Typically, it is the ram rod left in the barrel in the excitement. After the Gettysburg, anniversary and several incidents, our unit removed ram rods entirely during actual reenactments. Not realistic, but keeps it from being real.
According to all safety guidelines, ramrods should NEVER be pulled after leaving camp and after unit inspections, certainly never on the field.
Ramrod for a pistol?
Not realistic, but keeps it from being real
After the battle of Gettysburg, guns collected off the battlefield were found to contain more than one “load” as well as the ramrod. Quite a few rifles were found to be loaded with up to 5 bullets. In the excitement of battle, many soldiers forgot to aim and pull the trigger but just kept on loading.