Evaluated screen

Small Arms and Light Weapons

Identifies companies and other entities that are involved in the development, manufacture, assembly, or sale of small arms or crew-portable light weapons specifically designed or materially modified for military use. This includes military pistols, rifles, carbines, submachine guns, machine guns, grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft or anti-tank weapons, recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, portable missile or rocket launchers, and light mortars.

Type
Evaluated
Version
2026.08.21.2
Published
Aug 21, 2026
Inclusions
4
Exclusions
6
How to read this definition

Inclusion criteria describe evidence that can establish this activity. Exclusion criteria identify circumstances that do not establish it on that basis alone. The evaluation remains connected to its taxonomy version and supporting evidence.

Can establish this activity

Included when supported

Evidence may support involvement when it matches one or more of these inclusion criteria.

4 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    Military Small Arms Production and Assembly

    Defined as: Companies that design, manufacture, or assemble complete military pistols, revolvers, rifles, carbines, submachine guns, light machine guns, medium machine guns, heavy machine guns, or comparable small arms specifically designed or materially modified for use by armed forces.

  2. 02Criterion

    Crew-Portable Light Weapons

    Defined as: Companies that design, manufacture, or assemble complete grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft or anti-tank weapons, recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, portable missile or rocket launchers, light mortars, or comparable crew-portable military weapons.

  3. 03Criterion

    Military Small Arms and Light Weapons Development

    Defined as: Companies that conduct product-specific research, design, engineering, prototyping, testing, or systems integration for complete small arms or light weapons intended for military use.

  4. 04Criterion

    Military Small Arms and Light Weapons Sales and Supply

    Defined as: Companies that sell, export, distribute, or supply identified small arms or light weapons to armed forces, defence ministries, authorized military procurement programmes, or military export customers.

Does not establish this activity on its own

Excluded on this basis alone

These circumstances do not establish this activity unless separate evidence also meets an inclusion criterion.

6 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    Historical-Only Small Arms and Light Weapons Involvement

    Defined as: Entities with verified past development, production, assembly, sale, export, or supply of military small arms or light weapons, where reliable evidence establishes that the qualifying activity has fully ceased, been divested, transferred, dismantled, terminated, or otherwise ended and no current qualifying involvement remains. Historical-only activity does not qualify as current involvement. Preserve the historical record separately with the activity period, effective cessation or transfer date, relevant entity, product, programme, facility, or contract, and supporting evidence. Absence of recent evidence alone is not sufficient to establish cessation.

  2. 02Criterion

    Civilian, Sporting, and Law-Enforcement-Only Firearms

    Defined as: Companies whose identified products are limited to civilian hunting, sporting, personal-protection, or law-enforcement use and lack verified military design, modification, procurement, or supply.

  3. 03Criterion

    Ammunition Without Complete Weapon Involvement

    Defined as: Companies that manufacture or sell only cartridges, rounds, grenades, mortar rounds, or other ammunition without developing, manufacturing, assembling, or selling complete small arms or light weapons. These activities are assessed under Conventional Ammunition, Bombs and Explosive Munitions.

  4. 04Criterion

    Components and Accessories Without Complete Weapon Involvement

    Defined as: Companies that supply only barrels, receivers, optics, sights, stocks, grips, mounts, suppressors, magazines, or other components or accessories without a complete-weapon role. Qualifying dedicated components are assessed under Military Weapons Components and Subsystems.

  5. 05Criterion

    Deactivated, Antique, Replica, and Training-Only Weapons

    Defined as: Companies whose involvement is limited to permanently deactivated weapons, antiques, non-operational replicas, inert display items, or training devices that cannot be used as operational small arms or light weapons.

  6. 06Criterion

    Unverified Military References

    Defined as: Companies named only in broad military, contract, sanctions, catalogue, or programme references that do not identify the legal entity, complete weapon, exact role, and relevant time period.

Evidence and evaluation methodology

How sources, entity pathways, decisions, qualifiers, and review history are handled.

Map screens to a client policy

How to choose provider screens, document coverage, and decide what happens after an outcome.

Other screens under Military Weapons, Munitions and Combat Platforms