The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ARMOURER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
R
M
O
U
R
E
R
More clues leading to the result ARMOURER
- Republican in affair with top female weapons expert
- King enters affair with army corps backing -? he has weapons
- Lover’s run inside with her topless military man
- Provider of weaponry in a group of jolly types accompanying our monarch
- A Royal Mail server, powerless as a mail keeper
- Custodian of pieces etc?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Provider of weaponry" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case provider of weaponry = armourer.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ARMOURER mean?
ARMOURER noun- A manufacturer of weapons, especially of guns
- A military specialist in charge of the upkeep of small arms etc
- Someone who makes or repairs armor