Reloads Vs factory

[FredB]

I started shooting centrefire in the early 1970s. Calibres over the years: 32 S&W long, 9x19, 38Special, 357 magnum, 45 Colt, 455 Webley, 30 M1 Carbine, 32 ACP., 44-40, 310 Cadet, 300 Sherwood, 8.15 x 46R, 11,43 Mauser, 577 Snider and probably a few more that I have forgotten about.
I won the Classic Self Loading Pistol event at Pistol '80 with some Norma factory 9mm ammo that i had been given. Apart from that and a few 303s, I have never used any factory ammunition.
Fred

[Lancs Lad]

Under NO circumstances should reloaded ammunition be offered at your club for general purchase!

Because...?

Litigation issues?
Has the ammo been tested to commercial factory ammo standards?
Will it actually fit your particular chamber?
Will it exceed safe pressures?

LL

[TRG-22]

HPS offer commercially reloaded ammo

I was curious about that, because one would think that at the volumes a commercial maker works, the logistics/costs of acquiring used brass and checking it to the level that an insurer would demand would outweigh the costs of buying new.

But lo - indeed they do, so it must be cheaper, in some circumstances. Unless once-used brass is better in some way?

Now - hand-loading or custom rounds made using new components to a particular spec which is not commercially available, that I can understand. Maybe it's a product like that which the OP's club sells, and it wasn't properly explained to him?

[Pippin89]

I think there is a bit of misunderstanding here. People who are saying you shouldnt use it are talking about home loads that people have made themselves.
As someone else pointed out ammo manufacturers make commercially reloaded ammo. Same as factory but using once fired brass. You can buy this from the NSRA shop and save about 10% from memory....

In my opinion it's not worth it as that 10% you can make back selling on your "once fired" brass if you are not home loading.

[Bovril]

I'm sure the club is being appropriately responsible and safe, as with everything I've encountered so far in my dealings there. I hadn't intended to cause such a polarised discussion!
Once I've asked them about it I'll post back!

[1066]

I'm sure the club is being appropriately responsible and safe, as with everything I've encountered so far in my dealings there. I hadn't intended to cause such a polarised discussion!
Once I've asked them about it I'll post back!

Just as a matter of interest - are we talking 25 yard lever action gallery type reloads or longer range .308/7.62, .223 type shooting?

Casting your own bullets and reloading for gallery rifle in .38 special, .357, .44 etc. there is a good financial saving to be made, a cartridge tailored to your needs and very often more accurate. The tools to get started are necessarily expensive and it's an absorbing hobby in it's own right.

Reloading for top accuracy for long range rifle shooting will probably not save you a lot of money but you should be able to make a better round than the factory equivalent. Also need to pay more attention to details etc.

[ukrifleman]

As far as I am aware, all ammunition offered for sale in the UK, must first undergo testing and approval to CIP standards.
ukrifleman

[snayperskaya]

As far as I am aware, all ammunition offered for sale in the UK, must first undergo testing and approval to CIP standards.
ukrifleman

That's my thinking too......

I will admit that before I knew better I was given some 54r handloads to try that a fellow club member had reloaded.I shot a few and put the rest to one side, which was a good job as for some reason, don't ask me why, I later gave each one a shake and in all but one I could hear the powder inside the case.......the silent one had been primed and the bullet seated without any powder in the case!!!.

I vowed there and then that I would never fire a round that wasn't either factory made or one that I'd personally reloaded myself.

[TRG-22]

One of the best pieces of advice I have been given is never use ammunition that someone else has reloaded!

Similar advice can be given re parachutes..

[rox]

Under NO circumstances should reloaded ammunition be offered at your club for general purchase!

Because...?

Litigation issues?
Has the ammo been tested to commercial factory ammo standards?
Will it actually fit your particular chamber?
Will it exceed safe pressures?

...So it just needs insurance and proof testing then? Hardly 'Under NO circumstances'.