DiggerNMt

There is the debate of do I use American loaded ammo, or do I use a Round that I reloaded. I want to see If I'm not the only one who feels that no matter which I use, the both of them would perform just the same if not better.Tell me what you would prefer and why? A bullet is a bullet why should I use American made ammo, over ammo made by an American reloader.When it comes to self defense.

SubNine

Well from the information I have gathered from gun rags and other forum members, using reloading ammo for self defense in general is not a good idea. Why is it not a good idea you ask?

Because of lawyers. They will try and convince a jury that the bullets you used were custom made to kill people. IMO it is best to use the same stuff that LEOs use or at least a quality JHP because that would be easier to defend in court because LEOs use the same type of ammo. There is a possibility that the jury is not acquainted with guns, and they'll buy into the "cop killer" bullet BS. That is if you go to trial.

It doesn't make any sense to me what difference it makes because if you load your rounds to factory spec then it shouldn't matter, but not everyone knows that. One bullet is just as deadly as the next.

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Landric

Say what?

I suppose what you are trying to ask is why you should use factory ammunition over handloaded ammunition.

Here are some reasons that come to mind:

-Factory ammunition aimed at the self-defense market is designed specifically for that task. It often uses low flash powders, premium bullets (sometimes not available as components), specifically tailored velocities, etc.

-Factory ammunition uses all new components, handloaded ammunition doesn't always, and remanufactured/reloaded ammunition is by definition made with used brass. Used brass can effect reliability.

-There is at least a theory that using handloaded ammunition might open one up to some liability in either criminal or civil court. The more time I spend in law enforcement the less convincing I find the theory, but I will agree that it could come up in an investigation.

I trust my handloads. I would feel comfortable carrying them if I had the option (I don't due to department policy). However, if I were to do so, I would only use new brass, and I would load bullets made by the same manufacturer as that of the brass. I'd have to test the loads using a chronograph for velocity and test other performance (flash, bullet expansion, etc.) Overall its easier to use factory ammunition as much of that testing has been done by experts at the factory. Defense ammunition is not a place to try and save money. I suppose one could say that one knows one's own handloads are assembled correctly. It all comes down to what one is most comfortable with.

I'm comfortable carrying factory defense ammunition. Under the right circumstances I would be comfortable carrying my handloads. YMMV.

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-Landric

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farronwolf

Well since they both can't perform better than each other, one has to perform the best.

Depending on who you listen to, you will get the speach of not to use reloaded ammo for a vast number of reasons. Some stated above, some that folks just pull out of where ever they can find them.

I will give you my best arguement for using factory ammo over reloaded. Keep in mind that I am not one of those that think I will doomed to jail if I ever did use some of my reloaded ammo for self defense, but this is the arguement I am going to make, since it is currently why I am not using reloaded ammo in my SD pistols.

The factories that make self defense ammo have a great number of people that are very knowledgeable about ammunition, ballistics, burn rates, energy and everything else related to how a bullet leaves a barrel and what it does afterwords. They spend great amounts of time to work up what will be marketed as their next newest and greatest self defense load.

I am going to use Speer for example, since that is what is in all of my 9mm currently. They have developed a bullet, the Gold Dot Hollow Point, that many find to be exellent for expansion, weight retention, penetration and all the other things that a bullet is expected to do once it hits it target. They have combined this with a primer and a powder that consistantly propells the bullet at the velocity that they have determined to be ideal. For instance, out of my 24/7 Pro, it consistantly chronographs at around 1210 fps with a deviation of probably less than 7 or 8 fps. That gives me around 403 ft lbs of energy. Not bad for a 9mm, especially when it constatantly goes boom when the trigger is pulled.

Now comes me the reloader. I can, and have gone out and purchased some Speer GDHP lead, have saved the brass from my previously shot factory GDHP, and could load them back up even using CCI primers (assuming I can find some), and whatever powder I find that would give me the velocity I need to achieve 1210 fps without blowing up my gun or damaging it in any way. Well this is going to take some time. I am going to have to try several different powders, with many different loading of each powder to get to that desired place where I can consistantly replicate what Speer has paid its employees to do. Could I do it, probably. Have I taken the time to do it, no not yet, because I have had other things to do and currently it is much easier to just load up the magazines with factory Speer GDHP 124 gr +P ammo and know that when and if I ever need them, they will do what they are supposed to do.

The reason I don't use my reloads isn't because of the hype of law suits or some rogue prosecutor. I don't use them because I haven't taken the time yet to develop a round that I am confident will do exactly what I know the box of factory ammo will do when I need it to.

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Just remember that shot placement is much more important with what you carry than how big a bang you get with each trigger pull.

PastorPack

For me I keep the following points crystal clear.

I reload b/c it saves me money and it's fun. My reloads are great range fodder and there is pride in working up a good load. I shoot a lot of them and so that couple of cents/round that I save adds up.

For SD ammo, I choose a quality factory load. I don't shoot high quantity (just enough to make sure it functions reliably in my gun) and so the vastly higher cost is NO ISSUE for me. I think the civil liability issue is valid. I ask those who carry at my church to also carry only a factory SD (preferably what LEO's use). Why take a chance with BG's momma suing me for working up my own ultra-death-inducing load when I can just gop factory for EDC?

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DiggerNMt

I DO USE Factory ammo, I use a Saber round the military use in my self defense handgun. It is a 147gr. HP it's expansion rate is 2.5x it's normal size. I know that the problem with reloaded ammo could cause legal recourse. If you had no other ammo but reloaded would it be justified in self defense? For the magazine in my gun has factory loaded, my back up mag. has reloaded. Not that I'm a bad shot or something if it come to using my reloaded in the matter of life and death would you take the chance?

atctimmy

For practice load em up, but for SD use the factory stuff.

Reasons:

1. As mentioned above ...lawyers. If you do have to use your gun in a SD situation using the same ammo your local police use will help with the jury.

2. Ammo makers use better sealant processes to keep ammo "fresher" longer.

3. Ammo makers have techniques, bullets and powders that are just not available to the handloader. All of the top shelf SD ammo is "special" and most of the best bullets (HST/hydrashocks/gold saber) are not on the market for us to handload ourselves. They also have special powder compacting/layering/dropping techniques that we are not privy too. Thus in some cases they can create higher velocity ammo without increased pressue. (example: Hornady light magnum ammo)

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glock45

I only use factory ammo for SD. I just shoot enough of them at the range to make sure they work in my gun....
Spend some $$ on two boxes of SD ammo and then spend your time tinkering with plinking loads. JMHO

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farronwolf

Ok, I gotta ask, since I see come up pretty often. Where is there any documentation that using ammo that the local police department uses help with the jury, or is this one of those gun blog myths that has developed a life of its own.

Could not the prosecutor just as easily paint you as a cop wanna be buy carrying the stuff the local PD carries along with your gun and CHL license? They could say, he this guy is a vigilante citizen as easily as they could paint you as a nut job by loading your own super duper home made load?

__________________
Just remember that shot placement is much more important with what you carry than how big a bang you get with each trigger pull.

bmcgilvray

I use both and don't worry about hand loaded self defense ammunition.

I actually prefer using the hand loads.