Authorities: Old West Re-enactor who shot tourists had felony record

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say a mock Old West gun battle participant in South Dakota who wounded three tourists by firing live ammunition instead of blanks has served more than five years in Minnesota prisons on multiple felony convictions.

South Dakota law says that a person convicted of a felony in South Dakota or another state cannot possess or have control of a firearm for 15 years.

The 49-year-old man has not been charged in the June 17 incident.

The Dakota Wild Bunch re-enactors had performed the mock gun battles several times a week in Hill City, a tourist town in South Dakota's Black Hills.

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Back to prison for this idiot!

What could possibly go wrong? :crazy:

That's just a whole new level of stoopid. That guy belongs in jail.

Federal Firearms Act of 1938 says he is barred for life. I say let the state have him after the feds get their mandatory minimum five years out of him.

I'm not a "lock them up and throw away the key" type of person, but in this case, I really think it's a matter of public safety to keep this man under some type of institutional control. Living in TX, I've seen a few mock gun battles over the years. Using live ammo is nucking futz.

I am always an enforce it right or repeal/amend it type person. As someone who grew up in the "gun culture" I think using real guns that chamber live ammo in mock gun battles is nuking futz. Best David Spade movie IMHO.

:shrug:

Some here would call it harassment -- but how are you going to stop felons from possessing them if you don't check when it's obvious they have a gun or two.

It's called probable cause. You should totally look that one up.

And mandatory phone wiretapping. After all, if the government isn't listening in on all of your phone calls, how do we know you're not plotting terrorism?

:eyes:

Yup.....whether the come from the left or the right, they sure do.

searched my laptop for child porn. It was a bit inconvenient and embarrassing, but of course I was completely cool with it because it's important to keep everybody safe (especially the children)...

The heebie geebies cancells out due process.

Lest we have more instances of convicted felons readily acquiring replicas of firearms that were state of the art in 1873: The Colt "Peacemaker," the Springfield "Trapdoor," the Winchester lever-action! Heck, they can already acquire all the black powder guns they want, like (replicas of) the Colt 1851 Navy revolvers that "Wild Bill" Hickock used.

Seriously, though, I have to agree with gejohnson's take (in post #6) that it's a plain bad idea to use firearms that can chamber live rounds for re-enactments. Blanks are potentially dangerous enough at short ranges, without adding the potential of live rounds inadvertently being added into the mix. That said, I don't know that blank-only replicas are as readily available as actual firearms are, of whether they might be significantly more expensive. To compare, I'm not sure there's such a thing as a blank-only replica of any Civil War gun; how would you block the muzzle on a muzzle-loader?

For reenactment muzzle loading rifles and muskets are generally loaded with loose powder or paper cartridges. The guns are held so the point generally above level 15-20 degrees. No ramrods are permitted on the field. This is to preclude someone inadvertently launching the ramrod through haste, forgetfulness or inattention. It was not an uncommon occurrence during the centuries when real soldiers used real muskets in real battles.

Cap and ball revolvers are usually loaded with paper cartridges. The procedure for making a blank cartridge is simple. A piece of paper is laid out and rolled into a tube using a dowel as a form. The diameter of the dowel should be close to the caliber of the firearm. The dowel should be positioned as indicated by the dotted lines (diagram 1) so that after rolling it up, there’s enough paper sticking out the bottom of the tube to seal it. This is done by simply pressing the protruding paper against the butt end of the dowel. (diagram 2). The original cartridges, containing a lead ball were usually sealed and bound with small cordage or even glue (diagram 3). After removing the dowel, the result is a paper tube sealed at the bottom. A measured charge of powder is poured into the tube, and the open end is sealed by either twisting it or folding it. In doing so be careful not to tear the paper.



Typical blank charges are as follows:
.36 or .44 cal 45 grains of FFF
.54 or .58 cal 65 grains of FFF
.69 cal 100 grains of FFF
Cannons 3 oz max. of F or FF (no flour) per inch bore size

I have looked at the guns used in the Dodge City street fights. They are replicas of period guns which are nonfunctional blank guns. They look real enough but the cylinders are not chambered for live rounds. Why a re-enactment company would allow their actors to use actual firearms is a mystery to me.