Side arm

Side arm

A side arm is a firearm, usually a pistol, which is worn on the body in a holster to permit immediate access and use. A side arm is typically required equipment for law enforcement personnel and military personnel. Usually, uniformed personnel of these services wear their weapons openly, while plainclothes personnel have their side arms concealed under their clothes.

Government security service bodyguards for VIPs and heads of state who need a weapon that can be concealed under clothing may have a fully automatic machine pistol as a side arm. In a military setting, machine pistols are issued as personal defense sidearms to paratroopers, artillery crews, helicopter crews or tank crews.

Other eras

The term can also refer to swords and other mêlée weapons (eg. the rapier, the katana and wakizashi, the arming sword and the side-sword are all considered sidearms for their respective eras of use); the modern use of it usually pertains to pistols and similar firearms.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • side|arm — «SYD AHRM», adjective, adverb. –adj. Sports. throwing or thrown from the side with the arm swung nearly parallel to the ground; not overhand or underhand: »a sidearm pitcher, a sidearm pitch. –adv. in a sidearm manner …   Useful english dictionary

  • side arm — side′ arm n. mil a weapon, as a pistol or sword, carried at the side or in the belt • Etymology: 1680–90 …   From formal English to slang

  • side arm — n. a weapon of the kind that may be worn at the side or at the waist, as a sword, dagger, or pistol often used in pl …   English World dictionary

  • side arm — noun a firearm that is held and fired with one hand • Syn: ↑pistol, ↑handgun, ↑shooting iron • Derivationally related forms: ↑pistoleer (for: ↑pistol) • Hypernyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • side arm — Mil. a weapon, as a pistol or sword, carried at the side or in the belt. [1680 90] * * * …   Universalium

  • side-arm — /ˈsaɪd am/ (say suyd ahm) noun a weapon (such as a pistol, sword, etc.) carried at the side or in the belt …  

  • side-arm — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Arm triangle choke — from the guard position Classification Chokehold Parent style …   Wikipedia

  • Side control — The combatant on top is applying an armlock from side control while the person below bridges. Classification Position Parent style …   Wikipedia

  • arm's length — n: the condition of the parties to a business deal in which each has independent interests and one does not dominate the other often used in the phrase at arm s length a contract made at arm s length arm s–length adj Merriam Webster’s Dictionary… …   Law dictionary

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