Handcoil in Armory. Why is it a Shock Weapon?
Event he description says it's modeled after Starship coilguns.
Also, there's a Coil Rifle sniper rifle, which is (appropriately) a Projectile weapon.
Inquiring GM's want to know...
Well, that's an easy answer. It does electrical (E) damage, hence it's a shock weapon!
I suspect it's an "error" of sorts in the flavor text.
Ship coilguns, like the coil rifles, are long range things with solid ammunition. Your classical "railgun" or "gauss rifle" types, basically.
The Handcoil is more similar and probably related to Storm Coils and Colossus Coils : electricity damage, shorter range, battery powered. Weaponized tesla coils, lightning cannons and the such.
Now, we have no description - or damage types - for ship weapons, but handcoils and starship coilguns have little in common, enough so that I like my theory and would "rule" it that way.
Maybe it's an artefact from an actual handheld coilgun that didn't make it, maybe people handling flavor text and weapon stats weren't the same and didn't realize there was an issue, who knows.