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HISTORIC FIREARMS AND ORDINANCE: ARTIFACTS WITH SPECIAL PROBLEMS By Geoffrey Giglierano, Director of Education, Cincinnati Historical Society Local History Notebook, January / February 1991 Almost all history museum collections include some type of firearms or ordnance--materials such as ammunition, grenades, and artillery shells. Weapons and related materials, whether they were used in sport, hunting, self-protection, law enforcement, or military service, are often important artifacts in the stories we are telling in our exhibits. Many museums and historic sites also employ firearms and artillery pieces in interpretive programming-militia musters on village greens, "reenactments" at battle sites, or infantry drill and cannon demonstrations at forts and camps. Firearms and ordnance, however, are not ordinary artifacts. They present certain safety problems, even when in storage. They are significant security and liability risks. When we use guns and artillery in "living history" the problems are compounded and risks are increased. Few museum people, even those who are familiar with weapons of a certain type or period, are prepared to deal with the full range of questions that can arise in working with firearms and ordnance. Is that musket, pistol, or rifle that a donor just brought in still loaded? Is that grenade on the collection room shelf still live? Is a particular automatic weapon legal? Could a planned cannon demonstration end in disaster? These are serious questions that cannot be ignored.Yet, we do not have to be afraid of every weapon in our collection or cancel next summer's militia muster. Knowledge of some basic rules in handling, caring for, and exhibiting firearms, the application of common sense and reasonable caution, and knowing who to go to for help will get the curator through most situations. The Basic Rules There are some primary rules that govern the handling of any firearm, whether it is being put into storage, cleaned, exhibited, or used in a demonstration. 1. Always handle any firearm as though it were loaded. Be careful. Never assume that a piece does not have a live round in it. 2. When handling any firearm, always point it in a safe direction. Never point one at another person, even if you think it is unloaded (a rule related to rule number one). 3. If you are not sure whether a piece of ordnance--a grenade, a shell--is live or not, do not handle it. Get someone from the military services or a museum that regularly deals with ordnance or a local bomb squad to check it out. If you do have a piece that is deactivated, keep records to that effect so that subsequent workers at your institution do not have to worry about it or, worse still, send a harmless artifact out to be destroyed as a possibly dangerous item. 4. Do not take a weapon apart unless you know what you are doing and have a good reason to handle it. There is not only the possibility that you might not get it back together again, but it also can be dangerous. Guns operate by striking a primer or igniter that fires the cartridge. That hammer, or other striking mechanism, is powered by strong springs. In certain circumstances during disassembly of a weapon, one of these springs can propel a part from the gun with great force. 5. For the sake of security, do not put any firearm, ordnance, or artillery piece with parts that are movable, or removable, in a location where it can be reached or manipulated. Replacement parts from weapons are valuable and easily traded commodities. If anything can be taken from your weapons exhibit, you can rest assured that it will be. Also, moving parts such as the elevating mechanism on a field gun can smash visitors' fingers, leading to liability problems. Specific Situations In addition to these general rules, there are safe, simple, and useful procedures that can help you deal with different kinds of firearms and ordnance that may be brought to you as donations or may already be in your collection. Muzzle-Loading Weapons Many historical museums and sites will have muskets, rifles, shotguns, and pistols of the " that used black powder cartridges and loaded from the muzzle (the front end of the weapon). For example, the standard guns of the Civil War era were of this type and are frequently encountered. Such weapons are often found loaded. To determine if a muzzle-loading rifle has a load in it, use either the ramrod from the gun itself or a wooden dowel that is just a little longer than the barrel (the long metal cylinder from which the bullet is discharged). Insert the rod or dowel gently into the barrel until it can go no further. If it almost completely disappears into the barrel, you are in good shape. If more than an inch or two protrudes, you have something at the breech end of the barrel. The obstruction could be dirt or a mud dauber's nest, or it could be a bullet and powder. Take the piece to a competent, trustworthy professional gunsmith. He is equipped with the proper tools to safely remove the load. This same procedure works for single-shot muzzle-loading pistols. If you have a black powder revolver, such as a Civil War era Colt army pistol, checking for loads is even simpler. Revolvers have a metal cylinder behind the barrel, usually with five or six chambers each of which can contain a cartridge. These chambers are sufficiently shallow that if you look at the front end of the revolving cylinder, you can see the bullet in a loaded chamber. Another consideration in the proper treatment of muzzle-loaders is that you should never "dry snap" an unloaded weapon. That is, you should never cock (pull back) the hammer or striker that fires the gun, and then pull the trigger, allowing the hammer to snap forward. Not only does this violate the basic rule of always treating a weapon as though it were loaded, it can damage the artifact. Springs and hammers may break from such treatment. On "percussion" weapons (guns that have a little nipple at the breech end of the barrel over which a percussion cap is placed to ignite the charge inside), the nipple will get mashed down and ruined. If you have to cock a muzzle-loader for cleaning or some other purpose, you should not leave the weapon in that state as it places a strain on the mechanism and