lasiter. Malcolm was also seen preparing one in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
In "The Message" (S1E12), Mal and Zoë's old war buddy Tracey (Jonathan M. Woodward) grabs a Heckler & Koch VP70 on the bridge and uses it to hold off the crew.
Custom M1911
Fendris (Tod Nakamura), one of Womack's men, is armed with what appears to be a custom M1911 in "The Message" (S01E12).
Walther PPK
Two ornate Walther PPK pistols, one gold-plated and the other nickel-plated with pearl grips, are seen in a box owned by Nandi in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Nandi called the gold one "Chaplain".
Desert Eagle Mark VII
In the final episode "Objects in Space" (S1E14), River gets ahold of a nickel-plated Desert Eagle Mark VII, fully loaded and safety off, but no round chambered as Mal had confirmed. It was never fully explained how she obtained it, as it was supposedly locked in Jayne's cabin.
Submachine Guns
Kimel AP-9
A Kimel AP-9 is seen in Jayne's weapon collection in "Bushwhacked" (S01E03). It appears to be a rubber stunt copy.
MP40
Police officers on Persephone are armed with MP40s in the pilot. An MP40 can be seen in the hands of another one of Badger's men at the beginning of "Shindig" (S1E04).
Uzi
A full-size Uzi is also seen used in the series, seen in the hands of one of Badger's men and one of Patience's henchmen in "Serenity" (S1E01).
Heckler & Koch MP5SD3
Alliance soldiers were seen with H&K MP5SD3s throughout the series.
Intratec TEC-9
One of Badger's henchmen is armed with a Intratec TEC-9 in "Shindig" (S01E04)..
Vigneron M2
A Vigneron M2 is seen in the hands of the female ship thief in "Out of Gas" (S1E08).
Mini Uzi
A Mini Uzi is seen in the hands of one of Niska's Skyplex guards in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Heckler & Koch MP5K-PDW
An Heckler & Koch MP5K-PDW with the stock folded is seen by one of Burgess' soldiers in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Also seen in the hands of one of Niskas Skyplex guards in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Beretta PM12S
An Beretta PM12S is in the hands of one of Burgess' soldiers in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13) as well as in the hands of Niska's Skyplex guards in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Heckler & Koch UMP-45
Mal carried an Heckler & Koch UMP-45 as his primary weapon during one of the major battles of the war seen in "The Message" (S1E12).
Assault & Battle Rifles
AKM
AKMs are seen used by Browncoat Soldiers in the pilot episode "Serenity" (S1E01). AKMs are carried by Burgess's henchmen in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
Heckler & Koch G36K
In the series pilot episode "Serenity" (S1E01), The 'Browncoats' carry Heckler & Koch G36K rifles during the battle of Serenity Valley. These rifles are also held by Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and Zoë Alleyne Washburne (Gina Torres) in the episode.
L85A1
Alliance Soldiers carry L85A1 rifles, notably during the battle of Serenity Valley, and across the episodes, such as "The Train Job" (S1E02). A few are also seen in the hands of Browncoats in war sequences, most notably Bendis in the Battle of Serenity in "Serenity" (S1E01).
FAMAS-223
In "Serenity" (S1E01), the FAMAS-223 is seen in the hands of Malcom during the battle of Serenity valley. He then drops it and picks up a G36K to capture an AA gun. Zoë in a scene also carried a FAMAS but it changed to a G36K when she started shooting. The rifle is the Civilian version of the FAMAS, imported briefly into the U.S. as the Semiautomatic FAMAS-223. It is virtually identical to the military FAMAS except for the lack of a full auto switch position and the barrel is not ridged (to take rifle grenades). The smooth outer barrel was an ATF requirement to be imported into the country. Soon after, the ATF declared all foreign "bullpup" rifles to be unsporting and banned their import. This was done years prior to the 1989 import ban.
Ruger Mini-14 in Muzzelite Stock
A Ruger Mini-14 in a Muzzelite Stock is used throughout the series. This particular rifle was used previously in the 1995 film Tank Girl and then in 1998's Phantoms.
Faux Colt XM177E2
In "Serenity" (S1E01), a Faux Colt XM177E2 was seen in the hands of a guard. This rifle has A2 sights, a delta ring retaining the hand guards, A2 reinforcements on the lower, a 5.5" flash suppressor, and a round forward assist so it's not the 1960's vintage XM carbine in the title but closer to a cobbled together '90s carbine like this one.
AKS-47
One of Badger's henchmen is armed with an AKS-47 in "Shindig" (S01E04).
Ruger AC556K
In "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S1E06), one of the bandits on the river is armed with a Ruger AC556K.
AKU-94
An AK variant is encased in the KVAR AKU-94 bullpup stock, held by one of Niska's men in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Steyr AUG
A Steyr AUG is seen being used in Niska's skyplex by a guard when Zoë first gets on in "War Stories" (S1E10).
Z-M LR 300
In "The Message" (S1E12), Private Tracey (Jonathan M. Woodward) carries a Z-M LR 300 as his primary weapon during the battle of "Du Khang".
