General term for portable guns, including handguns, rifles, and similar weapons. Often used in legal, military, or news contexts.
Possession of firearms is strictly regulated by law.
The police seized several firearms from the suspect's home.
火器 can refer to any firearm or artillery piece, but is less common alone. 銃火器 specifically emphasizes portable guns (small arms).
Compound of 銃 (gun) and 火器 (firearm). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of portable firearms.