Ranged Disarm vs HtH Disarm

[Vanguard]

A question came up during a game session where one player disarmed the NPC with his rifle.

 

The Ranged Disarm maneuver gets penalties to OCV based on size of weapon.  OCV penalties that the HtH version doesn't seem to get.

With some research, it seems this is because the Ranged Disarm gets to count the DCs of the attack and then convert to STR, where as the HtH one has to rely on the burliness of the attacker. Relying only on raw STR and/or Skill Levels/Martilal training.

 

To me it seems the trade off is good due the high unlikelihood of a character resisting a Ranged Disarm. Where as the HtH version seems much easier to resist . . .  

 

Is this correct thinking?

 

PS: Sorry if the question is confusing . . . 

[Steve Long]

This is really a game design/philosophy question, and I generally don't answer those. But it seems to me your answer makes enough sense to use it in your games if you like. You could also cite "dramatic realism," which makes shooting a gun out of someone's hand a display of serious skill and bad-assedness, whereas HTH disarms are much more common.