My game hasn't got off the ground yet, so I'm still toying with house rule ideas.
This one involves the overpowered heavy pistol issue. I'm thinking of basically reinstating Firepower Ammo from 1st Edition. Standard heavy pistols/ammo will only do 7 or 8M but if you really want that 9M or 10M damage out of it, you'll have to buy the special ammo and have your gun modified and re-chambered to handle the more powerful cartridge.
Since I still have yet to find a replacement SSC I was hoping someone could post the 1st Ed rules on Firepower Ammo.

I belive all Firepower Ammo did was up the power level +1 and under SR1 rules, that was the same increase given to firing a 3 round burst.

If I recall correctly, Firepower ammo was introduced in the original Street Samuari Catalog and had a set damage code of 6M2 (back in the days of variable staging). Before that, heavy pistols used to do 4M2. And the brand new Ares Predator II (also introduced in SSC) automatically took Firepower ammo.

In second edition, heavy pistols had their damage codes upgraded and Firepower ammo was nixed.

As for 1st edition bursts, every bullet was actually individually rolled with a maximum rate of fire equal to Firearms skill + 1. Damage was calculated for each bullet individually also. Recoil accumulated at +1 per shot.

Did it cost anything extra for a pistol to able to use Firepower Ammo?
I was under the impression, IIRC, that the Pred 2 automatically took it but other pistols had to be specially modified to be able to shoot FP ammo.

I think it wass like 100 pergun. It was so common they just dropped FP ammo by the tiem we got to 2nnd Ed and it is assumed everyone has it. You just don't get the old stuff anymore.