How many firearms constitutes an "Arsenal"?

[allingeneral]

This question was posed in another thread, and I figured I'd break it out for a vote. Remember that your vote counts and voting is one of the most important things you can do as a member of VGOF and as a Freedom Loving American. So vote now!

[ShotgunBlast]

The government would say it only takes one. Thinking about getting that one gun is plotting to do illegal acts and conspiracy.

[SHMIV]

From Merriam-Webster:

1)
a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment
b : a collection of weapons
2)
: store, repertoire <the team's arsenal of veteran players>

Going by definition 1B, I would have to say that an arsenal would be more than one weapon. But, 1B just says "weapons", so by that definition, you could have a baseball bat, crowbar, pocket knife, and a broadsword in your arsenal.

I wonder how the original Webster dictionary would define "arsenal"?

[dorminWS]

I justify my vote for just one gun constituting an arsenal thusly:

Definition of ARSENAL:
a: an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment
b: a collection of weapons
Definition of COLLECTION:
a: something collected; especially: an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby
....................................

SO, an ARSENAL is a collection of weapons. it seems that while one might expect a COLLECTION to at least eventually be more than one item; it may only be one object, and indeed must necessarily start as just one item. ERGO, ONE weapon may constitute an ARSENAL. Before I thought this through, I had some fuzzy notion, based upon the definition of ARSENAL as a store of arms for a military unit, that it must necessarily contain multiple weapons. This was obviously a half-baked notion. If it is, it makes it even more worthy of the gun-grabbing zealots who no doubt regard the use of the term ARSENAL as indicative of possession of "TOO MANY" guns, and a propensity to misuse same. See there? It fits right in with all the OTHER half-baked notions they cherish.

WHY DOES ANY OF THIS MERIT A POST? BECAUSE, now I can truthfully tell any busybody who inquires as to why I might have used the word ARSENAL in talking about my toys (the ones I had before the unfortunate boating accident) that the word ARSENAL need only mean ONE GUN. REMEMBER THIS, boys and girls.

[OakRidgeStars]

Two or more of the firearms listed below constitutes an arsenal

[SHMIV]

I see that you and I looked at the same definition of "arsenal" and drew different conclusions from it. I was going by the use of "weapon" in its plural form to come up with "more than one weapon".

Emphasizing on "Collection" hadn't occured to me. I suppose that one could say that I collect Cadillacs, though I only usually have one at a time.

[dorminWS]

I see that you and I looked at the same definition of "arsenal" and drew different conclusions from it. I was going by the use of "weapon" in its plural form to come up with "more than one weapon".

Emphasizing on "Collection" hadn't occured to me. I suppose that one could say that I collect Cadillacs, though I only usually have one at a time.

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I submit that whether your one Cadillac constitutes a collection depends upon your intent. If you intend to buy another and thereby posses two (or any greater number), then it is the first of your collection. One might even strain the point to include collections of one; but as long as the intent to accumulate is there, I maintain a collection exists as of the time the first item is acquired.

And breathes there a man (or woman) who, having acquired one gun, doesn't want another?

[Reverenddel]

To an anti gunner? Being PROGUN is an "Arsenal"

To us? We bandy few of brigands? No such animal, I'm just holding my friend's gun until he pays me back...

[SHMIV]

I see that you and I looked at the same definition of "arsenal" and drew different conclusions from it. I was going by the use of "weapon" in its plural form to come up with "more than one weapon".

Emphasizing on "Collection" hadn't occured to me. I suppose that one could say that I collect Cadillacs, though I only usually have one at a time.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I submit that whether your one Cadillac constitutes a collection depends upon your intent. If you intend to buy another and thereby posses two (or any greater number), then it is the first of your collection. One might even strain the point to include collections of one; but as long as the intent to accumulate is there, I maintain a collection exists as of the time the first item is acquired.

And breathes there a man (or woman) who, having acquired one gun, doesn't want another?

I concede to your logic. Gun-wise, after I got the first, it wasn't long before getting the second. Shame that my buddy managed to drop them all overboard...

[glocknroll]

For my money, an arsenal is enough weapons that are intended to arm a military/paramilitary unit, even a small one (i.e. US infantry squad, 11 men).They would be stored in a centralized location until the unit needed them. I know that isn't the dictionary definition, just my 2 cents. Anything other than that is just a personal collection, no matter how many arms it contains. I don't think the collector who has 100 Colt SAA's, in all its permutations (1st,2nd, 3rd gen; different barrel lengths; different calibers; different finishes; etc.) has an arsenal, just a collection. The gun grabbers choose their words carefully, based on the image those words will form in the mind of the gullible, non-firearm owning public. Don't buy into the propaganda by publicly stating that anyone who owns a gun can be considered to own an arsenal. Some guns are like tools: specific things for specific uses. Others are literally, adult "toys": who doesn't want a few "fun guns" (.22s for plinking come to mind)? Some are just cuz you want 'em, d***it. I have some that I saw in my Dad's gun magazines (American Rifleman, Shooting Times, Guns and Ammo) when I was a kid, wanted them then, but couldn't find/afford them until I got older.

[glocknroll]

Ya'll have me seriously doubting whether it was a good idea to list so much of my collection here. Really don't know what I was thinking. Anybody how to edit that list? I'm pretty new here, but loving the idea of a VA gun owners forum

[SHMIV]

Ya'll have me seriously doubting whether it was a good idea to list so much of my collection here. Really don't know what I was thinking. Anybody how to edit that list? I'm pretty new here, but loving the idea of a VA gun owners forum

Yeah, I changed mine after a bit, too, lol.

Go up to the top of the page and find "user control panel". You can edit your profile there.

[cwfunrider]

To my wife I have an arsenal. To me it is the start of a collection. A hobby if if will.

[mk4]

"arsenal"?
what is this, "arsenal", of which you speak?

[glocknroll]

Ya'll have me seriously doubting whether it was a good idea to list so much of my collection here. Really don't know what I was thinking. Anybody how to edit that list? I'm pretty new here, but loving the idea of a VA gun owners forum

Yeah, I changed mine after a bit, too, lol.

Go up to the top of the page and find "user control panel". You can edit your profile there.

Thank you. I got that taken care of.

[SHMIV]

Ya'll have me seriously doubting whether it was a good idea to list so much of my collection here. Really don't know what I was thinking. Anybody how to edit that list? I'm pretty new here, but loving the idea of a VA gun owners forum

Yeah, I changed mine after a bit, too, lol.

Go up to the top of the page and find "user control panel". You can edit your profile there.

Thank you. I got that taken care of.

Always glad to be useful. After you've been here a while, you'll begin to notice that accidents involving boats and guns are fairly common around these parts. And, always tragic. You may as well pitch all your guns in the ocean now. I'd dump mine, but my idiot friend already took care of that for me. Twas very unfortunate.

[Diomed]

Depends. Journalists define it as more than one firearm - I think they call one firearm a "cache". Brady II would have defined it as twenty or more firearms (or 1k rounds of ammo!).

Personally, I think any assortment of firearms numbering less than a thousand doesn't deserve the honor.

[Kreutz]

Working on having a loaded gun in every room of the house, when I do it maybe that'll qualify?

[dorminWS]

Working on having a loaded gun in every room of the house, when I do it maybe that'll qualify?

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SURELY that would just come under "tastefully furnished".

[SHMIV]

Working on having a loaded gun in every room of the house, when I do it maybe that'll qualify?

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SURELY that would just come under "tastefully furnished".

And, wisely decorated.