@NotMeNotYou: Lasers would, however, be very useful for applications like intercepting missiles, which is a huge goal of the tech

They are also used for things like igniting drugrunners' boats. You can start a fire from miles away without being obvious

@Fenrick: That's true, but I don't think those classify as rifles, which are usually aimed at being used against material. Missile defense and boat destruction are more for artillery, where portable power sources / cooling / handling aren't a concern.