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I am not very specific.
I can be philosopher or gun.
The sun can make me.
So can man.
A trick he learned ages ago.
I was in many hands then.
And I fed and slaughtered the masses.
I am in fewer hands now.
And I see less bloodshed.
But my clash and chime are yet revered.
After Silver and stone.
What am I?
The answer (after your edit) is:
bronze
I am not very specific.
Quoting Wikipedia: Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12% tin and often with the addition of other metals (such as aluminium, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon.
I can be philosopher
The Thinker (French: Le Penseur) is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin.
or gun.
Gunmetal, also known as red brass in the United States, is a type of bronze – an alloy of copper, tin and zinc.
The sun can make me.
People are said to be "bronzed by the sun" when they develop a tan.
So can man.
Fake tan. Alternatively man can forge bronze.
A trick he learned ages ago.
Bronze was one of the earliest alloys man learnt to make. (OP: Yep. In the 'Bronze Age')
I was in many hands then.
Bronze-smithing was a trade known by many
And I fed and slaughtered the masses.
Bronze weapons were heavily used. (OP: also - Tools for farming and the like were made from bronze)
I am in fewer hands now.
Not many people can make bronze by themselves and bronze is not as commonly used as it used to be. e.g. bronze coins are less common.
And I see less bloodshed.
Weapons almost certainly don't use bronze these days.
But my clash and chime are yet revered.
Bells made of bronze still ring out today. The hammers that strike them are bronze, hence clash. Bronze is also used to make guitar strings, saxophones and banjos, which make be said to 'chime' metaphorically. (OP: also - Cymbals are often bronze and make a clashing sound)
After Silver
Bronze is less precious than silver (OP: also - Silver: Second-Place, Bronze: Third-Place)
and stone.
The bronze age came after the stone age.
EDIT: This answer was given before the OP edited his puzzle with an additional last line.
I think you're
stone.
I am not very specific.
Stone can refer to various things: minerals, gems, or just solid rocks.
I can be philosopher or gun.
The sun can make me.
So can man.
A trick he learned ages ago.
I was in many hands then.
And I fed and slaughtered the masses.
Men learnt the use of stones in the stone age. Most people used stones at that time. It was used to hunt down animals (to "feed" the masses) and even to kill other humans ("slaughtered the masses").
I am in fewer hands now.
And I see less bloodshed.
But my clash and chime are yet revered.
Few people use (directly) stones nowadays. It's rarely ever used to kill people. But we still remember the connections of stone with history and the ancient wars.
Is it
fire?
I am not very specific.
Fire can occur in many forms
I can be philosopher or gun.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus thought fire was the basic material of the world; gunfire
The sun can make me.
the heat of the sun can create fire
So can man.
humans can create fires too
A trick he learned ages ago.
we learned that quite a while ago
I was in many hands then.
many people can make a fire?
And I fed and slaughtered the masses.
many people got killed in fire accidents
I am in fewer hands now.
And I see less bloodshed.
But my clash and chime are yet revered.
people feel respect for fire
Maybe
"Energy"?
-Can be created by sun or man,
-fed and also slaughtered (like atomic bombs) masses ,
-can occur in many many forms
etc.
