Is adding specific data directly into the code bad?

if weapon_choice in 'sab':
            if weapon_choice == 's':
                return 'sword'
            elif weapon_choice == 'a':
                return 'axe'
            else:
                return 'bow'
        else:
            return weapon_choice()

WEAPONS = {"a":"axe", "b":"bow", "s":"sword"}

    def get_weapon(self):
        weapon_choice = input("Choose your weapon. [S]word, [A]xe or [B]ow: \n>").lower()
        for key, value in WEAPONS.items():
            if key == weapon_choice:
                    return value
        if weapon_choice not in WEAPONS:
                    return self.get_weapon()

I tried to use a dictionary instead and just typed some code that would work with any amount of weapons. It works just as fine. I am curious however to know, is my approach non-conventional? am I missing something or doing something wrong?

I know how the code can be improved to accommodate the need for returning the specific weapon if let's say two weapons started with the same letter. However for the sake of simplicity I haven't implemented the improvement into the code yet.

Do let me know what you think.

kind regards,

Fahad