Does experience with an locked weapon count when weapon is eventually unlocked?

In Battlefield V, each weapon has its own "level" which counts towards specializations and other advancements that are specific to that gun.

If I pick up a weapon from a downed player that I have not yet unlocked, and gain experience with that weapon, does that experience accrue until I do unlock the weapon or is it lost?

I know the experience counts towards my class and character level experience. I'm specifically asking about the weapon experience levels.