[AnAmericanMother]

Not at all. I'm sure that's what it means now, what I'm interested in is what it meant originally.

[holymoly]

Not at all.

Well, that's a relief.

I'm sure that's what it means now, what I'm interested in is what it meant originally.

I leave that to historians & linguists to debate.

And now, I will bow out of the "weapon vs. rifle" discussion (which I enjoyed), with this:

While every rifle can be a weapon, not every weapon is a rifle. ;o)