1. (a)

   1. (1) These rules are for the use of State Parks Division personnel and volunteers under the direct physical control of division personnel (volunteers who are not acting as members of an organized reenactment unit) in organizing and conducting living history reenactments and firing demonstrations in-park or at division-sponsored events.
   2. (2) They are a combination of best practices intended to provide guidance to park personnel in spotting safety violations and safe handling, storage, and use of black powder and historic weapons.
   3. (3) They are not intended to replace the safety guidelines used by individual units that participate in events.

2. (b)

   1. (1) To implement these rules, the division will establish a State Park Safety Officer team that will consist of two (2) employees from each region active in black powder programming.
   2. (2) The safety officers will participate in training designed to implement these rules.
   3. (3) Training will consist of hands-on instruction in the handling, storage, and use of black powder and black powder firearms, procedures for conducting safety inspections, and the proper care and maintenance of historic weapons.

3. (c) Requirements.

   1. (1) Age limits.

      1. (A) Participants must be at least:

4. (i) Fourteen (14) years old to carry a historic long arm or pistol;

   1. (ii) Sixteen (16) years old to load and fire a long arm; and

      1. (iii) Eighteen (18) years old to load and fire a pistol.
      2. (B) For artillerymen, members of a gun crew in positions #1 through #4 and Gunner (see Appendix VIII) must be at least seventeen (17) years old.
      3. (C) All participants under the age of eighteen (18) must be under the supervision of a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult who has signed the consent form (see 22 CAR § 50-139, Waiver and Release).

   2. (2) Scenario.

      1. (A) Scenarios will be approved by State Park Safety Officers (SPSO).

      2. (B) There will be no:

         1. (i) Hand-to-hand combat; or
         2. (ii) Unsafe deviation from scripted scenario action.
      3. (C) Any such action observed will result in the immediate expulsion of the involved individuals from the event.

   3. (3) Clothing and accoutrements.

      1. (A) Clothing and equipment must be appropriate.
      2. (B) All uniforms will be of period design and fabric with special attention to correct footwear.

      3. (C) The division reserves the right to refuse persons or equipment deemed inappropriate.

         1. (d) Weapons.

   4. (1) Long arms.

      1. (A) Only historically accurate pre-1945 long arms (rifles, muskets, carbines, and reproductions thereof) are allowed in Arkansas state parks.
      2. (B) All weapons shall be in good working order with functioning half-cock/safety and blank adaptor where applicable.

      3. (C) Flintlocks will be equipped with a:

         1. (i) Hammer stall;
         2. (ii) Frizzen cover; and
         3. (iii) Flash guard.
      4. (D) In the event of a misfire, refer to Misfire Procedures for Musket and Rifle (see Appendix I).

   5. (2) Pistols.

      1. (A) Participants carrying pistols must be at least eighteen (18) years old.
      2. (B) No solid wadding is allowed in revolvers.
      3. (C) All revolvers should have one (1) cylinder to remain unloaded and unprimed.
      4. (D) All weapons shall be in good working order with functioning half-cock/safety.

   6. (3) Ammunition.

      1. (A) Powder will only be carried in the form of:

         1. (i) Properly rolled cartridges; or
         2. (ii) Commercially purchased blanks.

      2. (B)

         1. (i) A properly rolled cartridge is defined as one (1) rolled in a soft paper with between sixty (60) and one hundred (100) grains of FFg black powder (as befits caliber and type of weapon, flintlocks have extra powder for priming).
         2. (ii) Penny wrappers, heavy bond paper, bright or neon colors, plastics, staples, or tape will not be used for rolled cartridges.

   7. (4) Percussion caps.

      1. (A) No CCI six-partition/six-flange caps.

      2. (B) They are distinguished by their:

         1. (i) Copper color;
         2. (ii) Extra loud report; and
         3. (iii) Tendency to come apart.
      3. (C) Flangeless musket caps other than #10 or #11 are not allowed as they can shatter, causing injury to the face and eyes.
      4. (D) Percussion caps and cartridges will be carried separately and securely.
      5. (E) Under no circumstances will projectiles be brought on site.

   8. (5) Inspections.

      1. (A) Inspections will be conducted daily under the direction of an SPSO.
      2. (B) The division reserves the right to refuse weapons on the field if found operationally unsafe or inappropriate for the scenario.
      3. (C) Organized units shall conduct inspections of their respective units under the direction of an SPSO.
      4. (D) Division-owned firearms should have an ASP Small Arms Inspection Form completed monthly (see Appendix IV).

   9. (6) Edged weapons.

      1. (A) Swords and sabers will be carried only by officers and appropriate NCOs of reenacted military units.
      2. (B) No sword fighting will be engaged in without the express written permission of division personnel.
      3. (C) Knives carried will be of the period and secured in a period sheath.
      4. (D) At no time will knives be drawn on the field.
      5. (E) Bayonets must be secured in a proper scabbard with a metal tip.

      6. (F) Bayonets may only be fixed:

         1. (i) During drill;
         2. (ii) To stack arms; or
         3. (iii) For educational purposes.
      7. (G) Bayonets will not be fixed on the field.
      8. (H) Should bayonets be fixed, State Park Safety Officers will stop the event.

5. (e) Events.

   1. (1) Organization.

      1. (A) All groups are welcome and shall be assigned to serve within the structure recognized by the division and the designated event leaders.
      2. (B) Group leaders are responsible for the conduct of their group and shall deliver a roster of persons attending to the designated SPSO each day.

   2. (2) Camps.

      1. (A) Both military and civilian camps shall be laid out, and all participants shall camp in assigned areas.
      2. (B) Fires shall only be permitted in designated areas.
      3. (C) Do not discard trash in fire pits.

