Just as the name says ! Yes Death Ray also known as Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun,blaster, laser gun, phaser, zap gun etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns. According to the stories, when activated, a ray gun emits a ray, typically visible, usually lethal if it hits a human target, often destructive if it hits mechanical objects, with properties and other effects unspecified or varying.
Real-life analogues are electro lasers, electroshock weapons which send current along an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel.
The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others. In 1957, the National Inventors Council was still issuing lists of needed military inventions that included a death ray.
Nevertheless, this technology exists and been practiced in military use as well, but the traces cannot be identified, here we are talking about Advance Weaponry System ( AWS ) there’s been so many controversies related to the death ray over the years, but as someone knows Tesla very well, I have no doubt that he invented and like Atom Bomb Military taken it over for the destructive purpose. 
Now the Wars aren’t the way they used to be, there are satellites with Ray Beam or Death Beam right above us almost 120 Kilometers, It was used by United States in Iraq for targeting some specific individual, when people talk about Drones I feel we are living in Stone age remote controlled aircraft, things has gone way further than we can imagine, neither the scientists are dead or sleeping nor the funding ever been stopped to create more destructive weapons usually ( Weapons of Mass destruction )
The Range is no problem, here’s a news cutting which says clearly A MILE ! back than
( ODD LOOKING PISTOL )
It’s not fiction at all, but like HAARP this beast is way destructive than one can’t imagine. My Purpose of sharing with you is to add a block in your knowledge that such weapons exists today and they will be in future wars it is no longer a fiction
Farhan Imaan
INCPak.
