New technologies and ammunition profiling

One of the themes of RevCon4 will be to consider ways to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities presented by recent developments in small arms manufacturing, technology, and design, including through the projected convening of an Open-Ended Technical Expert Group (OETEG). The Small Arms Survey has produced a series of resources over the years on relevant topics, including the results of consultative expert discussions on this matter, and studies into the arms control challenges being raised by new small arms manufacturing techniques (see also our RevCon4 page on Privately made firearms and other non-industrial small arms and light weapons), as well as the use of the dark and clear web by traffickers to sell arms in different regions. 

Regarding opportunities, the Survey has recently examined ways to improve weapons technical intelligence in the context of peacekeeping operations, including through the use of new technologies. We have  also worked collaboratively in recent years with regional organisations, law enforcement agencies, specialised institutions, and the manufacturers of automated ballistics identification systems to monitor and profile illicit ammunition found at the crime scenes of 15 countries and territories across Europe and the Caribbean. Our experts will be discussing how the use of new technologies can help further automate such monitoring moving forward, and its relevance to arms control processes, at the RevCon4 side event titled 'Benefits of new technologies for the detection of illicit SALW,' hosted by Belgium and Slovenia on 25 June in Room CR5.

Find out more by reading the publications below or checking out relevant outputs in our Resource Library.


Exploiting Evidence, Improving Protection: Weapons Technical Intelligence in UN Peace Operations

By Emile LeBrun and David Lochhead

Briefing Paper     |     June 2024

English

       cover   

 

Privately Made Firearms in the European Union

By Matt Schroeder, Nicolas Florquin, Anne-Séverine Fabre, and Andrea Edoardo Varisco

Co-publication     |     December 2023

English

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Illicit Firearms Ammunition and Other Explosive Munitions in the European Union

By Anne-Séverine Fabre, Nicolas Florquin, and Matt Schroeder

Co-publication     |     December 2023

English

       cover   

 

Weapons Compass: The Caribbean Firearms Study

By Anne-Séverine Fabre, Nicolas Florquin, Aaron Karp, and Matt Schroeder

Report     |     April 2023

English

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Extracting Evidence: Opportunities and Obstacles in Assessing the Gendered Impacts of Diverted Ammunition

By Emile LeBrun, André Desmarais, Kheira Djouhri, and Nicolas Florquin

Briefing Paper     |     May 2022

English

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Small Arms Survey Podcast #52: Private Security Companies and Weapons & Ammunition Management

By the Small Arms Survey

Podcast     |     February 2022

English

       podcast cover   

 

Forensic Forays: Using X-ray Technology to Analyse Modified and Converted Firearms

By Hannah Smith, Katie Addinall, and Liam Blunt

Blog     |     August 2021

English

blog cover   

 

Making the Rounds: Illicit Ammunition in Ukraine

НЕЛЕГАЛЬНИЙ ОБІГ БОЄПРИПАСІВ В УКРАЇНІ

By Matt Schroeder and Olena Shumska

Report     |     January 2021

English, Ukrainian

  UKR cover       cover   

 

Trade Update 2020: An Eye on Ammunition Transfers to Africa

By Nicolas Florquin, Elodie Hainard, and Benjamin Jongleux

Report     |     December 2020

English

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Taking stock of action on the illicit small arms trade: Implications for the International Tracing Instrument of marking and tracing polymer and modular weapons

Taking stock of action on the illicit small arms trade : les implications du marquage et du traçage des armes en polymère et modulaires pour l’Instrument international de traçage

By Emilia Dungel and Paul Holtom

Blog     |     July 2020

English, Français

       blog cover   

 

Wired Weapons: Online Arms Trafficking in Russia and Ukraine

By Eric Woods

Blog     |     July 2018

English

       blog cover   

 

Beyond the Dark Web: Arms Trafficking in the Digital Age

By Matt Schroeder

Blog     |     February 2018

English

       blog cover   

 

