Circumstances have directed Reed into a tenuous truce with Alex and Hugo. He'll help them escape if they don't return. Will it be so easy to find two watches at one time?
IIn the wilder days of the US there were armed groups who called themselves Regulators. These groups could be legal or eztra-legal. One of the most infamous regulators was Billy the Kid.
The gun's advantage is range. You don't want someone too close. This I'd why police try to have suspects get on the ground or lean on cars before restraining them.