Report: Attorney accused of trying to kill wife had small arsenal in home. That’s the headline from California’s turnto23.com. So . . . what’s a small arsenal, then? “Police said when the first officers arrived they saw Madrigali walking out the front door. They put him in cuffs while they cleared the house for other possible suspects. Inside they found Trivia Madrigali lying in the living room with a shotgun blast to the chest . . . Police said they eventually recovered 12 firearms, including six handguns, 5 shotguns, and an assault rifle. 23ABC asked police about the firearms, they said all were legally registered to Mark Madrigali. There is no limit to the number of firearms an individual can own as long as they are legally registered.” Hmmm. What constitutes a “small arsenal”? And while we’re at it, what’s a large arsenal? And no penis jokes please.

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160 COMMENTS

    • Like everything else in Progressive-land, it’s any damn thing they say it is.
      male = unindicted rapist
      white = racist
      wealthy = selfish
      NFL fan = domestic abuser
      gun owner = future murderer

    • I prefer to call mine a “collection”

      If you know exactly how many guns you have, you don’t have enough guns. If you can list off what you own without having that “oh, I forgot XYZ!!!” a few minutes later, you don’t own enough guns. 😉

  2. I think its one of those relative terms, to people of the gun, a small arsenal could be anything less than the HK Boardroom. I remember reading a story about a guy who was arrested in NY and the news reported his “arsenal” consisted of a single glock and a bunch of magazine and ammo.

    I definitely need to get to work on building my arsenal ha.

  3. I’m getting close. Three pistols (.40, .380, .22LR), a Mossy 12 gauge, a 10/22, and a Remington 700 in .243 Win. Oh, and two stripped lowers. And several thousand rounds of ammunition. I don’t think six guns is an arsenal yet, I think I’m still in the “weapons cache” range.

    • I want to expand my answer. When I tried to define arsenal to myself just now, I decided that an arsenal needs to have multiples of the same weapon/caliber or weapon type. If you have 4-5 ARs, so you can equip yourself and your 3-4 closest friends, that’s probably an arsenal. Not that me and my four closest friends couldn’t do some damage with my mishmash of guns, but it certainly wouldn’t have the same… panache.

      • Matt, your residence has now been entered into one of the drone’s nightly flight paths.

        • I have landing lights on my roof*. If they come for me, I want a direct hit. I don’t want to be mortally injured and die slow.

          *The lights may be on my neighbor’s roof.

      • I agree, an arsenal consists of multiples of the same model of weapon.

        Multiple handguns/shotguns/rifles of different makes and calibers is a tool kit or a collection.

      • Matt, I never thought of it that way and that’s a good answer. Although there are certainly people who are strict collectors and collect, for instance, historical 1911’s (which means they’ll have many of the same model and caliber), I think what you said makes some sense. Multiple, similar guns in the same caliber might be an arsenal and a bunch of guns of varying sorts in varying calibers is probably a collection. Plus lots of fudge room on either side, because you could certainly build a handful of ARs in .223/5.56 that are completely and totally different (your carbine, your heavy barrel bench rest gun, a varmint/hunting gun, etc) and I’d call it a collection because they serve totally different purposes.

        My wife would say one handgun, one rifle, one shotgun would be acceptable and anything more than that is excessive. I considered this a “win,” because she started out in the camp of totally not understanding that guns are different from each other and not understanding why anyone would ever want more than one. Naturally, what she doesn’t know is that my 550-lb safe in the garage is stuffed full of toys hahaha

        • My wife always makes me buy her one of everything I get for myself. AR-15 for me, one for her, 1911 for me, one for her…

          At least I don’t have to share

  4. I have to admit, there are some people who would consider me to have a small arsenal.

    My theory is that everything I have fits into a single safe, so it can’t be all THAT many…

  6. 12 is a good start.

    Arsenal is a broad term. What do you call a medium arsenal?

    I get tired of the “heavily armed” moniker used by the press.

    “A heavily armed man burst into an office building this afternoon”… The guy had a shotgun and a pistol. That is heavily armed? I hate to see what lightly armed is then.

  7. Irrelevant. Buzz word used to scare the plebes.
    I’ve seen the media refer to three guns (an old shotgun, bolt rifle and rusty revolver) as an “arsenal.”

  8. To an anti-gun whack job what I own (3 rifles, 3 pistols) is probably an “arsenal”.
    To most people here, Im sure this ranks as “novice” at best.

