Posted: 11/5/2005 2:15:29 PM EDT
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I was going to post this before the parade, but figured it was best to wait until it was over. Looked at the forecast this morning, and figured that it was as nice as it was going to get, so the wife and I went for a walk along the lake. As we made our way around the museum that looks like a bird I noticed a group of guys hanging out in the parking lot dressed in mil-surp gear. I walked over and asked them what was up with the gear, and they said they were WWII re-enactors that were here for the parade. "Oh .... that's right ..... the parade is a week early." I look past them into the open back-hatch of their minivan and there are several rifle cases strewn about and two uncased M1's standing up against the back of the vehicle. "Are those M1's re-enactments too?" Nope, those are real, he tells me and hands me one, asking if I've ever shot one before. I laughed, opened the action, looked in the action, closed the action and handed it back. Then I notice that one his pals is wearing a bandoleer, and the tops of the cells aren't flapped down perfectly .... I can see Garand clips ..... and shiney brass .....and ... yep ... that's an un-dented primer. He's wearing a battle pack of live ammo! The guy could feel my eyes on him, and knew exactly what I was looking at. I could tell I was making them nervous, so I just told them to have a great day and went back to my walk. Fucking cool! When the parade started up, I had to chuckle, wondering how many Milwaukee-Kommies were unaware that of what was marching past them. I didn't want to post this before the parade for fear of causing them a hassle. |
Sure, they could possibly have been anything. I didn't handle them. They could have been empty brass with good primers in them. It could have been one blank and then empty clips in the rest of the cells, ...... or something completely different than clips, but the same size. The only thing I know for sure is that the M1 I handled was certainly 100% genuine article. The ammo was 'as observed' from arm's length distance, peeking out of a bando cell. Given the cavaleer attitude about open carry, and uncsased arms in/against the vehicle, and the casual way they handed over a weapon to a complete stranger for inspection ........ I had the distinct impression that they were live rounds. That IS an assumption on my part, but I'm a pretty good judge of gun-nut-character. I got a kick out of it. 
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All of the reenactments I've been to specify no live weapons or weapons must have a blank firing adaptor. Most of the Reenacting clubs also specify no live weapons or all weapons need BFA's. Glad they got away with it this time, but it seems like a bad idea. Weapons have been stolen at AR-15.com gatherings, I sure as heck would not want my M1 Garand or 1911 stolen at a parade in Milwaukee - or any other city for that matter. Av. |