I've been in the Martail Arts since I was 10 years old. I carry Master Rank in Tang Soo Do and a 1st degree Black belt in Isshin Ryu. Been shooting about as long. First off combat shooting is a Martial Art in every sense of the word. Most folks go out to the range and are basically target shooting. Marksmanship is a part of combat shooting but only a part. It really surprises people that practice from the traditional "dueling" stance to have them even just have to shoot from a draw from concealment.
It's a real eye opener for most. Add having to shoot while moving, on the ground, in a chair, from a vehicle, and so on they realise the training they have been doing will do little to get them through a real confrontation. Even set a timer up to add a little pressure and it's amazing to watch them try to get their guns out in a reasonable time and engage a target. Martial refers to war. Handgun combat is certainly a division of training for war (rather on the level of nations or individuals war is war). A similar situation existed in the unarmed Martial Arts and still does in some instances. I am making reference to many of the traditional, artistically oriented Martial Arts.
If you just train in pre-arranged combat sequences such as one-step sparring, Kata, and non-contact fighting you are essentially training in the equivalent of target shooting. Yes you may throw a perfect sidekick, reverse punch or whatever. But contrary to an often perpetuated myth that may not save your beans when things get rough. Point fighting for instance, You bow in, square off, and begin to dance. First one to get within an inch of someones face or primary target "Ippon" the "fight" is stopped. The guy is awarded or not awarded a point based on what the judges thought was good or bad about the technique thrown. What has that got to do with combat?
Although developing your technique through solo practice, striking various types of training devices and so on are useful and necessary to becoming proficient you must alter and learn to apply what you have learned to a living, breathing, thinking, trying to tear your head off opponent or you are learning Martial dance, not fighting. Just like a target shooter than can score amazing hits at 25-50 yards by taking the exact stance, half a breath let out, sight alignment, sight picture, and on and on is an incredible skill in and of itself. You just don't have time for all that perfect technique when someone(s) is trying to blow your head off. My point to this long winded dissertation?
After the Samurai and others were disarmed and not allowed to practice their trade for real the practice changed. It went from being a War Art (Jitsu) to a means of self development (Do). Perfection of technique and self were emphasised over combat effectiveness. It became a game as opposed to a lifesaving skill. It got too far from it's roots. It got to where their was little left of combat and more acrobatics/dance than anything else. Could some still make it work? Sure. But they usually had real combat experience. You see the same thing happening in shooting.
Look at the shooting events where "race (space?)" guns, barely their holsters, timers and so on are present. What started off with Mr. Cooper and others as trying to develop a means to practice and improve ones skills a armed combat became a game of the fastest person, with the most expensive gun, optical sights, compensators, trick holsters, and on and on. Winning the game became the object. Not winning the battle. So I've gone round about in dealing with your question. But for a purpose.
True Martial Arts encompass all aspects of fighting. Armed and unarmed. Just as the Samurai trained with their Katana's they also learned unarmed techniques for worst case situations. Many practiced with the Bo (long staff), Jo (short staff), Tanto (knife), and so on. They might not be able to carry or use their weapon of choice sometimes. If pressed tightly into a corner they might not be able to draw their Katana. All they might be able to do is use a knife, or knife hand (Shuto). In the more modern schools of shooting/Martial Arts they are mixing empty hand, knife, stick, handgun, long gun, and every possible weapon that might come into play. Good!
Every situation is not answered by a handgun. In tight quarters if your opponent has their gun drawn it might be faster to try a disarm than try to draw. Unlike the entertaining but dim witted movies no one would throw away a modern firearm to duel to the death empty handed with their opponent. At least not anyone with any brains.
The great scene in the Indiana Jones movies in which Harrison Ford simply shot the monster armed with the sword was perfect. But what about when you can't wear a .45 Colt revolver (S&W?) strapped top your side? Someone put it well awhile back. Gun people for a long time used to view every problem as a "gun problem". Empty hand practitioners viewed everything from an "empty hands" perspective. The real world is not so one dimensional. So as to your question. To me a modern Martial Artist must know the tools of the time (Samurai-Sword, Current day-gun) and the timeless tools of self defense (our bodies).
To get to the meat of your question I and others I have trained with have successfully dealt with armed opponents. I'm still here! But usually I'm carrying at least one gun (usually two), a knife, and the greatest defensive skill their is "awareness" whenever I can. Let me end with a quote fromSensei Toguchi of Goju Ryu Shoreikan when asked if an unarmed Martial Artist could defend himself against an opponent with a gun. "You ask if a man may becoime sufficiently skilled in the Martial Arts to empty handedly defeat an opponent with a gun? My answer is," yes of course this is possible. But in addition to skill, the Martial Artist must be very lucky. And the man with the gun must be very stupid". The world is full of lucky and stupid people. A a point about luck. No matter how good you get at unarmed and armed combat luck will always play a part. Rather a "lucky punch" or bullet. Skill will only get you so far. Try using simunitions against other armed opponents sometime. No matter how skilled you are with a handgun you will still sometimes "eat paint". Life has no guarantees except death. Hopefully Martial Arts training will keep that from happening until it is time.
. So my Dad was like, yeah o.k. buddy- and started stitching him up. After the second stich and much discomfort, the instructer said, "O.k., o.k., give me the shot!!".