Anti-Replicator Gun

From SGCommand

The anti-replicator gun (or ARG, for short) is a weapon designed to destroy Replicators by disrupting the energy link between their individual components. The weapon was developed by then-Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, and functions in a manner similar to that of the Replicator disruptor constructed by Jack O'Neill with the assistance of an Ancient repository of knowledge and Asgard computer.

All Replicators, human form, Milky Way, Pegasus, are computers, and are all composed of many smaller pieces. The original replicators were made out of larger, "enter-key"-sized blocks, while the Milky Way human-form replicators were made from cellular-sized blocks. Both used keron-based technology. Each block has it's own processor and memory core. When enough of the blocks accumulate in immediate surroundings, they come together to form larger, more complex organisms.

The Asurans, however, are composed of what may be partially organic nanites; as a result, the original replicator disruptor might not have been effective. Carter developed the ARGs after the Atlantis expedition encountered the Asurans, and how they differ internally from O'Neill's disruptor is unknown. The ARGs are, at least, much smaller, resembling a more traditional gun. It includes a control crystal that can be directly interfaced with Ancient systems, and can be used to apply the same disruptive properties to Ancient shield technology. Like the disruptor, however, it is possible for replicators to adapt to the weapon, eventually rendering it ineffective. (ATL: "The Return")

A larger version of the weapon, known as a Planet Wide Anti-Replicator Weapon (PWARW), which would be capable of destroying replicators on a planetary scale, is also in development. (ATL: "First Strike")