Small arms

The term small arms is used to describe any weapon that a person can easily transport and fire. It generally describes small caliber personal weapons such as pistols and rifles, but is also used to include grenades.

Issues of gun ownership and control in the United States of America are dealt with under gun control and gun politics.

The international movement to limit the availability of small arms in conflict zones

Various international organizations (including Oxfam GB, Amnesty International and the United Nations) and domestic groups (eg the Small Arms Working Group]] in the US) have committed themselves to limiting the trade in, and proliferation of small arms around the world. They say that roughly 500,000 people are killed each year by the use of small arms, and that there are over 600 million of such arms in circulation.

"The proliferation of small arms, and munitions and explosives has also aggravated the violence associated with terrorism and organized crime. Even in societies not beset by civil war, the easy availability of small arms has in many cases contributed to violence and political instability. These, in turn, have damaged development prospects and imperiled human security in every way." - Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

See also: gun

External links

• International small arms control advocacy
  • International Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
  • Norwegian Institute on Small Arms Transfers
  • The Small Arms Survey (Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva)
  • Small Arms Working Group
  • List of Arms Trade related organizations