armory

An armory, or armoury in British spelling, is a secure facility where weapons, ammunition, and related equipment are stored, maintained, and issued to authorized personnel. Armories serve military, police, security, and sometimes civilian organizations.

The term armory derives from Old French armurerie, from Latin arma meaning weapons. Historically, armories were fortified storerooms within castles or city defenses and later evolved into centralized state facilities.

Functionally, an armory provides storage, inspection, maintenance, and issue of arms and equipment. It maintains inventory records, conducts safety checks, and ensures that gear is calibrated, repaired, or replaced as needed.

Typical holdings include small arms, ammunition, ballistic protection, tools, spare parts, and sometimes specialized vehicles or equipment. Access is restricted, with procedures for check-in, handling, and secure storage of sensitive items.

Types vary by organization. Military armories distribute arms to units; police and security armories issue equipment to personnel; naval and air armories support respective services. Some historic armories now function as museums or training facilities.

Close coordination with procurement, safety, and security regulations governs armory operation, including inventory audits, transfer records, and incident reporting. See also arsenal, armorer, and weapons depot.