I tried with my other PC...with melee weapon and it is quite different...since it doesn't roll "initiative" but a threat roll with the same "to hit" bonus...(+14)
With pistols, on second roll, it rolls initiative with just a plain +4 (which is my dex bonus), and it is never going to beat anything...i am quite sure that something has changed recently, because it used to work fine with considerable damage output.