[MR] [Carrying A] OT: Pirate Pistol

[sigrune at aol.com]

Edited for brevity:
-----Original Message-----
From: David Chessler <chessler at usa.net>

...And there are, to my knowledge and belief, no venues in the SCA in 
which
firearms are used. They are dangerous, and there are legal issues, so 
they are
not used. I see little chance of this changing. There are other groups 
of
reenactors that do use firearms, but not the SCA...

...They can be fired, though not within the SCA, and subject to the 
laws of the various states...

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I have been to at least 8 different SCA events (not counting 
re-occuring ones) where historic model firearms are utilized/displayed.
"firing" at SCA events is always charges without projectiles 
(blanks)... These have ranged from touch hole handgonnes, to 
matchlocks, wheellocks, doglocks and pretty sure at least one misquet 
lock, (pistols and muskets) and of course various size of cannon.  I 
have seen matchlock drills at Pennsic, and of course we all know the 
cannon. Dave is correct though in that I have never enountered a 
"live-fire" (for those of you who do not know, "live" would be with 
projectile, not a "blank") in the SCA.

Firearms have long been a part of warfare, even in period. As far as 
dangerous, yes they can be when misshandled through careless 
inattention; the same as a car, a sword, or even a hammer.  In well 
over 20 years of working with firearms (and shooting) I have been hurt 
many more times while armoring than I ever have been by firearms. (and 
yes that includes working on plenty M-1s over the years...some of you 
all know to what I refer, or at least your thumbs do)

All that being said I would like to thank Atlantia in general, and 
Atlantian Gunners and Canoneers in particular; for their efforts to 
properly and safely showcase their arms and their knowledge, may it 
continue to perservere in the ever-increasing restrictive modern world.

-Lord Takeda Sanjuichiro Akimasa
(Mundanely, a former professional gunsmith, now a hobbist)