I was a reenactor for 11 years and if I was to ever write a memoir of my experiences it would be titled "Cool Breezes and Flush Toilets - Things you lean to appreciate as a historical reenactor"
@@Roblox2025 I don’t think Chris even remotely said that, all he’s saying is; that in most instances, authenticity and quality is directly correlated to price. Particularly in re-enacting the 18th century. Though, you can save money by sewing yourself.
"How do you know when you have been hit?" -When it suddenly occurs to you that if you never load it, you won't have to clean it. -When you run out of rounds. When you forgot to properly tighten your flint, and it falls out. -When a French detachment is about to fire at yours, but all your men are occupied with loading, so you're the only one who actually sees the French firing. I no longer die: When I DID die, I invariably fell on my canteen, face to the sun, with my hat rolling off somewhere, leaving me there for 15 minutes, getting a sunburn. The majority of casualties in most battles weren't immediately fatal, anyway, so you have an excellent excuse for dragging yourself into the shade, and drinking some water.
In response to the first FAQ: The point you made Chris is in the point of view from someone who does, 18th century-20th century reenacting. Where as in medieval or English Civil war reenacting you are easily, able to tell when you've been hit as you have the person literally hitting with a metal weapon. And you can't take injuries for most skirmishes, you are to die and lay dead until told by your commander or officer to get back up from the ground. But hey each to their own as to how different reenactors do that, and depending on the period they predict.
Over the past couple years I've started being "wounded" when taking a hit, rather than outright dead, since wounded rates were significantly higher than death rates. I'll have my file partner or a drummer help me off the line into the shade. If our numbers require it, after some "recovery" time I'll get back up and join the fight (trying to maintain a limp or "hurt arm" or something), or stay and wait to be taken prisoner. As a unit the 4th has been working on more realistic retreating and reforming, too. Nothing bothers me more than an entire firing line turning around to shoot someone running away. One person running should precipitate a general route, followed by officers and NCO's reforming the company. Especially in those instances where a line of 8 redcoats is trying to hold back 30 continentals.
Absolutely! Dying on the battlefield is always dramatic, but for so many reasons, authenticity included, I typically like to get wounded instead of killed on the field. For one, it gives me the advantage to hobble off the battlefield, covering my wound with my cocked hat. I typically have a change of clothes at these events, and change clothes inside the privacy of my tent. This way I can still walk the grounds, interact, and grab something to drink without people wondering why the soldier they just saw get wounded, is now walking around unscathed.
Chris - Just in case anyone asks in the UK and own a firing musket they are licensed. A smoothbore is licensed under section 2 for shotgun and for rifled muskets its a section 1 firearms certificate. In the UK you do need licences to fire them. Townsend glasses look great!
This is very important as well because in England & Wales you face a firearms charge which has with it the real risk of a long period of imprisonment, I believe the same is true in Scotland and Northern Ireland but they have their own laws and legal system.
@@PCDelorian firearms offences in the UK are a minimum of 5 years in jail for possession with out correct licenses. The Maximum sentence i ever heard was 12 years. But its about the persons record and intent as well as the fact its a weapons offence. To own a musket in the UK that is firable you must have a licence. Its all under the same law in each UK country including england wales scotland and Northern Ireland.
@@leithafae Thanks, presumed it would be but there are many wierd and unexpected differences in some areas of law so thought I'd hedge my bets. For example drink drive limits are different in Scotland.
In 2014 I was on the Wast Coast in Marine Corps combat training. The company participated in a 3 day field op with blank rounds and simulated mortars they would set off randomly making us dive for cover like 70 times a day. There were designated training areas where we would be “ambushed”. it was called the BSRE I think it was “battle skills recon exercise” it was as much fun as it was stressful. little to 4-6 hours of sleep each day and you spend time while awake on patrols looking for these things the instructors would hide. you were issued a specific amount of blank rounds and were told not to take hits from the poorly dressed “bad guys” unless you got slapped on the head by an instructor that just pointed and said “you lost a leg fall down” and would then have the squad simulate pulling them out. Its really weird because looking back it was fun but at the time of it I don’t remember being anything but tired and hungry lol. I did get to blank fire a 240b against a mock attack at like 2am haha.
In Sweden you do not need a license for an antique original musket older than a certain year. But you need a license for a replica. Thus most Swedish reenactors have originals. But we are quite lucky here since the Swedish government got a LOT of muskets from Britain and when they ceased to be used in th army they were sold to farmers etc. Meaning it s fairly easy to find old Tower muskets from the napoleonic wars in auctions and antique shops. And often they are cheaper to buy even in god state, than replica muskets. I do treasure my musket :) old as she might be.
Please be careful UK gets a lot of its besses from India and although they are safe to use they are a bugger for lock geometry and you can spend a whole battle with misfires if u get the bad ones in the batch. But they are replicas.
I remember I was watching a Civil War reenactment and the Union did a failed charge and later retreated, one of the casualties rolled on his back and started cussing out the rebels.
As a white person whos directly related to Carter Braxton it makes me happy to see non whites appreciating our culture. Dont let stigmas stop you from experiencing history💙
That talk about minorities and women in reenacting was pretty cool, I really wouldn't care if someone who wouldn't have been able to historically serve wanted to get in on it as long as it was clarified, but quite a few groups still have very strict standards, I'm sure that even things that aren't visible, such as sexuality could be grounds for rejection in a few groups (if it's because of wanting to be accurate or something else, I don't wanna delve), because apparently gay people didn't exist before the 1970s
Thanks for this, Chris; reenacting is something I've long been interested in but, being a little socially awkward and finding it difficult to just 'insert' myself into already-established groups, I haven't really got around to doing anything with that interest. Thankfully, being in the UK means I'll (hopefully) have less far to travel - it's always shocking hearing people in the US talk about distance! - though my options may be limited to English Civil War, Anglo-Saxons and WW2 as a result. This video really helped me to learn more about what's required, and I'll be having a more thorough look at what's on offer in my area. Cheers!
The Napoleonic Society has reenactment groups for French, British and Prussian armies. There's also Redcoats and Revolutionaries which is a very good group.
Just a thing on firearms laws, they're going to vary from state to state. As far as Federal law is concerned a muzzle-loader, even a repro of the same, is considered an "antique" and isn't subject to any regulation. However in some states, New Jersey for example, reproductions of muzzle-loaders are considered MODERN firearms (since they're brand new) and ARE subject to state regulation. A local gunshop is always a good place to ask about what your particular state's regulations are, it's their business to know. By the way, everything's illegal in New Jersey, one of the reasons I moved! Just so everyone knows Brown Bess and Charleville repros have been on the market for almost 50 years now, so if you're looking for a used one hit any gun shows in your area and keep your fingers crossed, you just might get lucky. Check antique shows and flea markets too if you live in a state that treats repros like antiques and not subject to regulation, they can show up there too, you never know.
@@ChristheRedcoat And how! I remember when it happened, and the black powder community was NOT happy! In the end all it did was drive sales of modern firearms, guys who might have bought a muzzle-loader said to themselves "Well, if I've got to go through all that hassle just to buy a (blank) I might as well buy a Remington 1100 shotgun!" Let me tell you, if it wasn't for the bakeries, diners, burger and hot dog joints, pizzarias and other great places to eat everyone would have left NJ long ago! They're the only things I miss! Wisely, most states don't consider a muzzle-loader a weapon unless you use it as such.
I agree with all of these except the musket. Ive been building flintlocks for about 10 years as a hobby before I got into reenacting Rev War. I used to be a Pedersoli snob but then my stock broke in action and so I debated getting one of those cheaper Indian guns for about three months. Did all my research and then finally decided to buy one from a reputable dealer in Canada. My big concern was safety and after reviewing safety tests and claims of exploding barrels, I’ve come to the reasonable conclusion that most of these claims are anecdotal and the one claim that was verifiable was tested by a lab third party which concluded that the failure was operator error not the manufacture of the gun. So safety concerns aside, Now there’s two things with India guns (from Access Heritage and the like) one has to consider: the functionality and the aesthetic. Aesthetically it needed some work. The finish on the gun was crap and it was crap Bcs it’s not walnut so they stained and finished it to look like walnut. so I stripped it and dyed it with a Mohawk wood dye then did a linseed finish on it like i have countless guns before it. I will grant that it’s not perfect but unless under close inspection it’s indistinguishable from a pedersoli. Some of the furniture needed taking off and cleaning up from the sand casting process as well. So aesthetics were a 5.5/10 but I was able to strip the gun down put in a little elbow grease and get it to what I’d consider a solid 8/10 Now functionality was more what I was worried about. First thing I did was inspect the breech, the barrel, and the lock itself. The lock is a little blocky compared to the slickness of a pedersoli. But the mechanical parts were far superior. Thicker, better tuned, what lack of detail went into the stock and furniture went into the lock. The markings on Pedersoli have always bothered me, this one was marked “TOWER” properly and functioned great. Overall, an India gun, at least from that company, will need a little cleaning up but I fired it at Forrest Glen all this last weekend with one misfire and that was because I had a faulty flint. For someone getting into the hobby fresh, and with old pedersoli or Japanese guns becoming rarer, I’d 100% tell them to save the money and put it towards the rest of the kit than to drop almost 2 grand on a gun right out the gate. My two cents.