  11. I’ve lost an entire arsenal in multiple kayaking accidents. Seriously NSA. I really have.

    • It’s harder to lose an arse in a tragic boating accident than an arsenal.

      Harder, but not impossible…

  14. I have 8 firearms, which my anti-gun friends seem too think is “way too much firepower for one person.” As for me, I feel practically naked with only 8, especially since I have nothing in a semi-auto rifle with a caliber bigger than 5.56!

  15. Well, I can arm MY family… so I’ll say yes, I have a small arsenal.

    2 – 9mm’s
    3 – 12 Gauge shotguns
    1 20 guage
    1 16 gauge
    1 410 gauge
    1 .22 single shot model 33

  16. If the cops only need one van to cart off your guns……….. you need more guns (and presumably is not yet an arsenal)

    • This. Used to be that the media was just merely being sensational but now they’ve dropped all pretense of neutrality and proclaimed war upon decent citizens of this country.

      But the fact of the matter is that it matters not if you have 1 gun, 10, or 1,000 – you can still only shoot 1 gun at a time if you care to hit anything. So this whinnying about ‘caches’, ‘arsenals’ and such is so much static to me. FOAD.

      And when (not if) that war breaks out so help me God promise I’ll go right after the real enemies of this country…..

      • When i had fun duel-weilding 1911s i hit my 2 targets (one for each gun) admittedly it was not very accurate but it is not meant to be. It is more of a mental attack for the target. Look up Ron Szpond.

    • In a SHTF scenario, you need a rifle and sidearm for each family member, close friend, and 1000-2000 rounds for each. =)

    • This is my response to when people question why I have so many guns. For the most part is is none of their business, but I like to educate. I tell them I want to do shooting competitions and one weapon will not fill all roles. Especially for three gun.

  21. I’m 27 years old and I currently own 9.5 guns ( still waiting on my dsarms upper ) and although I think that’s a small “collection” i’m still pretty proud of it

  22. Wow, looking at the list of guns on that video he had a nice “small arsenal”. 😉 Some good taste in firearms. The operative word here though is HAD. Sad that they will confiscate and destroy those nice pieces.

  25. Whenever I see/hear the question about which is the best first gun I think, “it doesn’t matter, you can’t just have one.”
    That’s why we end up with “small arsenals.”

    Possible normal expansion of arsenal:
    1. Bought a pistol wanted a revolver
    2. While buying revolver was tempted by rifle
    3. Picked up rifle and admired AR… Bought it
    4. Internet AR vs AK argument test… Bought AK style
    5. Still never got a shotgun… Fixed
    6. Caliber envy at range bought new pistol
    7. Wow Mosins are cheap
    8. Mosins come in a carbine version too
    9. Oooh shiny!!

    Ya see. 9 new guns with perfectly acceptable reasons to buy them all.

    • You forgot:

      10. You aren’t an American if you don’t own an M1 Garand.
      11. The CMP is running out, so better buy a few more.

    • It’s scary how quickly one can progress through that list. I acquired my first less than 3 years ago, and I’ll soon be adding my 10th. And yes, I consider it a ‘small arsenal.’

      • On top of that, I also already know what #11 and #12 will be. And then I’ll be done. No, really 😉

    • 10. Saw chromed 1911 in .38 super with pearl grips, picked up in case you take up pimping or join Los Zetas

    • Was at my local store to buy a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 so that my son and I could have some fun. We do instant background checks in MS so I was only waiting a few minutes (maybe 5). In that time, the customer next to me was looking at an XDM and it looked nice. It reminded me that I still need a good concealed carry handgun and while I was looking the selection of 1911s caught my eye because I have always wanted one since first qualifying with it many years ago and tactical style or traditional shotgun.

      In 5 minutes. The crying shame is I had money for all of those guns. I just like living indoors with my wife and kids a little bit more. The M&P 15-22 is fun to shoot.

  27. Yes, I’m sorry to say that I have a small arsenal, but I’m working on having a large arsenal. Say, as many guns as we are shipping to Hamas right now.

    Oh, and I just signed up to fight in Syria because I don’t think that foreign terrorists should get all the good guns. However, I expect to desert as soon as I’m tooled up.

  30. I do not have an arsenal. An Arsenal is a government run facility for the storage and maintanence of weapons. I have a collection. Privately owned and maintained and to anybody that objects, FOAD. Have a nice day, now.

