I may gain criticism for this, but I'm willing to ask anyway. You see here, in the fallout series, there is these two skills: Energy Weapons (which is like laser guns) and Small Guns (like pistols and rifles). what I'm asking is how that makes sense because if I anolyze this correctly, the skills both determine the accuracy of the attacks of their respective weapons. So if my character had a Small Guns skill of 100 and a Energy Weapons skill of 30, he can shoot a 10mm Pistol (which is a Small Gun) with fine accuracy, but yet with a Laser Pistol (which is an energy weapon of almost the same type except it shoots laser) he has problems with accuracy.

Maybe the he keeps missing because he keeps inadvertantly adjusting for non existant recoil, that and the constant distraction that doesn't really know how to reload the thing. I knew many guys in the service who grew up on farms and had been shooting since they could walk, but had a hard time getting used to the M-16 which was "just a rifle"

It is far from "almost the same type". A 10mm pistol consists of a means to explosively project masses of metal. A laser projects a high powered aligned beam of light. The two are fundamentally different machines; pretty much the only two things similar are the pistol grip and the trigger. Beyond that, everything is different.

It handles differently. It breaks differently. It expends different kinds of ammo.

responding to the two above me.

So your basically saying, do to how their designed, that is what makes him inaccurate. Small Guns have recoil, causing the guy to brace himself needlessly and energy weapons have...

I'm sorry if I'm wasting your time, I'm more used to fantasy lore rather than modern or sci-fi lore. Either way it does sound a little bit more sensible.

Think of the difference between firing a pistol at a target and using a remote to change the channel. In each case, your projectile is moving along a pre designated vector with a force equal to the product of its mass and velocity while an equal amount of force is being applied along a reciprocal vector. The mass of a bullet being millions of times greater than that of quantum particles, despite the bullets relatively slow speed, results in a greater amount of force. The heavier the pistol the less this force is perceived by the shooter, but in your remote control any increase in size or weight is just to make it easier to hold. The firing of a pistol involves releasing a set amount of mechanical pressure that is held in place by a small lever called a trigger. So now you are using your muscles to hold the weight of the weapon, to control the aim and to apply sufficient pressure on the trigger. Compare this to the lighter weight and "digital trigger" of the remote/laser pistol. Then there is the issue proper storage and maintenance for the weapon, I wouldn't sugest oiling a laser pistol!

In the realm of medieval/fantasy I've always found it strange that someone skilled with a rapier could pick up a katana for the first time and be an expert with it, or how skill with a bow and arrow translates throwing knives or axes.

Both skills include "the maintainence of" their respective weapons. You can't shoot a laser pistol and hit anything because it's in crap condition because you don't have a clue how to fix it.

trying to be realistic but maybe the reason he is so bad at shooting the laser pistol is becuase of the bright light it emits

Actually, a (real) laser pistol wouldn't emit any visible light at all...

If anything, I'd go with the 'maintenance' argument.