Yeah I used to reenact but got kicked out of my regiment because I was female. I was basically told at an event I had to either wear a dress or go home. So I went home, never did get my last round of dues back. Since then I've been...worried about getting back in the hobby.
Wow, I'm surprised. I would have thought a unit would want as many people as they could get. When I was involved, back in the '80's, they just couldn't get people to join.
Thats really sad and also really rude kicking you out if they first accepted you.. Where I live most reenactment groups accept women as soldiers. ( Sweden, Europe). I hope that you find a good society that see and value your worth!
Sorry to hear you were kicked out of a unit that has no sense of perpetuating the hobby. I hope you'll consider finding a GOOD unit, instead of the jokers who rejected you.
About to start doing Civil War Reenacting after a friend got me into it. I’ve seen pictures and he’s talked of some females who are soldiers and not civilians, so it seems you just gotta find the right group. Sorry to hear about your struggles, but I’m sure there’s a group out there you can join.
I very much enjoyed and appreciate the videos you film about historical reenactments and the life of 18th century British and other armies of the American revolution, very educational and interesting. Many people dont know who were Hessian soldiers from as an example. Keep up the good work you do.
My Dad and mom work with First Maryland Regiment out of Ft. Fredrick in Fredrick county Maryland. Dad had sort of a white hunting Frock and played skirmisher and mom had two outfit one being simply a continental lady of the period and the other (and I might add dads favorite) tavern wench. They were active with the unit from late “74-77” when dad got recalled too active Navy. The spirt of the Continentals didn’t leave them as mom made dad a red vest to wear under his dress blues when standing quarter deck OOD. He was caught on camera asleep with the coat open after his watch looking very John Paul Jones like. God bless America.
Chris, what's the most effective way to... er... *"dispose"...* of... uh... farbs? I have 2, in my basement. They were... neutralized... for now, and all I have to dispose of them is a 1777 Charleville musket, with bayonet, and I'd be fighting 2 people at once with a long-ranged melee weapon/clunky missile weapon. Any suggestions?
@@ChristheRedcoat but if they don't, I suggest releasing them into the wild, you have 4 options, party city, halloween express, the goodwill costume section, or a rev war fort's gift shop, where they won't look out of place in their gear, as they probably got their gear in these places
Thanks for that Chris that was very interesting! Few years time I would love to get involved in reanacting, it does sound extremely exciting and especially if you have a love of history like yourself it gives a meaning and purpose to actually reanact!
the third option for uniform or clothes is to get 2nd-hand, but this should not be the main track, cause often the fit is important. start with the clothing, then equip for camp, for eat and for living before getting armed. always try to lend items, test if you are fine with it, before purchasing. learn to sew or other crafting, and barter trade with other members. in Germany for historical weapons legal age is 18 (ownership, usage) and the type of modell must be before 1871, for usage of black powder a licence is required you have to attend a course. as Chris said these are still weapons and you have to take care: only usage at declared event, keep under lock, do never point directly on any person or animal, do any safety procedures. we have a saying goes like if you buy cheap you have to go later for buying a second one/time. only one exeption: you can make a test run in first try with cheap fabrics like cotton to sew your own robe, put it on and you will see what is not fit or what works, than use the acurate fabrics to get a perfect result.
I'm late to the party, but I wanted to say it's fascinating to me how much reenacting varies by region. I live in Colorado (USA) and virtually all of it that I've found is European (at Celtic festivals and the like) or civilian (often tied to a local museum). I dream of being a docent at our local living history museum, but the time commitment is pretty serious. They depict local families in 4 eras: native American encampment, settler's log cabin, 1870s ranching near town, and relatively wealthy (1907 home with servants and new inventions like electric lighting), in addition to the 1890s blacksmith. Special events like the 4th of July or sheep shearing add additional exhibits. I guess that's what happens when you live somewhere so far from the major battlefields. You end up with a lot of attention on civilian pursuits. Mining and railroads are common focuses of historical hobbies other than reenacting around here. (And if I've overlooked something, please let me know. I love attending reenactments and living history museums!)
Those who think doing Civilian is easier, have never done Civilian. I've been a Serjeant, and I find Civilian to be both more challenging AND more rewarding. As a Soldier, you have Clothing Warrants, Military Manuals, (like Cuthbertson's) and other guides that will tell you what to wear, how to wear it, what to carry, and how to operate a musket, and naneuver on the field with it. I'm not aware of any one modern Guide to Reenacting the British Soldier, but it wouldn't be entirely difficult to create. At events you simply go where you're told. A civilian one would be a nightmare. The Civilian Reenactor has to start pretty much from scratch, researching EVERYTHING.
It's the same with Vikings the number of people carrying drinking horns on their belts and then they tell people that what Vikings did really bugs me. Or when you see a fantastic outfit then you notice a belt knife that has pop closing and a sharping stone holder . Then someone else said you can't buy Viking age knifes?
Nice! Thanks for doing (another) one of these. It's nudging me to get back to filming some videos for my own channel, which I've been neglecting...In my copious amount of "spare time"
In my combine years of 25 years of reenacting black powder to modern and 12 years being reservist, 13 leo (plus paintballing and airsoft) out of all the tatical events I've done, simunition (as a resevist) is one thing that ll let you know when you have been hit and let you use real weapons. I felt it was the biggest rush out of all other types of training (minus actually get shot at, not fun I don't recommend it) It's a unique blend of paintball, reenacting, airsoft. I got shot in the butt and stomach (right under the plate carrier) at the same time, in July, at camp Lejune, with a gasmask on. That was an experience. I learned what not to do next time. 😆 But I still enjoy the hobby, you get out of it what you put into it.
I hear that in some groups if your under 16 you could be a medic, or depending on era, fifer or drummer if your with someone above 16, how does this necessarily work?
I got lucky with my Pedersoli Cabelsa has them on sale for 899 and I got what I think is the last on available until the fall or next year so yeah the one near me had one more which was the display model and a but beat up might still be worth the saving. 1st NJV a british loyalist group is very open to women line soldiers
I had gotten incredibly lucky with my latest Pedersoli find. I bought my "1762 Grice" short land pattern with absolutely beautiful wood, mint condition, with 25 lead balls, patches, a bag of English flints, and a few other things, for $900 out the door. I was incredibly pleased.
Sorry chris, if you are UK based note we haven't had any new pedersoli's brand stuff come into the UK for the past two years now. Wish we would all the places i know have all sold out of their products.
17:40 Yes, might not be as accurate, since armies back then were all male, but why should we stop people today who want to have fun or experience something? In the end, it just results in more people thinking "This seems like an interesting idea"
Not a re-enactor myself, but it would seem to me the more young people, male or female, attracted to your hobby the better. Otherwise you're going to have the ridiculous sight of "geezer brigades" on the battlefields, as the veteran hobbyists begin to age out with no youngsters to replace them. Not that there's anything wrong with re-enactors carrying on as long as they're physically capable, but when you consider the average age of an infantry soldier back then was from 18 to 30 (same as now when you come down to it), well what can I say?
There are several incidents of women in the ranks, hiding the fact of their gender, and not being found out until they got wounded. Of course, if they were found out, they'd be cashiered, and sent home. 😅
I don't know about the revolutionary war, but at least in Swedish history, there are quite a few famous stories of women who joined the Swedish army pretending to be men.
Mary Hays (AKA Molly Pitcher) was an interesting case, though in the rebel/American army. The legend goes that she was a camp follower whose husband was part of a gun/cannon crew. She frequently carried water for the battery (hence the nickname of Molly Pitcher). She supposedly took over her husband's firing position doing the Battle of Monmouth when he was injured. Unfortunately it's a story that was wildly popular for a long time (there's some lovely artwork from later eras) and it's hard to know the veracity of the tale by today's standards. But there is actual evidence that Mary, later in her life, applied for a widow's pension and was instead awarded an annual income of $40 "for services she rendered" from the government of Pennsylvania. So there may be some lost truth to the legends. Personally, when hard pressed, I'm not particularly inclined to turn down help when it's offered. It also seems to be a right place at the right time type of a story rather than a woman having a military career. So I'm inclined to think it's not all propaganda, but I wouldn't pattern a portrayal on her. 😅 BTW, if you want to read more on Molly Pitcher, www.britannica.com/biography/Molly-Pitcher is a decent start and has a couple of the images I mentioned.
