This PPC is very interesting. With this design we can see how while still being a handheld weapon it is still still attached to the arm, near the back I believe, so that it can draw on the mechs power plant. It also adds to the potential seriousness of "dropping" the PPC. Unlike the gun carried by the Dougram Bigfoot that was used for the original Battlemaster dropping this PPC is not as simple as just throwing the weapon down. This one probably needs to disengage power connectors and such to release the weapon. This also means it can't just pick up and start using the weapon again, probably, as the connections for the power supply need to be reattached and assuming the process isn't automated will need some techs to plug everything in properly.