law: Arms Act, 1959
  2. Definition and interpretation-
  (I) in this Act, unless the context otherwise
  
  requires, --
  (a) "acquisition
  
  " with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes
  
  hiring, borrowing, or accepting as a gift;
  (b)
  
  "ammunition" means ammunition for any firearms, and includes-
  ( i )
  
  rockets, bombs, grenades, shells [ ( Note: Subs. by Act 42 of 1988, s. 2 (w.e.f . 27-5-1988) ) and other missiles,]
  (ii) articles designed
  
  for torpedo service and submarine mining,
  (iii) other articles containing,
  
  or designed or adapted to contain, explosive, fulminating or fissionable
  
  material or noxious liquid, gas or other such thing, whether capable of use
  
  with firearms or not,
  (iv) charges for
  
  firearms and accessories for such charges
  (v) fuses and friction
  
  tubes,
  (vi) parts of, and
  
  machinery for manufacturing, ammunition,
  (vii) such ingredients
  
  of ammunition as the Central Government may, by notification if the Official
  
  Gazette, specify in this behalf;
  (c) "arms"
  
  means articles of any description designed or adapted as weapons for offences,
  
  or defense, and includes firearms, sharp-edged and other deadly weapons, and
  
  parts of, and machinery for manufacturing arms, but does not include articles
  
  designated solely for domestic or agricultural uses such as a  lathi or an ordinary walking stick and weapons incapable of
  
  being used otherwise than as toys or being converted into serviceable weapons;
  Comments
  Articles used mainly for agricultural or
  
  domestic purpose e.g. lathi , walking stick or scissors
  
  (for tailoring) or kept for religious nuisance, are not covered under this
  
  provision. However, articles particularly ‘designed and adapted’ for use as
  
  weapons for offensive and/or defensive purposes e.g. Ganasa ,
  
  are well within the ambit of this provision [Ram Rattan Puran 
  
  Singh, Appellant v. The State, Respondent; AIR 1968 Punj .
  
  & Har . 520 (521) V 55 C118]. In this case, the
  
  appellant, with whom Bhanjo , daughter-in-law of  Sawan Singh, had developed illicit relationship, was
  
  heading towards Bhajno’s husband’s house, armed with
  
  a Gandasa , for obvious reasons and motives. But on
  
  the way, Sawan Singh intercepted and tried to reason
  
  with him whereupon the appellant warned him to keep aloof or face his wrath.
  
  Then the appellant inflicted grave injuries on the unarmed old man. However,  Bhajno’s husband came running on the spot, hearing  Sawan Singh’s cries and shouting for help,l 
  
  and in exercise of the right of self defense, he injured the appellant with
  
  another Gandasa . So, Gandasa 
  
  was used for both offensive and defensive purposes, bringing it well within the
  
  ambit of the definition of ‘arms’.
  (d) [ Note: Subs. by Act 55 of 1971, s. 2,
  
  for the former clause.] "district magistrate" in relation to any
  
  area for which a Commissioner of Police has been appointed, means the
  
  Commissioner of Police thereof and includes any such Deputy Commissioner of
  
  Police, exercising jurisdiction over the whole or any part of such area, as may
  
  be specified by the State Government in this behalf in relation to such area or
  
  parts;)
  (e) "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, --
  ( i )
  
  Artillery, hand- grendades , riot-pistols or weapons of
  
  any kind designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or
  
  other such things,
  (ii) accessories for
  
  any such firearms designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by
  
  the firing thereof,
  (iii) parts of, and machinery
  
  for manufacturing, firearms, and
  (vi) carriages,
  
  platforms and appliances for mounting, transporting and serving artillery;
  (f) "licensing authority" means an
  
  officer of authority empowered to grant or renew licenses under rules made
  
  under the Act, and includes, the Government ;
  (ff) [ Note 
  
  : Ins. by Act 25 of 1983, s. 2 ( w.e.f . 22-6-1983 ) ] "magistrate" means an
  
  Executive Magistrate under the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 (2 of 1974) ; )
  (g) "prescribed" means prescribed by
  
  rules made under this Act;
  (h) "prohibited ammunition" means
  
  any ammunition, containing, or designed or adapted to contain, any noxious
  
  liquid, gas or other such thing, and includes rockets, bombs, grenades, shells,
  
  ( [Note : Ins. by Act 42 of 1988, s. 2 ( w.e.f . 27-5-1988)
  
  ] missiles) articles designed for torpedo service and submarine mining and
  
  such other articles as the Central Government may, by notification in the
  
  Official Gazette, specify to be prohibited ammunition ;
  ( i ) "prohibited
  
  arms" means -
  ( i )
  
  firearms so designed or adapted that, if pressure is applied to the trigger,
  
  missiles continue to be discharged until pressure is removed from the trigger
  
  or the magazine containing the missile is empty, or
  (ii) weapons of any
  
  description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or
  
  other such thing, and includes artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank firearms
  
  and such other arms as the Central Government may, by notification in the
  
  Official Gazette, specify to be prohibited arms ;
  (j) "public servant" has the same
  
  meaning as in Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) ;
  (k) "transfer" with its grammatical
  
  variations and cognate expressions, includes letting on hire, lending, giving
  
  and parting with possession.
  (2) For the purposes of this Act, the length
  
  of the barrel of a firearm shall be measured from the muzzle to the point at
  
  which the charge is exploded on firing.
  (3) Any reference in the Act to any law which
  
  is not in force in any area shall, in relation to that area, be construed as a
  
  reference to the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.
  (4) Any reference in this Act to any officer
  
  or authority shall, in relation to any area in which there is no officer or
  
  authority with the same designation, be construed as a reference to such
  
  officer or authority as may be specified by the Central Government by
  
  notification in the Official Gazette.