What does that mean?

The context was a duel. He opted for swords instead of pistols; his point to harriet was that at twenty paces, you might be able to duck a bullet, but a sword from six inches away was going to draw blood, period.

a sword from six inches away was going to draw blood, period

If you're unarmed, probably. But if it's a duel...

I guess it's not important.

If you're unarmed, probably. But if it's a duel...

No, no - the point was the guy who'd challenged him immediately dropped the challenge when the weapons choice was swords. I think the implication was that the guy was a good shot, but had never handled a sword in his life.

Not so much unarmed as incompetent.

Speaking of firearms, where would a wealthy (non-hunter) firearms afficionado with a family store his guns in his house? I mean, I realize the actual storage device would likely be a gun safe, I'm just wondering what room would be appropriate if he had a fairly large (10-plus rooms) home.

When I wrote the most recent chapter I said his study, for lack of a better term. The room itself really doesn't matter to the story, I just don't want a reader to think "that's wierd" when that's where one of the characters goes to retrieve a gun.

I think having the "master's" guns in his private study is one of the great traditions of literature. If they're his alone and the family knows that that's Dad's place and not to mess with it, then it seems the best place, unless another room is designated as a strong/safe room of some sort.

Kalshane, where and when is the house? I mean, if you're talking a country house in the UK, there's always the basic gunroom: dedicated storage with lock-up capability (although the two places I stayed with gun rooms, the lock-up had glass doors.....)

US, Modern day. Character's father was a gun afficionado. Taught her how to shoot and even got her her first gun. Her parents died several years previously. She no longer lives at home (is currently attending college several hours away) but can't bring herself to sell the house she grew up in. (The family housekeeper still handles the house's upkeep.)

The shit has hit the fan and she decides she's going to need her gun (or a gun, anyway), so she makes the long drive home to get it. I'm just trying to figure out the logical place for the gun safe to be. She would probably keep hers with her fathers guns since she only has the one anyway (and it's where she would have stored it when he was still alive) and I don't think he would have enough to dedicate a whole room to storing them, though I suppose if he wanted to have a place to display them, a dedicated room would make sense. Never thought about people having actual, secured, gun rooms. I'm still leaning more towards the gun safe in a room with other uses idea, since collecting and shooting guns was more of a hobby than obsession.

I'm still leaning more towards the gun safe in a room with other uses idea, since collecting and shooting guns was more of a hobby than obsession.

A study makes sense, then. Is it rifles or hand guns? Some gun safes are the size of refrigerators.

It would be a mix. ETA: Mostly hand guns, though.

Bearing in mind that A) my family was far from wealthy, and B) I know damn well this wouldn't be considered safe gun storage and plan something more secure if/when I start my reproduction 18th-19th century gun collection, my dad kept his guns in the master bedroom closet, unloaded, with the ammunition on the shelf above, which at least was well out of a small child's reach.

Your character's house would probably be somewhere between "English great house with designated gun room" and "blue collar rural Southern good ol' boy."