Battlefield Curator

We saw some interesting M1917 rifles at the Talladega Marksmanship park this weekend. This one is marked Post 50 for the VFW or American Legion post. These posts are numbered depending on the state. If any of the post 50s got rid of their M1917s within the last year, I’d say it came from there. This one also bears an Augusta Arsenal marking.

Check out Will’s channel youtube.com/@gunpowder_acres?si=tDauZcIz9a8uUqxK

4 days ago | [YT] | 412

Battlefield Curator

Today’s featured living historian and Reenactor is Ronald Melton, who has recently experienced tragic events…

He was born in the Chicago area to Appalachian parents, grew up in Florida, then Georgia during high school. He is now a long time Tennessee resident. His passion for history stemmed from a young age, as he became interested in reenacting in High school, then in 1986, started focusing on the Trans Appalachian far west after reading an intriguing article by David Wright on the " first far west ". Because “life happens”, jobs, kids, etc, he basically read and researched as much as he could until 2003, when he finally started putting a kit together and joined a local group. He has been attending events ever since...

His impressions over the years include:

Longhunter
John Seviers militia
Native
SC provincial ( 1750's )
Continental Line ( battalion & light infantry )
Loyalist militia
British provincial
Kings Carolina rangers
TN State militia (1796)
Georgia militia (1790s)
TN militia war of 1812

Ronald runs a YouTube channel where he shares 18th century history and information. ‪@CaptRons18thcentury‬

Recently, Ron’s house caught fire due to an electrical issue, destroying most of his household items, gear, and expensive weapons used for reenacting. Help Ron recover by donating to his GoFund Me account:

www.gofundme.com/f/help-ron-rebuild-after-house-fi…

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 225

Battlefield Curator

Are you thinking about getting a retro AR15 variant?

1 month ago | [YT] | 107

Battlefield Curator

What is your primary military weapons and militaria collecting focus in 2026?

1 month ago | [YT] | 27

Battlefield Curator

What’s holding you back from collecting American Civil War weapons?

1 month ago | [YT] | 39

Battlefield Curator

The Battle of Broxton Bridge reenactment offers a unique and unforgettable experience, because the spectators are right in the middle of the action. We had a great time chatting with reenactors, admiring weapons, and absorbing the sights and sounds of the battle. Here are some photos of this weekends Battle of Broxton Bridge.

Check out some of the reenactment groups on Facebook:
24th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Reenactors
39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
Culpeper Light Artillery Reenactors

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1 month ago | [YT] | 780

Battlefield Curator

The fog of war- Battle of Aiken 2026

When there’s rain and humidity, you better beleive that the battlefield is gonna get smokey. On a rainy or humid day, the moisture in the air prevents the smoke from dissipating. It hangs low to the ground, mixing with natural mist to create a literal wall that obscures everything more than a few yards away. There was plenty of cannon fire and gunfire to produce a thick amount of smoke on the battlefield, adding a sense of realism seldom seen in reenactments.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 733

Battlefield Curator

The story of a Confederate sharpshooter and scout who escaped from prisoner of war camps twice, then became a local legend within the community after the war is quite intriguing!

After visiting the Augusta Museum of History and learning a little bit about the locally known Berry Benson, I had to buy the book. He made attempts to publish the book throughout his life, but kept getting denied by publishers. After his passing, the family took his writings and memoirs to finally get the book published. It contains so much information about how life was serving as a Confederate Soldier, scout, and sharpshooter. It also depicts his life after the war and shows how one man can make a difference in the lives of many.

At the end of the Civil War, Berry did not formally surrender and traveled with his brother to fall in with another unit but realized that they too were on the verge of conceding. They went back to Augusta, GA.

Berry Benson’s rifle, a “two band” Enfield Pattern 1860, is currently on display at the Augusta Museum of History (second picture). The first photo shows a commonly found reproduction of the two band Enfield.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 556

Battlefield Curator

Italian steel and a whole lot of history 🇮🇹🪖

While the Carcano became infamous for other reasons later in history, it was the backbone of the Italian Royal Army during the Great War.

Here are the three main models, all chambered in the 6.5x52mm, that saw action during WW1:

1. Fucile Modello 1891 (The Long Rifle)
The standard-issue infantry rifle. With its long barrel and gain twist rifling, it was designed for accuracy at a distance.

2. Moschetto Modello 1891 per Truppe Speciali (TS Carbine)
The "Special Troops" variant. Designed for Soldiers who didn't need a full-length rifle but still required a primary arm, such as engineers, artillery crews, NCOs, and logistic units.

3. Moschetto Modello 1891 (known to collectors as the “Cavalry Carbine”)
Built for mobility and frontline combat. This unique short-barreled carbine featured a folding spike bayonet. It was issued to cavalry units, bicycle units, Royal Carabinieri, Air Force guard units, parachute units and some others who needed something lightweight, effective, and easy to carry.

#WWI #HistoryBuff #Carcano #MilitaryHistory #ItalianArmy #VintageRifles #GreatWar

2 months ago | [YT] | 709

Battlefield Curator

Awesome antique store find…

Saw this British tank photo at an antique store and thought it was cool but then noticed the German inscription on the bottom.

It is a bit hard to read but it roughly translates to Captured British Tank at Bapaume March 28 1918. It appears to say mit fliegershutznetz (camo net to conceal it from aircraft) at the bottom as well.

During World War One, the Germans successfully captured and/or salvaged some British tanks, fixing them and refitted them for use in battle. The British would lose 300 or so tanks during the German spring offensive of 1918. The tank in the photograph was one of those captured.

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2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 484