So, in beta 1, Pistols had the Close Quarters quality, that exempted them from the "shooting into melee" penalty with anyone who you were engaged in melee with. In beta 2, this quality is gone, and nothing seems to be calling out such an exemption anywhere else. In the section on Pistol class weapons, it says:

However, when a Pistol is used in close combat, the

firer gains no bonuses or penalties to hit for range or targeting

equipment.

Shooting into melee is neither a range or equipment penalty, as far as I am aware. Does this mean that using a pistol while engaged in melee suffers the same -20 penalty as any other weapon?

Sort of a separate, corollary issue: Is there (or should there be) a penalty for shooing out of melee? Ex: I am shooting at ganger A. Ganger B walks up to me and starts trying to wrack me in the brain with a handy pipe. Is there any reason not ignore B and continue to focus fire on A?

Shooting IN melee is not the same as shooting INTO melee.

The penalty is there because it's harder to hit your target when your friend is in the way (and you presumably care about not hitting your friend). There is no such difficulty when you're face-to-face with your target.

As for shooting OUT OF melee, that's pretty suicidal. When you're at arms-length from a hostile with sharp (or perhaps motorized chain/power or other form of lethal) weapons, trying to cut you apart, it's not really recommended to ignore him and focus on more distant threats. It should at the very least give your opponent a bonus, or prevent you from evading his attacks (you are ignoring him, after all).

Sort of a separate, corollary issue: Is there (or should there be) a penalty for shooing out of melee? Ex: I am shooting at ganger A. Ganger B walks up to me and starts trying to wrack me in the brain with a handy pipe. Is there any reason not ignore B and continue to focus fire on A?

I've never really had to address this in game, but I don't think I'd permit a player to fire out of melee while engaged. Focusing on the person who ISN'T swinging a chainsword at your face is a very good way to get killed

@Darth Smeg

I don't disagree with anything you said, but that's not what (my reading of) the book says.

Shooting into Melee Combat

Ballistic Skill tests made to hit a target engaged in melee combat

suffer a –20 penalty. If one or more characters engaged in the

melee are Stunned, Helpless, or Unaware, this penalty is ignored.

Emphasis is mine, but it suggests that the penalty is assessed solely on the status of the target, not the relative status of the shooter and target. I mean, you're already losing the +30 point blank bonus, another -20 on top of that just feels excessive.

As for shooting out of combat, I would probably apply a penalty to the attack rolls (probably equivalent to the shooting into melee -20) against targets not in the melee, as you squeeze off a quick snap shot, or level something like a Disruptive Blow as you stand still to shoot.

I remember that pistols in DH1 could be used in close combat with a +0 modifier. Effectively it was just as hard to hit someone with a knife and with a pistol in close combat. Has that clause been omitted from the DH2 Beta rulebook?

I remember that pistols in DH1 could be used in close combat with a +0 modifier. Effectively it was just as hard to hit someone with a knife and with a pistol in close combat. Has that clause been omitted from the DH2 Beta rulebook?

The only bit I've seen is what was in my first post, remarking on Range and Targeting Equipment bonuses/penalties.

Like I said, beta 1 had the Close Quarters quality, but that was removed in beta 2.

@Darth Smeg

I don't disagree with anything you said, but that's not what (my reading of) the book says.

Well, as Lord Nitpicker, I'll happily point out that your quoted text comes under the heading "Shooting into melee". Unless you're shooting into a melee (which implies you're shooting from outside of it), the following text does not apply.

Which may very well be, though that logic would suggest that it is equally plausible for a character to use a Heavy Bolter equally well as long as he's in the melee, which sort of makes my head tilt.

Except that the rulebook states very clearly on p 182 " Ranged attacks cannot be made if the attacker is engaged in melee, unless he is firing a Pistol- class weapon."

Ah, I had totally missed that. Thanks.