Dangerous guns: a few scaled back (6)
I believe the answer is:
unsafe
'dangerous' is the definition.
(associated in meaning)
'guns a few scaled back' is the wordplay.
'scaled back' indicates a hidden word (letters in the clue are stripped or scaled back).
'UNSAFE' is hidden in the letters of 'guns a few'.
(Other definitions for unsafe that I've seen before include "Perilous" , "Not reliable, dangerous - perhaps a legal conviction" , "Dangerous - legally without basis" , "Risky - inadequately evidenced" , "Hazardous" .)