Does it matter anymore?

By which I mean that it's clear that 100+ years ago, "weapon" did not carry the negative connotation that it does now.

But not that long ago, "gun" did not have a negative connotation.

Look at any recent newspaper and it's clear that gun = bad dangerous hurty/killy thing.

Ditto on "knife crime", which ought more properly to be called something like "stabby/slashy/hacky crime involving bladed object". But that doesn't work in a press release or headline. So knife = bad thing, not knife = everyday tool.

I will continue to call guns guns, and reserve "weapon" for items designed or regularly used for anti-personnel use. But I don't think the general populace not familiar with shooting make any emotional distinction between gun, rifle, pistol, weapon, firearm or whatever.

So this is a debate we have among ourselves without significant effect beyond our community.