Ways Forward: Conclusions of the Small Arms Symposia

Perspectivas de avance: Conclusiones de los Simposios sobre Armas Pequeñas

Des voies à suivre: Conclusions des séminaires thématiques sur les armes légères

By Glenn McDonald

Briefing Paper     |     June 2018

Arabic, English, Español, Français

ARA cover     ES cover     cover   

 

Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya (Working Paper 26)

By N. R. Jenzen-Jones and Ian McCollum

Working Paper     |     April 2017

Arabic, English

ARA cover       cover   

 

Chambering the Next Round: Emergent Small-calibre Cartridge Technologies (Working Paper 23)

By N. R. Jenzen-Jones

Working Paper     |     February 2016

English

       cover   

 

Behind the Curve: New Technologies, New Control Challenges

Un temps de retard: Nouvelles technologies, nouveaux enjeux de contrôle

By Benjamin King and Glenn McDonald (ed.)

Occasional Paper     |     February 2015

English

ARA cover     FR cover    cover   

 

Feeding the Fire: Illicit Small Arms Ammunition in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia (Issue Brief 8)

By Alexander Diehl, with N.R. Jenzen-Jones

Issue Brief     |     July 2014

English

       cover   

 

Identifying Sources: Small-calibre Ammunition in Côte d'Ivoire (Special Report 21)

Identifier les sources d’approvisionnement: Les munitions de petit calibre en Côte d’Ivoire

By Holger Anders

Special Report     |     June 2014

English, Français

cover FR       cover   

 

Following the Thread: Arms and Ammunition Tracing in Sudan and South Sudan (HSBA Working Paper 32)

By Jonah Leff and Emile LeBrun

Working Paper     |     May 2014

Arabic, English

cover FR       cover   

 

Following the Headstamp Trail: An Assessment of Small-calibre Ammunition Documented in Syria (Working Paper 18)

By N. R. Jenzen-Jones

Working Paper     |     April 2014

Arabic, English

cover FR       cover   

 

Small-calibre Ammunition in Libya: An Update (SANA Dispatch 2)

By N. R. Jenzen-Jones

SANA Dispatch     |     December 2013

Arabic, English

cover FR       cover   

 

Marking of Firearms and Ammunition (Research Note 36)

By Giacomo Persi Paoli

Research Note     |     November 2013

English

       cover   

 

The Headstamp Trail: An Assessment of Small-calibre Ammunition Found in Libya (Working Paper 16)

By N. R. Jenzen-Jones

Working Paper     |     May 2013

Arabic, English

cover FR       cover   

 

Price Watch: Arms and ammunition at illicit markets (chapter 11 in Small Arms Survey 2013: Everyday Dangers)

By Nicolas Florquin

Yearbook     |     February 2013

English

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Ammunition Marking: Current Practices and Future Possibilities (Issue Brief 3)

By Giacomo Persi Paoli

Issue Brief     |     December 2011

English

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Surveying Europe’s Production and Procurement of Small Arms and Light Weapons Ammunition: The Cases of Italy, France, and the Russian Federation (Working Paper 10)

By Benjamin King

Working Paper     |     July 2010

English

       cover   

 

Emerging from Obscurity: The global ammunition trade (chapter 1 in Small Arms Survey 2010: Gangs, Groups, and Guns)

By the Small Arms Survey

Yearbook     |     June 2010

English

       cover   

 

Arsenals Adrift: Arms and ammunition diversion (chapter 2 in Small Arms Survey 2008: Risk and Resilience)

By James Bevan

Yearbook     |     June 2008

English

       cover   

 

Blowback: Kenya's Illicit Ammunition Problem in Turkana North District (Occasional Paper 22)

By James Bevan

Occasional Paper     |     June 2008

English

       cover   

 

Ammunition Tracing Kit: Protocols and procedures for recording small-calibre ammunition

Kit de traçage des munitions: Protocoles et procédures de signalement des munitions de petit calibre

By James Bevan

Book series     |     June 2008

English, Français

       ATX cover   

 

Targeting Ammunition: A Primer

By Stéphanie Pézard and Holger Anders

Book series     |     June 2006

English

       cover