I noticed exactly the same thing with the accuracy, although I came away with a slightly different opinion on it. Once I realized the pistol seemed to hit wherever the crosshair was regardless of distance, I stopped having to think much about range.
I think a little spread or some other accuracy penalty over distance could make the weapon progression the developer mentioned more meaningful too. Then getting the rifle later wouldn’t just be “another gun,” it could actually change the distances you’re comfortable engaging from. Definitely subjective though. I can also see why the current accuracy feels good in a jam game where you don’t want the combat getting frustrating.