Forum:Something that's always bugged me. RE: laser rifles

In the fallout world you often come across laser rifles. Right. Rifles are called so because they have 'rifling' on the inside of the barrels, spiralling grooves that give the bullet spin and make them accurate. Clearly a laser-based weapon would no need for such a thing. So why are they called rifles?? Eh?

Maybe I'm just being a gun nerd.

PS sorry I've done anything wrong here, total noob to this.

chemical_illusions86.138.207.134 01:24, 21 July 2009 (UTC)

Historically, you're correct. Rifles ar named for their rifling. I think it's more to do with range, power, length of barrel, hands required, etc though. In FPS cirles I think a 'rifle' is expected to be a certain sort of a gun. The name just complies to that. The gatling lazer isn't a gatling gun cause the barrels don't rotate (The minigun's the only in-game gatling-style gun I think), it's just named as such to conform to a certain expectation. Don't all modern firearms have rifling? 90.201.91.94 01:14, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

Most modern weapons, with a few exceptions like shotguns and mortars, have rifled barrels. That's true of pistols. The laser "rifle" just uses the popular conception that "rifles" are two-handed weapons that are more powerful than handguns. (This also is not necessarily true -- I would much rather be shot by a .22 LR varmint rifle than a .357 magnum revolver, if I had to choose.) Realistically speaking, modern weaponized lasers are almost always vehicle-mounted due to the massive power requirements. The same would be true of any real-world rail or coil gun (like the add-on gauss rifle). If it makes you feel any better, you can imagine that the SCIENCE! version includes extra "focusing crystals" and "power concentrators," or whatever other technobabble makes it seem more plausible. Suspension of disbelief is a necessary part of the setting. DreadPirateMurphy 20:46, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

I figure it's just a term coined by the manufacturer to distinguish it from the much smaller (and virtually useless) laser pistol, because it's bigger and has a stock. It's sort of a genericised trademark, only not a trademark. Skorpychan 01:46, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Well I believe thats just the term most gamers think of when they see a two handed, medium to long ranged weapon.- Andromada101 Jan.24, 2010, 6:18pm

I agree, even though the laser rifle could have just as easily been one-handed with no accuracy lost. Metalfrenchtoast 07:39, January 28, 2010 (UTC)

The one thing that always bugged me was the recoil you get when you shoot laser weapons, light has no mass, therefore no forward momentum, therefore no backward momentum, therefore no recoil Mr Habberdasher 18:53, March 4, 2010 (UTC)

I aplaud OP for this post I feel the EXACT! same way.

I now propose a petition to get the name of "lazer Rifle" changed to "Prismaticly Focused Light Musket!"

If the demands are not met! Bethesda Softworkss HQ will be powdered with the remain of its staff for burning glory and great justice!!!

Azzaman 11:15, March 7, 2010 (UTC)

i say, shoulder rested finger operated fusion powered high-energy photon beam inducing anti-biological disintegrator Mr Habberdasher 17:57, March 7, 2010 (UTC)

It Works on robots too for the same effect though (I think) Still That name still describes it better. lol

Azzaman 22:22, March 7, 2010 (UTC)

I think Lasergun F works just fine.

That is Light And Sound Emitting Recoilless Generator Using Nebulous Fission.

They might be rifled? Haha :D Spinning light for accuracy xD

And maybe they have recoil because they use a small explosive charge to create the necesary light or something?

Lasers are invisible! BLARGH! Check out the laser they use in this video (Right around 1:48). Loud popping and the target being incinerated. That's about it.

LAdj6vpYppA

Don't pay attention to anything but the laser... kind of a dumb video. Nuka Kulcha 03:40, June 7, 2010 (UTC)

Let me rephrase that... Weapons-grade lasers are usually pretty invisible. Nuka Kulcha 04:40, June 7, 2010 (UTC)