[bombcar]

Pistols are horrible weapons, and anyone who HAS to use guns will do anything they can to avoid having to rely on a pistol.

You use a pistol because you need it to be small, unobtrusive, or it's your last option.

A rifle or a shotgun is almost always better than a pistol if you don't have the size constraints (which are sometimes optics - a police office with a holstered gun looks way less threatening than one with a rifle).