And if the pistols had been in the small safes that were stolen?
Well they could not have made off with a gun safe. But even if the pistols were in the small safes that were stolen, that would show that he locked them up, and that he didn't leave them out. I am truly sorry for the loss of property and damage to your brother's home. My impression was that the guns were not locked up, and there is a laxadazical attitude prevalent about securing weapons, these weapons may end up hurting someone or worse. It may be obtuse of me to conjecture if he'd had them locked in the stolen safes the situation would be different. But they would have been locked up and that would show something, to me at least.