As a civil war reenactor I have seen vollies on vollies where less than 5 people took the hit both sides combined and also saw nearly everyone fall after the first volley. There should definitely be assigned hits and when during muster. Most of the time it looks ok but sometimes its ridiculous.
I remember one event I took part in where they marked certain cartridges with a black dot, red dot, or similar. If you pull that marked cartridge out of your cartridge box, you take your hit after firing. BTW, you really DON'T want to fall on your musket! They get pretty hot after a few rounds!
Hey out of curiosity, do you actually do any shooting with your musket? I'm a firearms collector and sportshooter myself, and I've always wondered if you guys actually cross over into my hobby at all. Good content, thanks.
Some people do. My unit was supposed to do a live fire exercise earlier this year but it got canceled. I personally have never shot mine live because I’ve never bothered to get it proofed.
Surgeon or surgeon's assistant, quartermaster, a tradesman of some kind, a sailor, a musician if you're musically inclined - these are just some examples. There's plenty of noncombat roles available!
Caveat: New Jersey does not recognize Curios & Relics as such and requires transfer through and FFL and a FID card to posses. So stay on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, lest be a Christmas Day felon.
I used to take a hit immediately at opening shots. These days I take hits a little less noting that others don’t bother to generally. Often the small numbers involved make stand up shootouts very unrealistic.
I thoroughly enjoy taking hits, as I get to ham it up for a great showing and I get to save on ammunition. This last June, I took a hit on a small rise but in the shade under a highway bridge. Well, a jeep had to come through and they didn't want to chance running over me, so I was dragged into the hot sun, on black cinders, face up, on a weekend when several others had already gone down with heat stroke. I told the chap I would have preferred he kicked me down the hill onto the sharp rocks, because I would at least be in the shade!!
Were there age requirements for the army in the 18th century? I ask this because I've heard there were young teenagers or even kids in the British army during the Napoleonic Wars
Generally they were looking for people in their late teens, early 20s and upwards. You do have a few instances of younger people serving but it’s usually because they either lied about their age, were persistent enough to sway the recruiting officer, or because they were the son of a soldier, and therefore grew up in the army.
Not generally. I think you’ll find that in general most reenactors do tend to fall on the heavier side, so larger weight isn’t something they tend to care about, as long as you’re able to keep up with the rest of them.
Because pistols were hardly used by infantry in the Rev War period. They were more commonly used by cavalry, and cavalry groups in the hobby are very few and far between.
Not generally. Not unless they were mounted, and even then it wasn’t all the time. Officers generally carried swords. If they carried any sort of firearm at all, it likely would have been a fusee.
@@GreytOutdoorsMedic Keep in mind that then and now an infantry officer's job isn't really to do any fighting himself (under most circumstances) but to manage the violence. He tells the troops "Go here! Go there! Do this! Do that!" and then makes sure they do it. An officer's pistol (and they're all issued one today) is strictly for his own self protection. During the Revolution British company grade officers (captain and below) mostly carried fusees as Chris said, light muskets that took a bayonet which were much more effective for personal protection than a pistol would be. (It also made them less distinguishable from the troops in case there were any of those pesky American riflemen around!) American officers were forbidden from carrying muskets or fusees since in General Washington's opinion using one would take their attention away from doing their jobs, so they carried spontoons (short spears) for personal protection. They might have a pistol stuck in their belts, but that was their choice, back in those days officers weren't issued pistols (or anything) so they had to buy one if they wanted one.
Where in the U.S. do you need a license to own a fire arm of any sort? ... I live in Oregon and we don't have that requirement. I am not aware of the other laws in other states. thanx
@@ChristheRedcoat Which is fairly ironic, when you think about it. The very area where the Revolution began treats their Citizens like Subjects, and regulate Rights as if they were privileges!
It varies from state to state, and remember there's 50 of them! I believe a guide to state firearms laws is available from the National Rifle Association.
I've got a question for you. So I have wanted to get into reenacting as I really like history. Im more interested in the revolutionary war reenactments but I cant find any rev war reenactment units in my state (I live in Georgia). So my question for you is do you happen to know of any reenactment groups for the rev war in Georgia? Also do you happen to know of any Continental Marine units?
I don’t know of any Continental Marine units off the top of my head. And I can’t think of any groups that are properly in Georgia. Best I can do is that I think there are some groups in neighboring states that may have at least some members in Georgia. Check out the 7th Regiment of Foot or the East Florida Loyalists?
I don't know of any Continental Marine units myself, but I did run into a local re--enactor several years ago who does a Continental Marine as an independent, that is he's not part of any unit and he attaches himself to whatever Continental group happens to be at an event. He said he's always welcome. You could try the same. By the way, he was thrilled someone knew what he was when I walked up to him and said "Semper Fi, Marine!"
When you addressed Townsends, where you you only speaking on the quality of the regimental coats? Or do you not recommend anything from them (socks, undershirt, waistcoat, breeches, etc)
@@ChristheRedcoat oh boy. The guy in charge of the regiment I wanted to join suggested I only buy things from them, except the coat. Sounds like I need to keep looking. Do you know any around SoCal?
Facebook definitely isn’t the best option for firearms, they dont allow the sale of musket/ any firearms, its pretty much banned on all sale pages I personally got my defarbed springfield from my captain, 500$, thats why joining a group is such a good thing, connections connections connections will help you get used gear
Hey could you answer me this question so if i want to be an officer can i just become an officer or how does this work? Do i need to gain experience or not, to become an officer? Because i would love to reenact as an british officer
You should really have experience as a private first and work your way up through the ranks of a unit if you want to be an officer. Showing up to an event as another officer with no unit attached is generally frowned upon. Mainly because the hobby as a whole is already over saturated with officers as it is.
Okay so im 13 i need to wait 3 years Till i can be a rifleman but that is okay because i love history and my last question before i will go deep into the 18/19th century is did normal soldiers have swords or sabers? (because i also love melee combat)
I'd have to disagree on the muskets- the Indian made guns, while cheap yes, can be "ok" quality. I have a few myself. I'd recommend Veteran Arms. What I tell people who are interested, think of the Indian guns as a good way to get into the hobby--- I know a lot of people don't want to drop $1.5k on a musket right away, so I recommend if you can- try an Indian for $500-600, get a feel for it, you can beat it up a bit more and if the hobby is for you, then go and drop $2k on a premium musket.
Or just save yourself the cost of an Indian made musket and buy a quality one. If they end up not liking the hobby, it'll be easier to sell off the more desirable musket and get most of the money back.
Or, ask to borrow someone else’s musket until you’re ready to buy your own. I cannot advise getting an Indian musket. If you do, just make sure you get it proofed so you stem the tide of all the “it’s gonna blow up in your face” comments.
@@ChristheRedcoatI've seen numerous videos from 11bangbang on TH-cam,who have several India made muskets, fired them with HEAVY loads, as well as thousands of standard loads, and have never had one "blow up". Matter of fact, they recently put up a video where they took a India made fusil de chasse, loaded it up with an eventual load of over 1000 grains of 4f, and three balls, and THAT was what caused the barrel to swell. Nothing less even fazed it. I'd feel perfectly OK with an India musket at that point. Anything else is just gatekeeping based on the depth of someone's pocket.
I sorry if these seems like a silly question, but what about original fire arms? To like what extent are originally Brown Bess’s bing used In reenacting. I tried to find out more information about using original fire arms, but could not really find that much? Thanks, lovely video, cheers!
Here in Sweden we use pretty much only original muskets (since "Big Brother" demands license for repros like Pedersoli) or original parts and barrels we build into new stocks.
You'll not really find original firearms in early modern reenactment. Way too expensive, rare, and risky for that kind of thing. Now WW1 and 2 events will be filled with them! (edit: At least in N America and the UK, can't comment on what Luzur said)
Original muskets can run anywhere from $2000 to as much as $10,000, so you’re much better off getting a reproduction. Also keep in mind that black powder is highly corrosive to metal, so if you are shooting an original musket, you really need to know what you’re doing.