   3. (3) Vehicle access.

      1. (A) Vehicle access and times must be arranged by the park superintendent or designee.
      2. (B) This will be strictly enforced.
   4. (4) Personal conduct. Illegal or abused substances will not be permitted.

6. (f) Rules for all mounted participants.

   1. (1) Mounts. All mounts, pack, and draft animals shall be under care and control of a designated person at all times.

   2. (2) Health records.

      1. (A) A current EIA (Coggins) is required for each animal per state and event rules.
      2. (B) Participants will be checked at registration before entering the site.
      3. (C) If there is no paperwork or it is not up to date, the animal will not be allowed on site.
      4. (D) Current influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and tetanus vaccinations are highly recommended for each horse.

7. (g) Rules for artillery.

   1. (1) Artillery.

      1. (A) Only full-scale reproductions of period and theater appropriate artillery pieces are permitted.
      2. (B) Scale reproductions may be accepted for demonstrations on a case-by-case basis and only by invitation of event organizers.

   2. (2) Inspections.

      1. (A) Satisfactory evaluation at an artillery inspection conducted by a State Parks Safety Officer is mandatory for participation.
      2. (B) It is the responsibility of the respective crews to ensure that they submit to inspection in a timely manner.

   3. (3) Gun standards.

      1. (A) All iron or steel cannon barrels must be manufactured or retrofitted with an inner liner or sleeve.
      2. (B) The liner must be smooth and free of pits.
      3. (C) Carriage construction shall be authentic in detail (if authenticity is questioned, Mordecai specifications will be controlling).
      4. (D) All implements and accoutrements shall be properly constructed to maintain an authentic appearance.
      5. (E) All artillery pieces must have an Artillery Inspection Checklist completed prior to participating in events (see Appendix III).

      6. (F) Each muzzle-loading gun will require the following tools and equipment:

         1. (i) Sponge bucket;
         2. (ii)
8. (a) (a) Sponge.

9. (b) (b) Wool shearling or other natural fiber with a thick nap in good condition with intact seams;

   1. (iii)
10. (a) (a) Rammers.

11. (b) (b) The back end shall be tapered to the diameter of the rammer staff to prevent loss of hand in case of accidental misfiring;

    1. (iv)
12. (a) (a) Priming wire.

13. (b) (b) Pick made of brass or bronze;

    1. (v)
14. (a) (a) Worm.

15. (b) (b) Double-edged and fitting the bore properly;

    1. (vi) Thumb stall or leather glove for thumbing vent;

       1. (vii) Priming pouch;

          1. (viii) Gunner's pouch or haversack;
          2. (ix) Heavy leather gauntlets or gloves;
          3. (x) Ammunition chest;
          4. (xi) Vent brush;
          5. (xii) Gimlet;
          6. (xiii)
16. (a) (a) Lanyard.

17. (b) (b) Five feet (5’) minimum; and

    1. (xiv) Hearing protection.

       1. (G) Artillery firing will only take place during the scheduled times on an appropriate blank firing range (see Appendix VI).

    2. (4) Ammunition.

       1. (A) Blank rounds for artillery should be constructed of heavy duty aluminum foil, no plastic baggies, and powder charges shall not exceed three ounces (3 oz.) of cannon-grade black powder per inch of bore.
       2. (B) One (1) randomly selected round will be submitted to a SPSO for inspection.

    3. (5) Crew standards.

       1. (A) A gun crew shall consist of at least three (3) trained people consistent with the time period being portrayed and the type of piece, and at least this number will be present during the firing of the piece.
       2. (B) As stated under the General Rules above, all men in positions #1 through #4 and Gunner shall be at least seventeen (17) years old.
       3. (C) No pistols shall be carried by positions #1 through #8.

    4. (6) Safety standards.

       1. (A) The maximum rate of fire shall not exceed one (1) round per three-minute interval.
       2. (B) Under no circumstances will artillery fire more than one (1) round per three (3) minutes.
       3. (C) The Gunner of each piece is responsible for keeping time.
       4. (D) Individual gun commanders may invoke a longer waiting period than the three-minute rule, regardless of orders, if they feel that it would compromise safety to fire at a faster rate.

       5. (E)

          1. (i) All artillery pieces will cease firing when their troops advance forward of the muzzle of that piece.
          2. (ii) Likewise, artillery crews will cease firing when opposing troops advance to within fifty (50) yards of their piece.

       6. (F)

          1. (i) The loading and servicing of the piece will be performed in accordance with the artillery practices of the period modified for safety.
          2. (ii) The gun commander shall regulate the correctness and rate by which the crew serves the piece.
          3. (iii) The bore shall be wormed and thoroughly wet sponged after each round.
          4. (iv) The vent shall be stopped with a proper thumb stall or glove from the time any implement enters the bore until the rammer is removed from the bore after the charge is rammed.
          5. (v) No double tapping of charges is permitted.
          6. (vi) Charges should be rammed with one (1) firm stroke.

       7. (G)

          1. (i) In the event of a Level I misfire the Misfire Procedures for Artillery will be performed after notifying an SPSO and the appropriate time limit has elapsed.
          2. (ii) Level II misfires must be supervised by an SPSO after the event has ended.
          3. (iii) This will be covered during safety inspections (see Appendix II).

Codification Notes: “EIA” means Equine Infectious Anemia. "NCO" means noncommissioned officer. This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "NOVEMBER 15, 2010 PARK DIRECTIVE 3230" "Related PD: PD 3240- Historic Weapons Safety Rules for Living History Participants APPROVED BY THE ARKANSAS STATE PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAVEL COMMISSION AT THE SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2010 MEETING AND FAVORABLY REVIEWED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AT THE NOVEMBER 15, 2010 MEETING."