A chance of up to two per month (or none at all) is too sporadic and random for my liking. I'd be interested in a mod that makes you more likely to get a request/ the game check for a chance to get one more frequently.
The only advantages to pistols I can think of are low weight and ease of repair with Jury Rigging. Otherwise, I would be better off with a rifle using the same ammunition.
In menus, for some reason I have to move the wheel quite a bit to scroll, at which point the screen shoots to the other end of the menu. I have not installed any new mods since the wheel worked fine.