Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4957813-20140510034158/@comment-24042984-20140607133807

External magazines may be simpler and thus have less severe/fewer malfunctions, but given the limited amount of ammo that can be carried, I would rather take more time to unjam the weapon than to risk losing a whole magazine. It's also pretty much safe to say that a COMPLETE failure of the feeding system won't be happening, regardless of whether it uses an internal or external magazine. As I said earlier, the development of new materials has largely negated the issue of weak/breaking hinges, so I very highly doubt it will cause the whole weapon to fail.

External magazines may be the norm, but it does not mean it is a superior system, and different situations may require different systems. There is a reason why bullpup system exists. They may be uncommon, but I very much doubt that a conventional battle rifle can compete against it in an urban environment.

Also, this is an anime series, I highly doubt any of the characters can be qualified as REAL weapon experts of any sort. StormFlower's magazine is kept WITHIN the grip of the weapon. Also since the blade is in front of it and is basically blocking/protecting the grip, hitting it is highly unlikely. With Gambol Shroud, you never see Blake actually parrying another blade strike with the magazine section of the gun, and when she swings it about,it is the barrle/blade that points outwards.

Also, I don't seem to remember the scene you describe of Ruby parrying a hit with the magazine, could you perhaps give the episode name an a rough timeframe?