Then you must see why AS pistol exists, even if you think it's a bad idea for the same reasons. Like I said, AS on everything sucks but AO has been like that for a long time now and you aren't going to fix it by simply removing AS weapons from the game and creating a second class of PVP professions without access to supported PVP weapons and perks like everyone else has. AS needs a fix and other parts of AS users toolsets need a boost before you can ween people off AS in PVP.
AO was that before the TRO, long before it. Even before FC were telling people what their preferred weapons were with perklines.