Melee vs Ranged, Balancing the two Options

[kzt]

You willing to test that? Because I don't believe you. I suppose if I have a police holster and I have my gun happily snapped into it, that you're correct. If I have it tucked in my wasteband or something else easily accessible

It really doesn't matter. You won't get the gun out if you are reacting to an sudden blitz attack from 5 feet away. If you try you are defending with one hand against someone who is using both. It takes someone who is good and waiting on the firing line for signal about a second to draw and shoot a target in front of them. If you are not expecting it it takes at least a bit longer, as you have to decide that they guy is a threat and further that you need to go to guns. Someone who has already decided to attack you and decided how he's going to do can start the attack and be all over you before you even get a grip on the gun.

Firearms are not the ideal weapon in all situations, and within a step of a hostile adversary in one of those situations.

[Fuchs]

It really doesn't matter. You won't get the gun out if you are reacting to an sudden blitz attack from 5 feet away. If you try you are defending with one hand against someone who is using both. It takes someone who is good and waiting on the firing line for signal about a second to draw and shoot a target in front of them. If you are not expecting it it takes at least a bit longer, as you have to decide that they guy is a threat and further that you need to go to guns. Someone who has already decided to attack you and decided how he's going to do can start the attack and be all over you before you even get a grip on the gun.

Firearms are not the ideal weapon in all situations, and within a step of a hostile adversary in one of those situations.

The old "I can get you disarmed before you can line up a shot" argument is useless since in the same situation, you could simply shoot him before he can draw if you were carrying a gun instead of a sword.
You will have even less of a chance against a sudden "blitz attack" from someone with a gun. All you are stating is "If I can get the drop on you, you're going to get hurt", and no one disputes that.

All things equal - as in "both ranged and melee weapon holstered or both ready" - guns beat melee. You might make a case for unarmed combat, since that's "always ready" of sorts, but even then, if both are ready, guns beat it. And in SR, we've got cyberguns.

[kzt]

It would be unarmed. (or, in SR, possibly cyber weapons) You have the same issue he has if you try to deploy a weapon in close, which is a trained opponent will not let you complete the weapon deployment and will be doing extremely violent things to your person with their feet and hands as you try. If someone is already going for a gun it's unlikely you will beat them if you try to draw, your best bet is to prevent them from getting it aimed at you by doing violent things to their body. You're probably going to end up in a life and death unarmed fight and wrestling for the gun either way.

If someone has gotten a knife deployed in close without you noticing it your are in trouble. At best it's going to get very bloody, as he'll probably try to use one hand to keep you from getting your gun out as he proceeds to attempt to provide you with new orifices and remove important parts of your anatomy with the other. Watch their hands. If you can't see someone's hands it's a bad sign.

[Fuchs]

My point is simply that if you're not ready and surprised, you're screwed no matter what you carry or use. If someone is going for a gun and I am surprised I am not likely to prevent that no matter what I do (since I assume he'll step back while drawing, and will keep the gun close to his body, and by the time I start to react, the gun will be out already. Reaction time is not that good.)

So, I don't see a real argument for melee's superiority in such situations.