- the records relating to the Royal Armouries Museum;
- collections of research material from scholars such as Sir James Mann and Howard Blackmore
- records of the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield
These records contain material relating to the history, development and use of arms, armour, artillery and fortifications, and to the Tower of London. This includes original military manuals, drill books, and fencing manuals. The collection amounts to some 30,000 books and pamphlets, 10,000 journals and magazines, and 6,000 auction sales catalogues.
Picture library
The Picture library contains some 70,000 images of objects in the collection, which are available for purchase and reproduction.