I'm reminded of a short sci-fi story I read long ago about an anarchical society where everyone possessed a weapon capable of destroying entire swathes of count

I'm reminded of a short sci-fi story I read long ago about an anarchical society where everyone possessed a weapon capable of destroying entire swathes of country side in an instant. It was some form of unlimited energy device that was also used for other less offensive purposes, but everyone carried a sidearm that could emit a beam of energy capable of melting a mountainside into glass. The story focusses around an attempted coup and has an illustrative ending demonstrating the power of such a weapon to deter the use of force to coerce others.