FWC pulse or Smite of Merain will be much better than your hand cannon. It's a good hand cannon, but hand cannons aren't really good anymore. It's like the best of the worst.

The problem with the way Hand Cannons are now is that their range, handling, and overall accuracy became abysmal. However, they are working as intended at close range. You run a really good setup, assuming you're good with snipers, because if you happen to miss the shot and hit the body, the hand cannon has enough dmg in 1 bullet to finish off your target. The only iffy thing there is the sword, that's a really situational weapon depending on the map and the formation of your team. I'd try an LMG or a Rocket Launcher. You'd fair better with a Hand Cannon over Answering Chord, in my opinion. Hawksaw is a really good weapon with great rolls straight from the vendor. If you'd like a more efficient gun, if you don't mind losing an exotic weapon slot, is the Bad JuJu. Hands down my favorite gun of the Pulse Rifle archetype. It's great in almost every situation and adds great pressure to whoever you're shooting. If you're really wanting a FWC gun, their pulse rifle is great! Try to stay away from the engrams. SoM is good, but you can do with better.

Awesome. I've been asking all over the forums, but I couldn't get a straight answer in most cases. Thanks for the tips!

It's kind of hard to because map domination and weapon choice comes down to how effective you are with what from this far and in CQC, etc. but technically, anything is viable. I'm glad I could help! Good luck on Trials!