Is the balance of the gunslinger hinged on low damaging weapons (per round)?

[Darkholme]

If you were to hand the gunslinger repeating hand crossbows, or a longbow, and let them use their abilities with that weapon instead; would they be overpowered?

Is the gunslinger still built with more power to compensate for being focused on a weaker weapon like they were in version 1?

I havent had a chance to review the slinger yet, just looked over the guns.

I'd like to know though.