Technical Overview of Small Arms

1. Technical Overview of Small Arms Name Organisation Location, Event, Date

2. SALW Definitions and Weapons Classifications

3. What are SALW ? SALW are generally classified as firearms that are easily portable by an individual or by a weapons crew. These weapons are up to 100mm in calibre according to UN guidelines.

4. SALW Definition (UN) Small arms are those designed for personal use andlight weapons are those designed for use by several persons serving as a crew.

5. SALW Definition (UN) • Small Arms • Revolvers and self-loading pistols • Rifles and carbines • Sub-machine-guns • Assault rifles • Light machine-guns

6. SALW Definition (UN) • Light Weapons • Heavy machineguns • Handheld, under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers • Portable anti-aircraft guns • Portable anti-tank guns and recoilless rifles • Portable launchers of anti-tank missile and rocket systems • Portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems • Mortars of calibres of less than 100 mm

7. SALW Definition (UN) • Ammunition and explosives: • Cartridges (rounds) for small arms • Shells and missiles for light weapons • Anti-personnel and anti-tank grenades • Landmines • Mobile containers with missiles or shells for single-action anti-aircraft andanti-tank systems • Explosives

8. SEESAC’s SALW Definition All lethal conventional munitions that can be carried by an individual combatant ora light vehicle, that also do not require a substantial logistic and maintenancecapability.

9. Handguns Submachine guns Rifles Shotguns Mortars SALW Basic Groups – Small Arms

10. Handguns are classified as weapons that are designed to be highly portable, concealable and fired by the individual with one or two hands Handguns are chambered for pistol ammunition, in most cases between .22 and .45 caliber Handguns are sub-divided into two groups: REVOLVERS and PISTOLS Hand Guns

11. Revolvers Revolvers are designed to fire pistol rounds from a revolving cylinder. The weapon can be activated by simply pulling the trigger (Double Action) or by manually cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger (Single Action)

12. Pistols Pistols are handguns that fire pistol ammunition, fed by a magazine usually contained in the handgrip of the weapon. Pistols utilise the recoil impulse of a fired round to extract and eject the expended cartridge and chamber the next round for subsequent firing. Pistols are usually semi-automatic, but some are capable of full-automatic fire.

13. Sub-machine Guns (SMG) • Submachine guns are weapons that are chambered for pistol cartridges, but have longer barrels and a larger magazine capacity • Submachine guns are capable of full-automatic or semi-automatic fire • They usually work on the blow-back principle.Submachine guns can fire from an open or a closed bolt

14. Rifles Are long guns that fire major-caliber (rifle) ammunition Rifles are sub-divided into five groups: Bolt action Repeater (Lever or Pump) Semi-automatic Automatic Assault

15. Bolt Action Rifles • Operate by manually turning the bolt to chamber a round. Upon discharging the chambered round, the user turns the bolt to eject the expended cartridge and to chamber a new round

16. Repeating Rifles • Utilize a manual lever or a pump to chamber, fire, eject and re-chamber a new round for consequent firing. They are normally chambered for intermediate power rifle cartridges

17. Semi-Automatic Rifles • Use the recoil impulse or the gas of a fired round to complete the firing sequence. One round is discharged with each pull of the trigger. Semi-automatic rifles are usually fed by detachable box magazines or by internal magazines. They are usually chambered to fire medium- power rifle rounds

18. Automatic Rifles and Machine Guns Are crew-served weapons that are capable of a high rate of sustained fire They utilise major caliber rifle ammunition They use the gas from an expended round to complete the firing sequence They are belt or magazine fed. Some can utilise both

22. Assault Rifles Are rifles capable of select fire Are usually magazine fed Fire medium-power rifle cartridges Use the gas of an expended round to complete the firing sequence Allows the individual soldier to deliver a high rate of accurate fire to ranges of up to 400 metres Have most most likely been the highest source of human war casualties since 1944

24. Shotguns • Shotguns are smooth-bore weapons that send multiple projectiles towards the intended target with every round fired. Shotguns can be lever, single shot, pump, lever,semi-automatic or automatic. Shotguns are extremely lethal at short range

25. Mortars • Mortars are indirect-fire weapons that are designed to propel an explosive device over obstacles or terrain that prevents engaging a target with direct fire • Mortars are crew-served weapons that usually range from 60mm to 120 mm in calibre

26. Man-Portable Rocket Launchers Are divided into two sub-groups: Anti-Aircraft Anti-Tank

27. Anti-Tank Rocket Launchers • Are designed so that the individual infantryman can effectively destroy tanks and light-skinned vehicles • They are usually between 66mm- 85mm in calibre • Are unguided • Utilise HEAT ammunition • Are effective to a range of 200 meters

28. Anti-Tank Missiles • Are usually wire-guided and are between 90- 120mm • Medium ATk Missiles are usually effective to 1,000 metres • Heavy ATk Missiles are usually effective to a range of 2,000 to 2,500 metres

29. Anti-Aircraft Missiles • Are highly portable systems weighing approximately 10 kg • Most employ passive infrared or radar guided tracking systems • Are capable of shooting down an aircraft to an altitude of 3,500 m with a lateral range of 8km • Are “Fire and Forget” weapons systems • Can reach speeds of Mach 2 before intercepting it’s target

30. Hand Grenades • There are many types of hand grenades, designed for different applications. Some examples are: • Fragmentation • Incendiary • Smoke • High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) • Flash-bang • Chemical

31. Characteristics of Hand Grenades Their employment range is short usually under 50 metres, although they can be rifle projected Their effective killing radius is small usually 5 metres, with a potential casualty radius of 25 metres Their delay element permits safe throwing

34. Questions ?