firearms
Firearms are weapons readily capable of expelling projectiles, like a bullet, through an explosive mechanism; including guns and their various components, such as silencers, mufflers, frames, or other destructive devices, such as bombs.
The federal government has defined firearms in the Gun Control Act of 1968, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 921. According to § 921, a firearm is “(A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will, or is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D) any destructive device. Such term does not include an antique firearm.”
State governments also specifically define firearms within their statutes. For example, California defines a firearm in Cal. Penal Code § 16520 as any device intended for the use as a weapon, where a projectile is discharged through a barrel, with the force of an explosion, or another method of combustion. Note the federal definition includes starter guns, while California explicitly states devices designed for use as weapons, thus excluding starter guns. Starter guns make a loud sound, but do not, and cannot, emit any projectiles. This is commonly referred to as “blanks” which are often used as props in film or other production sets.
[Last reviewed in May of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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