springs. To uncock the weapon, hold the hammer while you pull the trigger. By holding the hammer the entire time it is free to move, you can slowly and gently allow it to travel forward to its resting position.Breech-loading Weapons Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, guns that could be loaded at the breech (the back end of the barrel) became increasingly common. Most of these utilize some kind of cartridge in which the bullet and powder are combined in a single unit, usually a brass casing. Some type of mechanism, such as a lever, a slide, or a tumbolt must be operated to open the breech of the weapon and insert the cartridge. The methods of determining if a breech-loader is loaded vary from design to design. Generally speaking, when levers are moved forward, or the handle of a tumbolt is pushed up and pulled back, or a slide is pulled back, the chamber of the breech-loader is opened. When the chamber is opened, any cartridge inside should pop out. On weapons that have a removable magazine (a metal box that slides up inside the weapon) there is a release button that will allow the magazine to drop out. With these weapons, such as a World War I era .45 Colt semi-automatic pistol, removal of the magazine will unload the gun, except for any round that might already be in the chamber. The slide must be moved back carefully to see if a cartridge is present in the breech of the barrel. When the chamber of any breech-loading weapon is opened, a cartridge may stay in the chamber at the back end of the barrel because of a missing or broken extractor (the device that removes empty casings and unfired rounds from the chamber when the gun is opened). If this happens, you can usually see the base of the brass casing when you look into the breech of the open weapon. A stuck cartridge can generally be removed by inserting a wooden dowel into the muzzle of the barrel and pushing down until the round pops out. If you cannot get it out or do not want to fool with it, take the piece to a gunsmith or a curator of a museum that regularly handles firearms.Small Arms Ammunition and Powder Cartridges for small arms (rifles, pistols, and shotguns) may be rendered inoperable by removal of the powder. If you want to exhibit or safely store historic ammunition, any gunsmith or hobbyist who reloads his own cartridges can pull out the bullet, pour the powder out of the casing, and pierce or remove the primer (the small disc in the base of the casing that is fired by the striker to ignite the main powder charge). When the bullet is replaced in the casing, the cartridge looks complete from the outside but cannot be fired. Even Civil War era muzzle loader cartridges can be rendered harmless. You may open a Civil War cartridge box (the leather pouch in which each soldier carried his ammunition supply) and find paper tubes with the ends folded or tied with string. These are cartridges for muzzle-loading muskets, and are very important historic artifacts that happen to contain black gunpowder, which can become unstable and ignite. Rather than disposing of these paper-wrapped rounds, carefully untie or unfold the end that does not have the bullet and pour out the black powder grains. To make the cartridge look full again, refill the paper tube with a small amount of cotton or some other non-acidic material and refold or retie the end. Care is important, not because this is a dangerous process, but because the paper will probably be fragile. To determine if any fixed cartridge (a cartridge with a brass casing) is still live, look at the base. Is the primer intact or is it pierced or dented? If there is no round disc (the primer) in the middle of the casing base, is there a dent in the outer rim of the casing base? The dents and holes generally mean that the primer has been fired. Hold the cartridge near your ear and shake it gently. Is there a faint rattle? If there is no noise, there probably are no powder grains in that casing. It has already been deactivated or is a dummy practice round. Powder itself can be a hazard. When you remove some from a cartridge or find it in a can (black powder was and still is sold in a metal can), you should not keep the bulk of it. It can be set off by static electricity. Give it to a gunsmith to dispose of. Powder containers (such as cans) should be kept once they are emptied, as these are artifacts in themselves. The powder can be considered an artifact as well, because the formulas for powder have greatly changed over the years. As a responsible curator, you may wish to save a small sample-two or three tablespoonsful-loosely packed in a sealed plastic bag, labeled as to source. Small amounts of powder loosely packed are much less dangerous than large amounts of powder or powder that is tightly packed.Artillery Shells and Grenades You should get outside help with identifying and making decisions about artillery shells and grenades. These are artifacts that have potential to maim or kill you or burn down your building. If there is an explosive device in your collection you are not sure about, do not touch it. Many early cannon balls are harmless solid pieces of metal. However, even in the early years of our country's history, hollow shells with explosive charges inside were used. If an artillery shell from the Civil War has a threaded hole in it and you can see a hollow and empty interior, it is probably a safe piece. But, if there is something that looks like a primer or fuse on the shell, leave it alone and get help. Likewise, a threaded empty hole in the end of a World War I or World War 11 shell means it is not dangerous. However, if the device has a fuse screwed onto it, leave it alone and get assistance. Grenades also need fuses or primers to detonate. Most grenades in museum collections were disarmed decades ago. Some are practice pieces that never had a deadly charge in them. But, if you are not sure about what you have, ask a curator from a military museum or a weapons expert in the military services to take a look at it. Getting help from someone more familiar with military ordnance is the best way to deal with shells or grenades. Be warned, however, that if you call a military or civilian bomb squad, they will likely take your artifact out to a safe place and explode it. Many historic pieces