I'dworry a LOT more about the 454's wt,bulk,lackof decent repeat hit speed,lack of .22 capability,lack of a suppressor...
True. That's why I said I wouldn't rely on it as a primary caliber.
...lack of an auto's durability, ease of cleaning, more robustness, etc....
Don't know what you mean. My SRH in .454 is just about the most durable, lowest maintenance, most 'robust' handgun imaginable.
...u just aint gonna USE a pistol much, once it's shtf.
Hopefully true. And the more true it is, the less important its "shortcomings" are.
...better keep an autorifle at HAND. Frontiersmen managed to keep a 10 lb, 5 ft long muzzleloader at hand,
But not "on them". Even the CAR just can't be always "on you". A pistol or revolver can be, a whole lot more of the time.
and it gave them MUCH less capability than does an 8 scoped canned CAR-15 and 1 lb. .22 unit, with bipod.
Again, true. I've repeatedly said that the CAR-15 is my primary shoulder gun.
...Beyond the canned .22, there will either not be use for 20 rds of handgun ammo, or you'll be dead.
Possibly true; hopefully true. But I'm not going to bet my life on it. Even now, "pre-shtf" I carry more than 20 rounds of ammo on duty. I carry 54 on me, and another 162 in magazines in the car. Two 30-round Glock mags, one 18-round in the CAR, and three spare 28-rounders for the CAR.
To say that needing more than 20 rounds means the odds are stacked badly against you is probably true. But I still carry two guns, two knives, two flashlights and four handcuff keys. It's simply a matter of "having & probably not needing" vs. "potentially needing & not having".
Post-shtf, this "safety-net" approach (within limits, obviously) would be even more relevant.