2nd hand reloads

[leadcounsel]

Going through my ammo pile, I've found a few boxes of home rolled ammo that I must have acquired in various gun purchases that came with "a box of ammo." I was probably more careless in taking in unwanted ammo in the past, but I'm no longer wanting to shoot the ammo.

I figure my options are realistically to link up with a hand loader to either pull the ammo and start from scratch...

Or is it possible to just get a proper weight of a properly loaded bullet/round, and weigh the others with precision to determine if there is any discrepancy?

Not wanting to sell or trade these or throw them out. The components are certainly worth something, so perhaps I could trade them for the components...

Not wanting to risk shooting them either... no idea of their safety.

 

[howlnmad]

I'd never shoot anyone else's reloads either. You may be able to find someone in your area to break them down for you or you can purchase an inexpensive kinetic bullet puller and do it yourself. Use the powder for fertilizer and sell or trade the components.

 

[Walkalong]

Weighing the rounds isn't a viable way to tell if they are correctly, or at least consistently, charged. Too many variables, mostly in case weights.

If you remembered where they came, they were marked well, and they came from a trusted the source, that would be one thing, but other than that, it can be risky shooting them.

Most folks would salvage what they could of the components and call it good.

 

[Candyman87]

I won't touch anyone else's reloads. I won't use my reloads in their guns and won't let them use theirs in mine.

I'd pull them and start over. Use the powder as fertilizer.

 

[Andrew Leigh]

DONT shoot them.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I definitely wouldn't shoot them.

I can count on one hand the number of people I'd trust to shoot their hand loads.

I would pull them, salvage the cases, primers and bullets and fertilize the garden with the powder.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I definitely wouldn't shoot them.

I can count on one hand the number of people I'd trust to shoot their hand loads.

I would pull them, salvage the cases, primers and bullets and fertilize the garden with the powder.

You knew that all along, didn't you? lol

Hey, a little extra work and you get some "free" components... Not bad IMO.

 

[TexasDon]

I got a few hundred reloads that were thrown in at an estate sale where I bought some reloading tools.
Now I have a few hundred empty cases and jacketed bullets ready to reload.

Problem solved safely.


TxD

 

[SwaneeSR]

I can understand why you are hesitant to shoot them. Apparently you also realize the potential liability if you sell or donate the ammunition. So you are now left with dissassembling the ammunition into components yourself or by a trusted handloader.

You really have no way of knowing for sure what you have. Even if you dissassemble samples and weigh the components, I am not sure you remove enough risk to use the ammunition yourself.

Thank you for bringing up the topic. I am often asked to handload for friends and I have tried to explain the risk.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

So you are now left with dissassembling the ammunition into components yourself or by a trusted handloader.

You really have no way of knowing for sure what you have. Even if you dissassemble samples and weigh the components, I am not sure you remove enough risk to use the ammunition yourself.

If you use the components to load "fresh" ammo the risk is minimal if any risk at all. Cases are cases and bullets weigh what they weigh. I would not use the powder because there is no way of knowing for sure what it is but the other components are good to go. Where is this risk you speak of?

 

[TfflHndn]

Arch, as I read Swanee's post, he means it does not sufficiently remove risk to pull apart a few samples and if they look consistent, shoot the rest. Unless the powder is Red or Green Dot or 700-x, it is risky to assume anything about the powder, and even then... so, even sampling a few doesn't make it safe to shoot the rest. Pull 'em apart, OP!

 

[Zeke/PA]

When I acquire such things I dump them into a nearby pond!

 

[Walkalong]

That is a waste of components, and not the best place to dispose of them if that is what you wish to do.

 

[Robert101]

Whether I would shoot them or not, I would at least have to pull one apart and try to I.D. the various components - just for fun.

 

[GLOOB]

I have shot OPR's before. The guy I bought a rifle from was consolidating his calibers. He gave me all of his remaining reloads, along with brass, bullets, dies, and some partial cans of powder for that rifle. He also gave me a Lyman reloading guide for that caliber, and each box of reloads had load information and group size at 200 meters.

I don't know why, but I trusted him enough. He goes farther than I do to keep track of his reloads, anyway. And he had all 10 fingers and wasn't wearing an eye patch, lol. His ammo was very accurate.

With stick powders, anyway, it's pretty easy to tell if they're contaminated. At least if you have a good magnifying lamp or microscope. I used up all the powder, too.

For unknown reloads, I might pull 'em all. Count the rounds. And assuming the powder and bullets are all the same, weigh the powder and divide by the number of rounds. Put that much powder back in each case.

 

[BYJO4]

I will not shoot reloads that I have not personally made. I would pull the rounds and dispose of powder. I would then use the componets to make new rounds.