that were safe or could have been rendered safe have been lost in this manner.Cannons and Automatic Weapons In the United States, we have strict controls on the ownership of modem artillery and automatic weapons (machine guns). An individual who wants to own such a weapon for his collection must have registration papers from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and has to pay stiff fees and taxes to do so. The BATF is more lenient with museums that keep modern cannon or automatic weapons for exhibit or study. If the museum is connected with local, state, or federal government, there is seldom a problem. Even in cases where a weapon had not been previously registered, it can be done retroactively by notifying the BATF and explaining the situation. Nor should other private, nonprofit museums and historic sites have a problem. Institutions that are serious about owning these kinds of weapons can generally obtain a license from the federal government to do so. It is expensive, however. Another alternative is to donate the weapons to the local police and arrange to borrow the items for exhibit.Ownership or exhibition of restricted weapons only becomes problematic if there are local laws that are stricter than federal regulations. In these cases, seek the cooperation of the local law enforcement agencies. If they refuse to let you keep a weapon, do not let them destroy it. Transfer the item to a museum or site in another locality where it can be owned legally and exhibited. If you feel you must own or exhibit a modern cannon or automatic weapon and local authorities will not permit you to do so, there are ways to make them legal "non-weapons." An obstruction can be welded into the barrel of a cannon along with a small diameter sleeve welded into the breech. This allows the gun to fire a small blank charge for demonstrations but not an explosive shell. A dummy part can replace a machine gun's receiver (the mechanism that inserts and ejects cartridges from the barrel). The dummy receiver makes the gun look right for exhibition purposes, but it cannot be operated and the BATF considers it a collection of harmless parts. If your museum has weapons that might be considered destructive devices, do not wait for law enforcement agents to come to your facility to confiscate or destroy them. Place the questionable items with an organization that can use them legally and appropriately if you do not want to deal with them. Talk to another museum person to determine a feasible plan of action. For questions about artillery, I suggest Matt Switlik of the Monroe County Historical Museum, 126 South Monroe Street, Monroe, Michigan 48161. For questions about firearms, try Jan Clement at the National Firearms Museum, 1600 Rhode Island Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. There are also good people at the Ohio Historical Society and the Kentucky Military Museum in Frankfurt.Care Firearms need careful handling to insure their preservation. The steel of historic weapons is extremely susceptible to oxidization. Wear clean cotton gloves while handling historic guns to prevent perspiration marks being left on the metal. Do not clean the metal with wire wheels or abrasive materials such as steel wool which will remove markings and patina as well as rust. After cleaning with a low-abrasion pad or cloth, coat the metal with microcrystalline wax to prevent new oxidization. Demonstrations and Living History Even if you, your volunteers, or living history groups that come to your site for special events are using new reproductions of historic firearms or cannon, there are questions of safety to be considered. Muskets and cannon used in living history are fired more often than the originals were in actual service. Mechanisms in muskets need to be checked regularly as they age, to be sure that springs and safety features are not wearing out. Cannon, particularly poor re-creations, can develop stress cracks and internal weaknesses even from use of blank rounds. Only first quality reproduction cannon should be fired and careful safety procedures should be followed. Real bullets should never be used, even for target shooting demonstrations. If you must have a projectile come out of a muzzle, wax pellets for a rifle or paint balls for a musket can achieve the desired effect. If you have a tactical demonstration or a battle reenactment, ramrods should not be used in simulated loading. A musket ramrod left in a gun by an over-eager participant can become an aerial missile. If you must have opposing lines firing at each other, they should not get closer than forty yards, and they should always aim slightly upwards. Most importantly, rely on living history groups with experience, discipline, and organization. A group such as the re-created First American Regiment will provide safe, historically accurate and educationally useful programming and demonstrations that a less professional group or an unorganized collection of individuals could not. I suggest you contact Tom Kuhn, director of the Ross County Historical Society. He can direct you to safe, professional living history groups from almost any period.Summary We should recognize that firearms and ordnance are a part of our history. Many of us will have to deal with collecting, caring for, exhibiting, and at times using them. We do not have to be afraid of firearms and ordnance, but we do need to be cautious to protect our personnel, our institutions, our collections, and our visitors. The Local History Notebook is edited and published by the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office in order to bring useful information to people working in the local history field. The selections of subjects and authors is based on inquiries to the Local History Office and on the editors' determination of issues which are timely in nature and lasting in scope. The reference inserts are copyrighted 1991 by the Ohio Historical Society. Reprints are available; please specify volume and number. For further information, contact: Local History OfficeOhio Historical Society 1982 Velma Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211 Phone: (614) 297-2340 Toll-free: (800) 858-6878 Fax: (614) 297-2318 oahsm@ohiohistory.org 
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