  31. “A small arsenal” – defined as – a term of derision. An expression relating to a situation where some fool has not invested enough in the means of self defense, failed to acquire all components required for sport, or lacks the means to fully collect the art and science of militaria. Someone not worth associating with because of such.

    Usage -“You’re obviously an idiot because you have a small arsenal”. “You have been denied a home loan because you have only a small arsenal to put up as collateral”. “Your wife is filling for divorce because of insufficient arsenal, ie A Small Arsenal”.

  32. I have a “high capacity” arsenal. Which appears to mean more than 7 or 10, depending on jurisdiction.

    But then, I have a “high capacity” sock drawer, a “high capacity” wrench set, a “high capacity” refrigerator (it even says so in the owner’s manual), and Lord knows what else.

    The word arsenal derives, historically, from “handiwork.” And I do find my gats handy, and that’s why I’ve got ’em in all shapes and sizes.

    Don’t like it? Villify away, you slack-jawed, bovinous protest junkies.

    • “Don’t like it? Villify away, you slack-jawed, bovinous protest junkies.”

      Screen ruined.

  33. Oh, I totally have an arsenal. At least by those standards. I’ve lost count of just how many guns I have owned over the years. And most of there were what would be considered ‘assault weapons’. I lost count around 30. But then again I’m one of those people that just likes to collect weird stuff. And especially if it’s broke as I like to fix up only guns. Still looking for some Astra 900 parts…

  35. I’ve got the basic 3 (shotgun, pistol, .22 rifle), and I can see getting 3 more easily. Course my girlfriend thinks that’s 1 too many already (one gun per adult in the house), so I guess it would constitute an arsenal in her eyes.

  36. I only have a 9mm at this time (with an eye on a 10/22) but I’m sure the press would lump it in with my 1984 Megatron and call it a “small arsenal.”

  37. Oh great Caesar’s Ghost! Are we judging men by the size of their “arsenal?” Never heard it called that before! I mean……………………….Oooh, you mean guns! If I had an arsenal, which I don’t NSA, mine would be judged very small.
    As to the other, I’m 6’3, wear size 15 shoes (sad but true), my glove size is XXXL. Draw your own conclusions.

  38. Small arsenal = There are still guns you want, but don’t have yet.
    Large arsenal = You own one (or more) of everything.

    So, ya, I have a small arsenal 🙂

  39. No manufacturing capability = no arsenal.

    I believe the word people are looking for is “Armory.”

    That is all.

  40. What I find equally disturbing is the quote near the end that insinuates owning as many guns as you desire is a loophole in the law that needs mending.

    “There is no limit to the number of firearms an individual can own as long as they are legally registered.”

    • Especially if you’re reading it from a state where no registration is required, like Florida. Thanks to TV, many non-gun folks equate “unregistered firearm” with “bad guy.”

    • Not true actually. NYC and I believe Yonkers NY have a limit of 10 firearms which can be owned. That is firearms of all types … pistols long guns etc.

  41. An arsenal also means a large collection. I do not have an arsenal. I wish I had an arsenal. My list is long, the bank account short.

    Geez, I was sitting here thinking about that list, and I realized that I am approaching six figures in acquisition costs before I even get out of the 19th century.

  42. Its the correct description. And arsenal is just a collection of weapons – no size is implied.

    What I resent is the tone of menace imparted to the word by the mainstream media.

  43. I am not sure what a small arsenal is – perhaps Bloomberg can tell us – but I recently took a cab and the cab driver told me he owned a shotgun, an AK-47, and had just acquired a .45 handgun. A rather minimialist approach by my undisciplined standards, but he may well be onto what could be considered a sensible starter package.

    • That’s a good starter pack, I agree. Any common shotgun, semi-auto rifle, and a centerfire pistol get you all three bases covered off the bat.

      • Yep. I’m a pistol guy at heart. Always shot pistol better than anything. Until a couple years ago I had never owned a DA revolver. Ironically, I ended up selling/trading all my handguns last fall /winter and concentrating on acquiring long guns. Got the proper fighting rifle, ditto the shotgun, but no handgun at the moment. Saving up for an FNX-45. I have a few .22’s but they’re all rifles as well. (I think .22’s are in a different group by design anyways.) Handgun is good to have in principle, but if you’re going to be in a firefight or fending off a rioting mob about all a handgun may be good for is taking a bunch of assailants with you right up to the last, if you know what I mean…

        • Mis, absolutely agree that shotguns and rifles are far superior to handguns is all but one category. Portability. I believe there may be times in an extended SHTF scenario when being discretely armed is a plus.

