Two Nova Scotia brothers described by police as "gun enthusiasts" were sentenced Friday to 12 months of house arrest after leaving dozens of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition lying around their homes.

Brian Joseph Coleman and Jeffrey Peter Coleman pleaded guilty in Halifax provincial court to a slew of weapons-related charges, including numerous counts of unsafe storage of firearms.

They were arrested in December 2014 after police seized 34 handguns, 31 rifles and seven shotguns from an apartment and vehicle on Main Avenue in Halifax as well as a home in Lantz.

Behind doors, on floors

Halifax Regional Police said at the time of the arrests that weapons were found on desks, coffee tables, behind doors, on floors and in bedrooms of the places that were searched.

In handing down sentence Friday, Judge Greg Lenehan said photos of the guns "were some of the most frightening pictures I have ever seen."

Of the 72 firearms, 51 were restricted and all 62 from the Main Avenue apartment were unsafely stored, police said following the arrests.

The guns were legally owned and registered properly, but were unsafely stored and potentially could have been fired by accident or stolen, police said.

Investigators had described the men as "gun enthusiasts who do not appear to be using the firearms for criminal purposes."