barbbachello:

Before i get started THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE ONE IN THE GAME!!!

In the Fall of Reach someone says that the orbital mac guns have thrusters on the bottom that fire when it does to stop the gun being pushed back into to orbit. But by my logic a MAC gun is just like a rail gun. Rail guns have no recoil becuse the projecticle is being pulled out of the barrel not pushed.

Here is a picture

The green means that each coil is magnetised by a ridiculousely large amout of electricity.

Rail guns and coil guns do have minor recoil created by the momentum of the projectile leaving the weapon. If the projectile leaves the ship at Mach 12(Faster in space) the ship WILL be pushed back.

The railgun might also fire projectiles that use plasma to accelerate, which works by placing a conductive material that melts at low temperatures(such as aluminum) on the back of the projectile, and when the high amount of power is sent through it it melts, turns into gas, and then plasma, and the plasma is accelerated through the rails by the Lorentz Force carrying the projectile with it. If this is the case then gas and plasma discharge could cause recoil.