Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 013 - Department of Parks and Tourism
Division 05 - Parks Division
Rule 013.05.10-003 - PD 3230 - Historic Weapons Rules and Regulations
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 2, February 2024
HISTORIC WEAPbNS RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR STATE PARKS PERSONNEL AND VOLUNTEERS CONDUCTING RE-ENACTMENTS OR LIVING HISTORY IN ARKANSAS STATE PARKS
These rules and regulations are for the use of Arkansas State Parks (ASP) personnel and volunteers under the direct physical control of ASP personnel (volunteers who are not acting as members of an organized re-enactment unit) in organizing and conducting living history re-enactments and firing demonstrations in-park or at department sponsored events. They are a combination of best practices intended to provide guidance to park personnel in spotting safety violations and safe handling, storage, and use of black powder and historic weapons. They are not intended to replace the safety guidelines used by individual units that participate in events.
To implement these rules and regulations, ASP will establish a State Park Safety Officer team that will consist of two (2) employees from each region active in black powder programming. The Safety Officers will participate in training designed to implement these regulations. Training will consist of hands-on instruction in the handling, storage, and use of black powder and black powder firearms procedures for conducting safety inspections and the proper care and maintenance of historic weapons.
I. REQUIREMENTS
II. WEAPONS
Percussion caps and cartridges will be carried separately and securely. Under no circumstances will projectiles be brought on site.
III. EVENTS
IV. RULES FOR ALL MOUNTED PARTICIPANTS
V. RULES FOR ARTILLERY
All artillery pieces must have an Artillery Inspection Checklist completed prior to participating in events (see appendix III).
Each muzzle-loading gun will require the following tools and equipment:
Artillery firing will only take place during the scheduled times on an appropriate blank firing range (see appendix VI).
Related PD: PD 3240 - Historic Weapons Safety Rules for
Living History Participants
APPROVED BY THE ARKANSAS STATE PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAVEL COMMISSION AT THE SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2010 MEETING AND FAVORABLY REVIEWED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AT THE NOVEMBER 15,2010 MEETING.
APPENDIX I
MISFIRE PROCEDURES FOR MUSKET AND PISTOL
When a firearm misfires:
At no time should a worm and rod be used to extract charges.
Efforts should be made to correct the cause of the misfire before placing the weapon back in service.
APPENDIX 11 MISFIRE PROCEDURE FOR ARTILLERY
I. LEVEL I MISFIRES
The minimum waiting time before attempting to reprime the piece is thirty seconds, except when the primer simply slips out of the vent or the lanyard hook slips from the primer. When a misfire occurs, good judgment on the part of the Gunner is crucial. In many cases, it is prudent to wait longer than thirty seconds, at least until smoke has ceased to issue from the vent.
When the Gunner determines that sufficient time has elapsed, the command is given "Reprime the Piece." When Cannoneer #2 signals, "Ready," the Gunner gives the command, "FIRE." The Gunner will be alert during the repriming that all numbers perform their duties safely and correctly.
Cannoneer #2 turns to his/her right and takes a prepared primer over the wheel from Cannoneer #4. He/She inserts the new primer with the left hand, using the right to hold the lanyard and keep it from becoming entangled on the carriage. When the primer is inserted, he/she moves the left hand down the breech to secure the lanyard while Cannoneer UA moves into firing position, being sure to maintain eye contact with Cannoneer #4 as #4 takes the slack out of the lanyard.
When Cannoneer #4 is in position, he/she will nod his head to indicate the signal for #2 to release the lanyard and retrace his/her steps back outside the wheel, keeping his/her back to the muzzle and without grasping the wheel.
Once outside the wheel, he/she resumes the READY position and announces, "READY!"
When the command FIRE is given by the Gunner, Cannoneer #4 pulls the lanyard as before.
NOTE: The Level I repriming procedure is repeated three times before going to Level II procedures to correct a misfire. However, if the primers are faulty, not igniting, the gun may be fired with a quill primer and linstock.
II. LEVEL II MISFIRES
Artillery firing events/demonstrations in ASP will remove powder charges and wadding only with a C02/H20 fire extinguisher. Only under extreme circumstances will the artillery worm be placed in service to extract the charge. Level II misfires will only be corrected once the event/demonstration is concluded.
