Thorn has the range of a scout rifle. My Scout rifle takes 3 head shots for a kill compared to thorn's 2 . Bungie stated hand cannons are meant for close to medium range engagements. Thorn exceeds that boundary. Xur has sold every RNG related exotic weapon by now. Why do more people use Thorn then say Red Death or The Last Word in ToO? Because it is effective at all ranges.