homemade AP/tracer/explosive ammo?

[coosbaycreep]

I know AP pistol ammo is banned from import, but assuming you're not trying to sell it or something, is it legal to make your own? How about AP ammo in rifle calibers?

There was a thread on here not too long ago where people were talking about making "exploding" ammo by drilling a small hole in the top of a bullet, pouring a little Bullseye powder in the cavity, and then glueing a primer in the end so it would hopefully detonate on impact. What's the laws on something like that?

Is there any laws against modifying bullets in any other ways, such as making "dum dum" bullets, filling hollowpoints with birdshot, etc?

I'm not planning on using anything like that for SD (if any of that is even legal to make in the first place), but it would be a lot of fun to experiment with some of that stuff.

 

[Sheldon J]

Real bad idea modifying factory ammo, seen a few guns over the years that have been destroyed by such experiments......

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

IANAL so this is worth what you paid for it, but here's my take on it before someone more knowledgable comes along:

Making your own AP pistol ammo: I don't think it is illegal to posess/make but certainly illegal to sell to anyone other than LE/Mil. The only successful AP handgun ammo I know of (in standard handgun calibers and velocities, not 5.7 or 5.56) was KTW and was never sold to the public. There was some "cyclone" ammo but I don't know if it got past the prototype phase.
AP ammo in rifle calibers: O.K. if you can find pulled bullets or make your own
Exploding ammo: as long as it uses less than 1/4oz of explosive compound (shouldn't be a problem, even the .50bmg raufoss use less than that) it's not a DD.

But like Sheldon said it could cause serious damage/death to you or your equipment and is probably why it's not common practice.

 

[highorder]

I'd be too concerned to have a core separate from a jacket and have one of them lodged in my bore that I wouldn't modify bullets.