Eh. I'm not really sure that's much of a problem at infantry scale.
Pre-arc-reactor infantry gear? Sounds about right.
So the M-4 does 20.5 damage per shot against armor for a DPS of 239.17. The M-8 does 13.5 damage per shot against armor for a DPS of 191.25. What stands out even more is that the M-4 out damages the M-8 in it's weakest area. Against Barriers and Shields, and we know this guy has some good Biotic Barriers, it does 358.75DPS compared to the M-8's 191.25DPS.
I think that really says something about ME guns. I'm not sure exactly what.
We're talking about a 5mm gun here. The MS-12 itself was probably something sized like a
M134 Minigun but with only one barrel.
I'd be extremely hesitant to rate any ME gun based on caliber, using modern caliber ratings a 5mm is a machinegun or smaller. However, an ME Machinegun fires BBs (or smaller) and is still the same length as a normal gun. Makos have freaking 155mm guns (modern tanks have 120mm guns for comparison). When some one says shuttle (aircraft) mounted autocannon I think this:
M61 Vulcan. Recall in addition that extra length increases energy directly. Shot size has little to do with length/size. Unlike RL guns. I'd bet most guns are rated by KE not caliber if they have any sense. Or maybe a more complicated scheme.
The only shuttle mounted autocannon we ever see in canon is the Kodiak UT-47A (
pic) that side gun is definitely two meters long. Of course the Batarians weren't using those, but a shuttle mounted autocannon can definitely be that big.
Also description of the original gun: "It's slower going then you would like, the combination of running on two thrusters and bolting a gigantic cannon to the side of your suit doing your aerodynamics no favors."
There could be some hyperbole here, but gigantic? The M134 is not gigantic in fact its ~.8m long or as long as a full AK-47 or other rifle.
I can see an argument here for smaller guns, I believe it would be only logical for us to add a level between machinegun-sized autocannon firepower and SMG. Which one gets called the Hasta I don't care.
Looking at the finished tech blurb:
"You completed your autocannon research, and managed to put together a small but incredibly potent weapon that can be mounted on both the forearm and shoulder hard points of you Legionary armor, as well as putting together a larger rifle variant that can be held by the armor like a traditional rifle. It's fully integrated into the targeting system of the suit, and despite it's small size it's easily half again as powerful as the Batarian cannon you salvaged, thanks in large part to it's generous power budget. A very good weapon all around."
These a rifle form. It's larger and thus is about a meter long give or take assuming a bullpup design for maximum barrel length the barrel is maybe ~.8-.9m long And there's a smaller version that can be mounted. A 1/3 or less barrel reduction seems quite drastic to me unless one was talking about stored mode. (Heck that's a 1/3 the power too!).