          Too bad we can’t get Uzi’s new anymore.

  44. I use the old shoes/dress argument with my wife. As is you need appropriate footwear for different occasions. So different gun for a different occasion. LOL just realized that my Glock 19 is the little black dress that goes with everything 🙂

  49. It’s a malleable term, and it means one gun plus:

    “arsenal
    Syllabification: (ar·se·nal)
    Pronunciation: /ˈärs(ə)-nl/
    Translate arsenal | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
    Definition of arsenal
    noun

    a collection of weapons and military equipment stored by a country, person, or group:Britain’s nuclear arsenal
    a place where weapons and military equipment are stored or made.
    an array of resources available for a certain purpose:an arsenal of computers at our disposal

    Origin:

    early 16th century (denoting a dock for the construction and repair of ships): from French, or from obsolete Italian arzanale, based on Arabic dār-aṣ-ṣinā῾a, from dār ‘house’ + al- ‘(of) the’ + sinā῾a ‘art, industry’ (from ṣana῾a ‘make, fabricate’)”

  51. I’m working on it. I’m up to 7, 2 of which are old ring of fire POSes, and I only have 700 rounds of ammo. My goal is 1500 rounds, primarily because I’m tired of not having ammo when I go to the range. The teenager thinks I’m a prepper.

  52. A muzzle loading pistol, 9mm semi-auto, and a bolt action rifle. If I had ammo for all three, I’d have a go-bag.

  54. By our standards, with only three guns Im hardly a novice. By their standards, with my “Assault Rifle”-15 and invisble to airport metal detectors “Glock 7,” I could take down a marine infantry platoon. I guess my Mosin counts too, it has a barrel shroud and bayonet.

  55. The limiting of how many guns and individual will be able to buy with out some “collecting or arsenal tax” and extended paperwork will be coming..they have to try it with everything they are throwing. Some states already limit how frequently you can buy..it is only a matter of time before worthless politicians see an opportunity to take rights away.

    • IIRC, when AWB 94 was being rammed through Congress, our little Di-Fi proposed an “arsenal license” requirement for anyone owning more than twenty firearms. (Sigh) some people are like crabgrass; her measure died in committee but Di-Fi is still here to nip at our heels.

      Anyway, what fills my safe isn’t an arsenal or a collection. I like to think of it as merely an assortment.

      ;^)

  57. i believe that more then 2 of the same type would start the arsonal talk anything should be considered a collection. but thats what i think not them;-/

  59. As far as it concerns the government I don’t have any, but if they would won’t to take a inventory I might could find some spare bullets for them if they really need them.

  61. I’m getting deep into double digits myself. 4 of which are ARs to share in case of SHTF day or me and my buddies want to redo the Reservoir Dogs intro slow walk to music. But I just picked up my 6 new LR-308 lowers, freshly machined. It’s not ‘arsenal-ready’ until your LGS has to use two 4473s to call in the NICS check because 1 only has room for 5 serial numbers!

  62. No, I do not have an arsenal, although I believe my ammo collection may be more impressive than my gun collection

  63. Have:
    2 9mm (XD and Shield)
    1 .380 (Taurus PT58S)
    1 AR (M&P 15 Midlength)
    1 10/22
    1 20 gauge single shot shotgun.

    Want:
    A large calibre wheel Gun
    A 20 gauge pump (Mossberg 500 or Remington 870)
    A 12 gauge Stoeger Coach gun
    A lever action 30-30.

  64. I’m a minimalist myself, I don’t have the money to collect like I feel an itch to. As it is I figure my money is better spent making my babies perfect. Plus it would make me sad to leave some behind in a tornado or something. They get heavy…

  65. “And no penis jokes please.”

    Well, that cuts me out – I AM a penis joke. It’s true – my Mom was a farmer’s daughter, my Dad was a traveling salesman; write your own punch line.

  67. I have a .375 h&h. I’ve punched a blesbuck, warthog and zebra so far. Gorgeous weather here.
    Going for impala tomorrow.
    Tom currently in Africa.

  68. Arsenal? Isn’t that a medical problem? I apologize in advance if you censor this one too, Robert. I’m trying, really like the site. After many years as an ER nurse, my sense of what’s offensive is a bit warped.

