Rifles are real weapons with some real power. Pistols are carried for convenience and when one is not anticipating a firefight.
I never stated that I would prefer pistol over a rifle in a firefight. I
am seriously suggesting that, in the civilian world, or any other world that you can imagine, handguns are real weapons. As a matter of fact, I'm not only seriously suggesting it, I'm proclaiming as boldly as I possibly can. I have seen what a rifle can do to a human body, and I have seen what a pistol can do to a human body as well. I'm not talking photos, I've been there and seen it with my own two eyes. I've had to rely on my weapon to survive and have used it in the line of duty. My weapon has saved my life, I doubt I would still be here if I had relied on a toy. So again, claiming that handgun is not a weapon and that a rifle is the only "real weapon" is absurd.
I carried a handgun my entire police career. I approached every situation as though I would be in a firefight and never assumed that everything was safe. However, I never felt inadequate with only a mere handgun. I didn't carry a shotgun or rifle with me every time I responded to a domestic disturbance or a bank robbery, it just didn't make sense. If, as a police officer, another officer needed help, and I knew that I could be walking into a firefight, I would definitely prefer a rifle, in addition to a handgun and a shotgun. But I would not, under any circumstances, leave another officer to perish simply because I only had a handgun.
If you're on the battlefield, a rifle is by far the logical choice. You know that a firefight is a probability. In the civilian world, it's not the same. Are you going to conceal carry a rifle everywhere you go? If, as a civilian, you know that a firefight going to take place, and you, or your family are not involved, nor in any immediate danger, are you going to grab your rifle and head that way, or are you going to stay clear let the police and/or military do their jobs?
We live in a somewhat safe society where the expectation of a battle is simply this, we don't expect to have to fight one. We expect our streets to be safe and we have no foreign powers currently invading. With that said, we all know that even in a civilized society that is relatively safe, we still conceal carry because we know that evil does exist, even in our own backyards. While we don't ever expect a battle, we prepare in the event that we are thrust into one.
Also, no one said that a handgun couldn't be taken away from someone. However, whether you chose to believe it or not, an untrained person walking around a corner or past a doorway with the barrel of the rifle sticking out provides a far easier target for a bad guy to grab than a pistol. The reason, it's longer and sticks out farther. It also provides more leverage for the bad guy. If you walk around a corner with your pistol sticking out as far as you can point it, the bad guy can take that away too. However, in my opinion which is based on what I've seen in the real world, an untrained or under trained person has a greater chance of retention with a handgun when compared to a rifle.
So, with that said, let me go on the record as saying that a rifle is wonderful weapon. So is a handgun and a shotgun. I've also seen enough of the real world to know that a rifle is not the best answer to every firearm question. There are times that a handgun is the superior choice over a rifle. There are times when a shotgun is the best. I don't discount or degrade any of these weapons as each is effective and each has it's place. If you're comfort level is with the rifle, that's great, more power to you. I simply chose not to have the mindset that a rifle is the only weapon and strongly disagree with anyone that states such.