Certable Reload speed and even certable clip size increases seem out of whack across the three empires, pretty badly. The needler and mustang get 1 second off the reload and the saronlaser gets 0.325, at MAX rank. Whilst with a lower reload to begin with, the Saron's factional advantage is reload speed.....which it bascailly doesn't retain...
Can someone on PTS confirm that the M18 Needler has 375 damage at 750rpm please. Because if that is true then that gives it both a higher DPS and a higher damage per mag than the M20 mustang (assuming the M20 is still 667rpm 420 damage). To the OP that sounds like an oversight not an intended feature.
