Buying Reloaded Ammunition

[Deavis]

Unless you have a license to make ammunition, it is against the law to sell reloaded ammunition - it doesn't get any plainer than that.

Absolutely untrue from a Federal perspective, go read the law. You can look in the GCA or 27 CFR

Subpart D—Licenses
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§ 478.41 General.
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(a) Each person intending to engage in business as an importer or manufacturer of firearms or ammunition, or a dealer in firearms shall, before commencing such business, obtain the license required by this subpart for the business to be operated. Each person who desires to obtain a license as a collector of curios or relics may obtain such a license under the provisions of this subpart.

You need a license if you intend to engage in the business of manufacturing ammunition. This is no different than an unlicensed person selling a gun at a gun show, you don't need an FFL to sell a firearm but you do if it is your business. People need to stop making blanket statments like that not based on facts. It doesn't get any plainer than that.

After hammering open all 50 rounds I found...

Now that is the way, in my opinion, a prudent person starts a sentence about remanufactured ammunition. Thanks for sharing your experience and data.

 

[FROGO207]

PASS IT ON

I do not sell anyone reloads but I will allow some of my friends and family members to help me and LEARN how to reload using my equipment. I request that they pay for materials used or supply replacements in like kind. Teaching them how to reload is rewarding and they are assembling them for their own use so there are no liability issues to deal with. So far all the ones that I have mentored have gone on to become reloaders and I hope to show many more how to safely reload their own quality ammo.

The thought is that if more of you reloaders were able to do as I am doing there would be less of a market for " joe blowmeup" to be involved with as well as keeping the reloading of ammo in the front of everyones face and not allow it to become extinct.

 

[JCisHe]

Here are the rules I live by:

1). If I want to blow up my gun and have to sue someone... I will buy reloads.
2). If I want to get sued for blowing up someone else's gun... I will sell reloads.
3). If I don't want those things to happen I will never shoot anyone else's reloads and I don't sell mine.
4). Rules 1-3 keep me, my bank account, and my weapons safe and place the blame where it belongs; on me.
5). Since I am responsible for my own decisions and actions if I do buy or sell reloads I will accept my fate or be willing to not bring a lawsuit against someone for the reason that I chose to shoot their reloads.

 

[qajaq59]

If the guy is licensed and insured, and has been loading ammo for the sheriff's dept for 10 years, I might considering shooting his ammo. Otherwise, No Way!!!

 

[ljnowell]

Did I? Not picking on you or rcmodel but he said this:

I dont think you are picking on anyone at all, I am just saying that RC said that reputable large scale reloaders were OK, as I quoted above, and here:

If you must buy reloads, buy them from Black Hills or some other major player in reloaded ammo.

And yes, I did bring up the ziploc bag thing, to further the example. What RC said about "professional" is a play on words. Technically if you reload and sell them for money, you are a professional. That doesnt mean that you are professional, get it?

 

[jackdanson]

Quite simple, don't buy reloaded ammo from amateurs. Do not use ammo reloaded by amateurs. Reload your own or buy from a professional reloader.

Yep, I don't even let people shoot my own reloads. I'll let people use my equipment and show them how to reload, but I won't do it myself.

 

[mallc]

A note to Deavis

Absolutely untrue from a Federal perspective, go read the law. You can look in the GCA or 27 CFR

From the Federal Firearms Regulation Reference Guide - 2005: pg 185

Q: Is a person who reloads ammunition required to be licensed as a manufacturer?

A: Yes, if the person engages in the business of selling or distributing reloads for the purpose of livelihood and profit. No, if the person reloads only for personal use.

I'm betting the AFT interprets "personal use" to be just that when determining whether or not a person who distributes reloaded ammunition is a manufacturer.

Whether or not to buy from Joe Reloader is a separate question. Not everyone has the technical capability or desire to build customized ammunition for a particular firearm and duty. Plus, there are a lot of huddles between buying a press and producing high quality, reliable ammunition. If the loader/reloader has the credentials, has made the investment and is willing to compete in the marketplace, you might want to give them a good look. They might just produce better ammunition than you do, AND at a lower cost.

Just my 5.65 grains...
Scott

 

[American Rifleman]

Good idea.

 

[American Rifleman]

Oops

Aren't we all the guy down the street from someone? Would most of you claim that your reloads are safe to shoot? Do most of you allow your friends and family to fire ammunition that you've loaded? I'm just curious, I'm not judging.

Would you trust Collins Cartridge, a Joe Blowmeup Gun Show Dealer, with an 06 FFL and a highly automated setup using roll-sized brass, Scharch case inspection machines, and production quality Camdex machinery to remanufacture his ammo? How many of you are using that type of equipment, carry liability insurance, and inspect every single round loaded? Blanket statements like that are a bit over the top, but that is just my opinion. We blindly trust factory ammunition but not "reloads".

Treat this like any other purchase. Research the seller, determine your level of confidence by asking pointed questions, and then decide if you want to buy his product.

Oops, Good idea.

 

[evan price]

BATFE requires an 06 FFL from anyone who sells reloads. Personal use means just that. If you are selling reloads at a gun show you are not making personal use ammo. That's the law. Not even considering ITAR.

There's a guy on Craigslist who advertises all the time around me for ammo components for sale. When you call him up, he's actually selling reloaded ammo he makes himself with his Dillon. Sells them packed up in USPS free postal shipping boxes (the size a box of checks comes in) so he's already using post office supplies for non postal use which I believe is a federal crime. Deals in cash only so he's not reporting the income, and he's not got an 06 FFL. Want to bet he's got no liability insurance too? The boxes are blank, just caliber and bullet. No name. If he's afraid to put his name on the box, is he going to stand behind his work later?

