Self defence with handloads

[crazysccrmd]

This topic comes up constantly on forums, usually phrased similar to the following.

Prosecuting attys dont like handloads. Your lawyer in the inevitable prosecution or civil suit or both, will have to defend you against charges you reloaded "extra deadly killer ammo"
in your secret garage or basement. Evidence of personal malice and premeditation. You were looking for fight and for someone to kill. It's crazy but that's how it is.

I'm interested if anyone has actual data from prosecutions or cases in which this was a factor. I'm not interested in your personal opinions on the topic, we all know that has been beaten like a dead horse. I mean real, verifiable instances in which a justified self defense shooter was criminally prosecuted or sued in civil court and the argument was made that hand loaded ammo was a factor.

 

[Comrade Mike]

You're going to find the actual court cases number in the slim to none. The only one I can even think of was a dubious suicide/ murder case.

Look at the numbers, how many Americans are shooters, of that how many are hand loaders, of them how many carry, of them how many carry reloads, of them how many are ever going to see a lethal force encounter. It's not a common issue so opinions are all we have for the most part.

Most people aren't willing to bet their freedom on being the test case.

 

[Japle]

There was a time, back in the 1970s, that I thought I could make better defensive ammo than the factories and maybe I was right.

That time has passed.

These days, all the major factories make premium SD ammo that we could only dream about 30 years ago. There's no way an ordinary handloader could do better. There's no point in trying. You're just asking for trouble if you do.

No all SD shootings are anywhere near clear-cut, especially in the eyes of an anti-gun DA.

My advice: Find out what the local cops carry and use that same ammo in the caliber you carry.

 

[markallen]

But my local Police don't carry .44 Special...

 

[Sam1911]

I'm going to close this one, perhaps temporarily. There are some good answers, worthy of deep thought -- but they are not well known or understood by most shooting enthusiasts. Then there is the pat answer that gets repeated 10 million times on gun forums, which probably isn't worth much thought but gets all the air-play.

THE DEFINITIVE THREAD on this question, probably the most in-depth discussion of the subject available on any public forum, is right here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=724791

There's a "Cliff's Notes" version here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=758983

Crazysccrmd, please read through those and then if you don't find what you're looking for, send me a note and I'll open this one up for more discussion.

 

[Kleanbore]

We also have a sticky on the subject here.