Swords are offensive weapons , you have to get close to use one and you won ' t be using one in defense of a gun attack because of the range problem . Guns are defensive weapons . You can use a gun to protect yourself against another gun or a sword . It just makes more sense . That is a terrible argument . Firearms are very much offensive weapons the entire reason they exist is to allow a firearmwielding attacker to launch their attack from a distance where the attackee cannot effectively respond and , oftentimes , before the attackee even realizes that the attack is even underway . Firearms are also much more in the realm of pure weapons their design and function is such that they serve no practical purpose beyond inflicting bodily harm up to and including death or communicating the threat of inflicting such harm . Blades , on the other hand , can also be used defensively and , due to the close distance needed to use them , are very often a weapon of last resort , and can also be used as practical nonweapon tools e . g . chopping fire wood , cutting through vegetation to clear a path , cutting fabric or papercardboard or foodstuffs , etc .