yeah, because being able to smith a sword or ax automatically translates to being able to create hammer mechanisms, create gunpowder, put said gunpowder into bullets (that also need to be crafted), etc...
I'm not sure why everyone (not here, but elsewhere) is so hung up on the gun thing. There are no guns. It's as much a rule of the setting as "there are barons."
I'm going to expand on the "rule of the setting" thing here.
In Game of Thrones, we accept that there are inconsistent seasons that can last years or decades. This is a rule of the setting that we accept and move on.
In Game of Thrones, we are told that there were dragons, then there weren't, but now there are again. No one gets hung up on why there couldn't have been dragons. There are dragons, and we accept that.
In The Walking Dead, the dead stand up and walk in pursuit of living things to eat. We accept that as part of the setting, and move on.
In Family Guy, we accept that the dog can talk. We don't write about how incredulous we are that there is a talking dog.
In Pro Wrestling, we accept that a boss can beat up their employees, and that all disputes are handled one night a week, with nothing happening between and without cameras. Because that is part of the setting.
Guns are not a part of the Into the Badlands setting. They gave a token explanation for why (they were outlawed) and we know nothing else except that they aren't around. We also know that Quinn isn't the first baron to control the Poppy fields. In fact, the's not even the third. (he was a cog who's father worked for two barons before being killed) who rose to become regent and take the reigns as baron. But beyond that, we don't know how long it's been since the war they told us happened. It could be a hundred years. It could be five hundred.
You know what should be making people go "wtf?" more than the lack of guns? The fact that it's a society that still uses a hand drill for trepanation, but has pneumatic tattoo machines.
But that doesn't bug me! Because it's the setting. And I can enjoy a show within the setting it gives me.