Reenactors can be odd, and that's ok. After many years of reenacting different generes I stepped away. The main reason, was enthusiastic new participants with no knowledge of general safety practices, if you get my meaning.
That'd be more like a blunderbuss I think, lmao. Then again I know very little about what specifically you're talking about so I could be extremely incorrect.
@@ChristheRedcoat id be fine with that if that's the only thing available to me besides the civil war it's important in American history but there's enough guys for that. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and I look forward to more great content from you.
I would disagree with you on cheaper muskets, Access Heritage aka Military Heritage aka the Discriminating General; has great affordable muskets for those cash strapped. I have seen TH-camrs who bought and fire them and they are great or good quality; in fact I may consider them first if I wish to buy a flintlock in the near future.
Cheapest is making one yourself, i bought an old 1762 barrel and then a lock from Track of the Wolf and simply made a stock, ramrod and the other details.
This brings up an; interesting point. In past days it was common to fire reenacting guns with live loads frequently for familiarization along with the mandatory safety practices reinforced for use in events as well. The other view is firerms for reenacting only, and the weapon is NEVER live fired, in the name of safety. If never live fired, then proofing and quality can be substantially less important because of the reduced, or non existent pressure, with no projectile. A significant down side is the potential for neglected safety because, "we"re just firing blanks." ...my most despised excuse for in attention, poor practices, and poor muzzle awareness.
@@annajonasson612I think it depends on the location. I used to do ACW, and we were on the actual battlefield of Cedar Creek, VA, and there were plenty of "casualties". Some battlefields might also be National Parks, and they have different rules.
most would be surprised how many women were in the ranks of armies as common soldiers and occasionally officers. you can find a few books on them in many periods and seem hiding ones gender was easier in previous centuries, well before 1900.
How do we know that Townsends has good reliable information on their youtube channel if they fail to produce anywhere near historically accurate clothing? Not trying to sound negative, just always genuinely wondered about that. I am so tempted to watch their videos but am afraid to for fear I'll be receiving inaccurate information.
For what it's worth, I'm not a re-enactor but I watch the "Townsends" channel and enjoy it tremendously. I AM a student of the 18th Century and the American Revolution (for almost 50 years) and I haven't seen a thing on Townsends I disagree with. And I love John's passion for his subjects! Go ahead and watch, you'll love it!
@@MacEwanMouse And what's wrong with that? Have you never had a history teacher who didn't read a passage from a historic document or first-person account?
If you don’t care about women in the ranks why care about the over all quality and accuracy of the uniform and gear in the first place? Surely you can still get the 18th century soldier experience without the color, stitching or fit of your uniform being completely accurate?
Color, stitching, and fit of uniform are much more noticeable at a glance than the gender identity of a single person in the ranks, and I’ll die on that hill.
@@ChristheRedcoat I don’t buy that. I think unless it’s a very well done impression where the woman is trying very hard to make herself look like a man, it’s just distracting. Granted I’ve only ever seen it happen once at a Gettysburg reenactment and it just looked bizarre and obvious.
I'm not a reenactor, so this could be off-base, but I wonder if all that attention to detail isn't as much for the benefit of the person doing the impression as for the public? I'm pretty invested in history, but I don't think I'd notice if a reenactor had a slightly wrong shade of blue stitched inside their lacings. Certainly, it wouldn't impact my ability to connect with the time period. However, maybe having an eye for all those specifics really contribute to a reenactor's own sense of place and empathy with the role they're stepping into?
@James Bellamy, I think that's true to an extent. When you're wearing kit that's well made, and you know it's well made, it definitely makes you feel a lot more confident about your impression. So while the public might not outwardly notice the difference in the construction, they'll definitely notice that confidence and how it effects the way you carry yourself.
Yep. Been that way since the 1970's. Really solved the crime problem, didn't it? Anyone feel any safer there? But go to certain neigborhoods in Newark, Paterson, Passaic, Jersey City or Camden and you can buy any kind of firearm with no questions asked. Sound fair to everyone? Look and learn everyone, look and learn. I don't live in NJ anymore, but I'm still bitter. Gun laws only inconvenience the good guys.
Might be one or two, but you'd have far greater luck finding a Napoleonic regiment or a colonial group and going from there. New England Colonial Living History Group does American 18th C but cuts off prior to the ARW. Used to be if you wanted anything to do with black powder you'd go to Lithgow's Ironfest and canvas the groups there, but due to some of the dumb arse management decisions by the event runners, most of the black powder groups pulled out.
Alternatively, get a pakistani or an indian to make your uniform. As long as you hold their hand throughout the process, theyll finish it at a fraction of the time with a fraction of the cost of an american tailor on fb with more or less similar quality.
I know for a fact that you are a fan of the late, great Trevor Moore. In his hono[u]r you should do a rundown on all that is farb in this scene: th-cam.com/video/v8uXx5jpleg/w-d-xo.html
I was a reenactor for 11 years and if I was to ever write a memoir of my experiences it would be titled "Cool Breezes and Flush Toilets - Things you lean to appreciate as a historical reenactor"
He has the historian bookshelf, we're in the mainstream days boys!
It's wonky.
But Chris, when do we start having fun though?
That’s the neat part: you don’t.
If you're having fun, you're not doing it right.
@@ChristheRedcoat I almost spewed my water when I saw that 😂
When you mock someone for buying cheap reenactment gear
@@Roblox2025 I don’t think Chris even remotely said that, all he’s saying is; that in most instances, authenticity and quality is directly correlated to price. Particularly in re-enacting the 18th century. Though, you can save money by sewing yourself.
"How do you know when you have been hit?"
-When it suddenly occurs to you that if you never load it, you won't have to clean it.
-When you run out of rounds.
When you forgot to properly tighten your flint, and it falls out.
-When a French detachment is about to fire at yours, but all your men are occupied with loading, so you're the only one who actually sees the French firing.
I no longer die: When I DID die, I invariably fell on my canteen, face to the sun, with my hat rolling off somewhere, leaving me there for 15 minutes, getting a sunburn. The majority of casualties in most battles weren't immediately fatal, anyway, so you have an excellent excuse for dragging yourself into the shade, and drinking some water.
In response to the first FAQ:
The point you made Chris is in the point of view from someone who does, 18th century-20th century reenacting. Where as in medieval or English Civil war reenacting you are easily, able to tell when you've been hit as you have the person literally hitting with a metal weapon. And you can't take injuries for most skirmishes, you are to die and lay dead until told by your commander or officer to get back up from the ground. But hey each to their own as to how different reenactors do that, and depending on the period they predict.
Over the past couple years I've started being "wounded" when taking a hit, rather than outright dead, since wounded rates were significantly higher than death rates. I'll have my file partner or a drummer help me off the line into the shade. If our numbers require it, after some "recovery" time I'll get back up and join the fight (trying to maintain a limp or "hurt arm" or something), or stay and wait to be taken prisoner. As a unit the 4th has been working on more realistic retreating and reforming, too. Nothing bothers me more than an entire firing line turning around to shoot someone running away. One person running should precipitate a general route, followed by officers and NCO's reforming the company. Especially in those instances where a line of 8 redcoats is trying to hold back 30 continentals.
I wish that in general, people took greater care when it comes to making battles look more realistic
@@ChristheRedcoat Yes, It is so frustrating seeing the "dead or wounded" just sitting in the grass clearly not even trying to look wounded
Absolutely! Dying on the battlefield is always dramatic, but for so many reasons, authenticity included, I typically like to get wounded instead of killed on the field. For one, it gives me the advantage to hobble off the battlefield, covering my wound with my cocked hat. I typically have a change of clothes at these events, and change clothes inside the privacy of my tent. This way I can still walk the grounds, interact, and grab something to drink without people wondering why the soldier they just saw get wounded, is now walking around unscathed.
Chris - Just in case anyone asks in the UK and own a firing musket they are licensed. A smoothbore is licensed under section 2 for shotgun and for rifled muskets its a section 1 firearms certificate. In the UK you do need licences to fire them. Townsend glasses look great!
This is very important as well because in England & Wales you face a firearms charge which has with it the real risk of a long period of imprisonment, I believe the same is true in Scotland and Northern Ireland but they have their own laws and legal system.
@@PCDelorian firearms offences in the UK are a minimum of 5 years in jail for possession with out correct licenses. The Maximum sentence i ever heard was 12 years. But its about the persons record and intent as well as the fact its a weapons offence. To own a musket in the UK that is firable you must have a licence. Its all under the same law in each UK country including england wales scotland and Northern Ireland.
@@leithafae Thanks, presumed it would be but there are many wierd and unexpected differences in some areas of law so thought I'd hedge my bets.
