I will never buy reloads again

[nammac]

The main problem with that round would be that the neck tension is likely such that the bullet will get jammed into the case upon feeding. The pressure would be about 2-4x above normal.

This is a great point and the real danger...

Back early in my shooting life, I did shoot reloads because they were economical and I had a bit less disposable income... But, having read about reloading, would inspect the rounds before firing. Not a bad idea when shooting reloaded ammo...

 

[Koda]

I'm not sure I would call them "commercial" unless they came in a properly labeled container. I do the WAC Gunshows in Puyallup and over the years I have seen many of what I call "White Box" reloads. Maybe there are caliber markings and nothing else. If the maker Doesn't trust his/her reloads enough to put a name etc. on the box then I don't consider them "commercial".

they did. Ive only bought reloads from LAX, and Washougal River Cartridge Co. in my current inventory. Whats interesting is WRC comes in white cardboard boxes with only a homemade sticker with their name and caliber, pretty minimal but certain that counts as "commercial" reloads. (?)

 

[CLT65]

I'm with you all on never buying reloads, commercial or not. If I didn't reload my own, I'd stick with factory ammo. There are so many good deals and inexpensive brands of factory ammo now that a tiny savings on reloads doesn't seem worth it to me.

 

[Mikej]

wouldn't a cracked case cause a squib?

As far as that crack causing a squib....ONCE, at the range I carelessly loaded a 9mm in the mag for my CZ SP01 in .40 cal and it fired just fine. The case remained intact though bulged, lop sided, at about the halfway mark to fit the .40 chamber. The bullet hit the target tumbling about 7" off. And the gun didn't cycle

 

[Koda]

As far as that crack causing a squib....ONCE, at the range I carelessly loaded a 9mm in the mag for my CZ SP01 in .40 cal and it fired just fine. The case remained intact though bulged, lop sided, at about the halfway mark to fit the .40 chamber. The bullet hit the target tumbling about 7" off. And the gun didn't cycle

Ive heard of that happening sometimes and its always amazing to hear when it works out ok for all in the end. Bet you wont do that again though..

 

[Flopsweat]

Yeah I would not be happy about that either. I understand that a high volume commercial reloader can't carefully inspect each case, but as a business you really can't let bad product like that get out the door.

On the practical side though, accidentally firing that round most likely would not have caused any damage. You'd probably have never known it unless you picked up the ugly split empty. I'm not saying shoot it, by any means (I would not!), just that cracks like that are not typically as dangerous as you would think.

I've learned to find cracked brass before I load it by sound. I'll pick up a big handful of brass and rattle it around a bit. If there's a cracked piece in there I'll hear it. It just sounds different and I'll look through the handful until I find it. Those of you that have heard the "cracked brass" sound know exactly what I'm talking about.

Harmonics. I'm not remotely qualified to explain the details of this, but there is sound physical science behind a cracked case both sounding different and standing out from the rest. Neat. Never thought of that.

As far as that crack causing a squib....ONCE, at the range I carelessly loaded a 9mm in the mag for my CZ SP01 in .40 cal and it fired just fine. The case remained intact though bulged, lop sided, at about the halfway mark to fit the .40 chamber. The bullet hit the target tumbling about 7" off. And the gun didn't cycle

I've done the same thing with very similar results. The bulge went from the case head to about halfway back. It was pretty symmetrical in my case, but definitely not perfectly even. Scary once we figured out why the gun was short stroking, but nothing bad happened.

 

[tac]

See, here in Yoorup we don't buy other peoples' reloads. See why -

The UK, and thirteen other firearms manufacturing nations, are signed up to the CIP, ye whyche rules have been taken into LAW. So, in order to sell ammunition that you have made, you must comply with the LAW. Failure to do so will result in HUGE fines, HUGE insurance liability claims if anything goes wrong with your product, and likely imprisonment.

Your products must be batch tested - 2,000 rounds in each specific calibre or loading at your cost. Failed compliance means temporary or permanent removal of your licence to produce said ammunition, and remember that you must provide that lot to be proofed BEFORE you get the initial license to mass-produce.

Having said all this, we tend not to have 'ACME' ammunition blowing up our guns, like you guys do with astonishing frequency. Here in Yoorup only US-made ammunition does that in recent years. A large number of .17HMR firearms have been damaged enough to warrant destruction by faulty ammunition, and one well-know but unnameable manufacturer from the US has seen a rapid downturn in centre-fire ammunition sales due to a high proportion cracked necked cases straight from the box.

I personally took a sneak peek at ELEVEN damaged rifles at a local dealership - all damaged to destruction by ammunition exploding in the wrong place due to manufacturing inadequacies, and helped along by the fact that the shooter could not hear that he had already fired a squib, because of the habit of wearing hearing protection AND having a moderator fitted to his gun.

tac

 

[Certaindeaf]

See, here in Yoorup we don't buy other peoples' reloads. See why -

The UK, and thirteen other firearms manufacturing nations, are signed up to the CIP, ye whyche rules have been taken into LAW. So, in order to sell ammunition that you have made, you must comply with the LAW. Failure to do so will result in HUGE fines, HUGE insurance liability claims if anything goes wrong with your product, and likely imprisonment.

Your products must be batch tested - 2,000 rounds in each specific calibre or loading at your cost. Failed compliance means temporary or permanent removal of your licence to produce said ammunition, and remember that you must provide that lot to be proofed BEFORE you get the initial license to mass-produce.

