Gun-control opponents seized on the oversight to ridicule the law. They note that two muskets hanging in the Senate chamber were illegal because they had no locks. To silence critics, Senate President Thomas Birmingham ordered the bright red plastic trigger locks installed on the musket that had been carried by Capt. John Parker, a Lexington Minuteman, and a British Brown Bess musket that was captured in the battle. Loading a musket is a laborious task.
Black powder is measured, then poured down the barrel, followed by a wad of cotton and a lead ball.
Muskets are fired by pulling the trigger, sending the hammer down onto the black powder, touching off a spark or flame. But the trigger mechanism can be bypassed by touching a match directly to the powder, making a trigger lock useless. News of the law spread through the country and to Britain and Canada, which supplies Redcoat re-enactors. In past years, a few hundred have participated. But there are plans to swell the ranks to 1,500 for the anniversary.