All Hail the Second Amendment

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The concept of a well-regulated militia was carried over from the Articles of Confederation.  Everyone knew what it meant.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2013/0...id-it-mean

That section of the Articles of Confederation relevant to the discussion of militias is to be found in paragraph four of Article 6 (of the Articles), which states that

“No vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, except such number only, as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress assembled, for the defense of such State, or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any State in time of peace, except such number only, as in the judgement of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defense of such State; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of filed pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage.

They did not expect every shithead to bring his own gun.  The ammunition supply would have been a nightmare.

Lots of them used their own pieces because they were familiar with them. You didn't have to go to the armory to get a rifle to practice with, you went hunting for supper and doubled down.