SAFETY NOTE: Cannoneer #4 will wear leather gloves during Level II misfire procedures. In extreme circumstances or if C02/H20 is unavailable, after completing steps 1-4 above, fully elevate muzzle, continue to inject vent until vent is flooded. Cannoneer #1 will then flood the bore and using the worm, carefully draw the charge and place it in sponge bucket.
APPENDIX III MUZZLE-LOADING ARTILLERY INSPECTION CHECKLIST
APPENDIX IV
II. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING ASP SMALL ARMS INSPECTION FORM
There are three parts to the historic small arm: barrel, stock, and lock. The check-in form is to be completed in ink only! Each of these three parts has three conditions to be checked.
If there is no "ping" or the rammerhead protrudes significantly from the muzzle, the weapon should be considered loaded. Mark "Yes" on the check-in form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area. (See instructions on clearing a loaded weapon or misfire)
The rammer should move freely in the bore, mark "No" on the form.
Any stickiness or resistance to the rammer moving up and down in the bore is indicative of a bore obstruction. Rust and excessive fouling should be considered bore obstructions; mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
The barrel is uniformly smooth, no deformity, mark "No" on the form.
The barrel shows dents, dings, or bulges, Mark "Yes" on the form. The weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
The stock is cracked or split; mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
The stock has rough or sharp edges; mark "Yes" on the form. The weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
The stock does not hold the barrel or lock properly and tightly. Screws are missing, loose, or damaged in the butt plate, lock, trigger guard, tumbler, or barrel bands. Mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
The lock binds, hangs, or requires excessive effort; mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
Place the weapon on half cock and suspend the weapon by the trigger with one finger while keeping control of the weapon with the free hand. If the weapon remains on half cock while supporting its weight on the trigger, the half cock is functioning properly. The half cock functions properly, mark "No" on the form.
The half cock does not fiinction properly; mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
With the weapon on full cock and the hammer/cock held by the free hand, determine if the trigger requires a reasonable amount of effort to fire the weapon. If the effort required is s6 little that the weapon could easily be fired unintentionally, the trigger pull is too light. If the effort required is so great as to make it difficult to fire the weapon when the order to fire is given, the trigger pull is too heavy. Trigger pull is reasonable, mark "No" on the form.
Trigger pull is too light or too heavy; mark "Yes" on the form, the weapon has failed the safety inspection and must be cleared by a Park designated safety officer in a clear area.
Inspector's Overall Impression - Conditions may exist, which make a firearm potentially unsafe in the opinion of the inspector. In these instances, the inspector should fail the weapon. Weapons that fail the initial inspection may be serviced or repaired. All repairs should be conducted by a qualified State Park Safety Officer or gunsmith,
APPENDIX V
SAFETY, CARE, AND STORAGE OF BLACK POWDER AND
HISTORIC WEAPONS
The purpose of this Appendix is to establish department policies concerning standards and procedures for the safe storage, handlttig, and care of black powder and historic weapons.
I . WHAT IS BLACK POWDER?
Black powder is the oldest explosive and propellant known to man. From the beginning, it has been feared and treated with great respect. Even after 600 years of use, the need to be aware of the inherent hazards of working with black powder has not changed.
"It is important to keep in mind that a single, one pound can of black powder is the equivalent of seven sticks of dynamite."
Don Steiner, NPS
Sporting black powder, which is the only kind of black powder that is to be used with historic weapons, is still made from the centuries old recipe of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Black powder is called black because of its color, which comes from the charcoal. The original "gimpowder" is known today as black powder to differentiate it from later developments such as nitrocellulose "smokeless" gunpowder and sodium nitrate "blasting" powder. Using any "gunpowder" other than potassium nitrate sporting black powder in a musket or cannon creates an extremely hazardous situation that could result in an explosion that destroys the weapon and fatally injures the demonstrator(s) and bystanders.
There are three basic types of black powder. Serpentine powder refers to powder made by mixing the ingredients when wet and allowing the mixture to dry into a cake. The cake is then broken into grains. This process is the oldest and most dangerous. It was replaced by corned powder. Corned powder is formed by forcing the wet mixture through sieves which created grains of a regulated size. Corned powder could then be tumbled in a barrel to produce a denser and more polished grain, making it the third type of black powder. Glazed powder. In the mid nineteenth century, graphite was added to the barrel to produce a shiny surfaced grain. It was once believed that the graphite made the powder less hygroscopic or less capable of absorbing moisture.
