Trouble shotgunning after getting face-grappled.

I mainly play as support. I used to be able to shoot an assassin with my shotgun immediately after she face-grappled me. Now, for some reason, it takes almost a second to get a shot off. By then she's usually smokebombed and left town, or slashed me again.

This is really starting to annoy me. I can no longer punish these face-grapplers. I literally jam on the fire button as fast as i can, and still don't get a shot off in time. Holding the mouse button doesn't make it fire at all once the grapple is done.

Can any other supports offer up some advice?

If they smokebomb, sometimes your shotgun won't kill anyway. The smokebomb reduces damage. However, if you walk up to her and grapple her while she is attempting to smokebomb away, you can better shotgun her after your own grapple.

Worst are those of them who smokebomb right after grappling, so you can't charge into them or basically do any significant damage, plus you are blinded for a second. Or even blinded and slashed to bits since the jump didn't work.

Yeah, I think it's highly lag dependent. Just like how counter-grabs are sometimes impossible to dodge, and sometimes don't even work if the other person just stands there.