Pistol question

[Rough Touch]

I always thought you could use Pistols as a close combat weapon in hand to hand combat if you wanted ( im sure you could do this in the old days) but my friend said we have been doing it wrong and the pistols only give you the +1A with your other hand to hand weapon but you cant use it when locked in combat.

just want to make sure this is right...sound fair enough as you end up getting about 5 shots of with a plasma pistol in hand to hand and otherwise, but then I though what if you have 2 pistols and no other hand to hand weapons, do you just hit them with the ends of your pistols with welders str?

[This Dave]

I always thought you could use Pistols as a close combat weapon in hand to hand combat if you wanted ( im sure you could do this in the old days) but my friend said we have been doing it wrong and the pistols only give you the +1A with your other hand to hand weapon but you cant use it when locked in combat.

just want to make sure this is right...sound fair enough as you end up getting about 5 shots of with a plasma pistol in hand to hand and otherwise, but then I though what if you have 2 pistols and no other hand to hand weapons, do you just hit them with the ends of your pistols with welders str?

Check page 52 of the rulebook. It says a Pistol counts as a Close Combat Weapon. So yes, if a model is armed with two Pistols it just hits the enemy over the head with them in combat.

[Gleipnir]

Correct Pistols count as Assault Weapons for purposes of being able to assault the same turn you fired them and act as a CCW S:User AP- for the purposes of providing attacks, and can provide an additional attack when paired with a weapon in the other hand, provided its not a specialist weapon that you are choosing to use primarily.

Cypher is the only exception to this so far, as he can actually shoot off attacks with his 2 pistols while in close combat to use the pistols shooting profiles with a rule called Blazing Weapons.

[Nabterayl]

Something else this means is that if you have an Unwieldy weapon (like a power fist or power axe) and a pistol, you can choose to use the pistol instead of the Unwieldy weapon. You lose the benefits of the Unwieldy weapon, but you strike at regular Initiative.