Article R311-1 of the Internal Security Code defines weapons according to their types and characteristics:
Weapon: any object or device designed or intended by nature to kill, injure, strike, incapacitate or cause incapacitation.
Smooth-bore weapon: weapon whose bore of the barrel is of circular cross-section and cannot impart any rotational movement to a single or multiple projectile. Smoothbore Rifles
Weapon with rifled barrel: weapon whose bore of the barrel is not of circular section and presents one or more conventional or polygonal grooves intended to give a rotational movement to a single or multiple projectile. Rifle guns
Firearm: A weapon that fires a projectile by the action of burning a propellant charge.
Automatic repeating weapon: any weapon which, after each shot fired, automatically reloads and which can, by a single pull of the trigger, release a burst of several shots.
Manual repeating weapon: weapon which, after each shot fired, is manually reloaded by introducing into the barrel ammunition taken from a supply system and transported using a mechanism. Manual repeating weapons
Semi-automatic repeating weapon: weapon which, after each shot fired, reloads automatically and which cannot, by a single pressure on the trigger, release more than one shot. Semi-automatic repeating weapons
Single-shot weapon: weapon without a power supply system, which is loaded before each shot by manual introduction of the ammunition into the chamber or into a housing provided for this purpose at the entrance to the barrel. Single shot weapons
Bladed weapon: any weapon whose perforating, cutting or breaking action is due only to human force or to a mechanism to which it has been transmitted, excluding an explosion. Cold steel
Concealed weapon: any weapon concealed in the form of another object, including another type of weapon. camouflaged weapons
Long gun: weapon that we shoulder to shoot. long guns
The overall length of a long gun with a detachable or folding stock is measured without the stock or folded stock. The reference length of the barrel of a long gun is measured from the rear end of the chamber to the other end of the barrel, the removable parts not included
Handgun: weapon which is held by a handle using only one hand and which is not intended to be shouldered. Handguns
The reference length of a handgun is measured overall.
Incapacitating weapon acting by projection or emission: weapon having the effect of causing incapacitation and acting by remote projection or emission of the incapacitating process or means. Stun weapons acting by projection or emission
Contact incapacitating weapon: defense weapon having the effect of causing incapacitation and acting at close range. Contact Stun Weapons
Neutralized weapon: weapon which has been rendered definitively unsuitable for firing any ammunition by the application of technical processes ensuring that all the elements of the firearm to be neutralized have been rendered definitively unusable and impossible to modify.
Primed case: case that has a primer without any other powder charge.
Charged case: case which contains a charge of powder.
Weapon element: part of a weapon essential to its operation: the barrel, the carcass, the receiver, including its upper and lower parts, where applicable, the breech, including its additional mobile assembly, where applicable, the barrel, the closing systems and the conversion. Weapon parts
Neutralized weapon element: part of a weapon essential to its functioning rendered definitively unsuitable for its use by the application of defined technical processes.
Element of ammunition: essential part of an ammunition such as projectile, primer, casing, primed casing, loaded casing, primed and loaded casing. Ammunition items
Expanding Projectile Ammunition: Ammunition in which the projectile is specially shaped in any way to expand, expand or mushroom on impact. In particular, this category includes hollow-point projectiles. Ammunition
Explosive projectile ammunition: ammunition with a projectile containing a charge that explodes on impact.
Incendiary projectile ammunition: ammunition with a projectile containing a chemical mixture that ignites on contact with air or on impact.
Armor-Piercing Ammunition:
a) Long gun ammunition, with a projectile visually identified by a color code where applicable, containing a hard core of hardened steel or tungsten carbide;
b) Handgun ammunition, containing a hard hardened steel or tungsten carbide core;
c) Ammunition for handgun, with monolithic or one-piece metal projectile designed to perforate a flexible bullet-proof vest (aramid or equivalent) in regulatory equipment within the internal security forces.
Neutralized ammunition: ammunition whose projectile has a diameter of less than 20 mm and whose powder chamber has a side hole with a diameter at least equal to 2 mm no longer containing powder and whose primer has been struck.
Ammunition with special loading, explosive or incendiary, remains in all cases deemed to be functional.
Weapons feed systems: made up of magazines that are an integral part of the weapon, tubular or integrated in the breech box, and magazines that are independent of the weapon, reservoirs, magazines and bands, fixed or mobile during firing. Feeding systems
Blank gun: object or device having or not the appearance of a firearm designed and intended by the percussion of the ammunition to cause only a sound effect and whose characteristics exclude firing or conversion without resorting to an industrial process for firing any projectile (starter weapon). blank weapons
Alarm weapon: object or device resembling a firearm, designed solely for firing blank ammunition, irritants, other active substances or pyrotechnic signaling articles, the characteristics of which exclude the firing or conversion for firing of any projectile other than those mentioned above.
Signaling weapon: firearm intended to fire a pyrotechnic signaling device, the characteristics of which exclude the firing or conversion for firing of any other projectile.
Spectacle weapon: any firearm transformed specifically for firing blank ammunition, in particular during theatrical performances, photo shoots, film shoots, television recordings, historical re-enactments, parades, sporting events or training sessions, the characteristics of which exclude the firing or conversion to the firing of any projectile. The spectacle weapon remains classified in its original category, before its transformation.
Didactic weapon: authentic weapon revealing its internal mechanisms without its operation having been modified, nor having undergone the process of neutralization.
Dummy weapon: object having the appearance of a firearm capable of expelling a non-metallic projectile with an energy at the muzzle of less than 2 joules.
Model: reproduction of a firearm on a scale other than 1:1 and guaranteeing the non-interchangeability of parts.
Inert ammunition: dummy ammunition that cannot be transformed into an active ammunition.
Paintball launcher: system for propelling a projectile in a non-pyrotechnic manner intended to leave only a trace on the target showing the location of the impact. paintball launchers
Weapon reproduction: firearm identically reproducing a weapon having existed in its form and in its operation. Weapon reproductions
Weapons of particular historical importance: weapons manufactured prior to January 1, 1946 which are not historical weapons within the meaning of the provisions of e or g of IV of article R. 311-2.
AC