For example drink drive limits are different in Scotland.
Great to see you back, Chris - I always look forward to your videos!
In 2014 I was on the Wast Coast in Marine Corps combat training. The company participated in a 3 day field op with blank rounds and simulated mortars they would set off randomly making us dive for cover like 70 times a day. There were designated training areas where we would be “ambushed”. it was called the BSRE I think it was “battle skills recon exercise” it was as much fun as it was stressful. little to 4-6 hours of sleep each day and you spend time while awake on patrols looking for these things the instructors would hide. you were issued a specific amount of blank rounds and were told not to take hits from the poorly dressed “bad guys” unless you got slapped on the head by an instructor that just pointed and said “you lost a leg fall down” and would then have the squad simulate pulling them out. Its really weird because looking back it was fun but at the time of it I don’t remember being anything but tired and hungry lol.
I did get to blank fire a 240b against a mock attack at like 2am haha.
Lived near Guilford Courthouse all my life and have yet to go see a re-enactment 🙁 that needs to change.
Hopefully the event will be back next year.
Bring an umbrella. I dont think ive had a single year there where the weather stayed nice
In Sweden you do not need a license for an antique original musket older than a certain year. But you need a license for a replica. Thus most Swedish reenactors have originals. But we are quite lucky here since the Swedish government got a LOT of muskets from Britain and when they ceased to be used in th army they were sold to farmers etc. Meaning it s fairly easy to find old Tower muskets from the napoleonic wars in auctions and antique shops. And often they are cheaper to buy even in god state, than replica muskets. I do treasure my musket :) old as she might be.
That’s very cool!
Please be careful UK gets a lot of its besses from India and although they are safe to use they are a bugger for lock geometry and you can spend a whole battle with misfires if u get the bad ones in the batch. But they are replicas.
I remember I was watching a Civil War reenactment and the Union did a failed charge and later retreated, one of the casualties rolled on his back and started cussing out the rebels.
As a white person whos directly related to Carter Braxton it makes me happy to see non whites appreciating our culture.
Dont let stigmas stop you from experiencing history💙
That talk about minorities and women in reenacting was pretty cool, I really wouldn't care if someone who wouldn't have been able to historically serve wanted to get in on it as long as it was clarified, but quite a few groups still have very strict standards, I'm sure that even things that aren't visible, such as sexuality could be grounds for rejection in a few groups (if it's because of wanting to be accurate or something else, I don't wanna delve), because apparently gay people didn't exist before the 1970s
Thanks for this, Chris; reenacting is something I've long been interested in but, being a little socially awkward and finding it difficult to just 'insert' myself into already-established groups, I haven't really got around to doing anything with that interest. Thankfully, being in the UK means I'll (hopefully) have less far to travel - it's always shocking hearing people in the US talk about distance! - though my options may be limited to English Civil War, Anglo-Saxons and WW2 as a result. This video really helped me to learn more about what's required, and I'll be having a more thorough look at what's on offer in my area. Cheers!
You might be surprised by what’s out there! There’s Rev War groups in the UK as well, and even some American Civil War groups!
The Napoleonic Society has reenactment groups for French, British and Prussian armies.
There's also Redcoats and Revolutionaries which is a very good group.
Just a thing on firearms laws, they're going to vary from state to state. As far as Federal law is concerned a muzzle-loader, even a repro of the same, is considered an "antique" and isn't subject to any regulation. However in some states, New Jersey for example, reproductions of muzzle-loaders are considered MODERN firearms (since they're brand new) and ARE subject to state regulation. A local gunshop is always a good place to ask about what your particular state's regulations are, it's their business to know.
By the way, everything's illegal in New Jersey, one of the reasons I moved!
Just so everyone knows Brown Bess and Charleville repros have been on the market for almost 50 years now, so if you're looking for a used one hit any gun shows in your area and keep your fingers crossed, you just might get lucky. Check antique shows and flea markets too if you live in a state that treats repros like antiques and not subject to regulation, they can show up there too, you never know.
It would be New Jersey, wouldn’t it.
@@ChristheRedcoat And how! I remember when it happened, and the black powder community was NOT happy! In the end all it did was drive sales of modern firearms, guys who might have bought a muzzle-loader said to themselves "Well, if I've got to go through all that hassle just to buy a (blank) I might as well buy a Remington 1100 shotgun!"
Let me tell you, if it wasn't for the bakeries, diners, burger and hot dog joints, pizzarias and other great places to eat everyone would have left NJ long ago! They're the only things I miss!
Wisely, most states don't consider a muzzle-loader a weapon unless you use it as such.
Im thinking about doing WW1 reenactment. This Video helped me alot
I agree with all of these except the musket. Ive been building flintlocks for about 10 years as a hobby before I got into reenacting Rev War. I used to be a Pedersoli snob but then my stock broke in action and so I debated getting one of those cheaper Indian guns for about three months. Did all my research and then finally decided to buy one from a reputable dealer in Canada. My big concern was safety and after reviewing safety tests and claims of exploding barrels, I’ve come to the reasonable conclusion that most of these claims are anecdotal and the one claim that was verifiable was tested by a lab third party which concluded that the failure was operator error not the manufacture of the gun.
So safety concerns aside, Now there’s two things with India guns (from Access Heritage and the like) one has to consider: the functionality and the aesthetic.
Aesthetically it needed some work. The finish on the gun was crap and it was crap Bcs it’s not walnut so they stained and finished it to look like walnut. so I stripped it and dyed it with a Mohawk wood dye then did a linseed finish on it like i have countless guns before it. I will grant that it’s not perfect but unless under close inspection it’s indistinguishable from a pedersoli. Some of the furniture needed taking off and cleaning up from the sand casting process as well. So aesthetics were a 5.5/10 but I was able to strip the gun down put in a little elbow grease and get it to what I’d consider a solid 8/10
Now functionality was more what I was worried about. First thing I did was inspect the breech, the barrel, and the lock itself. The lock is a little blocky compared to the slickness of a pedersoli. But the mechanical parts were far superior. Thicker, better tuned, what lack of detail went into the stock and furniture went into the lock. The markings on Pedersoli have always bothered me, this one was marked “TOWER” properly and functioned great.
Overall, an India gun, at least from that company, will need a little cleaning up but I fired it at Forrest Glen all this last weekend with one misfire and that was because I had a faulty flint. For someone getting into the hobby fresh, and with old pedersoli or Japanese guns becoming rarer, I’d 100% tell them to save the money and put it towards the rest of the kit than to drop almost 2 grand on a gun right out the gate. My two cents.
Across the board, Miroku is quite superior to the Pedersoli.
The rifle shoppe is a good musket too. The best in my opinion
Yeah I used to reenact but got kicked out of my regiment because I was female. I was basically told at an event I had to either wear a dress or go home. So I went home, never did get my last round of dues back. Since then I've been...worried about getting back in the hobby.
Wow, I'm surprised. I would have thought a unit would want as many people as they could get. When I was involved, back in the '80's, they just couldn't get people to join.
Thats really sad and also really rude kicking you out if they first accepted you.. Where I live most reenactment groups accept women as soldiers. ( Sweden, Europe). I hope that you find a good society that see and value your worth!
Sorry to hear you were kicked out of a unit that has no sense of perpetuating the hobby. I hope you'll consider finding a GOOD unit, instead of the jokers who rejected you.
About to start doing Civil War Reenacting after a friend got me into it. I’ve seen pictures and he’s talked of some females who are soldiers and not civilians, so it seems you just gotta find the right group. Sorry to hear about your struggles, but I’m sure there’s a group out there you can join.
I very much enjoyed and appreciate the videos you film about historical reenactments and the life of 18th century British and other armies of the American revolution, very educational and interesting. Many people dont know who were Hessian soldiers from as an example. Keep up the good work you do.
My impression of your channel : 🙂😎👍
Cheers!
Only a few minutes in and already learned a lot. Excellent video.
Thank you for the tips! I'm hoping to get into the hobby soon either with a Bavarian WW1 Unit or a Hessian AWI unit here soon. Glad to have you back!
God Save the King from the Motherland.
My Dad and mom work with First Maryland Regiment out of Ft. Fredrick in Fredrick county Maryland. Dad had sort of a white hunting Frock and played skirmisher and mom had two outfit one being simply a continental lady of the period and the other (and I might add dads favorite) tavern wench. They were active with the unit from late “74-77” when dad got recalled too active Navy. The spirt of the Continentals didn’t leave them as mom made dad a red vest to wear under his dress blues when standing quarter deck OOD. He was caught on camera asleep with the coat open after his watch looking very John Paul Jones like. God bless America.