 

[Hardtarget]

I have made some reloads for a friend. Small batch, very careful. He said all was very good. i would NOT make a habit if this. He just wanted some ammo made a certain way. It was with in my ability so I did it.

Personally, I would want to know the reloader very well.

Mark

 

[Reefinmike]

Pulling questionable rounds isn't an issue if you just cast you own. a pair of cutters, your press and a 2" tall piece of 1" PVC is all you need to very quickly pull rounds and salvage components. With the advent of easy powdercoating, I don't have any reason to reuse a pulled FMJ or plated range find. Just melt em down and make new. powder coat if you need a jacket on it.

I just pulled a couple hundred rounds of loaded 9mm picked up from the brass piles at the ragne. I came out with 4lb of lead alloy to recast , 200 assorted primers to load up some plinkin ammo and 200 pieces of brass to give to a buddy. I burnt the powder out back.

 

[oldpapps]

You bring up a very disturbing point.
Just how much loaded, my loads, do I want to have on hand? You young pups may not think of these things.
I've been retired for over 10 years and had 5 major surgeries in that time. My son, daughter, son-in-law and grand kids don't have any problem shooting my loads (boy that is a fact), add in my two brothers. But beyond them, no one in their right mind should want to shoot my loadings. Not that I'm unreliable but because, well, they don't know me or my loads. Just like I don't know and trust the loads of others.
This brings up my concern. How much on hand ammunition is wise to have at any one time? Well enough for the communist invasion... oh yea, they are no longer a threat. Well, for a zombie invasion then... But how much is needed for that? I am hesitant to take powder in an open can/jug from any source. Loaded ammunition is all but a waste of time, components only and then not worth my time in most cases.
Hopefully you see my questions and concerns by now.
Primers and bullets and for the most part brass are acceptable. But opened powder containers or loaded round, no.
So to the point of this thread, what to do with all of my loaded stuff after I'm gone?

Thinking hard about this (my X's present husband had been diagnosed as terminal with cancer, shame, I like him.)

 

[Walkalong]

My reloads are all marked with the load. My kids have digital copies of my load "book". They trust my reloads (Well, they shoot them, although hey are now getting started reloading themselves)

Almost nothing I have is not marked, from range brass, to tumbled range brass, to sized gauged and primed range brass, to reloads themselves, etc etc.

I have 200 sized, prepped, primed .308 cases marked for loading in a little box. It is marked with all the pertinent information and the load # they are to be loaded with. Anyone savvy about reloading could reload them. If my kids find that box someday because I haven't loaded them yet (Soon) they would know exactly what to do with them. I even do this for stuff I intend to load tomorrow. You never know what might interrupt you.

That said, most folks are not that OCD, or concerned about those who might find their little treasures.

 

[WestKentucky]

We (my friends and i) shoot each others reloads quite a bit, BUT we know the data on the load and only share what is well within published data. I take 38spl or 357, 270 win, or 3030. Jason takes 9mm and 223. John takes a truckload of 223. We have known each other for several years and have loaded on each others equipment. Beyond these fellas and my neice who I supervise, these are the reloaders I trust.

 

[joem1945]

I'm given a lot of ammo because shooting friends know I can pull it down quickly. some ahve bought ammo off the net because it was cheap, then decided it was unsafe to shoot. I've pulled thousands of rounds to salvage cases and bullets. If I trust the powder I'll save it to reload my cases.

 

[mdi]

Prolly 8 out of ten time nuttin' will happen shooting someone else's reloads, but you'll never know which 2 will blow yer fingers off! I too would suggest an impact bullet puller (many less than $20.00 and it wouldn't take many components to equal that) and remove the bullets (if they are jacketed keep 'em), toss the powder and save the rest as you can give them/trade them with a reloader...

Best solution is to start reloading yerself...

 

[medalguy]

I can count on one hand the number of people I'd trust to shoot their hand loads.


I used to think this, but a couple of years ago a good friend died and I was given a lot of his ammo, mostly his reloads. He was literally a physicist and worked at a nuclear lab, no kidding. I took some of his reloads and had several failures to fire in the first two boxes, and a couple of what seemed to be pretty hot loads. I quickly decided that I didn't trust ANYONE's reloads and pulled down all of it. Better safe than sorry.

 

[leadcounsel]

The reason I posted this was because I didn't plan to shoot the reloads. I once had a minor kaboom with reloads so learned that lesson...

But aside from the terrible advice of throwing them in a pond cuss:) and having them pulled, I was looking for any other possible ideas.

As I suspected there aren't any viable options.

I am curious why the powder isn't to be trusted?? Can anyone elaborate?