TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - It's a gun ban George Washington could approve of - or at least the Revolutionary War re-enactor playing him each year.

That's because a proposed ban on large-caliber assault weapons in New Jersey also would legalize the type of guns commonly used by re-enactors.

Currently, a firearm popularly known as the Brown Bess and often used during battlefield scenes violates the state's gun possession laws.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora's bill would exempt antique and muzzle-loading firearms that use a traditional flintlock or cap lock and rely on black powder.

Gusciora says that while antiques are fine, modern rifles with a caliber of .50 or larger serve no appropriate civilian use and should be illegal.

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