    • Spoken like a true ER nurse. I could never go out to dinner with the ones I knew, as they’d start talking shop and I’d lose my appetite-right before I slid out of the chair onto the floor. . .

  69. Well according to Merriam Webster an Arsenal is defined as,

    a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment
    b : a collection of weapons

    Since the first definition has no relevance in this situation we move on to the second definition.

    So what defines a collection of weapons? Lets look at the word collection as defined by Merriam Webster.

    a : something collected; especially : an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby
    b : group, aggregate
    c : a set of apparel designed for sale usually in a particular season

    Well since the thing being collected is guns and for comparison you only need two examples of the same category it is safe to say than two or more guns is an arsenal. The question remains however what exactly is a small arsenal? My answer to that question would be anything less than the amount of guns it takes to prevent you from moving freely around your home without obstruction and going about your daily activities.

    • You looked in an actual dictionary which is your mistake. You have to find the MSM Liberal/Progressive one.

      Their definition is simple: What ever it takes to make something emotional, irrational and incendiary so that we can play the moral police for everyone.

      “The News” stopped being something that informs a long time ago. Now it is an extension of the political party the editor endorses. Really, these people cannot help themselves. They lost all credibility and much like the government cannot be trusted to simply report the facts and simply the facts.

  71. Sigh.

    Which is scarier: The late Col. Cooper with a .45 acp or Joe Sixpack with a safe full of guns? (yeah, yeah, I know someone is going to start in with the “dead guy with a gun is pretty scary” stuff. Please try to stick with the point)

    I know which I’d rather tangle with.

    It isn’t the amount of guns the guy owns, it’s the quality of the guy behind the gun.

  72. I have a small collection, 27 guns of various calibers and style of action, some handguns, a couple shotguns and some rifles. As a few have said above, If you know how many….I definitely don’t have enough.

  73. Whether or not I own a “small arsenal” is for me to know and no one else to find out. =)

  74. Ha, I don’t have any guns officer friendly. Boating accident, all of them lost overboard. Dang shame….

  75. Since I fly a Gadsen Flag, bought a copy of Atlas Shrugged, rented 1984, I am sure that the great patriots of the NSA are reading this. So allow me to say I do not own any firearms. If I did it would apparently qualify as a large arsenal.

  76. Borrowing from a George Carlin bit:

    If you have more guns than I have, you’re an ******e with an arsenal.

    If you have fewer guns than I have, you’re an under-prepared idiot.

    😀

  79. An acquaintance of mine has about 400. His Rod and Gun Club just put in a concrete sidewalk so he can get to the trap line using his walker. The danger in his arsenal is that it might fall over and crush him.

  80. How many is an arsenal?

    I don’t know. How many tools does it take to constitute a shop?
    A size for every possible purpose. In various configurations. And in multiples of each so can find at least one for the project at hand.

    An duplicate for each offspring.

    Doing pretty well on tools, long way to go on firearms. There are a lot of neat shiny things. And then there are so many neat useful old OD things. And with guns also need to add in the approriate training varients.

    • Edit: Very. Fu<king spell messer-upper.

      It'll likely expand over time. Maybe next a Korean Garand…

  84. My dictionary says an arsenal is a “public establishment…for land or naval service.”
    Need a better word. I know armory would work!

  86. Small arsenal??
    To a gun grabber, anything more than one, is an arsenal.
    I have a his and her shotgun, his and her defensive handgun, a revolver, a target pistol, and a target rifle. Each one was bought for a specific reason. I am getting practiced in all the different types of arms. Telling me that I have a small arsenal, is like telling a golfer he only needs a wood.
    Thinking about the ZA and the fact that my state will ban more stuff, I am getting an itch for some more defensive weapons.

  87. Well, I don’t know how *I* would define the word, but it’s way more well defined than the media. I mean I consider having less than 500 rounds for a specific caliber “out of ammunition” for that caliber, so my definition of “arsenal” would probably make a Brady or Bloomberg lackey schit themselves in fear.

  88. SO how many are we allowed to carry on our person (with a CPL) at one time? What is the cut-off? Is there one?

  89. 1- Ruger mini30 with 6 20 round mags
    1 – Sig P226. .357 with 3 13 round mags
    1- Glock P26 9mm with 2 mags
    1- S&W M&P Shield 9mm with 2 mags
    1- H&R 12 gauge autoloader.

    Guess to a progressive I am a one man army … Or terrorist.

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