How safe are reloads?

[usagi]

commercial reloads are fine if they are from a licensed 06 FFL. e.g. black hills.

reloads by a private non licensed individual, no way.

using pistol or shotgun powder by mistake in a rifle cartridge is what leads to severe KBs.

 

[bnsaibum]

Thanks guys i wont be using these. If i were able to reload myself i definitely would, but i have no idea how orhave the tools to do so.

Trade or sell them to a reloader who can pull them. Then get some factory ammo.

 

[2ndtimer]

Trade or sell them to a reloader who can pull them. Then get some factory ammo.

Or better yet, offer them to someone who handloads for free, provided you get to watch them pull the bullets disassemble them and reload them. That way the handloader gets some free components and you get a free handloading lesson. A win win, IMO.

 

[pokerace]

How safe are reloads?


It all depends on Y0U!!!

 

[FAST ED]

Think of it like packing your own parachute. I have seen very experienced people at hand loading for matches they shoot all the time make a human mistake and double charge or no charge a round. The squib load is the most common. Scary stuff!! I suspect the 38 rounds are hot. Revolver rounds are often loaded "HOT".

Jump at your own risk

 

[Classic]

how safe are reloads...I dunno wouldn't trust them

how safe are MY reloads....VERY...I trust my life and my family's safety to them

The problem with reloads are the accidental "double charges" or the "No charge". The double charge will more than likely severely damage your gun, hand and possibly worse. The no charge will cause a squib..... You know, that pesky little bullet that goes about an inch down the barrel waiting for that next bullet to hit it.
I reload (have for years) and I help my friend save money by allowing them to use my equipment under close supervision. I have guns that have never seen a store bought round. Ultimately the choice is yours but unless I knew and trusted the maker I would be very hesitant to put them in my gun...

 

[bwchase]

Have shot thousands of 12 guage reloads, loaded on a mec hydraulic. A few thousand hand gun loads loaded on a rock chucker and finally a dillion square deal. Progressive reloaders help prevent double charging, and powder selection for many calibers will fill the case to a level making it obvious when it is double charged. Stay within the published reloading data for the recipe and enjoy the consistency and savings.
Easy to install a mirror and light to see if the case is charged before pulling the charging handle.
Appears that reloading is not for everyone, I happen to enjoy the process.

 

[Classic]

Have shot thousands of 12 guage reloads, loaded on a mec hydraulic. A few thousand hand gun loads loaded on a rock chucker and finally a dillion square deal. Progressive reloaders help prevent double charging, and powder selection for many calibers will fill the case to a level making it obvious when it is double charged. Stay within the published reloading data for the recipe and enjoy the consistency and savings.
Easy to install a mirror and light to see if the case is charged before pulling the charging handle.
Appears that reloading is not for everyone, I happen to enjoy the process.

Wait a minute!!! You save money????????????????? I don't save a cent, but I get to shoot more often

 

[evltwn]

Well, this leads to an interesting question for the learned members of the forum...I have reloaded for many years. I am a stickler about every aspect, pour my own pistol bullets, don't have a TV or other distractions (save country music) in my gun room. I have literally thousands of rounds of many calibers stored.

If I were to drop dead tomorrow, (and that nearly happened a time or two) how would someone know about the level of my competency. In other words, how would I indicate the ammo cans full of 223 or 308, 9mm,38, 357, 44 spl, 44 mag,45ACP, yada yada, that these are safe to shoot? It would be a shame for someone to tear down that much ammo...thoughts?

 

[Classic]

Well, this leads to an interesting question for the learned members of the forum...I have reloaded for many years. I am a stickler about every aspect, pour my own pistol bullets, don't have a TV or other distractions (save country music) in my gun room. I have literally thousands of rounds of many calibers stored.

If I were to drop dead tomorrow, (and that nearly happened a time or two) how would someone know about the level of my competency. In other words, how would I indicate the ammo cans full of 223 or 308, 9mm,38, 357, 44 spl, 44 mag,45ACP, yada yada, that these are safe to shoot? It would be a shame for someone to tear down that much ammo...thoughts?

I'm in that same dilemma... Since we don't have a FFL we (or our next of kin) can't legally sell our reloads as ammo. They have to be sold as components. I figure if I bite it my friends will help the wife out and buy the "components" from my wife and go hit the local range for a 15000 shot solute!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well, this leads to an interesting question for the learned members of the forum...I have reloaded for many years. I am a stickler about every aspect, pour my own pistol bullets, don't have a TV or other distractions (save country music) in my gun room. I have literally thousands of rounds of many calibers stored.

