That’s not exactly what’s being said…
The message in this scenario is that you are going to get stabbed, no matter what you do. Just whipping out a smoke-pole, Josey, and cracking off a shot, even a really good one, probably won’t be enough to keep you safe. It really doesn’t matter how fast you “slap leather”. If you pull up something you can hold in your hand, it’s not going to help much.
The only hope you have is to make them stop running, or get enough lead in them before they get to you (what, one, maybe two shots) so that you can get some advantage in the fight of/for your life.
That can be done , but you’ll need to think it through carefully and thoroughly, and train for it, before you can count on it to keep your blood inside your skin.
Not willing to go through the hours of evidence-based analysis and training? Don’t go where bad guys are! Easy-peasy! (Or “Easy-Josie!”)