Did he used to hold a pistol which was edited out? And why would they do that when they are obviously ok with showing guns being fired on the cover?
This is one of those things that really bugs me about censorship. Handguns and other small arms are somehow more subject to anti-violence censorship than weapons that are obviously more dangerous.
For example: In Super Smash Bros, Snake isn't allowed to use any handguns or rifles, yet Nintendo was perfectly fine with him keeping rocket launchers, grenades, and C4.
I suppose it has something to do with small arms being more involved in crime than the rest, but that's just because they're easier to obtain than rocket launchers and explosives.