Pistols using xbow pistol rules?

Just like it sounds. Considering how much confusion there is regarding pistols in HtH why not just make pistols function like an xbow pistol?

You get 1 shot before combat begins at -2 to hit using BS instead of having to treat pistols like extra weapons.

My questions are:
a) does this make pistols unbalanced? my thinking is no since regular pistols are the same price as xbow pistols, have less range and have the prepare shot rule and are only -2 AS instead of -1.

b) should a brace give you 2 shots? once again I lean towards no as this may be TOO much in that you get 2 shots (with a dueling pistol and BS 4 your still hitting on 4's due to the accuracy rule with str 4 and -2 AS) before your opponent gets the opportunity to attack...

So tell me what you think: an elegant solution to a perplexing rule using an already existing rule or am I completely off and turning pistols into uber weapons of DOOM or somewhere in between?

Hmmm, -2 to hit is pretty brutal. I would prefer pistols as they work now.

Agreed, however when are you not taking -2 to hit with a pistol? due to the short range your generally moving to get in range of your target and your almost always at long range, all of which totals -2 to hit.

The strength of this would be that this shot gets resolved before any blows are struck in HtH meaning a pistol would always get its shot first, doesn't matter if they are charging, have higher I and combat reflexes/spear, it always goes before anything else.

And finally per my example above with a model with BS4 (the only ones I could see giving a pistol to in the first place) with a dueling pistol (which has the accuracy special rule giving it +1 to hit) even with the -2 your still hitting on a 4+. Even if its just a regular pistol your still hitting on 5+. Admittedly in HtH your probably hitting on a 3 or 4 depending on who your in combat with but the -2 to hit isn't necessarily as bad as it may seem.

I thought of doing this very thing for a house rule, without the -2 to hit, but in addition limit pistols so you can't fire when charged if you just shot on your previous turn. I gave it up when i realized i don't know how to balance weapons any better than the designers of the game, even if it makes more sense to change the rules...