Firearms

Because firearms are unsuitable for dispatching Titans, they have not progressed very far technologically and are overshadowed by the 3D maneuver gear. However, they are still regularly used by the Military Police and other human-to-human security relations. The Survey Corps also uses flareguns to communicate over long distances.

The type of firearm used is based on the flintlock mechanism, where a piece of flint ignites the powder and fires the gun. Currently, rifles (or muskets) and pistols are the only firearms seen in the story.

Firearms are unable to kill Titans because they lack the power to punch through the nape of the neck (a Titan's weakness). Also, given a Titan's fast regeneration rate and the long amount of time it takes to reload a flintlock weapon (15-30 seconds), they are practically useless in dealing enough lasting damage to severely harm a Titan. However, they can shoot out a Titan's eyes and blind it until it regenerates them. Knowing this, Armin developed a strategy where the rifles could blind several Titans long enough to allow other soldiers to dispatch them without the use of 3DMG.