No war here; we can’t have guns.

The Elk Grove Historical Society has had to cancel a long-planned Revolutionary War re-enactment set for April because of the California city’s anti-gun laws.

According to a report on TV station KOVR-13, the CBS affiliate in Sacramento, the Society was told to cancel its history lesson because it involved the firing of black-powder muskets from the 18th century.

Elk Grove’s laws say persons within the city limits cannot “use, maintain, possess, fire, or discharge any firearm,” KOVR reported.

“We would have encampments and all kinds of entertainment for the kids to see,” said Jim Entrican, facilities manager for the group and president of the Native Son of the Golden West in Elk Grove.

He noted that the two-day re-enactment event at Elk Grove Regional Park, scheduled for April 7-8, had been planned for more than a year and that the Society had been allowed to do similar events in past years under various exceptions in city ordinances.

“I don’t know. It’s just frustrating, very frustrating,” Mr. Entrican told KOVR.

He told the station that the park district that had refused permission “actually asked us if we can use wooden sticks” instead.

“Can you see 12 men in full regalia and another 12 charging with wooden sticks saying ‘Bang bang!’ It just doesn’t have the same effect,” he said.

The Historical Society already had begun distributing flyers and had hoped to draw up to 3,000 people to the park.

“History is important and we’re losing it,” Mr. Entrican said.

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