II. BLACK POWDER DESIGNATIONS
III. CLASSIFICATION
"Gunpowder" is classified and regulated by three divisions of the federal government, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATE), and the Department of Transportation (DOT). These classifications are as follows:
|
Substance |
OSHA |
BATE |
|
Black powder |
Class "A" |
Low Explosive |
|
Smokeless powder |
Class "B" |
High Explosive |
|
Fireworks powder |
Class "C" |
Comb. Explosive |
IV. TRANSPORT
Black Powder should be transported by at least two persons, properly secured and never left unattended. A working fire extinguisher is required. The DOT does not require a load of black powder to bear a placard if being transported by the end user.
V. STORAGE
Black powder should never be stored in a Visitor Center or other building that is accessible to the public. Black powder should never be left in an unsecured location. An unsecured location is any place accessible to anyone other than staff involved in black powder events or demonstrations and their supervisors. Black powder shall be stored in a black powder manufacturer's approved container.
VI. MAGAZINES
Do not store more than fifty (50) pounds of black powder in one place. Separate quantities of black powder by at least 18 feet. Storage of more than fifty (50) pounds in one place requires a Class I fixed magazine which is a dedicated purpose-built facility.
VII CLEANING
Cleaning a black powder firearm can be wet and messy, please take that into consideration.
Items needed: tools for disassembly, cleaning rod, hot water, dishing washing liquid, cleaning patches, bucket, BreakFree Oil.
Disassemble the weapon as required and proceed using the following steps:
"Pa would take down his gun down from the wall and clean it. Out in the snowy woods all day, it might have gathered a little dampness, and the inside was sure to be dirty from powder smoke.
So Pa would take the ramrod from its place under the barrel, and fasten a piece of clean cloth on its end. He stood the gun barrel in a pan on the hearth and poured boiling water from the kettle into the gun barrel. Then quickly he dropped the ramrod in and rubbed it up and down, up and down, while the hot water blackened with powder smoke spurted out the little hole on which the cap was placed when the gun was loaded.
Pa kept pouring in more water and washing the gun barrel with the cloth on the ramrod until the water ran out clear. Then the gun was clean. The water must always be boiling, so the heated steel would dry instantly.
Then Pa put a clean, greased rag on the ramrod, and while the gun barrel was still hot he greased it well on the inside. With another clean, greased cloth he rubbed it all over, outside, until every bit of it was oiled and sleek. After that he rubbed and polished the gunstock until the wood of it was bright and shining, too."
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods 1932.
With a few modem allowances, this is still the best way to clean a black powder rifle or musket. For the sake of safety, don't use boiling water. The water should be hot, but not so hot as to scald the user. Use your own good judgment about how hot is safe for you to use.
Don't use a kettle, just pour the hot, soapy water into the bucket and place the breech end of the barrel (removed from the stock if possible) in the water, being sure that the vent or nipple is below the water level. As the ramrod is drawn up and down inside the barrel, it will pump hot water in and out through the vent. Change the water when it becomes excessively fouled.
Remove the barrel from the water and allow it to drain for a few moments muzzle down. Use clean, dry patches to rub the bore dry and then use a good, water repelling oil such as BreakFree oil to rub on the barrel both inside and out (you can use bear grease if you feel you must).
Weapons should be cleaned within a 24 hour period or as needed inside that period. For weekend demonstrations the weapon can be used all weekend before cleaning as outlined above. It is imperative that a weapon not be stored after firing without a thorough cleaning.
A brush on a cleaning rod can be used to remove excess fouling between demonstrations.
More oil is needed on a weapon being stored than one being used. A weapon that has been stored should have the barrel swabbed with a clean patch to remove excess oil before use. Bright finish weapons require special care to avoid rust.
Each historic weapon that is the^property of the Department of Parks & Tourism shall have a corresponding "Gun Book" which records the serial number, user of the weapon, time and date of each use and the purpose of the use, date of cleaning and any maintenance to the weapon.
APPENDIX VI
APPENDIX VII
APPENDIX VIII
