Soviet Laser Pistol

[Cutaway]

Sources:
http://www.ontoinfo.com/2007/07/31/russian-military-laser-pistol-1984/

http://kylekeeton.com/2008/05/russia-we-have-bigger-bombs-laser.html?showComment=1211894040000

 

[Orionblamblam]

Seems unlikely to be militarily useful.

 

[starviking]

Very small aperture - perhaps useful for drilling holes in planks of wood at 2 paces?

Actually, given the fact that it seems to be completely constructed from metal this would suggest that it's more like a students project.

 

[Lauge]

....whoa, didn't I see one of those on the Babylon 5 rerun last night ? ;D :

Seriously, though: The first source referred to mentions a cartridge-held pyrotechnic charge to initiate the laser pulse. So this would be some sort of magazine-fed chemical laser, then ? Probably the only way to generate useful levels of energy with 1980's levels of technology ???

Looks very "Star Trek'ish", if nothing else. I can just imagine these in the hands of a Romulan boarding party....

Regards & all,

Thomas L. Nielsen
Denmark

 

[Jschmus]

....whoa, didn't I see one of those on the Babylon 5 rerun last night ? ;D :

It does look remarkably like the PPG hand weapon from the series (not the one from the pilot, though).

 

[RP1]

I don't think it's a chemical laser. The link says

pyrotechnic flash bulb

so it's probably a solid state laser using something like ruby as the lasing medium. The cartridge just provides the energy. IIRC this mechanism was postulated in several speculative / science-fiction texts, so it's interesting to see that someone actually built one...

RP1

 

[Lampshade111]

I can't say I would believe this unless I could take it out of a case and shoot it at something.