Directed Energy Guns

Directed-energy guns, also known as radiation guns or phasers, function through accelerating charged particles and releasing them in the form of a beam. The beam, which appears much like a blue-white bolt of light, causes damage through transferring energy to the target, heating the area to a very high temperature. The associated magnetic field can destroy electronic equipment both in front of or near the beam. If the amount of energy is great enough, the target may even explode.

Use
These guns are best utilized for close-range applications due to an effect called electrostatic blooming, where the beam begins to disperse due to the ions bumping into and repelling one another. More expensive models tend to have a briefer release time for the generated beam and other design features intended to minimize this effect, giving them greater range. Cheaper guns are often hampered with a longer refractory period (the time the gun requires between shots to generate the beam) and a less focused beam, leading to more radiation backscatter that can potentially harm the user.

In general, directed-energy guns are larger and heavier than their traditional counterparts, making them more difficult to conceal. Rifles of this type have been around for a while, while handguns are a relatively new invention and have only recently become financially accessible to the middle-class consumer.

Technical Challenges
These guns require a great deal of electrical power and tend to have a limited number of shots per battery—often as few as five. Militia soldiers carry multiple batteries as a matter of course, and military models are typically fitted with a quick-release mechanism to eject spent batteries. In civilian life, these batteries are generally bought separately from the gun and recharged at commercial charging stations found at stores that sell firearms. Home generator-chargers are also available, but are bulky and work more slowly.