went to a Civil War reenactment a few weeks ago, and noticed something...

[Busyhands94]

i went to a civil war reenactment at Duncan Mills in Northern California. i had a blast! after the first battle, we were allowed to go to the camps. i noticed so many of them were mistreating their guns! it made me feel kinda bad. they took these pretty muskets and jammed the bayonet right into the soil to store the thing! one guy in the confederate camp was loading up his brass 58 Remmys, had them pointed in the direction of some kids and side swept me in the process. i am very adamant about gun safety, i don't care if that gun was loaded with blanks or if it was empty. i know that when they are doing the battle reenactments they shoot blanks at eachother at a long distance, but still, it gave me the "heeby-jeebys" seeing that blue and cold barrel pointed towards my gut.

my question, is that a characteristic of reenactors?

again, i am very much aware that the guns are loaded with blanks, however i felt a little might nervous that they weren't using basic gun safety. I have seen what even blank rounds can do.

anybody here do reenactments? i am thinking about joining C.H.A.S. (California Historical Artillery Society) and doing that, i figure it might be fun. at the very least i can set a good example for others.

~Levi

 

[Eights]

Brother, I get the "heebie jeebies" every time I go to a youth/scout camp shooting range. Having lived in Valley Forge, I see the allure of camping out "with history," but I have zero desire to reenact any historic battle/war to the point of having knife, bayonet, revolver or long gun pointed in my direction at any range. My kids/family are sick to death of hearing me gripe about trigger discipline on TV...

...Reminds me about a play I went to with my wife about a year ago. One of the actors had a gun and swept it across the audience and only one idiot jumped and nearly dove for cover. My wife asked if I was even paying attention to the play...

I volunteer time to youth groups and the BSA, sometimes on shooting-specific items. Teaching gun safety is worth the heebie jeebies I get when I do it.

Familiarity is the silent stalker in my opinion. An awful lot of people get hurt when familiarity replaces discipline.

 

[72coupe]

I'm with you on this point. Sunday a guy was pointing a scoped rifle down range while I was down range.

I asked him not to do that again.

 

[45-70 Ranger]

Did a bunch of re-enactment both Civil War and Indian War back in the mid to late 70's. The units I worked with were very safety minded and we never pointed a blank firing weapon directly at anyone, no matter the distance. We always pointed it to the side or down away from the person or object we were "shooting at". Never had an injury back in those days. I was a mounted troop then and even did some trick stuff from the saddle, and no injury even with an 800 pound horse under me. We did not have ramrods with the weapons in the field. That way no one could get pinned by one in the barrel when fired. Just powder poured down the bore and touched off with a musket cap. The pistols were loaded with squib loads of BP with toilet paper and crisco dabbed on top.

The guys involved in this now, I cannot speak for as I've been outta the game so to speak due to work and the cost of it all. So I have no idea as to the rules they have in place now.

Wade, Former 1st Sgt. Co. C 4 Texas Infantry, Former 1st Lt. 3rd U.S. Cav. D Troop ( my old reanactor units from the old days

 

[Eights]

In response to your initial question...

In 2008 a high school student in St. George, Utah died after shooting himself with a prop pistol. I'm in a different part of the state, but it was all over the news at the time. When it comes to guns & media, even the best news outlets are notoriously unreliable. I remember reading that it was a prop pistol "designed to shoot only blanks," and I also remember reading that it was an actual functioning firearm loaded with blanks. Either way, the poor kid died.

From cylinder gap, chain fires, hang fires, powder burns, etc. there are a lot of ways to get accidentally messed up by blanks/fire/compressed air. I had a buddy as a kid who showed up to school one day in ninth grade without his eyebrows and the front third of his scalp hair gone. His face was the color of cooked shrimp (except his eyelids). Turns out he found a jar of flash powder in his garage. He said he was standing several feet away when the pile of powder he poured in the driveway "went off." Not exactly a blank, but he didn't exactly think "haircut & sunburn" when he lit the stuff off either.

I've contributed a whole lot of nothing to this thread. I am curious to know more about training, protocol, organization & requirements surrounding reenactment battles and those who participate. I would guess that organization would mimic the actual chain of command and those who refuse to follow orders (the bylaws, etc.) are invited to leave by the CO.

 

[Eights]

Ranger, looks like you replied right before I did. I'd guess it's really something actually being there.

 

[45-70 Ranger]

Eights,

We had strict rules when in the field. Like I said, NO ramrods. No bayonets, Pistols loaded light and with paper and crisco only. Sabers were to be drawn only when ordered by the unit setting up and running the battle. Sometimes they were simply left in the scabbard and carbines and pistols only were used. We were safe in those days. But we had some kinda fun too! I like a "war" where every one from both sides get up after its over and has a cup of coffee and talks about how well they did. Beats the heck outta Viet Nam that's for sure!!

Wade ( S.Sgt, 75th Ranger Reg. Co. H, U.S. Army : My REAL unit so to speak, we shot real bullets with that unit )

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I took notice that folks at gun shows tend to be more safety minded than some reenactors.

About 20 years ago I had to go to court in Maryland and the judge was yelling at everybody to sit down. But where I sat was right where the police were pointing their guns as they checked them in. Having them plop their guns down on the counter and pointed in my direction gave me the willys. I got up to move and the judge threatened to hold me in contempt. I told him there was no way I was sitting where the cops' guns were pointed as they kept banging their loaded guns down on the counter. The stupidity of the way some folks handle firearms in amazing.

 

[Busyhands94]

"The stupidity of the way some folks handle firearms in amazing."

i can fully agree with that.

 

[CHM]

I suppose there are a number of reenactors who don't shoot anything else and are not up to par on firearms and range safety. Of course, that's no excuse! It's especially important for percussion and flintlocks where loose powder is being handled. I can't imagine shooting a Brown Bess without glasses! I now understand why there were quite a few soldiers with a patch over their right eye.

 

[Busyhands94]

definitely, when i shoot a flintlock i always am sure to not load it too hot or put too much priming powder in the pan, i mean there is a bit of powder going off close to my face, i should definitely be careful. i am always trying to improve my safety in many different ways, i want to be the safest shooter as i can possibly be.

i think that they should do live fires with their muskets, to develop a sense of respect for their firearms. a Brown Bess musket is definitely a formidable weapon, it's an assault rifle that played just as an important role in American freedom as any other. and from the way they treat their weapons i think they don't realize what kind of damage they can really do.

~Levi