ARMS, in a general sense, signify all kinds of weapons, whether used for offence or defence.
Fire-Arms, are cannon, mortars, howitzers, grenades, firelocks, rifles, fusils, carbines, guns, and pistols; or any other machine discharged by inflamed powder.
Arms may properly be classed under two specific heads—
Arms of offence, which include musquet, bayonet, sword, pistol, rifle, &c.
Arms of defence, which are shields, helmets, coats of mail, or any species of repulsive or impenetrable covering, by which the body of a man is protected.
Arms—Small.
| Nature. | Length of Barrel. | Diam. of Bore. | Balls weight for | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof. | Service. | ||||||||||
| Ft. | In. | Inches. | oz. | dr. | gr. | oz. | dr. | gr. | |||
| Wall pieces | 4 | 6 | .98 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
| Musquet | 3 | 6 | .76 | 1 | 6 | 11 | ¹⁄₂ | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| Carbine | 3 | 0 | .61 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 11 | ||
| Pistol, common | 1 | 2 | .58 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 4 | ¹⁄₂ | |
| Ditto, Carbine | 1 | 0 | .66 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 11 | ||
| Rifle, the long | 3 | 6 | .55 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Short Rifle | 3 | 2 | .58 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
In a legal sense, arms may extend to any thing that a man wears for his own defence, or takes in his hand, and uses in anger, to strike, throw at, or wound another. It is supposed, that the first artificial arms were of wood, and only employed against beasts; and that Belus, the son of Nimrod, was the first that waged war; whence, according to some, came the appellation bellum. Diodorus Siculus takes Belus to be the same with Mars, who first trained soldiers up to battle. Arms of stone, and even of brass, appear to have been used before they came to iron and steel. Josephus assures us, that the patriarch Joseph first taught the use of iron arms in Egypt, arming the troops of Pharaoh with a casque and buckler.
The principal arms of the ancients were hatchets, scythes, lances, swords, and bucklers: the Saxons used the halberd, bow, arrows, cross-bow, &c. By the ancient laws of England, every man was obliged to bear arms, except the judges and clergy. Under Henry VIII. it was expressly enjoined on all persons to be regularly instructed, even from their tender years, in the exercise of the arms then in use, viz. the long bow and arrows; and to be provided with a certain number of them.
But by the common law of England now it is an offence for persons to go or ride armed with dangerous weapons; but gentlemen, both in and out of the army, may wear common armor, according to their quality.