In recent years, particularly since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there has been a noticeable increase in the quantity and types of arms for sale in the international market. A variety of organisations, other than nation states, throughout the world provides a ready and willing market for this commodity. Once in the hands of such groups, the weapons are put to the only use that they have, although the reasons for their use vary. Perhaps the three most easily defined types of such non‐nation state groups are the terrorist, the guerrilla and the criminal. While the motives of each are reasonably well defined, the boundary between, in particular, the terrorist and the criminal groups is increasingly difficult to determine.