"The re-enactment was performed at the behest of filmmakers shooting a documentary of the battle."
That means they hired any number of extras, not regular re-enactors, who showed up with an 'outfit', obviously including in one case a firearm that had been left loaded from some other outing. Stupid to start with, of course.
But the filmmakers also obviously did not have checkpoints and range officers to check each firearm coming on the battlefield. A regular re-enactment will have ROs appointed to each unit, and before the fun begins everybody clears their firearms ONE MORE TIME - just to be sure. You're not allowed to bring pistol or rifle balls onto the field - anybody found with them will get hammered and sent home.
If you don't play by the rules when you're dealing with firearms, this kind of stuff happens. But the filmmakers obviously couldn't be bothered with the expense this would entail . . . .
Thank you for this clarification.
You are correct on what you posted.
It was done at the “behest of filmmakers” and used “extras”.
Since the G-burg movie filmmakers have found out they came save tons of money on “extras”. Simply put “the word out” and reenactors will show up with their own gear. Anything to be in a movie.
They’ll work cheap to.
But as you noted this comes without the safeguards put in place by a typical reenactment.
“Movie call” and lack of oversight lets the Yahoo’s run free.