Editing Firearm (section)

==Legal definitions==
Firearms include a variety of ranged weapons and there is no agreed-upon definition. For instance, English language laws of big legal entities such as the United States, India, the European Union and Canada use different definitions. Other English language definitions are provided by international treaties.

===United States===
In the [[United States]], under 26 USC § 5845 (a), the term "firearm" means

{{blockquote| {{plainlist|
* (1)  a shotgun having a  barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; 
* (2) a weapon made from a shotgun if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; 
* (3) a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length; 
* (4) a weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length;
* (5) any other weapon, as defined in subsection (e); 
* (6) a machinegun; 
* (7) any silencer (as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); <br /> The term "firearm" shall not include an antique firearm or any device (other than a machinegun or destructive device) which, although designed as a  weapon, the Secretary finds by reason of the date of its manufacture, value, design, and other characteristics is primarily a collector's item and is not likely to be used as a weapon.}}}}

This is the ATF definition of a [[Title II weapons|title II]] "NFA firearm", as defined by the [[National Firearms Act]], and not the definition of a title I firearm, which includes firearms not restricted by the NFA. ATF forms dealing with Title II weapons all state the above-mentioned information, however, the above information is only applicable for the purposes of those forms. For practical purposes, a firearm, in the U.S., is defined as the part of a weapon- designed to use expanded gas caused by the combustion of explosive material, to propel a projectile- which houses the fire control group (trigger & sear).

According to the U.S. [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]], if gas pressurization is achieved through ''mechanical'' [[gas compression]] rather than through chemical propellant combustion, then the device is technically an [[air gun]], not a firearm.<ref name=atfairgun>[http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html#air-gun-regulation US Federal Govt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503044932/https://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html#air-gun-regulation |date=2015-05-03 }} does not consider an air gun to be a firearm and does not regulate airguns as firearms</ref>

===India===
In India, the arms act, 1959, provides a definition of firearms where "firearms" means arms of any description designed or adapted to discharge a projectile or projectiles of any kind by the action of any explosive or other forms of energy, and includes:{{blockquote|{{plainlist|

* (i) artillery, hand-grenades, riot-pistols or weapons of any kind designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, or other such thing,
* (ii) accessories for any such firearm designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by the firing thereof,
* (iii) parts of, and machinery for manufacturing, fire-arms, and
* (iv) carriages, platforms, and appliances for mounting, transporting and serving artillery;}}}}

===European Union===
In the European Union, a [[European Directive]] amended by EU directive 2017/853 set minimum standards regarding civilian firearms acquisition and possession that EU member states must implement into their national legal systems. In this context, since 2017, firearms are considered as "any portable barrelled weapon that expels, is designed to expel or may be converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a combustible propellant".<ref>{{cite web|author= European Parliament and the Council|date=21 May 2008|title=DIRECTIVE 2008/51/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 May 2008 amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32008L0051|access-date=7 March 2020|archive-date=4 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804145404/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32008L0051|url-status=live}}</ref> For legal reasons, objects can be considered a firearm if they have the appearance of a firearm or are made in a way that makes it possible to convert them to a firearm. Member states may be allowed to exclude from their gun control law items such as antique weapons, or specific purposes items that can only be used for that sole purpose.

===United Kingdom===
In the UK, a firearm does not have to use a combustible propellant, as explained by [https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/firearms Crown Prosecution Service Guidance Firearms] The Firearms Act 1968 Section 57(1B), uses the definition of a firearm as a "lethal barrelled weapon" as a "barrelled weapon of any description from which a shot, bullet or other missile, with kinetic energy of more than one joule as measured at the muzzle of the weapon, can be discharged". As such, low-energy air rifles and pistols also fall under UK firearm legislation, although the licensing requirements of low-energy weapons are more relaxed.

===Canada===
In Canada, firearms are defined by the Criminal Code:

{{blockquote|firearm means a barrelled weapon from which any shot, bullet, or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barrelled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm; (arme à feu)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-1.html|title=Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Criminal Code|date=6 May 2021|access-date=7 March 2020|archive-date=22 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222142419/https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

===Australia===
Australia has a definition of firearms in its 1996 legal act:

{{blockquote|"firearm" means any device, whether or not assembled or in parts —
* (a)     which is designed or adapted, or is capable of being modified, to discharge shot or a bullet or other missile by the expansion of gases produced in the device by the ignition of strongly combustible materials or by compressed air or other gases, whether stored in the device in pressurised containers or produced in the device by mechanical means; and
* (b)     whether or not operable or complete or temporarily or permanently inoperable or incomplete
— and which is not —
* (c)     an industrial tool powered by cartridges containing gunpowder or compressed air or other gases which is designed and intended for use for fixing fasteners or plugs or for similar purposes; or
* (d)     a captive bolt humane killer; or
* (e)     a spear gun designed for underwater use; or
* (f)     a device designed for the discharge of signal flares; or
* (h)     a device commonly known as a kiln gun or ringblaster, designed specifically for knocking out or down solid material in kilns, furnaces or cement silos; or
* (i)     a device commonly known as a line thrower designed for establishing lines between structures or natural features and powered by compressed air to other compressed gases and used for rescue purposes, rescue training or rescue demonstration; or
* (j)     a device of a prescribed class;<ref name="www5.austlii.edu.au" />
}}

===South Africa===
In South Africa, Firearms Control Act [No. 60 of 2000] defines firearms since June 2001, with a 2006 amendment of the definition:

{{blockquote|'firearm' means any-
* (a) device manufactured or designed to propel a bullet or projectile through a barrel or cylinder by means of burning propellant, at a muzzle energy exceeding 8 joules (6 ft-lbs);
* (b) device manufactured or designed to discharge rim-fire, centre-fire or pin-fire ammunition;
* (c) device which is not at the time capable of discharging any bullet or projectile, but which can be readily altered to be a firearm within the meaning of paragraph (a) or (b);
* (d) device manufactured to discharge a bullet or any other projectile of a calibre of 5.6 mm (.22 calibre) or higher at a muzzle energy of more than 8 joules (6 ft-lbs), by means of compressed gas and not by means of burning propellant; or [Para. (d) substituted by s. 1 (b) of Act 43 of 2003.]
* (e) barrel, frame or receiver of a device referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (d), but does not include a muzzle loading firearm or any device contemplated in section 5;<ref name="act60of2000">{{cite web |url=https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/acts/downloads/juta/act60of2000.pdf |title=Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 |website=South African Police Service |access-date=2020-03-07 |archive-date=2020-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612093412/https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/acts/downloads/juta/act60of2000.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

===International treaties===
An inter-American convention defines firearms as:

{{blockquote|
* any barreled weapon which will or is designed to or may be readily converted to expel a bullet or projectile by the action of an explosive, except antique firearms manufactured before the 20th Century or their replicas; or
* any other weapon or destructive device such as any explosive, incendiary or gas bomb, grenade, rocket, rocket launcher, missile, missile system, or mine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/Cifta_Convention_text.htm|title=Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials|access-date=2020-03-07|archive-date=2020-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201001023/https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/Cifta_Convention_text.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

An [[Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms|international UN protocol on firearms]] considers that

{{blockquote|"Firearm" shall mean any portable barrelled weapon that expels, is designed to expel or may be readily converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of an explosive, excluding antique firearms or their replicas. Antique firearms and their replicas shall be defined in accordance with domestic law. In no case, however, shall antique firearms include firearms manufactured after 1899<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/source/RecentTexts/18-12_c_E.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2020-03-07 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027154039/https://treaties.un.org/doc/source/RecentTexts/18-12_c_E.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>}}