Editing Deadly weapon (section)

{{Short description|Legal term}}
{{Other uses|Deadly Weapon (disambiguation)}}
A '''deadly weapon''', sometimes '''dangerous weapon''' (although some jurisdictions differentiate between the two) or '''lethal weapon''', is an item that can inflict mortal or great bodily harm. By [[statute|statutory definition]], certain items, especially [[firearm]]s, are designated "deadly weapons ''[[wikt:per se#English|per se]]''", meaning they are regarded as deadly weapons no matter how they are used, from the Latin for "by itself".<ref>{{cite web|title=Deadly Weapon|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/deadly_weapon|website=Wex|publisher=Cornell Law School|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref> In addition, deadly weapons statutes often contain provisions covering other implements intended to be used to inflict harm.

The use or possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime often constitutes a [[Sentence (law)|penalty]] enhancer.  The deadly weapon penalty enhancer is premised on a belief that commission of the particular crime is inherently more dangerous.

In some jurisdictions, a distinction is made between deadly weapons and [[destructive device]]s, such as [[explosive]]s, [[Incendiary ammunition|incendiary]] or [[poison gas]], [[bomb]]s, [[grenade]]s, [[land mine|landmines]], [[rocket (weapon)|rocket]]s, [[missile]]s, or similar devices, including the unassembled components from which such devices can be made.