If I were to drop dead tomorrow, (and that nearly happened a time or two) how would someone know about the level of my competency. In other words, how would I indicate the ammo cans full of 223 or 308, 9mm,38, 357, 44 spl, 44 mag,45ACP, yada yada, that these are safe to shoot? It would be a shame for someone to tear down that much ammo...thoughts?

It depends on what you die from.

 

[elsie]

Trust no one, but don't be paranoid about it. Even manufacturers make mistakes; just look at ammunition recalls. If you know absolutely nothing about the loads (ie 'found them in the subway toilet') then I wouldn't shoot them. At the other end of the scale, if the guy who loaded them is standing next to you shooting them in his own gun, then they are probably OK.


elsie

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Well, this leads to an interesting question for the learned members of the forum...I have reloaded for many years. I am a stickler about every aspect, pour my own pistol bullets, don't have a TV or other distractions (save country music) in my gun room. I have literally thousands of rounds of many calibers stored.

If I were to drop dead tomorrow, (and that nearly happened a time or two) how would someone know about the level of my competency. In other words, how would I indicate the ammo cans full of 223 or 308, 9mm,38, 357, 44 spl, 44 mag,45ACP, yada yada, that these are safe to shoot? It would be a shame for someone to tear down that much ammo...thoughts?

We typically label the box or bag with a piece of paper, ie: "230gr HP, 6.8gr Unique, not very accurate HOT!!". Usually rifle handloads will have an average FPS from a chronograph. I have no problems shooting my grandpa's handloads but I know he was very good about loading carefully and documenting info about the ammo. With unknown people, and no documenting, no way.

 

[SynapticSilence]

I only shoot my own reloads in any of my pistols/revolvers. And even though I'm meticulous and load in a turret press where it's hard to screw things up, I won't allow anyone else to shoot my reloads. In my early reloading days I screwed up and used a too short case length when I read the powder charge for a 9mm bullet on one line of the reloading manual but used the case length from the next line down. I really liked that CZ P-07 that sorta disassembled itself in my hand when I pulled the trigger the first time and the case head separated due to overpressure. Point is, anyone can make mistakes, but for maximum safety you're better off sticking to your own reloads and not even sharing them. If someone else's handgun had kaboomed using my reloads and maybe even injured them, I'd never forgive myself. I luckily wasn't hurt, although I did sort of tear up at the time. Couldn't cry on the range, though. Had to man up.

 

[aflineman]

I have a few hand loads from unknown sources. (And some known sources). The one I trust was from an older gentleman whom had passed away. He had notes on everything. Time, date, temp, powder and lot number. As well as all the normal stuff. He even had notes on how he was feeling that day, and what he had for breakfast. I pulled a few loads, and they were dead nuts on. Stuff was even sorted by case volume.
I could say I trust his loads better than I trust commercial loads. But this is a rare instance.

 

[The Heretic]

Generally they are almost as safe as commercial first loaded ammo - *if* you did the reloading, you know how to reload safely and you know the history of the brass.

The problem comes in when someone else reloads.

This is a commercial reload I bought for practice.

Not a small fly by night outfit either.



This slight injured the shooter (my SIL); hot gases and small bits of brass hit his hand through various openings in the firearm.

Why did this happen?

A couple of possibilities and one contributing factor:

1) Overcharge

2) Weak brass that had been reloaded one too many times

3) Brass might have been a hot load before reloaded

4) Glock with less support for the web of the brass (one of the reasons Glock recommends against shooting reloads in Glock pistols)

The problem with commercial reloading outfits is that most do not know for certain how often the brass they use has been fired. It could be once, it could be a thousand times for all they know.

A person who reloads for themselves and uses their own once fired brass (not strange brass they picked up from a range) generally keeps track of how often they have reloaded their brass and what the loads were.

I no longer buy reloads. I reload myself, but I will not buy reloads that I don't know anything about the history of the brass.

 

[usagi]

^^ looks like partial out of battery firing to me. if this was fired from a 17 or a 19, the rectangular firing pin hole impression looks light, and the split looks a little too far down the case.

pistol brass does not generally weaken. unlike rifle brass.

looks exactly like what happened with out of battery firing on me with non reloaded commercial Federal and PMC 9mm. i still have the cases around.