Colt model 2011, a century later.
Phasers are the new thing. A directed energy weapon Phasers are classified as particle weapons and fire nadion particle beams. Based on the intensity and field of the beam and a variety of adjustments, a wide variety of effects can be achieved. Phasers have demonstrated the ability to heat things, make precise holes, pump enough energy into objects to cause them to detonate or even to disintegrate objects or creatures entirely. Correctly tuned at lower settings they can stun living creatures. They have been called the Swiss army knife of weapons.
For law enforcement the most important effect is the stun. For the first time law enforcement has a safe and reliable way to subdue suspects. This has had the effect of pleasing and horrifying. The police can hose down the unruly without fear of bad results. For some reason that does not make the protectors of liberty happy.
It is hotly argued that with stun that certain and available the police do not need lethal force. Laws have been passed in Illinois, New York, Louisiana, Florida, and several localities to force the police to use stunners only, and treat the death of a anyone in custody or at the hands of the police as a homicide. Disturbingly to the Police Association these laws have court backing, because of the phaser.
BTW, Taser is going out of business.
Handguns[]
Colt[]
Colt entered the market with the first practical model. The Colt 2011 was tested with the Vista City Police Department. It has three stun settings and one lethal. The lethal setting is nothing close to the disintegration possible. Both for evidence sake, and to save energy. The Colt 2011 will give 20 shots at lethal setting on the Krellite cell, twice that for each level of stun lower. (VC department policy is to use stun 2 as the default.)
Colt also makes the 2011 Stunner that has only stun settings. More than a few groups have called on the police to use only stunners. They take the suspect down, body armor or no and they can't kill bystanders, or suspects for that matter.
All models have a ring interlock standard. Police models have a camera.
Glock[]
Glock GP3
Glock is going for the ammo market. They feature a larger battery than any other maker. This of course makes the Glock heavier than other phasers. They have moved the handle to the center of the unit for balance. The Glock P01-12 has five settings. Three stun, lethal, and water buffalo lethal. 20 shots at water buffalo lethal and double the number for every step down. Twice the capacity of the Colt model 2011.
All models have ring interlocks and cameras available.
The US military has made the Glock phaser GP3 their standard military side arm as of 2015
Glock makes the GP3 and the GP4 is stun only models specifically for the police.
Heckler & Koch[]
H&K is looking to the military market. Their standard model is a phaser assault rifle. It is built on a fairly normal looking assault rifle frame. The battery replaces the magazine. They have heavy stun, Wide angel stun, lethal, Light anti-material and a heavy anti-material setting. Light anti-material will blow out doors and walls. Troops are warned not to use heavy anti-material without cause; it will drain half your battery, but it will stop a truck. Three on one and it will stop a tank. Yes the infantry assault weapon will now stop tanks.
Heckler & Koch has added a heavier man portable unit that is the functional equivalent of the squad automatic weapon, the H&K P80. It can either lay down a rapid series of burst fire ant lower power or do damage to a tank at higher power.
Remington[]
Remington has the first long phaser designed for ranges over 100 meters. It has only two settings, a heavy stun and lethal.
Firing a phaser is strange for many rifle shooters. It is line of sight period. No ranging, no windage, point and click. Anyone that can line up a laser sight can hit, every time. Sniper wise the phaser has an Achilles heel the visible beam. Remington is working on that.
The Remington Mk2 has a practical range of 500 meters. It still has only heavy stun and, lethal settings. The Mk2S is only 250 meters but has cracked the visible beam problem. Remington expects further development to improve this.
Smith & Wesson[]
The police model 1 is the flagship. S&W has been looking to capture the civilian market with stylish phasers and stunners. They already have a half dozen models from a "derringer" sized stunner to a heavy unit with six settings; heat, two stun, wide beam stun, and two lethal.
S&W also has ring interlocks on all their weapons and cameras available.
Heavy Weapons[]
Planetary Defense[]
By this point everyone has heard of the United States anti missile defense phasers. These large gigawatt rated batteries are build by General Dynamics. They have dedicated fusion power plants and large Krellite cell backup banks. They are designed to knock down starships from orbit. The ADF calls them class five phasers, and says we have to do better. The shields on the Falcon class cutters are class 6. And those are small ships. The Orion ships encountered had class 5 shields.
Mid Range[]
The ,micro impulse engine is closing the power gap in phaser technology. General Dynamics has demonstrated a modified M1 tank with a micro impulse engine instead of the rated gas turbine and a kiliowatt phaser main gun. They stated the tracks are next.
Ships are packing megawatt class phasers. The main restriction on phasers is they are line of sight. They are wonderful for defense. Over the horizon is not possible.