thewayneiac: Sounds like a great name for a sequel: Shinji no Gyakushu!
InstrumentalityOne: I always wondered how Shinji could fire at Ramiel when Rei's in the way blocking Ramiel´s beam with that bulky shield and all.
Fireand'chutes77: The side flares though the recoil compensator are a really cool touch. It's a reminder of the raw power of this weapon.
UrsusArctos: That's actually a muzzle brake - which reduces the recoil - and not a compensator, which eliminates upward creep on an automatic firearm. Frankly, it shouldn't be there - it's siphoning off precious positrons to reduce the recoil, and positrons bring a real radiation hazard. They should've just used a rocket-powered system like that on the entry plug as a substitute if they wanted to reduce the recoil of the thing.