Ammo tip

[Blinocac200sx]

Always be sure that the ammo you are firing is what you think it is. If you are unsure, do not fire until you are sure. This mostly pertains to ammunition purchased from gun shows, or from a vendor who loads custom ammo (such as Reeds). I've lost the link, but once I find it I'll post up the story of the guy who blew his gun up with bad gunshow ammo.

[J.P.]

Gunshow reloads are a bad idea.
The only ammo trouble i've ever had was with gunshow reloads on three occasions.
One was *almost* a disaster.

[10mm1911]

Ditto on the gun show reloads comment. Last batch of it I shot was in a buddy's pistol. He was having accuracy troubles in a really nice Kimber and asked me to shoot it for him. I was unaware what ammo he handed me to try. Long story short, round number five blew the polymer grip frame off the steel subframe of his hi cap Kimber, spraying my face with shrapnel and debris. Thank God for good glasses, and a ball cap!

It did make quite the impression on the then new girlfriend, now new wife, to have me call her on the phone and ask, "What are you doing? Have the time to pick some Kimber out of my face?"

[bfoster]

And caution this goes double for gun show "powders" of unknown provenance.

Years back, before I became a rancher, I owned a tool and die shop that did a lot of business with the small arms industry. I also had facilities for ballistic analysis. One day I was given some reloads for analysis by manufacturer "X" that had been assembled with a "powder" purchased at a Cleveland, Ohio area gun show. The loads had destroyed two of their pistols. The note the handloader had included in returning the pistols, along with some sample ammunition, also mentioned that a pair of pistols made by manufacturer "Y" had suffered similar damage. Why the shooter had kept shooting 'till he ran out of pistols passes my understanding... the fellow is, IMO, a candidate for a Darwin Award.

Analysis of the physical properties of this powder led me to believe that it had been made by a particular manufacturer. I called a friend who is a PhD chemist on their staff. His reaction after I read off my analysis was immediate. First he said don't run a test in my 2" outside diameter pressure barrel- in his opinion it wasn't safe. Second, he mentioned that the sole customer for this "powder" was Tek Ord, the use was in initiators and explosive bolts. And third, I'd be willing to review this situation with the legal department, wouldn't I?

Here's a picture:

http://www.adacomp.net/~bfoster/pics/fubar.jpg

Note that the case on the upper right has failed just above the ramp related bulge.

The gun show vendor had recommended using data suitable for W 231 propellant in loading this explosive.

[Michael Brown]

Gunshow re-loads are to be avoided like the plague.

If its re-loaded and I haven't done it myself, it doesn't go through my gun.

Buy good quality, American, factory ammunition.

Michael Brown

[capmarine]

had a glock blowup on the sheriff's range once-bad ammo.
one other story-a deputy,that knew better,took the mag out of his glock.he decided to take the chambered cartridge out and catch it in his hand-well,the round's primer hit the extractor and went off,through his hand.lesson-always properly,with proper force bring the slide back,extracting the round.

[J.P.]

To try to clarify what capmarine was talking about:

Don't cup your hand over the ejection port and slowly rack the slide in hopes of catching the round in your palm.

[capmarine]

correct