Laser rifle

Laser rifles are high-tech weapons that emit a concentrated beam of coherent light, with sufficient wattage to do considerable damage. They can be powered by battery packs, fusion cells or cabled power systems, but most models use a internal capacitor, charged with Microfusion Cells.

Background
Several different models exist, from low power home-made versions to extremely powerful military weapons. As with all energy weapons, laser rifles can suffer from poor performance if not properly maintained. The crystal arrays and non-mechanical components are delicate and if not properly serviced can lead to a loss of beam intensity, overheating, and energy regulation failure. Given that laser weapons were still in their infancy as regular military weapons, parts can be hard to come by in the wasteland. However, their lack of moving parts (aside from the MF cell holding latch and trigger mechanism) means they are resilient against extended use.

Apart from rifles, other laser weapons also exist: laser pistols and Gatling lasers.

Wattz 2000 laser rifle


Having a very long range thanks to its extended barrel and acute accuracy, this laser rifle can be effectively used in long distance combat. Its recharging system can be upgraded, reducing the drain on the microfusion cell by 50%. A story in Future Weapons Today covered the performance of a Wattz 2000 rifle in the hands of a marine sniper in Nanjing.
 * For the modded version of the Wattz 2000 laser rifle found in Fallout 2, see: Laser Rifle (Ext. Cap.).

AER9 laser rifle


 The AER9 was not considered cutting-edge technology before the war, being an older model than the state-of-the-art AER12 laser rifle, used in a handful of specialty units. The redeeming feature of the AER9 was its reliability - the focusing crystal array was housed in a titanium casing, rather than the gold alloys used in later models, which allowed it to withstand years of exposure to the environment without loss in array focus. 
 * For the unique AER9 laser rifles found in Fallout 3, see: Wazer Wifle.
 * For the unique AER9 laser rifles found in Fallout: New Vegas, see: Van Graff laser rifle.
 * For the cut content AER9 laser rifles found in Fallout: New Vegas, see: The Disintegrator.

AER9 Tri-beam laser rifle


The tri-beam laser rifle is essentially laser shotgun and fires three laser beams with each shot. Compared to the regular AER9, it's missing the tube on the bottom length of the barrel and has a new emitter aperture and attached wires.

AER9 Metal blaster


 The metal blaster is a unique laser rifle that fires nine laser beams while expending only one microfusion cell. Everett explains that it was created by a man from The Pitt using parts he found lying around the the Mill, including a series of prisms that split the beam. Everett came into possession of the rifle by looting the man's corpse in the Mill.

AER12 laser rifle
The AER12 laser rifle was considered cutting-edge state-of-the-art technology before the Great War and was used only in a handful of specialty units. However, it is not as reliable as the older models like the AER9 or the Wattz 2000, as the focusing crystal array is housed in gold alloys, more vulnerable to years of exposure to environment.

AER14 laser rifle prototype


 The AER14, a successor to the AER9 and AER12, was in prototype stages before the Great War. The unit found in Vault 22 is one of the development models, complete with exposed wiring and loose prototype microchips in the stock.

There is a sticky note on the observable back of the weapon while in first-person view that says "Focus: 1064 nm, 532 nm (SHG), 8.18pm !!!" This refers to the wavelength of the laser light, 1064nm (infrared) being the fundamental wavelength of the laser and 532nm (green) being the second harmonic. SHG stands for Second Harmonic Generation a frequency conversion process that would indeed make a 1064nm laser beam appear green.

It is however worth noting that 1064nm light is not visible to the human eye and would not appear red, and the conventional laser rifle indicates a wavelength of 625nm - 675nm which does correspond to red. 8.18pm is slightly more ambiguous, this likely stands for picometers but the relevance of such a measurement to a laser is unclear. The use of the wavelength value associated with the word "focus" in these instances is also perplexing as focal lengths of hundreds of meters (or even kilometers) would be more appropriate. 

Home-made laser rifle


This is a poor excuse for an energy weapon. This garage-rate rifle has terrible accuracy and it doesn't even fire very fast. But any energy weapon is better than no energy weapon at all.

Lightning gun


Karabin laserowy Wattz 2000