Small Arms | Light Weapons | Ordnance | Grenades | Ammunition

Light Weapons

The 1997 Report of the United Nations Panel of Government Experts on Small Arms provides the most widely accepted (current as of 2007) definition of small arms and light weapons. This distinguishes between small arms, which are weapons designed for personal use, and light weapons which are designed for use by several persons serving as a crew.

• Small Arms

The category of small arms includes: revolvers and self loading pistols, rifles and carbines, assault rifles, sub machine guns and light machine guns.

• Light Weapons

Light weapons include heavy machine guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles and mortars of calibres less than 100mm.