User blog comment:Didikins/How I Thik AW Weapons Should be Revised/@comment-402843-20141127133012/@comment-3967954-20141127135320

The EM1 was considered underpowered before the patch. To be honest, it wasn't, it's just that most people tried it once and declared that it was terrible. I managed to use it fine.

I guess because people were moaning about it being underpowered, they buffed it. Now everybody is using it (on consoles at least). It outclasses shotguns and SMGs at close range. I think Sledgehammer might have overdone it a bit.