Chris, what's the most effective way to... er...
*"dispose"...*
of... uh...
farbs?
I have 2, in my basement. They were... neutralized... for now, and all I have to dispose of them is a 1777 Charleville musket, with bayonet, and I'd be fighting 2 people at once with a long-ranged melee weapon/clunky missile weapon. Any suggestions?
Convince them to see the error of their farby ways.
@@ChristheRedcoat but if they don't, I suggest releasing them into the wild, you have 4 options, party city, halloween express, the goodwill costume section, or a rev war fort's gift shop, where they won't look out of place in their gear, as they probably got their gear in these places
I have been looking for something like this
Thanks for that Chris that was very interesting! Few years time I would love to get involved in reanacting, it does sound extremely exciting and especially if you have a love of history like yourself it gives a meaning and purpose to actually reanact!
the third option for uniform or clothes is to get 2nd-hand, but this should not be the main track, cause often the fit is important.
start with the clothing, then equip for camp, for eat and for living before getting armed. always try to lend items, test if you are fine with it, before purchasing. learn to sew or other crafting, and barter trade with other members.
in Germany for historical weapons legal age is 18 (ownership, usage) and the type of modell must be before 1871, for usage of black powder a licence is required you have to attend a course. as Chris said these are still weapons and you have to take care: only usage at declared event, keep under lock, do never point directly on any person or animal, do any safety procedures.
we have a saying goes like if you buy cheap you have to go later for buying a second one/time. only one exeption: you can make a test run in first try with cheap fabrics like cotton to sew your own robe, put it on and you will see what is not fit or what works, than use the acurate fabrics to get a perfect result.
I love Lilliburlero as the theme music
It’s a good tune.
I tend to take a hit when my musket malfunctions.
I will admit when it comes to being hit I love being a Viking period reenactor getting hit with a blunted axe or sword let’s you know youre dead lmao
Chris, I’m not gonna lie, you’re videos are great. Can you make a video where you clean your gear (muskets, rifles, bayonets, etc)?
I’m actually collaborating with the 40th on a video on that very topic. It should be coming out Soon (TM).
I'm late to the party, but I wanted to say it's fascinating to me how much reenacting varies by region. I live in Colorado (USA) and virtually all of it that I've found is European (at Celtic festivals and the like) or civilian (often tied to a local museum).
I dream of being a docent at our local living history museum, but the time commitment is pretty serious. They depict local families in 4 eras: native American encampment, settler's log cabin, 1870s ranching near town, and relatively wealthy (1907 home with servants and new inventions like electric lighting), in addition to the 1890s blacksmith. Special events like the 4th of July or sheep shearing add additional exhibits.
I guess that's what happens when you live somewhere so far from the major battlefields. You end up with a lot of attention on civilian pursuits. Mining and railroads are common focuses of historical hobbies other than reenacting around here.
(And if I've overlooked something, please let me know. I love attending reenactments and living history museums!)
That sounds pretty cool!
Those who think doing Civilian is easier, have never done Civilian. I've been a Serjeant, and I find Civilian to be both more challenging AND more rewarding. As a Soldier, you have Clothing Warrants, Military Manuals, (like Cuthbertson's) and other guides that will tell you what to wear, how to wear it, what to carry, and how to operate a musket, and naneuver on the field with it. I'm not aware of any one modern Guide to Reenacting the British Soldier, but it wouldn't be entirely difficult to create. At events you simply go where you're told. A civilian one would be a nightmare. The Civilian Reenactor has to start pretty much from scratch, researching EVERYTHING.
It's the same with Vikings the number of people carrying drinking horns on their belts and then they tell people that what Vikings did really bugs me.
Or when you see a fantastic outfit then you notice a belt knife that has pop closing and a sharping stone holder . Then someone else said you can't buy Viking age knifes?
Nice! Thanks for doing (another) one of these. It's nudging me to get back to filming some videos for my own channel, which I've been neglecting...In my copious amount of "spare time"
16:02 If you're a cavalryman (what I want to be) you can just ride your horse to a local event.
In Nebraska, we have the 12th Virginia out of Lincoln. So, if someone is asking in the area, you can point them in that direction.
Will do!
In my combine years of 25 years of reenacting black powder to modern and 12 years being reservist, 13 leo (plus paintballing and airsoft) out of all the tatical events I've done, simunition (as a resevist) is one thing that ll let you know when you have been hit and let you use real weapons. I felt it was the biggest rush out of all other types of training (minus actually get shot at, not fun I don't recommend it) It's a unique blend of paintball, reenacting, airsoft. I got shot in the butt and stomach (right under the plate carrier) at the same time, in July, at camp Lejune, with a gasmask on. That was an experience. I learned what not to do next time. 😆
But I still enjoy the hobby, you get out of it what you put into it.
I really enjoy your channel. I'm WAY too old to get involved in the hobby, but your channel is very enlightening.
rule 1: always take a leak before you start
I hear that in some groups if your under 16 you could be a medic, or depending on era, fifer or drummer if your with someone above 16, how does this necessarily work?
Great video! Amazing work, Chris!
Thanks!
The atf agent had me laughing 😂
I got lucky with my Pedersoli Cabelsa has them on sale for 899 and I got what I think is the last on available until the fall or next year so yeah the one near me had one more which was the display model and a but beat up might still be worth the saving.
1st NJV a british loyalist group is very open to women line soldiers
I had gotten incredibly lucky with my latest Pedersoli find. I bought my "1762 Grice" short land pattern with absolutely beautiful wood, mint condition, with 25 lead balls, patches, a bag of English flints, and a few other things, for $900 out the door. I was incredibly pleased.
Sorry chris, if you are UK based note we haven't had any new pedersoli's brand stuff come into the UK for the past two years now. Wish we would all the places i know have all sold out of their products.
17:40 Yes, might not be as accurate, since armies back then were all male, but why should we stop people today who want to have fun or experience something? In the end, it just results in more people thinking "This seems like an interesting idea"
Not a re-enactor myself, but it would seem to me the more young people, male or female, attracted to your hobby the better. Otherwise you're going to have the ridiculous sight of "geezer brigades" on the battlefields, as the veteran hobbyists begin to age out with no youngsters to replace them.
Not that there's anything wrong with re-enactors carrying on as long as they're physically capable, but when you consider the average age of an infantry soldier back then was from 18 to 30 (same as now when you come down to it), well what can I say?
There are several incidents of women in the ranks, hiding the fact of their gender, and not being found out until they got wounded. Of course, if they were found out, they'd be cashiered, and sent home. 😅
Back in the 90’s I was running with the hardcore crowd in civil war reenacting and we always joked that hardcore rev war was bringing one less cooler.
I don't know about the revolutionary war, but at least in Swedish history, there are quite a few famous stories of women who joined the Swedish army pretending to be men.
There’s at least one that I can think of for the Revolution: Deborah Sampson.
There are many accounts from the American Civil War
Mary Hays (AKA Molly Pitcher) was an interesting case, though in the rebel/American army. The legend goes that she was a camp follower whose husband was part of a gun/cannon crew. She frequently carried water for the battery (hence the nickname of Molly Pitcher). She supposedly took over her husband's firing position doing the Battle of Monmouth when he was injured. Unfortunately it's a story that was wildly popular for a long time (there's some lovely artwork from later eras) and it's hard to know the veracity of the tale by today's standards.
But there is actual evidence that Mary, later in her life, applied for a widow's pension and was instead awarded an annual income of $40 "for services she rendered" from the government of Pennsylvania. So there may be some lost truth to the legends.
Personally, when hard pressed, I'm not particularly inclined to turn down help when it's offered. It also seems to be a right place at the right time type of a story rather than a woman having a military career. So I'm inclined to think it's not all propaganda, but I wouldn't pattern a portrayal on her. 😅
BTW, if you want to read more on Molly Pitcher, www.britannica.com/biography/Molly-Pitcher is a decent start and has a couple of the images I mentioned.
As a civil war reenactor I have seen vollies on vollies where less than 5 people took the hit both sides combined and also saw nearly everyone fall after the first volley. There should definitely be assigned hits and when during muster. Most of the time it looks ok but sometimes its ridiculous.
I remember one event I took part in where they marked certain cartridges with a black dot, red dot, or similar. If you pull that marked cartridge out of your cartridge box, you take your hit after firing.
BTW, you really DON'T want to fall on your musket! They get pretty hot after a few rounds!
