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 an internal capacitor , charged with microfusion cell s . 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 microfusion cell holding latch and trigger mechanism ) means they are resilient against extended use . Apart from rifles , other laser weapons also exist : laser pistol s and Gatling laser s . Models . Wattz 2000 laser rifle . The Wattz 2000 laser rifle ( also referred to as the Sunbeam laser rifle ) uses microfusion cell s for more powerful lasers , and an extended barrel for additional range . On page 42 of the March issue of " Future Weapons Today " , there details the story of a Wattz 2000 laser rifle in the hands of a Marine sniper in Nanjing , China . AER9 laser rifle . < section begin = " AER9 " / > The AER9 was actually not the top laser rifle in service at the time of the Great War . The model line went up to the state - of - the - art AER12 , which saw service in a handful of specialty units . The reason that the AER9 is much more commonly found is that it was much sturdier and more reliable than the models that followed . A new model , the AER14 , was in development prior to the war , with at least one working prototype in Vault 22 . The AER9 features a titanium housed crystal array which proved to withstand long years of exposure to the elements much better than the gold alloy housing of the later models . As a result , the crystal arrays stayed focused within operating parameters , rather than falling completely out of focus like the newer models . Power is drawn from microfusion cell s and processed through a wave / particle diverter manufactured by General Atomics International . The diverters are protected by a carbon - fiber housing , preventing frequent malfunction , but when a diverter fails the weapon becomes unusable . As with all energy weapons , the AER9 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 . < section end = " AER9 " / > AER9 Metal Blaster . < section begin = " metalblaster " / > 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 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 . < section end = " metalblaster " / > Tri - beam laser rifle . < section begin = " Tri - beam " / > The tri - beam laser rifle is essentially a " laser shotgun " , which fires three laser beams with each shot . Compared to the regular AER9 , it ' s missing the tube on the bottom length of the barrel , is shorter in overall length and has a new emitter aperture and attached wires . < section end = " Tri - beam " / > 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 prototype laser rifle . < section begin = " AER14 " / > The AER14 , a successor to the and AER12 , was a prototype in development before the Great War . The unit found in Vault 22 is one of these development models , complete with exposed wiring and loose prototype circuit boards taped to the stock . The AER14 is similar in appearance to the AER9 , although it is a lighter gray scheme with an orange - red trim . It also has two integrated circuit chips housed inside its stock , which are connected to the rest of the weapon via wires . It uses two microfusion cells per shot . The AER14 also fires a green laser instead of the normal red laser . < section end = " AER14 " / > Recharger rifle . A specialized laser rifle designed to work with microfusion breeder ammunition , the recharger rifle effectively has unlimited ammunition . The recharger rifle is also an incredibly sturdy weapon and requires less skill with energy weapons to use effectively . However , this particular rifle is much weaker and heavier than the more common AER9 , and the user must time their shots to compensate for the weapon ' s need to charge up its shots . Laser musket . A post - war invention used primarily by the Commonwealth Minutemen . The laser musket utilizes a hand - cranked capacitor , requiring the user to crank it after each shot . Institute laser . A large energy weapon developed by the Institute from the ground up . It is standard issue for Institute scientist s , Courser s , and standard Gen 1 - 3 synth foot soldiers and workers . 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 . The Lightning gun fires , essentially , a basic laser rifle ' s laser . At the point of impact it generates a natural gas cloud . After a moment , a second laser flies in ( horizontally , from a seemingly arbitrary location ) towards the gas cloud to ignite it .