Its principal advantages lie in the EM rails which are silent save for the sonic signature of the bullet, and in the projectile nature of the weapon which means that unless the weapon is set to fire its maximum velocity the shell will not be easily visible. Disadvantages also stem from the rails; they produce a lot of heat, use a lot of power at higher muzzle velocities, and are bulky. This causes the weapon to be large (though not unwieldy), and the barrel is lined with radiator vanes and dotted with vent holes to cool it.