Extras and Re-enactors

My wife had asked me a question about the Safari Re-enactment in my last post. She was warning me to be careful about inexperienced re-enactors. Truth be told, 99.9999 percent of the re-enactors don't worry me due to the nature of the beast.


Re-enactors strive to relive a point in time. This involves not just learning the history involved but having the proper weapons, clothing and support gear. That can run the gambit from a proper shooting bag and boots to a saddle, tent and other camp gear available in the period. Even cannons get into the game. Some do it better than others, but safety with firearms is paramount to everyone.


Some years ago a gentleman, saddly no longer with us, started providing producers of period films with re-enactors. The advantages were obvious. We would arrive on location with the correct clothing or uniforms, accessories and weapons. As re-enactors we were old hands at camping on location, and didn't have to travel back and forth. Often our camps could be used as part of the set dressing.


Our folks already knew how to march and the manual of arms for the time period. In addition to infantry this gentleman also supplied cavalry and artillery. Counting a scene where I stood in as a gun captain, I worked as all three. With a trip through hair and makeup each morning and we were ready to work.


In addition hair and make up extras had to be issued everything we brought with us. Being ready to work took them three times a long.


The difference between re-enactors and extras without this background showed up when filming THE ROUGH RIDERS a few years ago. Lord knows accidents happen, but they are much more common when handling unfimular equipment. Example - during a battle scene an extra carrying a Spanish Rile with fixed bayonet tripped and put said bayonet through the leg of a re-enactor.


There was no permanent damage. The re-enactor recovered and the extra got away.

The Little Howdah Pistol

I found this beastie about 12 years ago at a Houston pawnshop. (Note: A recent review of my records showed this weapon came from COLLECTORS FIREARMS in Houston, Texas) It’s a handgun but the mechanism is classic double barrel muzzle loading shotgun. The weapon has no maker’s markings or numbers. It’s probably one of the countless Italian imports that have graced the American shooting market since the end of World War Two but this is only a guess. At first sight everyone, me included, says it looks like a Howdah Pistol. If anyone out there can tell me more about it please speak up. Until a better title comes alone it’s the little howdah pistol.

A little while after I got it I was one of the Re-enactors who went to Missouri and Kansas to work on the movie Ride with the Devil. This imposing oddball was one of the handguns in my pommel holsters. It has been a popular standard on lectures and displays of pre cartridge era weapons. I always told myself one day I would get with someone who shot black powder shotguns and try it out. I’m embarrassed it took so long but finally happened.
Hangman and his family had come to visit for the day and that always means lots of shooting. This time he had his black powder shotgun in the mix. I showed him the little howdah pistol and he said we could give it a try. We chose to go with a low pressure .410 load and #8 shot. The little howdah pistol gave a spirited buck and roar and lived up to everything I have ever read about howdah pistols. They aren’t long range weapons! I recall reading that one old timer advised a client if you ever have to use this stick the muzzle in the tigers mouth and pull the trigger. From 25 feet I think I ‘scared’ one of the two tin cans I had set out. I was thinking about trying it with shot again when Hangman said I have the correct caliber round balls if I wanted to shoot bullets next. Such a question! Since tigers are thin on the ground here at HomePlace (thank God) I selected an old steel drum top for my target hoping it was large enough to give me some idea where the weapon was shooting. This time I paced off ten steps and fired. The first shot missed completely but that was more not having made friends with the weapon that anything else. The second shot hit next to the fill hole for the drum. This told me I had been aiming high.
All things considered I don’t think of the little howdah pistol as a trouble gun but it is all kinds of fun to shoot! I will have to do this again soon.

Coming Soon to HomePlace

Sunday morning I received an E-mail that the TV Pilot, WASTELAND, is on hold until further notice. The project is a victim of the domino effect. The unavoidable absence of a cast member made it necessary to delay filming by a week. The problem is that some cast members and primary crew have made commitments to other projects that were then put into conflict. Delays scramble everything.

Anyone who has worked around film knows this happens. I am assured there are no plans to abandon WASTELAND. I will stay in touch with Perry and Dylan. Knowing them I expect the project to proceed in the next few months. If called for more pre-production assistance I will be delighted to do so..

