raygun

thumb|Toy "Space Pilot X Ray Gun" made by the Japanese Taiyo company in the early 1970s. When the trigger is pulled, the mechanism in the toy makes sounds and causes sparks to appear inside the transparent red cone on the front.

A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect. They have various names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, laser pistol, phaser, zap gun, etc. In most stories a raygun emits a ray usually lethal if it hits a human target, often destructive if it hits mechanical objects, with properties and other effects unspecified or varying.