Defense- reloads

[Anonymous]

Is it illegal to use reloads for self defense, if so why, ? I live in the State of New York.

[dawgchsr]

here in the state of Idaho, its not illeagle to use reloads. what are yougonna do " oops, justa sec, need to put in factory loads"? ammo is ammo, if it comes down to it , if you have to use it, then bad luck for the other guy. dwagchsr :P

[Anonymous]

Yes I know what you mean! But some where I thought I heard or read that it was illegal. Then again you have to remember that I live in the state of New York, where if I wound an armed robber or would be killer, he could sue me and get me sent to jail.

[vmt_hntr]

As was said, reloads are reloads and a goblin is not gonna stop what he is doin' so's you can put factory loads in your gun....hardly. You will still have to justify shooting a goblin, reloads or factory loads. But like a lot of others, I would much rather be judged by 12, than be 6 feet under.

[DeputyAl]

Reloads are not "illegal" by statute in my state (CA), but might not be the best idea for carry use.

There is a gunrag writer who has built his career on decrying the use of handloads in self-defense scenarios based on his experiences as an expert witness in court trials dealing with defensive shootings. This writer is a ranking reserve officer in a Nashua, NH-area agency and is widely known in the defensive shooting community. His position is that handloads provide a platform for adverse counsel to build a scenario that can depict the otherwise innocent self-defense shooter as a murderous gun nut bent on causing maximal destruction with the most lethal bullet and highest-powered load containable in the firearm used.

My experience as a full-time homicide investigator for a bit over 10 years differed from that. On the criminal side, it never raised a blip--no one even asked or considered it. Such concerns are not an element of the crime, anyway. On the civil side of the legal equation, most of the time the attorney for the recipient of the usually justified lethal force settles for about $5K-$10K, and the shooter's homeowner's insurance is happy to cut the check and get on with life. The exception is when a law officer is involved--the perception is that far deeper pockets are involved when a government agency is part of the liability pool, and the sharks swim longer in the pool in such cases. Whether or not the shooting recipient or his survivor(s) get much after all the courtroom nonsense is conjectural. The game is really about attorneys keeping their sailboats and Range Rovers paid for and well-maintained.

The use of factory loads solves two issues for the defensive shooter. The shooter need not weigh the possible consequences our gunwriter discusses at length, and--more important in my view--the shooter is using loads that are sealed against water and solvent vapor penetration. More reliable, in other words.

What load to use? There are a lot of good loads out there, unlike the situation 20 years ago. One suggestion is to use the load used by police agencies in your area, and if asked in court or during an investigation why you chose that load--the answer "Because the ---------- Police Department that works where I live uses it" will end a lot of questioning.

I never had a reason to ask that question in 27+ years of cop work, either. A professionally-run investigation is about motive and justification for the application of deadly force, NOT about the tools used. Tool questions are background elements, at most.

[vmt_hntr]

So very true, Al. Reloads would certainly make someone stop and further assess their own situation regarding this element. Lethal force should never be taken litely, as you well know. Thanks for further insight into this sometimes troublesome dilemma.
Bob...

[DeputyAl]

With all the good factory ammo out there--and all the good pistols that can now function reliably with same--the reasons for employing handloads for self-defense have largely expired. What I have done in the past is to reload a "duplicator" that closely matches my service load's performance, and use that load for less expensive practice sessions. My carry ammo gets changed out every 6-8 months--probably unnecessary, but I feel better doing so.