👍
Hey out of curiosity, do you actually do any shooting with your musket? I'm a firearms collector and sportshooter myself, and I've always wondered if you guys actually cross over into my hobby at all. Good content, thanks.
Some people do. My unit was supposed to do a live fire exercise earlier this year but it got canceled. I personally have never shot mine live because I’ve never bothered to get it proofed.
Chris, what is the process of starting Revwar as a drummer? Any different than a Battalion Soldier?
Not really. Still need to go through the same process of joining a unit and getting the uniform.
@@ChristheRedcoat I see, thank you Chris.
The main difference is going to be in whether or not you know how to play the drum beforehand, and if the unit has a drum that you can use.
I'm 70 and not exactly a musketman any longer. What could I do
Surgeon or surgeon's assistant, quartermaster, a tradesman of some kind, a sailor, a musician if you're musically inclined - these are just some examples. There's plenty of noncombat roles available!
Caveat: New Jersey does not recognize Curios & Relics as such and requires transfer through and FFL and a FID card to posses. So stay on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, lest be a Christmas Day felon.
I used to take a hit immediately at opening shots. These days I take hits a little less noting that others don’t bother to generally. Often the small numbers involved make stand up shootouts very unrealistic.
Yeah. I find that my patience for battles is far more limited these days than it once was.
Also, now that you’ve moved, what unit do you think you’ll join? Will you continue to do AWI?
All will be revealed in due time.
@@ChristheRedcoat Ooh, mysterious! 😂
Thank you for continuing the great content! 😃
I thoroughly enjoy taking hits, as I get to ham it up for a great showing and I get to save on ammunition.
This last June, I took a hit on a small rise but in the shade under a highway bridge. Well, a jeep had to come through and they didn't want to chance running over me, so I was dragged into the hot sun, on black cinders, face up, on a weekend when several others had already gone down with heat stroke. I told the chap I would have preferred he kicked me down the hill onto the sharp rocks, because I would at least be in the shade!!
Do you have a ww2 impression of not would you?
I don’t, currently. But I have been thinking about a WW2 British Italian Campaign uniform.
@@ChristheRedcoat that’s crazy because I was thinking the same for a North African reenacting event in tx
Hey I finnaly found ya! I missed you.
Were there age requirements for the army in the 18th century? I ask this because I've heard there were young teenagers or even kids in the British army during the Napoleonic Wars
Generally they were looking for people in their late teens, early 20s and upwards. You do have a few instances of younger people serving but it’s usually because they either lied about their age, were persistent enough to sway the recruiting officer, or because they were the son of a soldier, and therefore grew up in the army.
Hi Chris! Appreciate your knowledge and have learned considerably. Do reenactment groups decline those with large weight due to historical inaccuracy?
Not generally. I think you’ll find that in general most reenactors do tend to fall on the heavier side, so larger weight isn’t something they tend to care about, as long as you’re able to keep up with the rest of them.
Pistols in re-enacting. Why does there seem to be an absence of them?
Because pistols were hardly used by infantry in the Rev War period. They were more commonly used by cavalry, and cavalry groups in the hobby are very few and far between.
@@ChristheRedcoat Did officer not carry them?
Not generally. Not unless they were mounted, and even then it wasn’t all the time. Officers generally carried swords. If they carried any sort of firearm at all, it likely would have been a fusee.
@@GreytOutdoorsMedic Keep in mind that then and now an infantry officer's job isn't really to do any fighting himself (under most circumstances) but to manage the violence. He tells the troops "Go here! Go there! Do this! Do that!" and then makes sure they do it.
An officer's pistol (and they're all issued one today) is strictly for his own self protection. During the Revolution British company grade officers (captain and below) mostly carried fusees as Chris said, light muskets that took a bayonet which were much more effective for personal protection than a pistol would be.
(It also made them less distinguishable from the troops in case there were any of those pesky American riflemen around!)
American officers were forbidden from carrying muskets or fusees since in General Washington's opinion using one would take their attention away from doing their jobs, so they carried spontoons (short spears) for personal protection. They might have a pistol stuck in their belts, but that was their choice, back in those days officers weren't issued pistols (or anything) so they had to buy one if they wanted one.
Where in the U.S. do you need a license to own a fire arm of any sort? ... I live in Oregon and we don't have that requirement. I am not aware of the other laws in other states. thanx
Massachusetts and Connecticut, for starters.
@@ChristheRedcoat oh ok thank you
@@ChristheRedcoat Which is fairly ironic, when you think about it. The very area where the Revolution began treats their Citizens like Subjects, and regulate Rights as if they were privileges!
It varies from state to state, and remember there's 50 of them! I believe a guide to state firearms laws is available from the National Rifle Association.
I've got a question for you. So I have wanted to get into reenacting as I really like history. Im more interested in the revolutionary war reenactments but I cant find any rev war reenactment units in my state (I live in Georgia). So my question for you is do you happen to know of any reenactment groups for the rev war in Georgia? Also do you happen to know of any Continental Marine units?
I don’t know of any Continental Marine units off the top of my head. And I can’t think of any groups that are properly in Georgia. Best I can do is that I think there are some groups in neighboring states that may have at least some members in Georgia. Check out the 7th Regiment of Foot or the East Florida Loyalists?
I don't know of any Continental Marine units myself, but I did run into a local re--enactor several years ago who does a Continental Marine as an independent, that is he's not part of any unit and he attaches himself to whatever Continental group happens to be at an event. He said he's always welcome. You could try the same.
By the way, he was thrilled someone knew what he was when I walked up to him and said "Semper Fi, Marine!"
When you addressed Townsends, where you you only speaking on the quality of the regimental coats? Or do you not recommend anything from them (socks, undershirt, waistcoat, breeches, etc)
I’ll admit to having a spare shirt from them as a backup, but that’s about it.
@@ChristheRedcoat oh boy. The guy in charge of the regiment I wanted to join suggested I only buy things from them, except the coat. Sounds like I need to keep looking. Do you know any around SoCal?
Facebook definitely isn’t the best option for firearms, they dont allow the sale of musket/ any firearms, its pretty much banned on all sale pages
I personally got my defarbed springfield from my captain, 500$, thats why joining a group is such a good thing, connections connections connections will help you get used gear
Hey could you answer me this question so if i want to be an officer can i just become an officer or how does this work? Do i need to gain experience or not, to become an officer? Because i would love to reenact as an british officer
You should really have experience as a private first and work your way up through the ranks of a unit if you want to be an officer. Showing up to an event as another officer with no unit attached is generally frowned upon. Mainly because the hobby as a whole is already over saturated with officers as it is.
Thanks very much
Okay so im 13 i need to wait 3 years Till i can be a rifleman but that is okay because i love history and my last question before i will go deep into the 18/19th century is did normal soldiers have swords or sabers? (because i also love melee combat)
Not in this period. In 1745, sure, but by the Revolution swords are reserved for sergeants and other higher ranking officers.
Again thank you very much
I'd have to disagree on the muskets- the Indian made guns, while cheap yes, can be "ok" quality. I have a few myself. I'd recommend Veteran Arms. What I tell people who are interested, think of the Indian guns as a good way to get into the hobby--- I know a lot of people don't want to drop $1.5k on a musket right away, so I recommend if you can- try an Indian for $500-600, get a feel for it, you can beat it up a bit more and if the hobby is for you, then go and drop $2k on a premium musket.
Or just save yourself the cost of an Indian made musket and buy a quality one. If they end up not liking the hobby, it'll be easier to sell off the more desirable musket and get most of the money back.
Or, ask to borrow someone else’s musket until you’re ready to buy your own. I cannot advise getting an Indian musket. If you do, just make sure you get it proofed so you stem the tide of all the “it’s gonna blow up in your face” comments.
@@ChristheRedcoatI've seen numerous videos from 11bangbang on TH-cam,who have several India made muskets, fired them with HEAVY loads, as well as thousands of standard loads, and have never had one "blow up". Matter of fact, they recently put up a video where they took a India made fusil de chasse, loaded it up with an eventual load of over 1000 grains of 4f, and three balls, and THAT was what caused the barrel to swell. Nothing less even fazed it. I'd feel perfectly OK with an India musket at that point. Anything else is just gatekeeping based on the depth of someone's pocket.
I sorry if these seems like a silly question, but what about original fire arms? To like what extent are originally Brown Bess’s bing used In reenacting. I tried to find out more information about using original fire arms, but could not really find that much? Thanks, lovely video, cheers!
Here in Sweden we use pretty much only original muskets (since "Big Brother" demands license for repros like Pedersoli) or original parts and barrels we build into new stocks.
