[Norsehound]

Call it cinimatic logic if you will. I don't want to get so involved in the comparison as to judge if bolt firepower is the same between the two. In my mind, a bigger weapon means bigger destructive capability.

With energy shields you don't need to rely on armored shutters so much. You also have the drawback of the steps and maintenance needed to keep those shutters working and operational. With guns out on the hull with no protection sure they might be easier to hit, but they'd be faster to bring into battle.