In the meantime we unload the truck and put the equipment back into Props and Wardrobe. Like the actors and crew members on WASTELAND we here at HomePlace also have several projects in the works. Our new focus is an event we will be hosting called

The Great Pumpkin Shoot

For some time Helene and I have done a variety of programs that can best be described as Weapons for Writers. In the past they have been show and tell but folks have often asked if it were possible to actually try out the firearms we talked about. Saturday, October 17 we will be hosting our first live fire event. Festivities will kick off at 09:00 AM that Saturday morning with a Dutch oven Breakfast prepared by our good friend Hangman Hale. After reviewing safe weapon handling, operation and range procedures folks will be checked out in rifle, hand gun and shotgun.

Lunch, also prepared by Chef Hangman, will be provided. Soft Drinks will be available from the tent saloon “ACE IN THE HOLE” over seen by Miss Maggie. During Lunch our Son, Matt Hendrickson, will give a demonstration of marksmanship or profanity depending on whether he hits his marks.

After lunch participants can either try out specific firearm or plink with the weapons they have already been checked out on. The day will conclude with the title event where “posses” will square off against a like number of rampaging orange squash.

See you there.

What To Take

Saturday Helene and I went to Austin to meet with Dylan Herin-Soule (Producer) and Perry Field (Director) about the TV Pilot and we are a go. The list of items they want me to bring has expanded and it looks like I will be on location for the entire shooting schedule. Now I am assembling my treasures and doing last minute tweaking.

It is amazing the stuff one collects over a lifetime. When reviewing the firearms I was even more amazed how many of them are strictly for display and film props. Add in support gear like holsters, ammo cans, and incidentals like radio’s, field phones and the field desk and I wonder if I am going to get it all in one trip

I use ammo cans for a lots of storage jobs. They are naturals for sorting ammunition but also make good make shift tool boxes or a catch all for those little things that get lost so easily. Therefore, when they show up at garage sales, flea markets and gun shows I don’t usually pass them up. Between the .30 and .50 caliber I’ll be taking about twenty ammo cans to the film project.

As you can see, I found the Uzi. The AK-47 and Scorpion are naturals for this kind of film. Even though the Thompson, MP-40 and PPHS are World War two they will be in the crowd scenes as well. I didn’t ask about the bullwhip, but I am guessing there is a villain who might need one.

There will also be a smattering of handguns and knives, some 105mm crates, and the flack vest I forgot I had until I came across it looking for something else. Matt might be building their gallows! I wonder if we could have it after the movie. I mean, Perry lives in an apartment so he doesn’t have room for it. Could you think of a better place to nail a NO TRESSPASSING sign?

Where did we leave the Uzi?
The chores at HomePlace have taken a turn from the normal path the last couple of weeks. Feed the rabbits, stir the compost bins and replace the wood on the troop seats. Collect eggs, weed the tomatoes and remount the machine gun pedestal in the M-37. The ammo tray and .50 cal. ammo cans need painted. Make sure all the animals have fresh water in this heat. Does ANYONE know where we packed the Uzi? I know it’s here somewhere.

Truth be told the Uzi is a non-firing prop. Were it live it would be locked up in a safe and I would be much more concerned about loosing track of it. It’s mainly for film and photo work.

For the last few years our Dodge M-37 has become less military and more country. It has hauled feed, building supplies, fire wood and grandchildren all over our small ranch. Now it’s time to get ready for general inspection. After a series of emails and telephone calls I have been asked to bring the Dodge to the location of a TV pilot being shot about 100 miles from here. So the Dodge is being put back in uniform.

Our six year old grandson, Spud, was as excited as I have ever seen him when we uncrated the Browning .50 cal. Machine Gun. I thought he was going to cry when he found out it didn’t really shoot. He thinks his Dad and I need to fix it. Spud doesn’t understand about Class III licensing.
The Dodge is looking better every day. I have the packs and equipment bags, extra fuel cans and rolled canvas to add but will wait until we get to the location. I’m not sure how long we will need to be on site. I need to ask if they want to use the Rocket Launcher. And I still need to find that Uzi.