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IMHO, a portable rail gun is more likely than a "ray" weapon.

As battery technology advances, it may be able to get velocities comparable to firearms in a sufficiently small package to carry. I would expect rifle-sized weapons to appear first, or at least first after larger scale military weapons. Then as electromagnetic and battery technologies advance, pistol sized packages should appear.

And who's to say you couldn't tinker with them? Polish the "barrel", upgrade the magnetics, higher voltage system, etc.

Just remember that any sufficiently advanced technology appears to be magic... until you understand it.