I always figured the end goal with laser weapons was a handheld weapon that doesn't need to be reloaded and eliminated the need for ballistics.
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Energy weaponry would need to be recharged, and upkeep would still be necessary. Unless you can find a metal that is super-resistant to extreme heat, you're going to run into some issues with overheating.
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Laser weapons don't overheat...
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Or unless we made a sudden jump in our understanding of nuclear technology. I figure that could be a viable source, too, if we could figure out how to fire the weapon without giving the user cancer after every mag.