The ARES Arms & Munitions Classification System (ARCS)

The identification of small arms and light weapons (SALW) by make and model has long been the subject of specialist literature, but the definition and classification of these items has received only sporadic-and often limited or incomplete-attention. At the time of publication, there is no universally accepted definition of a 'small arm' or of a 'light weapon'. Perhaps surprisingly, there has been relatively minimal effort on the part of international organisations to define these...
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The identification of small arms and light weapons (SALW) by make and model has long been the subject of specialist literature, but the definition and classification of these items has received only sporadic-and often limited or incomplete-attention. At the time of publication, there is no universally accepted definition of a 'small arm' or of a 'light weapon'. Perhaps surprisingly, there has been relatively minimal effort on the part of international organisations to define these high-level terms more precisely, or to define the types of weapons which comprise these broad classes. International organisations have instead relied upon definitions developed in a broad range of different contexts-for different purposes-with the result that there is often inconsistency between terminology used by different groups. Military manuals, law enforcement outputs, academic publications, manufacturers' documentation, national legislation, and multilateral instruments often define SALW in substantively different ways.The primary purpose of the ARES Arms & Munitions Classification System (ARCS) is to present a set of universally applicable definitions for SALW which will convey the maximum amount of useful and practical information to the observer. These definitions are supported by a classification schema which organises the definitions hierarchically, into several categories of SALW, and by an extensive glossary of technical terminology. It is hoped that the use of technically precise and consistent definitions and descriptors can mitigate problems with communication, allowing for improved collaboration between correspondents who might be of varied backgrounds, working in different sectors, or located across national boundaries.