The three weapons on the left are small arms captured in Fallujah, Iraq by the US Marine Corps in 2004

Small arms are defined as smaller infantry weapons, such as firearms that an individual soldier can carry. For other meanings see Fallujah (disambiguation. Fallujah (الفلوجة sometimes transliterated For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion It is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, carbines, assault rifles, rifles, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light machine guns, general-purpose machine guns, medium machine guns, and hand grenades. rEVOLVEr is the fourth studio album by Swedish metal band The Haunted. A submachine gun (SMG is a Firearm that combines the automatic fire of a Machine gun with the cartridge of a Pistol, and is A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number A carbine is a Firearm similar to a Rifle or Musket, but generally shorter and of lesser power An assault rifle is a Selective fire Rifle or Carbine (not to be confused with a semi-automatic only replica firing Ammunition with muzzle A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls In Military and Law enforcement terminology a sniper rifle is a Rifle used to ensure Accurate placement of Bullets at longer For the weapon known in British Forces service as the LSW see SA80 For the weapon known in American service as the SAW see M249 A squad automatic A light machine gun or LMG is a Machine gun that is generally lighter than other machine guns of the same period and is usually designed to be carried However, it can also include heavy machine guns, as well as smaller mortars, recoilless rifles and some rocket launchers, depending on the context. A heavy machine gun refers to either a larger-caliber high-power Machine gun or one of the smaller medium-caliber (rifle caliber machine guns meant for prolonged firing from A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories A recoilless gun or recoilless rifle (RCL is a lightweight form of Weapon that allows the firing of a heavier projectile than would be practical with a recoiling Large mortars, howitzers, cannons, vehicles, and larger pieces of equipment are not considered small arms. A howitzer is a type of Artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural Vehicles, derived from the Latin word vehiculum, are non-living Means of transport.

Normally, if heavier items are included, the term light weapons is used, which encompasses heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, man-portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns and missile launchers, recoilless rifles, and mortars with calibers of less than 100 mm (3. A heavy machine gun refers to either a larger-caliber high-power Machine gun or one of the smaller medium-caliber (rifle caliber machine guns meant for prolonged firing from A grenade launcher is a Weapon that launches a Grenade with more accuracy higher velocity and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand Anti-tank refers to any method of combating military Armored fighting vehicles notably Tanks The most common anti-tank systems Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces The term caliber or calibre designates the interior Diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod 9 inches). These weapons usually require a crew of two or more individuals to carry and operate, launch explosive projectiles, or both. A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force which ceases after launch In the US military, small arms refers to guns/firearms less than 20 mm in caliber. The NATO definition extends to "all crew-portable direct fire weapons of a calibre less than 50mm". Though there is really no civilian definition within the US, since any gun/firearm utilizing a projectile greater than 1/2 inch (. 50 caliber or 12. 7 mm) in diameter is considered a "destructive device" (Title 18 US Code 921), anything . 50 caliber or less would be considered "small arms". NOTE: The 1/2 inch rule does not apply to shotguns, sporting cartridge big bore rifles (such as rifles chambered in .600 Nitro Express) or muzzleloading black powder firearms, many of which are larger than . A muzzleloader is any Firearm into which the projectile and usually the Propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the Gun (i Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes 50 caliber.

The term which encompasses both, SALW (Small Arms and Light Weapons), is used by many of the organizations (see IANSA) who work to limit the proliferation of SALW. The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA is an international Non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations For example much of the action of the UN to tackle the issue is raised in the UN SALW conference.

See small arms proliferation issues for the international movement to restrict the sale of military-grade small arms in conflict zones. Small arms proliferation is a term used by organizations and individuals advocating the control of Small arms and their trade the term has no precise definition The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is an international non-governmental organisation, working to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA is an international Non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations

Many organizations, such as Unicef, are very concerned over the misuse of such easy to obtain weapons, and the fact that every day, thousands, if not millions, of children are abused in cases concerning small arms. The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946

The Dutch film director Sander Francken made a documentary called "Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms" about the problems concerning the use and trade of small arms, especially for developing countries where the use of small arms has devastating effects on the civilians. ^[1]

See also

• Revolver
• Pistol
• Submachine gun
• Shotgun
• Carbine
• Assault rifle
• Rifle
• Sniper rifle
• Squad automatic weapon
• Light machine-gun
• List of firearms
• Antique guns
• Firearms

References

1. ^ Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms