Changing Equipment Types

[LPCTV .Vermont]

I recently posted a question about viewing Payment details (to which I'm still searching for an answer), and now I have another question about Equipment.
Is is possible to change Equipment Type if the records are linked to data in other areas? I would like to create a new Equipment Type category. I would like to move certain Equipment Units from an existing Type into this new Type. But because these units have been part of reservations in the past, I am getting the "Record Can't be Changed or Deleted" error. I am curious to know if someone has discovered a work-around to this. In the past, I have gone into each single reservation and deleted each instance of the Equipment Unit. But that's far from efficient.
Thanks
Patrick
LPCTV
Ludlow, VT