i am personaly against handguns for my own use.I think they are generally speaking very dangerous.if you are capable of safely caring one, then by all means have at it. I've fished with lots of guys, including dogfish, that pack. i have no problem with that. i always carry a rifle in remote areas for survival purposes, because i think they are much more effective.
the best way to avoid confrontations with rude fishermen is to fish where there are no people.