Ccw ammo

[jeepguy812]

Originally Posted by Old Schoolr

The point that was made to me about LE ammo was that in a civil trial there would be a precedent that said ammo was being issued for use by a governmental agency & that such ammo was suitable for their self-defense it would be likewise for a private citizen. This is in the context of a civil trial not a criminal prosecution
Gerald also made the case that LE ammo is usually a proven performer. In my home I have a speed loader w/ my Python loaded w/ Winchester Super X 148 gr. Silvertip. This was the same ammo a number of local departments issued for their officers back in the revolver days & is what was recommended to me.

I posted that because by law we are protected from civil cases. Others states have similar laws and always check when traveling out of state.

For ammo ,function and confidence are first priority.

[biologicole]

I have full faith and confidence that my carefully loaded handloads will go boom in a self defense situation but I personally prefer an expanding bullet over a ball. If it doesn't expand you basically have a ball, if it does expand you impart extra shock and make a bigger hole. Good hollow points should not come apart and should give you plenty of penetration.

With that said, I carry factory Speer Gold Dot 124gr +p in my 9mm S&W Shield. Great shells with a great LEO performance history and equal to anything I could handload. Good factory loads like these remove the possibility that someone could make a civil case against you saying that you specifically handloaded "mankillers."

[ballistx]

Civil lawsuits are all about perception and bleeding hearts. You are at a disadvantage when you go in because you are obviously the bad guy. After all, you shot the other guy who was just trying to get some food.

It isn't like a person is sacrificing capability. After all, the defense loads of today are certainly as good as anything you can reload. Also, it isn't like we're trying to get quarter inch accuracy. Different than 1,000 yard shooting.

For me, it is mild handloads for practice and the best defense ammo I can buy to carry.

[ThaDoubleJ]

I say if all your boolits go bang, then you're a good enough reloader to stake your life on them. I also say that lead is faster than jacketed, and carry guns are usually slower with shorter barrels, so lead would be the way to go.

[dufferDave]

Originally Posted by ThaDoubleJ

I say if all your boolits go bang, then you're a good enough reloader to stake your life on them.

I cannot point to a specific source, but I remember reading that handloads are generally less reliable than factory stuff and therefore not preferable for critical applications like self defense.

Whether this is true (handloads less reliable) or not, seems to me that if there is even a chance that this might be true, that it would be better to use factory ammo.

I guess I could understand that if you messed up somewhere in the handling/processing of the primers that you could introduce some finger oils, or machine oils, or other contaminants that might kill the primer compounds. If you messed up really badly you might even contaminate the propellant somewhere in the reloading processes. I know that in practical numbers, we are talking about the potential differences between a very small percentage for handloaded versus a very small percentage for factory. I have no data to indicate which is worse (if either option is truly worse) but my suspicion is that the factory (at least, a "big" name-brand one) is gonna do a better job than I am capable of.

[hogleg]

Originally Posted by Atonic

There may be legal/civil issues when you shoot someone with handloaded bullets.

What are the cases where it was argued and has gone badly for the defendant because he used his own reloads with his own cast bullets?

For years I seen internet warnings about legal/civil concerns but never about cases where it has gone badly for a defendant because of cast bullets/handloads.

[hogleg]

Originally Posted by Old Schoolr

Use the bathroom, take the phone off the hook, get into a comfortable chair & Google search "Masaad Ayoob self-defense hand loads" & you'll have plenty of reading to do on the topic of using hand loads for CCW. Ayoob is the guy w/ the opinion that using hand loads opens a person up to possible litigation. That is, you may be found to have acted in self-defense & not be prosecuted criminally but then found yourself in a civil trial being sued for using "psycho killer" hand loads. Personally I disagree but the man has his credentials & they are way over & above mine.

I too disagree as he still can't speak of cases where it was argued to gain advantage over a defendant who lost.

[Geoff40]

Gun writers have to think of crap to write about, and IMO this stuff about handloads landing you in jail is BS. A justifiable shooting is just that, and what sort of bullet isnin the gun won't matter.
One of the originators of this bogus claim is a name most everyone would recognize, but even he can't cite an example of a prosecution.
I load my own too, a couple of different recipes for different guns. Maybe in Commie States like New York, Illinois, or Massachusetts. But I don't live there, I don't carry there, and where I do live no prosecutor is going to persue charges in a justifiable SD shooting because handloads were used.