Armorer

An 'armorer' or 'armourer' (see spelling differences) can refer to two roles. Traditionally it referred to a smith who specialized in manufacturing and repairing metal armor. The word has also come to designate a member of a military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms, and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith. With the renewed interest in traditional armor and weaponry, the occupation also in... more

An 'armorer' or 'armourer' (see spelling differences) can refer to two roles. Traditionally it referred to a smith who specialized in manufacturing and repairing metal armor. The word has also come to designate a member of a military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms, and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith. With the renewed interest in traditional armor and weaponry, the occupation also involves working with film, stage, and historical and reenactment societies. Period costumes may require reproduction armor, swords, and related equipment. Armourers are the oldest trade in the British Army and trace their heritage back several centuries. Today they form a core role within the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and work on an extremely wide variety of weapon systems. Typically Armourers are attached to Infantry Battalions, where the Staff Sergeant Armourer also commands the REME Detachment of other... less