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I do understand the logic behind Space Marines getting bolters while guardsmen get lasguns. Space Marines are generally called upon for brief, small-scale but strategically critical engagements, such as storming an enemy strongpoint, where raw violence (DPS, if you will) matters more than logistical considerations. If they run out of bolter shells, they're generally close enough to victory that they can rev up the chainswords and finish the job by hand. Meanwhile, guardsmen, who tend to get stuck in grinding wars of attrition, get the weapons that can be plugged to a solar panel between two battles.

But even Space Marines don't always get to fight on their own terms. A routine operation can turn into a lengthy campaign due to faulty intelligence, new objectives, or the loss or unavailability of allies and auxiliaries they were counting upon. Lasguns would sure come handy for the boys in power armor... provided this doesn't fly in the face of the Codex Astartes. (Conveniently, the Codex's author has returned and can personally say "Oh, that's fine, as long as the job gets done".) Now, obviously, Marine lasguns would not be the flashlights of the Imperial Guard... They would be more like the hot-shot lasguns of the Militarum Tempestus, and fed directly from the backpack of their power armor.

I'm obviously not expecting to see this reflected on the tabletop. Bolters are iconic, after all. I'm just saying that fluff-wise, if Marines expect a protracted engagement, it makes sense they'd have access to a souped-up lasgun or some other energy weapon (such as a weaker variant of plasma gun or melta gun). Or just a laspistol side-arm for when their boltgun goes click.

"Pew pew pew" is not a very Marine-like sound, but far more foes of the Imperium have died to lasguns than boltguns.

.

Realistically, some sort of lasgun seems it would make an excellent backup weapon.

From a practical POV, if marines were in an extended fight outside of resupply, I’d suspect they would just liberate some weapons from the OpFor if able. Human cultists/rebels do make up a chunk of their foes. But more likely they would pull back, resupply, and re attack.

Kinda?

The occasions in which Marines get caught short are fairly rare. After all, if anyone needs to make an exit, it’s Marines.

You also have to consider Imperial Propaganda. Because for most Chapters? Dropping in from orbit and settling a piffling matter of rebellion is going to be their stock in trade.

Why do I say that? Because, as all the various forces go, The Imperium is the largest and most cohesive, despite being quite far flung. Stable Warp Courses matter.

Whilst only a vanishing few inhabitants of Imperial Worlds will ever see an Astartes? You’ve now uncounted generations born and bred within the myth.

We of course know better. Astartes do exist. And we know they’re stupid hard. And we know their standard equipment is entirely intended to be As Messy As Possible.

They’re a near as dammit pure manifestation of Shock And Awe tactics.

So….lets say they’ve got into your Super Secret Villain Base. Once they begin their wetwork? The aftermath does more than speak for itself. It confirms the myths. Not just a huge number of one pretty much one sided casualties in a short space of time? But every single one died a hyper violent death.

Bolt round? You go splash. Chainsword? You go splash right round the room. Even unarmed they can quite happily, and rapidly, Punch Faces Out The Back Of Heads.

Even if you can get weighty and thick doors between you and them? They’re relentless. They don’t need to rest like baseline humans. So even without a handy dandy Meltabomb or Meltagun? They’re not about to give up. And whether they’re well stocked in ammo or not? By the time you’ve realised “oooh crikey, they am done a real!” it’s far, far too late.

Of course, for Xenos it’s quite different in terms of Shock And Awe. Spesh for Orks, where the confirmed presence of Astartes might as well be a mahoosive flashing Neon Green Signs declaring “Fight Fight Fight!” and “Get It Here” and “GREEN HOT XXX ACTION”.

But even then? Marines aren’t daft. They know every deployment means strictly limited resources and resupply. And so they must, like any competent military, plan accordingly, and have plans in advance.

There is no logical reason they don't use lasguns charged by their backpacks. Logical reason.

the imperium is not logical.

The amount of work and logistics needed to keep their bolters is orders of magnitude more than a self contained lasgun and battery source. Any reasonable logistician would throw bolters out immediately and move to energy weapons because each marine carries a perpetual battery on their back already, it's a synergistic platform and there is no reason to avoid it.

Lasguns, hotshots, multilasers and lascannons can all be charged by the backpack and give you every level of punch you need.

There was one instance of Space Marines using Multilasers... and the fans were less than enthused.

If you want to read it, it's the Dawn of War trilogy by C.S. Goto.

 Hellebore wrote:
There is no logical reason they don't use lasguns charged by their backpacks. Logical reason.

the imperium is not logical.

The amount of work and logistics needed to keep their bolters is orders of magnitude more than a self contained lasgun and battery source. Any reasonable logistician would throw bolters out immediately and move to energy weapons because each marine carries a perpetual battery on their back already, it's a synergistic platform and there is no reason to avoid it.

Lasguns, hotshots, multilasers and lascannons can all be charged by the backpack and give you every level of punch you need.

Still don’t make your enemy Explode.

The vast majority of enemies an Astartes will face aren’t well armoured enough to resist a bolt round. And so, with their overall accuracy? The majority of their targets go splat in a single shot. And I do mean splat.

Bolters are weapons of terror. Highly, even needlessly, effective. That’s the whole point of the Astartes, especially post Second Founding,

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Hellebore wrote:
There is no logical reason they don't use lasguns charged by their backpacks. Logical reason.

the imperium is not logical.

The amount of work and logistics needed to keep their bolters is orders of magnitude more than a self contained lasgun and battery source. Any reasonable logistician would throw bolters out immediately and move to energy weapons because each marine carries a perpetual battery on their back already, it's a synergistic platform and there is no reason to avoid it.

Lasguns, hotshots, multilasers and lascannons can all be charged by the backpack and give you every level of punch you need.

Still don’t make your enemy Explode.

The vast majority of enemies an Astartes will face aren’t well armoured enough to resist a bolt round. And so, with their overall accuracy? The majority of their targets go splat in a single shot. And I do mean splat.

Bolters are weapons of terror. Highly, even needlessly, effective. That’s the whole point of the Astartes, especially post Second Founding,

I find that about as unconvincing as the 'post human dread' crap they tried to add in HH. They can claim whatever they want it still isn't convincing.

Leave us with our lasguns alone...
SM use bolters because GW initially gives them bolters cause it's looks cool in the end of 80th.

 Nevelon wrote:
Realistically, some sort of lasgun seems it would make an excellent backup weapon.

From a practical POV, if marines were in an extended fight outside of resupply, I’d suspect they would just liberate some weapons from the OpFor if able. Human cultists/rebels do make up a chunk of their foes. But more likely they would pull back, resupply, and re attack.

I'd think every chapter would have a crate of lasguns somewhere in the back of the armory as well, even if just to arm the serfs, so if they really needed some for the "kill 10000 gaunts" mission they could drag them out. But I don't think I've ever heard of it happening, and they'd probably say that if something isn't worth 10000 bolter shells then it isn't worth a space marine's time either.