Would Laser Guns Be Practical?

For certain niche scenarios, lasers might prove themselves ideal. It seems unlikely, however, that they will ever outright replace missiles and bullets, as they do in so much sci-fi warfare. "No conventional weapon is a panacea," said Douglas Beason, former associate lab director at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Are laser weapons practical?

Many types of laser can potentially be used as incapacitating weapons, through their ability to produce temporary or permanent vision loss when aimed at the eyes. ... Laser weapons capable of directly damaging or destroying a target in combat are still in the experimental stage.

How effective would laser weapons be?

Despite the lack of special effects, laser weapons are a highly effective, low-cost alternative to almost any conventional weapon. In addition to being - well - laser accurate, they don't have the problems with heavy or volatile ammunition. In fact, there isn't any ammunition at all.