Actually you're right, the taper does flow with the lines of the rifle. I also stand corrected, the origional 3-prong was a little smaller, but the one you have is the main one the early model M-16A's used, Viet Nam era. After that they went to the Bird Cage style because the open prongs tended to get snagged on vines and packed with mud when crawling through the jungle.

Later, with the advent of the M-16A2's, they closed one slot of the bird cage, added a jam nut and called it a compensator. I personally didn't notice much difference in performance other than it didn't kick up quite as much dust when firing prone.

Many of the aftermarket compensators out there, while they may lend a lot to the performance, tend to have a look of their own that can distract from the overall look of the rifle. My 2 cents anyway.

BTW: I'm looking to build up a new AR, now that I'm retired and had to turn in my M-16. I did a little looking around today on line for the MEGA Receiver. Where's a good place to pick one up these days? I read a couple of reviews and they sound like one of the best ones out there.