OK, THAT’S an “arsenal”

Frequently the media throws around words in a hushed tone about the things they are reporting as thought they were impressive. “Arsenal” is one of those words that normally draws an eye-roll from any sort of serious gunny, along with a derisive comment about it being less than they took to the range last week.

In LA police are reporting that a home they investigated after they found the owners decomposing body had 1200 guns and a couple of tons of ammo.

OK, I’ll allow that that’s a modestly impressive collection that could reasonably be called an arsenal.

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18 thoughts on “OK, THAT’S an “arsenal”

  1. Read that piece yesterday because of that “hot” word, just to see what they were describing this time. And lo and behold, I believe it qualified.

    • No doubt. I think that’s the first time the media quasi-correctly used the world arsenal.

      Fact is he was probably a collector with a pretty nice collection.

  2. I wonder if the guy had any heirs. If so, I wonder if they have an inventory. Despite knowing at least one LAPD cop, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some inventory shrinkage in the process of handling so many firearms. At least some of them must have some value.

  3. “OK, I’ll allow that that’s a modestly impressive collection that could reasonably be called an arsenal.”

    Yea, that’s a gun or two and a couple of bullets. But,OMG it appears he never committed a violent crime with them!!! Based on the the bigots view, LA should be a wasteland of carnage from this man alone. How can this be????

    Sam

  4. I dislike the term “arsenal”; it’s a code word for “more than one gun” used by gun haters. It’s no more a legitimate term (applied to civilians) than “saturday night special” or “assault rifle”.
    I’d call what we have here a fairly large collection. A friend of ours has something pretty similar.
    As for ammo, some time ago I read an article arguing that everyone should buy a box of ammo for each half box used.

    • I dislike it the way it’s used 99% of the time, and the way the media give it a negative connotation.
      But more than a thousand guns and so much ammo they need to make more than one trip with the evidence van? I’d say it’s not as unreasonable as their normal use of it.
      But then maybe it’s one of those “more than I have is an arsenal, less than I have and the guy’s a slacker” things 🙂

  5. This respectable, responsible citizen did the city of LA a huge favor by keeping over 1200 potentially deadly firearms and two tons of ammunition out of the hands of criminals. He should be posthumously honored for his financial sacrifice, although maybe not for his apparent OCD regarding gun purchases, which so obviously benefited the city and its population.

    When is the auction?

  6. Me, I’d bet that more than 50% of those guns “disappear” before any possible heir is notified. In fact I would bet that the LA thugs didn’t bother doing an inventory as they were taking things out of the house. “Plenty of time to do that down at the station.”.heh, heh, heh

  7. I realize this is in California, but does anyone else see a problem here?

    “There were no signs of foul play. Police have found no evidence the man, who has not been identified, was involved in criminal activity.”

    Absent a compelling reason, is it normal for police to confiscate valuable personal property of the deceased to “make sure” it wasn’t linked to any crime? Did they take his other cars, cash, precious metal, computers, steak knives, hammers, shovels, phones, duct tape, leftover pizza, large rocks in the backyard to see if they were legally obtained or linked to any crime?

    I’ve seen links to this story posted numerous places and no one seems to question the taking. How is this legal?

    • I guess the argument is that CA is one of those fascist states where you have to register your guns, so they are checking if they were.

      If this happened in a civilized state without such a requirement, then your point would certainly apply. I suspect the cops would still grab the goodies because they can get away with it, but in places like NH they would be on really shaky legal ground when doing so.

  8. Technically doesn’t an arsenal manufacture weapons, as opposed to.an armory which is where the weapons are stored?
    I’m just surprised no one has pointed this out yet.

    • No. The various dictionaries I’ve looked at all say a place to manufacture/repair OR store weapons.
      Government is also often implied, but not necessary.
      It may also be used in some odd ways, like “the arsenal of democracy.”

      • Technically, I think you are correct (and that is, of course, the best kind of correct). But this thread would not be complete of someone did not make that claim at some point, so I thought I would jump into the breach.

  9. Please note that even in the presence of all those guns no innocents were killed and no spontaneous shootings were reported.

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