Laser pistol
A laser pistol, or hand laser, was a directed-energy weapon utilized by the Klingon Empire and the . ()

Specifications
The pistols used by Starfleet in the 2250s and 2260s were designed with multiple power settings. For example, they had enough power to blast through rocks and security glass, and to disintegrate Humanoid-size androids. The laser pistol was also capable of being set to overload, resulting in a forced chamber explosion. These weapons were considered "old-style" by the end of the 2260s. ()

History
The Federation had utilized hand-held laser weaponry for over 100 years, as of 2269. ()

In 2254, after having been kidnapped by the Talosians, Captain Christopher Pike attempted to use laser pistols to blast his way out of his cell, but was distressed to find that the lasers were empty. He correctly deduced, though, that the Talosians had been using their powers of illusion to make Pike believe that the lasers were inoperative, and he had successfully breached the cell he was being kept in. Later, after escaping to the surface, Number One set her laser to overload, informing The Keeper that Humans would rather die than live in captivity. This, combined with information they had assimilated from the 's historical records, convinced the Talosians that Humans were too unstable to be held against their will. ()

In 2261, laser pistols were standard equipment for the Crater expedition to M-113, as well as the Korby expedition to Exo III, both of which were outfitted in the same year. The hand lasers were still in use in 2266. ()

In 2265, Spock and other members of an Enterprise landing party were armed with laser pistols when they beamed to the planet Delta Vega to maroon a dangerous Gary Mitchell. ()

In 2268, Nyota Uhura wondered why the Klingons provided warring factions on Neural with flintlock firearms and not something more advanced, such as old-style hand lasers. ()

Laser pistols were used in recreational arcade laser duels on Ogus II. ()

Appendices

Appearances
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Background information 
In the story outline for "The Cage", one of the laser guns was set for a hypo-pellet, whereby "death is instant, painless." (The Making of Star Trek, p. 63) This seems to be a variation on a statement from the series outline Star Trek is..., which proposed that the pistols in the series (as well as the series' rifles) were to fire "hypodermic pellets which stun or tranquilize."

In the first draft script of "The Cage", the effect of the laser pistol firing was described as "a blinding white thin shaft of light from the barrel of the pistol." In the episode's second revised final draft script, however, this wording was changed to "a blinding thin white shaft of light from the pistol." Evidently, the beam was ultimately colorized red, however.

According to The Making of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry was made aware by a technical adviser of the fact that lasers could not do the things he wanted his fictional weapons to do and invented the term "phaser" to use instead.

In , the crew of the  were equipped with phaser pistols  in 2233. The ship is also seen using phaser banks. In , it was also stated that Lieutenant James Kirk manned the phaser station aboard the  in 2257. The laser pistol was seen in use in "The Cage" (and "The Menagerie"), set in 2254. They were also seen as part of the away team arsenal along with the phaser rifle in  set in 2265. All these appearances indicate that hand-held laser weapons were used simultaneously with hand-held phaser weapons in the 2250s and early 2260s.

The original prop was designed and produced by Wah Chang's Project Unlimited, Inc. in 1964 for the pilot production, "The Cage". The props included a tiny flip-up sight on top and on some examples the barrel could be extended with a twisting/ratcheting motion for greater power. ()

The props were slightly modified for later appearances in "Where No Man Has Gone Before", , and . Two gear-like metal discs were attached to the back of the body of the weapon, the three clear acrylic emitters were painted black, silver paint was added to the textured grip, and silver-painted typewriter keys were added to the body (three on the right side and one on the left). 

While no dialogue in any episode after "The Cage" indicates whether the pistols were lasers or phasers, the final revised draft script of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" refers to the weapon as a "phaser hand gun" and "phaser pistol" on pages 40 and 45, respectively. In addition, a stage direction on page 18 of the  of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" called for an old-style phaser to be used by . It is noteworthy that this weapon vaporized the  in a manner more consistent with phaser technology than lasers.

Apocrypha
According to the novel Strangers from the Sky, laser pistols and rifles were used on Earth already in the mid-21st century.
de:Laserpistole
Hand-held weapons
Directed energy weapons