If this were about the cost of the bullets involved...then the gifted AF guys would buy a $10,000 sound system and just tape the firing and have a couple of guys standing there with imitation guns...pretending to fire the founds. It’s not a cost thing, I can guarantee that.
They aren’t lessening their honor guard team on any base either....go ask them....they’ve still got the same number as before.
I suspect if you dig into this....they didn’t want to worry people with them driving around in public with rifles and ammo.
We used crimped blanks - relatively cheap. Didn’t use blank firing adapters on the muzzle. We dropped the Garand in the crook of our left arm and used the left palm to cycle the action, then raise up and shoot again. In the picture, it looks like an M14 they’re using.
My step brother was laid to rest in Arlington in 65 and as coincidence would have it, our mutual friend and neighbor was part of the Marine color guard that day. It is burned in my memory.
My uncle with navy air service in the pacific in WW2 was laid to rest two years ago. The representatives used the recorded bugle message. When the lead NCO announced something about the President’s wishes, I thought my uncle would raise up and say not under this guy, I’ll wait.