I thought some more about making SR more realistic and making weapon class choices more meaningful. Oftentimes I feel like SR needs more fine details about firearms behavior because as far as I'm concerned SR is all about being one of the most realistic firearm combat systems available in RPGs.
Generally speaking there are some tactical reasons that you take an SMG instead of an assault rifle when you take an SMG instead of assault rifle.
1.) The SMG is easier to point quickly at very close range, whereas the rifle has better resolution on the sights because of the barrel length but cannot quickly be aimed at close range.
2.) The SMG, with its shorter barrel, is more suited for spamming a coordior, whereas assault rifle spam is more suited for longer range out of doors suppressive fire due to the longer barrel.
3.) The shorter the barrel the harder the gun is to take away in hand to hand combat. A M1 would be relatively easy to disarm (although it would make a good club, heh heh) in hand to hand compared to an Uzi. A 1911 would be harder to disarm than an MP5. A crappy snub nosed .25 cal revolver designed for concealability would be harder to disarm than a 1911 and might even require something more resembling a knife disarm (very tricky) than a classical pistol disarm (easier by comparison.) In other words, the smaller the firearm, the better off you are in hand to hand combat.
Therefore, I'd propose the following optional rules for SR:
1.) Assault rifles and rifles get a +1 TN penalty to hit when firing at Close range for an SMG.
2.) Unless it is being used as a club or spear (with a bayonet) in hand to hand combat, someone holding a rifle or an assault rifle gets a +1 penalty in melee combat.
3.) Maybe pistols should get less of a penalty when fired in melee combat.
Any comments would be appreciated.