An armorer or armourer (see spelling differences) was in former times a smith who specialized in manufacturing and repairing arms and armour. In modern usage, the world may also designate a member of a modern military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms, and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith. The differences in the spellings of British English and American English are as follows: Spelling differences between U.S. usage on one side and British and Commonwealth usage on the other are generally more conspicuous than spelling differences within the Commonwealth. ... A smith, or metalsmith, is a person involved in the shaping of metal objects. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Small arms captured in Fallujah, Iraq by the US Marine Corps in 2004 The term small arms generally describes any number of smaller infantry weapons, such as firearms that an individual soldier can carry. ... A weapon is a tool used to kill or incapacitate a person or animal, or destroy a military target. ... A gunsmith is a person who designs, builds, repairs or modifies firearms to blueprint and customer specifications, using hand tools and machine tools such as grinders and lathes. ...

With the renewed interest in traditional armour and weaponry in modern times, the profession also involves suppliers for historical and reenactment societies, period costumes, and reproduction armor, swords, and related equipment used in film, stage, and recreational activities.

Irish Army

Armourers are called Artificers. They are part of the Ordnance Corps and are trained to maintain all types of weapon. Individual soldiers are responsible for daily cleaning etc, but the artificer (known as "tiffies") maintains mechanisms, sights etc. Weapons which do not pass the Artificers inspection are withdrawn from service. Artificer ranks are the same as most branches of the army; Private, Corporal etc. The Irish Army (Irish: Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces[1] (Óglaigh na hÉireann). ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ...

United States Military

The title "armorer" was formerly part of several Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) designations across the services. Even where the title has disappeared, those with duties similar to those of earlier armorers are often referred to as such. See www.higgins.org for further information on armorers and their craft. A Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is a job classification in use in the United States Army and Marine Corps. ...

Obsolete "Armorer" MOS classifications

• Army of the United States (United States Army in WWII to the end of the war in Vietnam)
  • 511 Armorer
• United States Army Air Forces (WWII-era successor to the United States Army Air Corps, precursor to the United States Air Force).
  • 911 Airplane Armorer
  • 612 Airplane Armorer-Gunner