What are some small arms laser pointer alternatives (science fiction, weapons and world building)? The first question you have to ask is what are you shooting? We used bows and arrows for thousands of years, and then guns for hundreds of years. Because the target at the other end is a person, they are born with weaknesses. There is almost no need to give up cheap, predictable, and mechanically reliable bullet droppers until you equip you with armor that can defeat guns.
These guys may be 5 feet 5 inches, and those bows are small. They hunt giraffes with them. Their weight is between half a ton and a ton and a half... The secret is of course poison, but they emphasized the goal of advancing technology. There are several problems with the laser. Lasers are good at making small holes in objects within a certain range, but doing so requires power. The more energy you need for cutting, the more power you need.
Therefore, for any energy weapon, its effectiveness as a small weapon is likely to depend on the quality of the energy source and the way it stores or generates energy. Any alternative needs to destroy the target better than the thrower, something that does not harm the shooter, and something logically meaningful (the power supply is portable, the weapon can be aimed and can be carried at long distances, and it is cheaper without t, as effective replacement of).
A suggested alternative is the track or Gauss gun. It is basically a bullet thrower, but does not rely on a sealed barrel (so the length of the projectile is not limited by the sealed barrel, and the friction between the projectile and the chamber can be controlled by the shell). This means higher-speed bullets, and—through electric control of acceleration instead of gunpowder explosion—you can use projectiles that cannot withstand explosive reinforcement, which increases the potential to provide alternative payloads.
Of course, the difficulty lies in the effect of power and electromagnetic fields on any other electronic devices you may have every time you fire. Sometimes used in combination with Gauss or railguns for propulsion or other ways to generate acceleration. Likewise, you either rely on speed to gain kinetic energy, or you rely on Bushmen’s poison to stop the target. Missile rifles with potential problems with missiles in real life, some have grenade launchers under the barrel. It is the accuracy of the bullet and the possibility of using the bullet casing to cause damage to nearby friendly forces green laser pointer. Taser is an interesting idea, especially some "deliverable" taser ammunition.