The idea that a few people with guns are ineffectual is a common fallacy. A person with a gun at the right place and right time can easily be effective.

Also look at stuff like the Millennium Challenge, in which the United States Navy had multiple battleships with the latest and greatest technology sunk to the bottom of the ocean because of a couple guys riding around on bicycles passing notes and some small rafts with explosives.

An individual can do a lot.