Having said all this, we tend not to have 'ACME' ammunition blowing up our guns, like you guys do with astonishing frequency. Here in Yoorup only US-made ammunition does that in recent years. A large number of .17HMR firearms have been damaged enough to warrant destruction by faulty ammunition, and one well-know but unnameable manufacturer from the US has seen a rapid downturn in centre-fire ammunition sales due to a high proportion cracked necked cases straight from the box.

I personally took a sneak peek at ELEVEN damaged rifles at a local dealership - all damaged to destruction by ammunition exploding in the wrong place due to manufacturing inadequacies, and helped along by the fact that the shooter could not hear that he had already fired a squib, because of the habit of wearing hearing protection AND having a moderator fitted to his gun.

tac

Here too you must have legal bona fides to sell reloaded ammunition.. for like the last 30 years?
I don't think you can even sell cast lead slugs without being a "manufacturer" or something.

 

[tac]

In that case, who is making all the c**ppy reloads that some of you are complaining about?

tac

 

[Certaindeaf]

In that case, who is making all the c**ppy reloads that some of you are complaining about?

tac

Everybody makes them, you're not supposed to sell them and you're dumb if you buy them from a private party.
There are very few commercial reloading concerns/businesses in the US.
I'll bet @AMProducts can tell us exactly how many there are and other interesting particulars.

 

[Koda]

I have never heard of any legal requirements here to sell reloads.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have never heard of any legal requirements here to sell reloads.

Well that's what they say about ignorance of the law.. that doesn't change the fact of the matter.
When and if they are sold here it is invariably to pull down for components and the parties both know and state this.

 

[thorborg]

I shoot reloads almost extensively, with zero failure, albeit the majority are mine (exceptions are 9mm and 45ACP which are too small and tedious for me, but do the research, so still have had no issues)
the only factory loads I buy for the eight flavors I load are for when I need the brass to load.
My recipe for 100% detonation;
Clean, warm, dry environment before opening my cans of powders and primers. Opening cold stored components in a warm environment can produce condensation, less likely when I had a wood heated home, but still..
Clean equipment. clean components. No touching primers with fingers. Accurate measurements. Methodical quality control throughout the process.
45 years, thousands of hand made rounds, eight calibers, zero failures.
Whether or not I'm overly anal, or luck has a hand in it, juxtaposing the people I've talked to and what I have read of the trials others have had over the years, with my results, I'm still very pleased with that record.

 

[tac]

Everybody makes them, you're not supposed to sell them and you're dumb if you buy them from a private party.

Stap me if I have somehow missed the point of this thread, but I thought that it was about some shade-tree reloader putting stuff together in his garaj and flonging it around to the unwitting shooter looking for 'bargainous' ammunition that then damages the gun and/or the shooter NOT the major ammunition makers who undoubtedly make their stuff in accordance with the SAAMI advisements, which, as I'm sure you all know, are not law, simply 'good and safe' practice guidelines. Here in the CIP countries, those guidelines are the LAW of the country.

And BTW, I too am a reloader, and have been since 1967.

tac

 

[Koda]

Stap me if I have somehow missed the point of this thread, but I thought that it was about some shade-tree reloader putting stuff together in his garaj and flonging it around to the unwitting shooter looking for 'bargainous' ammunition that then damages the gun and/or the shooter NOT the major ammunition makers who undoubtedly make their stuff in accordance with the SAAMI advisements, which, as I'm sure you all know, are not law, simply 'good and safe' practice guidelines. Here in the CIP countries, those guidelines are the LAW of the country.

And BTW, I too am a reloader, and have been since 1967.

tac

You didnt miss anything, that is the point of this thread.

Wheither is from a garage or a popular manufacturer, I wont buy reloads anymore. Until I see a cite to the law, ...what you said is correct, new factory ammunition is produced to SAAMI specs on honor.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Stap me if I have somehow missed the point of this thread, but I thought that it was about some shade-tree reloader putting stuff together in his garaj and flonging it around to the unwitting shooter looking for 'bargainous' ammunition that then damages the gun and/or the shooter NOT the major ammunition makers who undoubtedly make their stuff in accordance with the SAAMI advisements, which, as I'm sure you all know, are not law, simply 'good and safe' practice guidelines. Here in the CIP countries, those guidelines are the LAW of the country.

And BTW, I too am a reloader, and have been since 1967.

tac

The thing is you "can't" buy reloads here, lest they are from a commercial "manufacturer".

 

[Koda]

The thing is you "can't" buy reloads here, lest they are from a commercial "manufacturer".

You can at most gun shows.

 

[Certaindeaf]

You can at most gun shows.

Yea, don't do that. I'd load my own or go with commercially manufactured reloads, if you're wont to do such a thing.

 

[Koda]

Yea, don't do that. I'd load my own or go with commercially manufactured reloads, if you're wont to do such a thing.

Agree, I wont either.
But the big question here is what law says any commercial manufacturer has to stay within SAAMI specs?

As far as I know anyone can set up a DBA or LLC and start selling commercially, out of their garage....

 

[Certaindeaf]

Agree, I wont either.
But the big question here is what law says any commercial manufacturer has to stay within SAAMI specs?

As far as I know anyone can set up a DBA or LLC and start selling commercially, out of their garage....

Probably the law of natural selection. Ol' Doofy wouldn't be in business long if they were too weak to function and or blowing up guns too hot.