In the general public’s mind there is a correlation between “gun nuts” and number of guns. It is probably not a strong correlation (i.e. not everyone who owns a lot of guns is a nut, the majority of them are probably responsible collectors) but the opposite (the number of gun nuts who own no or one gun) is probably true.
Probably because you never hear about some teenager going on a stabbing spree at his school or about some crazed loner up in a tower throwing knifes at people.
You’re right; you are entitled to hold any impression you want - reasonable, or unreasonable. It’s only when person holding views not supported by facts, attempt to impose those views on others, that it becomes unreasonable.
The quantity of guns in a household scares me not in the least. I know several people with well over a hundred guns in their home.
The story linked is pretty vague on who owned which guns in the Ludwig household, but it’s unlikely the teenager owned very many of handguns found - and perhaps none. It is illegal in Pennsylvania for persons under the age of 18 (David Ludwig’s current age) to possess handguns. So most, if not all, of the handguns inventoried must belong to someone other than the shooter.
Let’s see…if we are only counting serious steel, not ornaments, there are 4 axes, 3 swords, 3 parrying daggers, maybe a dozen bayonets, and Og only knows how many other non-kitchen knives around this place. The bayonets are properly “accessories” to the rifle collection. 
Well, I’ll tell you, when the possession (or presence) of 54 guns is related to the gun-killing of a girl’s parents, then yes, it does concern me (as in cause anxiety or uneasiness).
I realize that there are many responsible gun owners. But there is a subset of gun owners that is not responsible with their firearms. To them, apparently, problems come up that seem to logically suggest a gun as a good route to a solution. For this subset of gun owners, their hobby has effectively put blinders on their ability to develop other solutions to their life problems - if they were karate practitioners, arguments for them would likely end with a snap kick.
So, am I bothered by gun collectors? No.
When I see gun collecting linked to shooting deaths, do I think that that person’s hobby contributed to the specific form of their crime? Yes.
Do I see that as a reason to limit firearm sales? No. Drug and gang violence seem to provide enough reasons to examine the U.S.'s relationship to guns (and easy access thereof).
I was going to argue against your first paragraph until I read the 2nd. The control of the firearms in the home of the accused shooter rests on the homeowner. Keeping an unsecured gun in a house with an immature 18 year old is just asking for trouble.
Addressing the issue at large, I would like to point out a flaw in the mindset that guns should be tied to the crime of homicide. If the shooter wanted to kill someone and didn’t have a gun it would simply shift the method of murder to another weapon. That leaves an infinite variety of tools to choose from. There is a certain logic to say that guns are more effective in random attacks and that is a valid argument toward the responsible storage of them. However, it is not a deterrent toward mass killings (such as Columbine) as we have learned from terrorists that there are more effect ways of doing it.
I disagree. I’ve heard more reports of stabbings in schools then shootings. I suggest that more people DIE in schools from guns but knives are a real issue today.
I can’t imagine the freakshow I would be involved in if I walked into a school today with the knife I made in HS shop class during the 70’s. It was probably at least an 8" blade.
Back in the late '60’s I made a plastic dagger in shop class. I stabbed a roast with it just to show it worked.
The amount of whatever you have is not that important. It’s what you do with it that matters
I helped build a “walk-in” gun safe for a friend. 12x20 with lights and dehumidifiers. I don’t know the total count of weapons but there is not a lot of room left. One of the sanest, kindest people I know. Just likes to collect guns.
Lesee… I own a short sword… given to me as a gift a couple of years ago at a sci-fi convention, judging by the $15.00 price tag on it, if I tried to attack anyone with it, I’d likely just hurt myself. My room mates both own a number of katanas, boken, shinai, and of course we have our random assortment of pocket knives. In the garage I have seen a morning star and a few other random assorted impliments of a midieval nature.
I’ll throw a different question into the mix…
Is anyone else disturbed that all the guns were confiscated by the police?
Since the cited article does not include details on ownership, did the police have the right to confiscate legally obtained firearms (assumed, again the article doesnt state)?
Even moreso with the given that the “murder weapon” was not amongst the collection?
The only way the number of firearms bothers me is if we find that any portion/all of them were obtained illegally… or if the parents ‘did not know’ they were in the house.
Oh, and for the record, I have no guns but a number of swords and knives… and a couple of pointy sticks.
Do you have any fresh fruit?
Unless there’s information out there that’s not stated in the originally linked article, your assumption that the guns were confiscated may be in error. That article does not say the authorities impounded, or otherwise removed, any of the guns. It states only that an inventory was prepared. This is an entirely appropriate activity towards building the prosecution’s case.
What? No Sixshot? No Quickswitch?
It seems to me there’s actually two or more different questions being discussed here. Given only the fact that there are 54 guns in a house, I’m not particularly scared. I don’t think it violates any laws, nor do I think it should. It’s just as legitimate as any of the other collections mentioned.
I do, however, think it’s a bit odd. And that oddity, especially when combined with the fact that a gun-murderer lived in the same house, is, I think, newsworthy. If a person used a medieval weapon in an assault, and the police found an uncommon amount of medieval weapons in his house, I’d find that newsworthy, too. If the murderer used a power tool to kill, or ran someone down in his car, or sicced an attack ferret on someone, and he was found to have a great abundance of tools, cars, or ferrets, I’d be interested in that fact, too. “Legal” and “normal” are not synonyms.
What would be the common amount of medieval weapons?
I’m very pro 2nd Amendment, but 54 guns does seem odd given what happened. It’s one of those things with after-the-fact interest/significance, not something that would be troublesome beforehand.
This is the article I was thinking of… you are correct that it’s not reported ‘the same’ in the CNN article:
Hmmm. That is curious. I’m not sure quite what to make of it. I wonder if perhaps there were other firearms violations found during an inspection of the home. Thanks for the add’l info.