What you said can drill metal, that is carbon dioxide laser, it has a lot of power, it is used in medicine to remove moles, traumatized surfaces, etc. Helium-neon laser has a small power, it is used to make collimators, sights, and can be used for irradiation in medicine to reduce swelling, anti-inflammation, etc.; YAG laser can be used in the treatment of the ear, nose, and throat. (Oh, because I am more familiar with the medical equipment, so always use medical equipment as an example, do not take offense ah)
The characteristics of the laser: good directionality, monochromaticity, energy concentration, coherence.
The difficulty you envision in punching through some very thick metal is not in the laser tube, but in the power supply that energizes the laser.