I would not buy from someone who I did not trust. Someone who is trying to pull a fast one on BATFE or possibly the IRS is not someone I'm inclined to trust.

I'm sure there are many reputable small reloaders out there- and they are quite willing to provide proof that they are good guys if you ask.

 

[lifelongnra]

Just a note about name brand ammo.
By the way I was reading this thread and I thought I would join.
So hello to all you guy's out there. I am a new user on the forum.
Anyway
I purchased a box of name brand ammo that we all purchase regularly from any store.
It was an old box and the cases had started to corrode so I thought I would remove the bullet and just replace with newer brass, primer and maybe powder. I pulled the bullet weighed the powder just to see how much they used and what type if I could tell. Boy was I shocked!! Not 1 of the cartridges were even close to the other they were as far off as 7 grains and no closer than 2 grains. (factory ammo huh)
Now I reload if you didn't figure that out and I weigh all of my loads very carefully as not to be off by anymore than .01 of a grain. and load for accuracy as I don't think there is another reason to reload but after I saw the difference to me as a major variation of the factory cartridges I don't understand why most people put so much trust in the factory ammo.
I called and wrote the manufacturer and received back a real cheesy excuse for such a wide variation. I was told that they do not use any powder that can be purchased on the market and that the loading books we have do not match there loading ballistics. They never brought up the question of why there was such a variance in the loads.

So the only ammo I care to shoot is my own except for the ammo I cannot load 22 rimfire And I have had many of those misfire. Although I have fired and do fire factory and military ammo I am way more afraid of the factory ammo than my reloads.
There is a wide range that a cartridge can be safely loaded as long as you have the right powder for the round.
Just be careful when using anything that goes BOOM.

Also As far as selling/reselling reloaded ammo it appears to me that if you sell it you are automatically engaging in the business and are making money for profit. It would be hard to prove that you had a lose. Just my opinion!!

Peace to all!

 

[rondog]

Why, shore dey have gunpowder in 'em, LOTS of it! Boolets too! Powder is powder and boolets is boolets! They'll all go BOOM fer ya feller, whutcha worried about?

 

[X-Rap]

Back when I first got a progressive I fantasized about trying to go commercial and load for the PD,SO, and DOC in the area but when confronted with liability and licensing it became much less attractive, not to mention competing with well established suppliers.
I let my family blast away with my reloads and if a friend who doesn't want to reload needs a couple boxes a year for hunting I will hook him up, other than that somebody will have to steal the stuff if they want it.

 

[qajaq59]

If you really want to mess up a great hobby, just start doing it for money!!!

And Rondog, where did you get MY picture?

 

[goon]

I have made it a practice to NOT shoot anyone else's reloads.

What he said.
The only reloads I allow in any of my guns are my own, or a few that I have supervised the loading of when teaching someone else how to reload.
And I won't let anyone shoot anything other than decent factory ammo out of my guns either. Guns are expensive and I'm not going to risk damage to mine, along with the accompanying injuries, so that I or some other yahoo can save three bucks.

 

[J&S Custom Bullets]

There isn't really any way to tell, my suggestion for you is to reload your own bullets so you know what your shooting (it's cheaper to).

 

[CHEVELLE427]

i started reloading 30+ years ago when i had bought some factory reloads and one was a dbl charge that went off in my sf1911.

gun survived but ny hand had holes in it,

still have/shoot the 1911 monthly

i check 10% of any reloads i get form someone else even if i trust them to be correct

 

[qajaq59]

There are reputable companies that sell safe reloads and if you don't mind spending money that's the way to go. But, like the factory ammo, it is loaded for the average gun and it's not going to be as accurate as it would be if tailored to one specific rifle or pistol. If you plan on shooting for a lot of years then reloading and casting is the way to go. I bought much of my loading gear in the sixties and I couldn't even begin to figure out how much money it has saved me.

 

[ljnowell]

There isn't really any way to tell, my suggestion for you is to reload your own bullets so you know what your shooting (it's cheaper to). If you would like some custom cast 9mm bullets or some high quality jacketed/JHP 9mm bullets please check out my website http://www.jscustombullets.com

I'm not a mod, and my opinion doesnt count, but I think that it may be against the rules to advertise a business in the open forum. Maybe not, but its tacky. Thats what PMs are for.

 

[Afy]

Actually why not advertise you're a bullet manufacturer. Most shooting froums are in the US and not all of us live there. Consequently we do not look at the classifieds.
This is a topic about buying reloads...
If you do your due dilligence... I do not see why not. Same as blackhils...

 

[Roccobro]

I actually like have manufacturers and reps from companies popping in and clearing the air (see current Dillon dead tumbler thread). I also love it when a supplier comes up with a solution or product that fits the "problems" we are discussing (see most of Missouri Bullets posts).

However, blatant spamming gets me clicking "report post" in seconds. I WILL NOT tolerate this fine board being used as a tool to a non-THR minded seller. [/rant]

Justin

 

[ljnowell]

However, blatant spamming gets me clicking "report post" in seconds. I WILL NOT tolerate this fine board being used as a tool to a non-THR minded seller. [/rant]

Justin

Kinda my thoughts too. When someone joins and posts 10 times 14 days and all of them are pushing their product, well, I lose respect quickly.