The following reproduction of the definiton of “arms” comes from Definition 2, Col. 2, p.449, Vol 1 of 12, Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1978. I believe it is important to note the definition of this term, especially in light of the large amount of scholarship that concludes with a degenerate interpretation of the 2nd Amendment as to where it came from and what it means. It is not unreasonable to view the definition below, read the Second Amendment as to the term “arms” and to then interpret the intent of the Founding Fathers as enabling American citizens to own more than mere “small arms”, and definitely more than non-military arms at that.
What the term "arms" meant about the time of the American Revolution
Note what the the term “arms” meant around the time of the American Revolution. Notice the difference between “arms” and “small arms” throughout the discussion. This is important because the 2nd Amendment gives us the right to keep and bear “arms”. Not “small arms”, “fire arms”, etc. This distinction has not been properly discussed in modern jurisprudence.