Like some others have pointed out, it's the range factor that makes the real difference. As an example I often mention, FB offers a good standard for comparison - in typical 1941 or 1942 era multiplayer sessions, there are some planes with certain qualities that would probably match our 'Spit' and 'N1K2' in very simular manner - slow/average speed, but outstanding maneuverability and ease of control, easy aiming process, powerful guns - the general 'point and fire' characteristics which people usually complain about.
For instance, FB also has the same Hurricane MkIIc with 4x Hispano MkII installed. Also, the Soviet I-16(Type.24) are armed with simply devastating machine guns(in current version of FB, the Soviet Universal Berezins are an absolute terror).
And yet, there is absolutely no such thing as whining about these planes in the sense that people whine about N1K2s and Spit9s in AH. Sure, some people complain about the strange overheat/stall/climb characteristics of the Hurri2c, some whine about the 'titanium I-16'. I spend as much time in FB forums in AH, also spend any spare time outside of AH in FB - and yet, I have yet to see even a SINGLE instance of people whining about those planes in performance.
Why? Why is that? In 1941~'42 servers, the performance margins between the Yak-1B, Bf109E-7, F-4, or the Fw190A-4 or etc contemporary planes, is not as great as the margin we see in AH - where in the MA, people flying planes that do 360~380mph on the deck still complain about Spits and N1K2s.
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I have given a lot of thought, and concluded that it is because even the smaller margin in speed performance the I-16s and Hurri2Cs in FB have against their contemporaries, is usually not enough to overcome the usual conditions they fall under - in simple words, I-16s and Hurri2Cs just cannot shoot anything down with such consistency as seen in AH Spits or N1K2s. Why?
Because they are slow. Unless with a huge alt advantage, most usually those planes are too slow to come within 300meters of their target. A clever evasive usually gains enough separation in most cases. That holds the same with AH - with sufficient alt advantage, Spits and N1K2s can catch up briefly with their targets.. but most usually, they never come within 300~400 yards. Almost never. I recall many engagements with the Spits and N1K2s and I can honestly say, I hardly remember any case in which those planes ever came within 300 yards of me(unless I was in a same, or slower plane).
So what's the difference? In one sim, planes have a hard time hitting over 300 meters. The aspect has changed, and in FB, the hitting distances are a bit further than it was in IL-2. But compared to the other, where 400~500 yards are common, 600~700 yards frequent for the skilled, and 800~1000yards if lucky..... just buy enough time to get near 500 yards, and the enemy will be brought down. In a flaming snap of wings or tail section.
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I am almost certain, that once such difficulties in long range shooting is represented in AH, the whinings about guns, will dissipate in its totality. People complain about many things, modellings and etc, but discussion on the gunnery modelling or how some planes are totally dweeb planes, are not very common. I was actully pretty surprised to see a "n00b plane" thread in FB, for the first time in many months.
We've discussed a lot of possible reasons as why the gunnery is so different from what history offered, but that's for another thread. As long as some guns hit out far and more straight, far enough that the differences in gun characteristics actually come in to play, the more powerful one will always be favored - a little spray with few lucky hits will bring your target down, whereas longer, more precise tracking shots are required for the machine guns.
