From: daveu@sco.COM (Dave Uebele)
Subject: Re: Reenactment questions
Organization: SCO Engineering, 150 Dubious St.
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1992 21:40:59 GMT



Roy Wells covered most of the issues for reenactment questions. I just 
thought I would add a few minor points.

For revolvers, the loading is a bit different than either the muzzleloading
long arms or the breech loaders.
Revolvers are usually loaded in advance of battles and there is no reloading
during battle. Some people carry spare loaded cylinders.
The drill for loading a revolver is powder, open cell foam, and approved
gun grease.  (I usually ram the powder and foam together to avoid getting
powder in the loading lever).  Either load five shots and keep the
hammer on the empty or make sure the hammer is down between two
nipples (some revolvers have notches for the hammer to rest in).  Generally
only cap just before battle, and be very aware of where the loaded or
partially loaded pistol is at all times!
The NCWA does not allow the use of "wonder wads" because they have been
known to leave the barrel intact and hit people with enough energy to
be felt or cause minor injury.  You can roll paper cartridges for the
revolver using flash or cigarette papger and with a piece of foam in place
of the lead ball.  Make absolute certain that there is nothing else
in the paper cartridges.  There has also been some discussion about using
cream of wheat instead of the foam wadding.

Most of the guns are repros, but you see some originals. Its a personal
choice.  

Other equipment is often a mix of old and new.  A lot of the carbine slings
use the original clips with new leather (there seems to be a lot
of surplus for items of this sort).  It really depends on the personal
feelings of the person bringing the items to the event.
Some companies have retooled to make very good looking repros.  I try to
keep in mind that the equipment should look "new" not 130 years old
so I really prefer repros.

If I'm comfortable bringing my original 1855 springfield horse pistol
with maynard tape primer to an event and can legitimately use it, I could.
I don't though.  Mostly cause it would be pushing it for my unit (it would
be a "captured" or "obsolete" piece) and cause I don't want to risk 
losing it or having it get damaged.   I do use an original circa 1880
pocket watch along with an anvil and forge blower that are
in the right age ball park.
I know people that use Mclellan saddle trees from any vintage (I've got
a couple circa 1904 trees that I'm refinishing) that have been converted
back to the 1859 regs.

Roy pretty well spelled out (to the best of my understanding) how the
ranks work.   Basicly, there has to be a rank opening (according to
rank ratio rules), there has to be someone willing to hold rank (I'd
rather not, thank you very much), and there is usually a group election
if there are several people running for the rank/position.

About taking hits. No system is perfect for that. I've seen lines of infantry
fire volleys back and forth with not a single "casualty" and seen infantry
charge into a cannon "loaded" with double cannister and not a single man falls.
I've also seen one sharpshooters shot take out several men!
Each side accuses the other side of "not taking enough hits"
and for the most part the view from the public vantage point is far
enough off to hide most of these quirks.

I think reenactors eat better than the original troops and probably
haul around more stuff than the original troops. Of course trying 
to transform a 1990's park to 1863, its nice to have a few
items that you "foraged" from the countryside, including chairs
or foodstuff or???  There is a whole range of opinions on what is
"authentic" and when to be "authentic" but for the most part there
seems to be a very sincere effort to do the best job each is able to
do to present an accurate portrait of life during the civil war.
Thats really the bottom line that you need to worry about.

dave
-- 
Dave Uebele	uunet!sco!daveu  or daveu@sco.com