I think the problem here for most people is, they dont really practice at all for this sort of thing, at least in any sort of realistic way, and base their skills on shooting little groups at bullseye targets, or shooting cans in the yard, and really arent prepared to quickly draw, and shoot proactively and repetitively, and continue to do so until things stop.
How many are comfortable shooting under some kind of stress, with and without the sights, while they are moving, shooting targets that are moving too, from weird positions, etc.?
Considering that people who are trained and literally "qualified" seem to not have all that great a hit rate in these sorts of encounters, how well will you do, if you cant even pass a basic qualification course. And most of those courses really arent a very high bar to pass either, and Ive seen cops have troubles passing them.
There are a number of incidents of police getting into gunfights with just one person, and end up expending most, if not all of their ammo, and those that come out on the other side in a positive manner, all seem to up the number of rounds/guns they carry after that fact.
Yet, we are constantly told, all you need to solve the problems we might encounter will easily be solved with a 5 shot J frame.
Oh, and "spray and pray" isn't a function of the gun, its a function of the shooter.