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True. Usually within 100 meters. And also with iron sights. Simo wasn't a big fan of pistols.
Pistols, at that time, didn't have great battlefield effectiveness in an outdoor environment. I'd imagine they were next to useless in the areas Simo served in. They're sidearms- meant for use in tight, close quarters, or if your other weapons fail, you pull that and hope for the best.
Hm... y'know, swords were actually sort of like this. Not a lot of killing was done with swords- it was mostly spears and arrows that killed in battle before the widespread use of gunpowder. A sword represented many things- your position in society, often. Even the samurai, famous for their katanas, very rarely used them- they'd typically fight with a polearm or blunt weapon, because swords do not do much to a man in armor. Even some good cloth gambeson will protect from most cuts of the sword. I guess swords are so popular because they're just cool. It's too bad that they were more often used like "Shit, my axe broke! Ahhh there's a spearman coming at me, holy shit, maybe I can bash him away with my sword!" sort of thing.
Rate of fire becomes more important as range closes. Most pistol range problems can be more effectively addressed with a submachinegun and the Finnish Suomi KP/-31 was well made, accurate and reliable. The higher magazine capacity and rate of fire would have made it very useful at ranges around 100-150 meters and it's use would have come much more naturally to a trained and experienced rifleman like Simo than a pistol would have.
The fact is, that rifle and pistol marksmanship are different skill sets, and as a former SOTIC instructor, I can tell you that I have seen many men that that were absolutely brilliant with a rifle that had a hard time hitting a barn with a pistol, while standing inside it.
I have seen many men that that were absolutely brilliant with a rifle that had a hard time hitting a barn with a pistol, while standing inside it.
I'm that guy. Make a golf-ball dance in any direction you want with a well-placed rifle shot, but hitting a ~20yd target with my pistol is a 50-50 at best.
I guess swords are so popular because they're just cool.
Ask yourself why though.
A sword represented many things- your position in society, often.
That's probably why.
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