OK, this thread is growing out of my other thread where I'm trying to reserach accuracy rates of cops in firefights. As a hobby I am on again and off again little by little working towards using the SR system as a base to make a game for role playing in the 80s. Since there wouldn't necessarily be magic or matrix or rigging I figure that the game would need more attention to detail and realism with firearms combat so that there's a lot of meat there for players and GMs to work with. I'd started to post things relating to revising the firearms system on my other thread but since it's really a different topic I have decided to start this one to post my brainstorms and entreat any kindly, interested souls to interject with comments, expertise, and so forth.

Firstly, it would seem that it would go without saying to use Raygun's stats and some of his rules. This would mean:
-using his firearms stats including damage codes and cyclic rates of fire
-no dodge tests...instead, your Reaction gives the opponent a TN penalty to hit you on the grounds that you can't really dodge bullets but you could move weirdly to try and fake out someone drawing a bead on you

Besides for this, I have a thought that I would appreciate if people would chime in on. For damage resistance tests, do you think that combat pool should be applicable for resisting damage from firearms or only for resisting damage from melee attacks? It's pretty obvious how a person can go with a punch and minimize damage but it's less obvious how someone, upon being shot, can do something to make the damage be less by reacting to being shot.

I suppose that you could consider combat pool spent on damage resistance being the equivalent of wrapping your arms across your face so when someone shoots you in the face the round hand to go through more stuff, or perhaps to represent how desperately you squeeze behind cover. But I'm not sure that's totally convincing.

So what if combat pool could only be applied to:
1.) Improving attacks, both melee and ranged
2.) Full Defense for melee combat, or for using with Body to resist melee attacks, and also against projectile weapons like shuriken or arrows since I've heard of people being able to twist with those to reduce damage.
3.) Maybe to represent efforts to dodge they could be rolled against the opponent's Reaction and further raise the penalty your Reaction gives him to shoot you.

Thoughts?