Reacher should have blasted her

I did wonder how she'd planned to deal with those four heavies, but I'd presume, to hold Reacher's old post and have his respect, she must be smart enough to handle them differently.

Reacher led them into an enclosed area knowing he'd likely have an edge and could goad them into attacking him hand-to-hand instead of just shooting him like they should've. He was exploiting his own advantages.

Presumably, Turner would've used a very different strategy.

It does reveal something of his character that he doesn't hit her with it. I thought this was one of the more interesting choices in an otherwise dull movie. He had chastised the child earlier, and overruled her when it came to venturing out. Could she have defeated the guys in combat? No. Not even the Reacher described in the books could have done it. The four-against-one thing is pure fantasy, but being strong and secure enough to take on her half-justified stream of abuse speaks to a strong, silent type. Moreover, since the audience knows what went down, it's boring to have him faithfully recount what happened.