You'll not really find original firearms in early modern reenactment. Way too expensive, rare, and risky for that kind of thing. Now WW1 and 2 events will be filled with them! (edit: At least in N America and the UK, can't comment on what Luzur said)
Original muskets can run anywhere from $2000 to as much as $10,000, so you’re much better off getting a reproduction. Also keep in mind that black powder is highly corrosive to metal, so if you are shooting an original musket, you really need to know what you’re doing.
For french napoleonic reenactment an original 1777 cost less than a pedersoli
When I started in the 80's we had no choise there was no reproduction.
Reenactors can be odd, and that's ok. After many years of reenacting different generes I stepped away. The main reason, was enthusiastic new participants with no knowledge of general safety practices, if you get my meaning.
Oh, I do.
Good answers
Why not take hits on hollowed ground? Is it like a moral thing or respecting the dead?
Yes.
@@ChristheRedcoat top 10 responses of all time
I've got visions of an Airsoft Musket that fires full tins of paint...
That'd be more like a blunderbuss I think, lmao. Then again I know very little about what specifically you're talking about so I could be extremely incorrect.
those are two different things, air soft fires plastic bbs, your kinda talking about paintball
When Brandon is leaving HM 54th, what is gonna happen to his Regimental Coat?
In all likelihood it will be returned to the regiment.
@@ChristheRedcoat What will happen with it later, will it be issued to another Man, who happens to have taken the kings schilling?
Most likely.
@@ChristheRedcoat Let‘s see, if they can find a fellow the size of Brandon… thanks for ur answers
@@ChristheRedcoat why leave the group? Hope that’s not an indiscrete question?
I been considering reenacting myself I'm unsure what impression being that I'm from Missouri and I don't so much want to do civil war reenactments.
WW2 re-enactments are fairly common out that way, I believe, so that could be an option, depending on how you feel about 20th century stuff.
@@ChristheRedcoat id be fine with that if that's the only thing available to me besides the civil war it's important in American history but there's enough guys for that. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and I look forward to more great content from you.
Was your musket a repro or an original
Repro. I can’t advise using an original for reenacting.
I would disagree with you on cheaper muskets, Access Heritage aka Military Heritage aka the Discriminating General; has great affordable muskets for those cash strapped. I have seen TH-camrs who bought and fire them and they are great or good quality; in fact I may consider them first if I wish to buy a flintlock in the near future.
Cheapest is making one yourself, i bought an old 1762 barrel and then a lock from Track of the Wolf and simply made a stock, ramrod and the other details.
Just be sure to get it proofed.
@@ChristheRedcoat Always, i know a gunsmith that checks mine.
This brings up an; interesting point. In past days it was common to fire reenacting guns with live loads frequently for familiarization along with the mandatory safety practices reinforced for use in events as well. The other view is firerms for reenacting only, and the weapon is NEVER live fired, in the name of safety. If never live fired, then proofing and quality can be substantially less important because of the reduced, or non existent pressure, with no projectile. A significant down side is the potential for neglected safety because, "we"re just firing blanks." ...my most despised excuse for in attention, poor practices, and poor muzzle awareness.
So you are not allowed to re-enact war on hallowed ground? Or just not allowed to "die"?
The latter.
Is that an US thing not being allowed to die on hallowed ground?? Myself having "died" at several original battefields in Europe.
@@annajonasson612I think it depends on the location. I used to do ACW, and we were on the actual battlefield of Cedar Creek, VA, and there were plenty of "casualties". Some battlefields might also be National Parks, and they have different rules.
Hey Chris I have a question what is so called hollowed ground
Hallowed ground. Basically it means sacred - or at the very least, greatly respected.
most would be surprised how many women were in the ranks of armies as common soldiers and occasionally officers. you can find a few books on them in many periods and seem hiding ones gender was easier in previous centuries, well before 1900.
i just read all 205 comments, I think I’ve lost braincells
What prompted you to torture yourself in such a way?
@@ChristheRedcoat some had good stories, was hoping for more and did not get that
How do we know that Townsends has good reliable information on their youtube channel if they fail to produce anywhere near historically accurate clothing? Not trying to sound negative, just always genuinely wondered about that. I am so tempted to watch their videos but am afraid to for fear I'll be receiving inaccurate information.
For what it's worth, I'm not a re-enactor but I watch the "Townsends" channel and enjoy it tremendously. I AM a student of the 18th Century and the American Revolution (for almost 50 years) and I haven't seen a thing on Townsends I disagree with. And I love John's passion for his subjects!
Go ahead and watch, you'll love it!
Because most of Townsends videos the guy directly reads from some kind of historical account or documentation from the time period.
@@MacEwanMouse And what's wrong with that? Have you never had a history teacher who didn't read a passage from a historic document or first-person account?
@wayne antoniazzi Well sure, in like, the 2nd grade where I was taught the incorrect version of Thanksgiving.
@@MacEwanMouse Never mind.
You’re literally young Dan Aykroyd
REAL LIFE?????????? No wonder the empire lost central North America....BLOODY REAL LIFE!
(Okay, fair enough, you have to earn some money for the kit)
If you don’t care about women in the ranks why care about the over all quality and accuracy of the uniform and gear in the first place? Surely you can still get the 18th century soldier experience without the color, stitching or fit of your uniform being completely accurate?
Color, stitching, and fit of uniform are much more noticeable at a glance than the gender identity of a single person in the ranks, and I’ll die on that hill.
@@ChristheRedcoat I don’t buy that. I think unless it’s a very well done impression where the woman is trying very hard to make herself look like a man, it’s just distracting. Granted I’ve only ever seen it happen once at a Gettysburg reenactment and it just looked bizarre and obvious.
It’s a lot less obvious in 18th century reenacting. Trust me on that.
I'm not a reenactor, so this could be off-base, but I wonder if all that attention to detail isn't as much for the benefit of the person doing the impression as for the public? I'm pretty invested in history, but I don't think I'd notice if a reenactor had a slightly wrong shade of blue stitched inside their lacings. Certainly, it wouldn't impact my ability to connect with the time period. However, maybe having an eye for all those specifics really contribute to a reenactor's own sense of place and empathy with the role they're stepping into?
@James Bellamy, I think that's true to an extent. When you're wearing kit that's well made, and you know it's well made, it definitely makes you feel a lot more confident about your impression. So while the public might not outwardly notice the difference in the construction, they'll definitely notice that confidence and how it effects the way you carry yourself.
That setup giving me Brandon f vibes
In NJ you need a gun license to get and own a musket because NJ
Yep. Been that way since the 1970's. Really solved the crime problem, didn't it? Anyone feel any safer there?
But go to certain neigborhoods in Newark, Paterson, Passaic, Jersey City or Camden and you can buy any kind of firearm with no questions asked. Sound fair to everyone?
Look and learn everyone, look and learn.
I don't live in NJ anymore, but I'm still bitter. Gun laws only inconvenience the good guys.
le bourbonnais have a few women re-enactors.
wher the fuck civilian?!
translation: where can some one portraying a civilian reenact ,ive only really seen battels
Civilians go to the same reenactments as everyone else, they just hang around in camp and do public interpretation during the battles.
mfw no one reenacts ARW in Australia
Might be one or two, but you'd have far greater luck finding a Napoleonic regiment or a colonial group and going from there. New England Colonial Living History Group does American 18th C but cuts off prior to the ARW.
Used to be if you wanted anything to do with black powder you'd go to Lithgow's Ironfest and canvas the groups there, but due to some of the dumb arse management decisions by the event runners, most of the black powder groups pulled out.
Alternatively, get a pakistani or an indian to make your uniform. As long as you hold their hand throughout the process, theyll finish it at a fraction of the time with a fraction of the cost of an american tailor on fb with more or less similar quality.
Orrrr, just eliminate the hand holding process entirely and trust the experts.
Nah bruh no offense but this is the worst advice I’ve ever heard💀
Just buy used at that point lmao
I know for a fact that you are a fan of the late, great Trevor Moore. In his hono[u]r you should do a rundown on all that is farb in this scene: th-cam.com/video/v8uXx5jpleg/w-d-xo.html
Believe it or not, I’ve actually been planning on it.
what regiment did u join?
🤫
Great avatar, Will.
What local are you in?
Are you Actcully british?
No.
Sorry .Then why are you british?
Why do you want to be british if your American ?🤔
Because it’s cool and I like it.
Oh nice I just wanted to know bye
a trans friend of mine was tolled he couldn't be a soldiers, tho that was in Scotland
That sucks my dude, I've seen groups that won't allow gay people because they apparently didn't exist before the 1970s