The difference is that a gun is a tool with a single use-case.
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there are a lot of use cases for shooting something.
war, policing, defense, hunting, animal control, shooting down flying objects, remotely activating something from afar, immobilizing a car.
Sure, but firearms tend to be specialized for each of these purposes. You’re not going to go moose hunting with a .22 pistol. Just as you’re not going to keep a .30-06 hunting rifle under your pillow for self defence.
In particular, most societies deem automatic rifles to have no legitimate peace-time use, and so outlaw them, while still allowing shotguns and hunting rifles with a license.