M4A1
In "The Message" (S1E12), an M4A1 is seen in the hands of several "Independent" fighters during the Battle of Du Khang.
CAR-15
In "The Message" (S1E12), a CAR-15 civilian variant is seen by one of the "Independents" in Mal's unit. It has the flashlight mount in the foregrip
AKMSU
The AKMSU is seen in the hands of one of Burgess' soldiers in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
Sniper Rifles
Blaser R93 LRS2 Sniper rifle
In the pilot episode "Serenity" (S1E01), the Blaser R93 LRS2 Sniper rifle is held by a sniper at the meeting on Whitefall. Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) knocks out the sniper and uses the rifle against Patience's men (starting with Two-Fry's hat). They were also seen use by the team that kidnapped Mal and Wash in "War Stories" (S1E10), where they are referred to as "54R" sniper rifles.
Heckler & Koch SL8
A Heckler & Koch SL8 with a scope is seen in Jayne's weapon collection in "Bushwhacked" (S01E03).
Heckler & Koch HK770
Jayne can be seen with a heavily modified Heckler & Koch HK770 in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). The rifle is in a Choate Super Sniper stock (this stock is not available for the HK770 so must be customised), has been modified to feed from 20 round G3 style magazines rather than the proprietary HK770 3 or 10 round magazine and has a ribbed barrel shroud, and is fitted with a telescopic sight on an HK05 claw mount and a bipod. This is the same rifle used in the final season of Burn Notice in the episode "Down Range" (S7E03).
One of Patience's men, Two-Fry, carried a Remington 1858 "Cattleman's Carbine" during the exchange on Whitefall in "Serenity" (S1E01). Another is briefly carried by one of the bandits in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S01E06).
Claridge LEC9
A Claridge LEC9 is seen in Jayne's weapon collection in "Bushwhacked" (S01E03). It later shows up in "War Stories" (S1E10).
M1 Carbine
The M1 Carbine is seen in the hands of one of Burgess' soldiers in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). One of the whores is armed with one as well.
Henry 1860 Rifle
A Henry 1860 Rifle is held by Emma (Doan Ly) in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
Marlin Model 1895 Lever Action Rifle
Marlin Model 1895 Lever Action Rifles are used by many charactes in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
In "Serenity" (S1E01), Patience (Bonnie Bartlett) was seen using a Benelli M3 Super 90 shotgun with a pistol grip and lacking sights. The barrel is also cut down.
A nickel-plated Winchester 1300 is used by Mal on occasions.
"Callahan Fullbore Autolock 'Vera'"
A Modified Izhmash Saiga-12 shotgun is the unique shotgun used by Jayne (Adam Baldwin) in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S1E06). The weapon was originally built by gunsmiths Larry Zanoff and the late Jim Boland for the film Showtime. It is capable of folding into compact form and still be fireable. Technically it's a shotgun, but in the show, it is a rifle that fires big bullets. In "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S1E06), "Vera" requires oxygen to fire, which could be explained if it used an ignition system like the Daisy VL caseless .22 rifle (1968-1969).
Wash carries a Mossberg 590 Mariner with an aftermarket top folder stock when preparing to rescue Mal in "War Stories" (S1E10). A similar shotgun was seen used in the film Deep Blue Sea.
Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6
One of Niska's guards appears to be armed with a Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6 in "War Stories" (S01E10). Another FP6 (probably the same prop) later shows up in Jayne's arsenal in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13).
Two of Nandi's man-whores appear to be armed with Remington 870 shotguns in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13).
Machine Guns
Dual Browning M2 Machine Guns (Mocked up as DShK)
In the series pilot "Serenity" (S1E01), Mal was seen firing a dual Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns mocked up as DShKs against an Alliance space fighter during the Battle of Serenity .
M60D
An M60D is mounted on a hover craft in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13).
The guard in Badger's office in "Serenity" (S1E01) has an M203 grenade launcher attached to his faux XM177E2.
Sting-Ball Grenade
Wash and Zoë are armed with Sting-Ball Grenades in "War Stories" (S1E10). They function like fragmentation grenades.
Non-firing fake weapons
Unlike Mal's pistol or Jayne's revolver, some weapons in the series were not built around real firearms. These are recorded below.
Jayne's holdout pistol
Jayne is seen taping some sort of pistol to his abdomen in "Jaynestown" (S01E07). The entire gun is never seen, as Mal orders him to take it off.
Alliance stun gun
Alliance officers are armed with "stun guns" in "Ariel" (S01E09) and "Trash" (S01E11). These are recycled props from the film The 6th Day.
The Lassiter
The Lassiter, which is described as one of the first laser weapons, is the target in "Trash" (S01E11).
Laser pistol
Ranse Burgess (Fredric Lehne) carries a laser pistol as his sidearm in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13).
Jubal Early's pistol
Jubal Early (Richard Brooks) is armed with a custom pistol in "Objects in Space" (S01E14). It fires bullets, but not onscreen. It appears to be a larger version of Jayne's holdout pistol (above.)
Jayne's Cache of Weapons
In several episodes, Jayne (Adam Baldwin) is seen with a cache of weapons.