Laser Pistol Mk1
(c. 2250)

Standard issue personal weapon on the USS Enterprise up to about 2265.

There are at least two rotating wheels on the barrel, controlling beam power and intensity. The forward one appears to rotate the whole muzzle assembly, giving a choice of three barrels - the longest one (chosen by rotating in an anti-clockwise direction as you hold it) seems to be the highest power, as it's chosen by a crewman after his first shots at the Talosian's portal have no effect. Fires a red-orange beam.

The weapon is also capable of being manually overloaded, with a buildup effect similar to that of a phaser overload causing a 'force chamber explosion.' This was seen to be initiated by pulling back the second wheel and rotating it clockwise; the overload is cancelled by snapping the wheel through another quarter-turn - again clockwise (go figure. . .).

Seen in The Original Series' first pilot "The Cage."

In "A Matter Of Time" (TNG) Worf made an ambiguous statement which seemed to suggest phasers were invented in the 22^nd century, which is at odds with the appearance of lasers here. . . Another interpretation is that he meant they had not been invented in the 22^nd century.

It's easy to see Harvey Lynn's point when he advised against using laser pistols - the prop is staggeringly unoriginal, reminiscent of the weapons in Forbidden Planet (1956).

This is actually the first of two variants of this weapon seen: in "The Cage" the stock above the gun ends in a smooth tapered curve, while the variant used in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" has an additional rearward assembly.