Ordinary household hammers. Activists have hammered on nosecones, loading mechanisms, breech-sights, barrels, control panels, bomb mountings, bomb pylons, bomb guidance antennas and so on. Hammers are used to begin the process of disarmament. The hammer is used to take apart as well as create and point to the urgency for conversion of war production to products that enhance life. People who have been involved in Ploughshares actions have undertaken a process of intense spiritual preparation, nonviolence training and community formation, and have given careful consideration to the risks involved.
Extensive care is taken to prevent any violence from occurring during the action.
The goal is to reach an agreement, a democratic decision about disarmament. The backgrounds of Ploughshares activists vary widely. With the exception of the Aegis Ploughshares and the first Australian Ploughshares group, all Ploughshares activists have been prosecuted for their actions. While most Ploughshares activists have pled not-guilty and have gone to trial, several Ploughshares and disarmament activists opted to plead 'guilty' or 'no contest' to charges brought against them. All of the trials, except one, have ended in convictions.