Arms companies wear two hats: they act as businesses and are also expected to behave as socially responsible actors. These hats are not of equal size; the former is often much larger and conceals the latter. But a lack of visibility does not mean the existence of the smaller hat can be easily ignored. In this paper, the responsibilities of arms companies for the export of arms to conflict zones are examined. It is argued that the two hats that arms companies wear necessitate a reassessment of their responsibilities. It is suggested that due diligence obligations should be harnessed to enhance the discrete responsibilities of arms companies, thereby recalibrating how responsibilities should apply to actors intimately linked with the state apparatus, and minimising the potential for the business interests to subvert the role of arms companies as socially responsible actors.