I tryed searching this but kept getting errors.
What to you all think. I have never had one of my reloads fail to fire, however I have had a couple of factory loads do so. My thought is I can precisely control everything from power charge, primer seating, case length, crimp. I also have the ability to select what I perceive to be superior brands for all of the components. So why would I not want to trust myself to load my own defense ammo and not rely on mass produced ammo?
Thanks
I’ve always heard that it’s not advisable to use handloads for self defense because of the possible legal ramifications. I guess it could be something that the bad guys attorney could use against you. Personally, I’ve never heard of any “good shoots” were handloads were used, so I can’t be positive.
I have a few mags of ammo built with this in mind. I checked every primer, weighed every completed cartridge, etc.
I’ve had a few Federal rounds fail to fire over the years. They were out of the Premium loads… not practice ammo. I won’t use any Federal ammo for defensive purposes.
Hand loads are a non issue if you are involved in a justifiable shoot.
I can see it might be an issue if you are loading hollow points and filling them with mercury and and capping them, but if you aren’t using magic lead, powder, brass, or primers I can’t see where that argument would hold any water over why did you purchase FMJ vs Rangers (or whatever). That is a good point though.
This is where my single stage presses come back into play, making hunting ammo and carry ammo slowly and carefully with many checks. I trust my own QC over the unknown.
I currently have a nice load developed using Hornady XTP’s for my .45. Feed, function and accuracy are great. Not only that, I can practice, practice, and practice some more without breaking the bank or hoping the gunshop has more in stock.
Hand loads are a non issue if you are involved in a justifiable shoot.
Pretty much my opinion, and I am sure as hell not going to “volunteer” that info either. Let alone open my yap and critique the shoot, “What do you think Officer? another 1/2 grain of powder I think I would have gotten a little better accuracy and expansion at this range, can I ride along to the morgue and look at my slugs?”
A justifiable shoot is a justifiable shoot.
That said, if I were do to this I’d likely be replicating an existing factory performance loading, which would negate some of the advantages of handloading.
I do have a good degree of trust in LE grade patrol ammunition from places like Black Hills, Federal, Hornady, Remington - but having the ability to create my own clone of a favorite load OR pick up that loading from a retailer is a pretty good compromise.
+berzillion
No one has ever been charged for using handloaded ammo in a justifiable shooting, ever.
A justifiable shooting is only that AFTER it has been reviewed.
Till it’s reviewed by:
The responding officer
The detectives who responded to the call
Crime scene people
The detectives again reading the crime scene report, witness statements, checking your facebook page for the statements of how you were going to kill him…ect…
Their superiors
The prosecutor (and maybe his superior)
It’s a Homicide under investigation.
Everyone imagines that the incident they have will be one in which everything goes according to plan, that the guy who attacked you will be a 3 time felon with a kidnapped girl in the back of his car and so forth…
In that case, use handloads. Use a gun with “Smile. Wait for Flash” Engraved into the muzzle.
Nobody will care.
However, if real life intrudes…and it may…
You may be faced with the unenviable C/F’s of a situation such as:
1 The attacker began to turn when he saw you reach for the gun and your shot ended up hitting him in the back.
2 He didn’t fall down and die like he was supposed to when hit with DPX, and you had to dump 8 rounds into him
3 The knife you thought was in his hand was a Motorola Razor cell phone (It was dark, and we all know how that happens…)
4 You made a statement to the police swearing that he had a knife in his hands (not a formal statement…but a statement none-the-less…and it was a LIE…or a stress induced perceptual error…OR A LIE TO COVER YOUR ASS…Which one? The police and the prosecutor do not know…)
5 You have a history with the deceased. He is you your ex-wife’s brother who didn’t like the face you had a GOOD divorce attorney and that you took the cheating whore to the cleaners, and she ended up with nothing…But…the deceased isn’t a bad gun with a record. It looks like 2 solid citizens who had a fight and one killed the other…
So, after shooting your ex-bro in law who you swear had a knife and was going to kill you (oh, yeah…no knife…oops…) and making a statement to the cops (lying to them to cover yourself…) and shooting him in the back 8 times…
You REALLY want to add handloads to the mix?
Fine.
The moment I hear about that in a client’s case, the bill goes up another $15K, and I call Ayoob to ask how much he’d like as fees, and if he wants a bank check or wire transfer.
strawman much?
Ok Mr. Lawyer, show me where someone was successfully prosecuted, or prosecuted at all for using reloads instead of factory in what was otherwise a good shoot.
Not sure if this helps or not but this has been a topic of discussion within our agency for some time.
I’ll paraphrase what one of the prosecutors said. If deadly force is authorized, it really doesn’t matter if you shoot someone with factory loads designed for defense or a handload (provided that the components are not altered).
The merits and liabilities (mostly the latter) of carrying handloads have been done to death. They are the stuff of gunzines and are best left there.
With a wide variety of quality defensive ammo available at many price points, there’s no good reason to choose otherwise.
I guess 15k will buy alot more ammo to test and find one I am confident with. Thanks for the info Esq. No knock on ya, but thanks for letting me know how I would be represented by your line of work.
1
It may not fit the definition of a “good shoot” depending on perspective, but Massad Ayoob has reported on a case where the defendant’s wife (allegedly) committed suicide using a revolver loaded with intentionally light handloads (i.e. light target loads). The husband was charged with her death because the light loads didn’t produce the powder burns and other marks you’d expect to see with a close-contact shot, so she was believed to be shot from a distance.
Obviously, this is a weird and specific instance that may not come up using “normal” handloads, but part of the point Ayoob makes is that, if a question comes up regarding evidence related to exactly what you loaded, they aren’t going to take your word for it, and they aren’t going to go out of their way to be concerned with it. In the cited case, they tested factory full-power loads despite the claim of the lightly-loaded ammo.
Using factory ammo just eliminates the potential for that aspect to be used against you. Personally, I subscribe to that theory for pistol ammo, but wouldn’t be concerned with rifle.
has anybody given the though of how you can determine the expended bullet is a reload??
Only by VOLUNTEERING said information to responding officers… 
And we all know how we should be motor-mouthing all the things that pop into our head after a shooting… LOL!
Officer, I believed my life was in imminent danger… I’d like to remain silent until I speak to my lawyer. Thank you for understanding.
Rmpl
Exactly. Unless the ammo did something extraordinary like SteelHawk ammo, the issue would likely not even come up.
a fragmented factory ammo and a fragmented reload… probably looks the same lol… specially if your reloaded really fragments a lot… that would be very hard to determine.
Expended bullet no but all I have to do is look at the case if its .223 and see if the primer crimp is still there.
If its a good shoot you shouldn’t be an issue.
Times have changed I know retired sheriffs deputy that in the 70’s used to reload his own duty ammo. That would never happen today of course.
Remember at one time they were all reloads
Forensic examination of evidentiary ammunition and recovered components, and comparisons to exemplars/control samples is common and should be anticipated. It may or may not matter whether or not it’s a reload, but it’s a variable that will be revealed at some point.
here in cincinnati i was told by my instucter that a lawyer could go after you for loading ammunition to cause undue or unecasary damage above and beyond what factory loaded ammo would do. is that not what we would load it to do? so i was told to find out what the police carry and use that.