Concealed Carry Ammo - Factory Rounds or Your Reloads?

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Mike-Mat

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What do you use in your concealed carry gun?

Only Factory Rounds.

My Reloaded Ammunition.

and what is the....
Caliber, Bullet weight, Powder Type and Powder Amount.
 
You should always use factory ammunition in your carry gun. The reason is court. Reloaded ammunition can be used against you in court. For that matter, anything can be used against you in court if you have to defend your life with a firearm. You may get other opinions, but the majority should be not to use reloads.

As for me, I carry:
9mm: Federal HST 124 Gr
.380: Speer Gold Dot 90 Gr, and I may carry Hornady Critical Defense in the future, if I ever find any...:barf:

The only scenario I would ever carry reloads for defense, is against wildlife. In that case, I have several options, but really your best choice is to get the heaviest FMJ bullet you can in your caliber of choice, and load it pretty hot, as long as it works in your gun.
 
Always a Hot Topic

If I'm carrying a 9mm it will have factory ammo. Only because I only load FMJs in 9mm. If I'm carrying anything else it will have handloads. I don't think I have any factory 44SPL, 38SPL or 357MAG.

A couple of issues back there was an article in Handloader debunking the use of handloads and having extra troubles because of this fact.

I'm sure you'll hear all kinds of opinions.
 
What do you use in your concealed carry gun?

Only Factory Rounds.

My Reloaded Ammunition.

and what is the....
Caliber, Bullet weight, Powder Type and Powder Amount.
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Factory loads.

.40 S&W, Federal 155 gr HST's.
.38 Special, 135 gr Speer Gold Dots.

Handloads for field use and practice.

Daryl
 
This is a pretty sore topic and is frequently asked. You probably want to do some searches--you'll definitely come up with enough reading material to keep you busy for a week.

I carry 230 grain JHPs at about 900 - 925 fps in my carry .45s.

Mike
 
My understanding is only factory rounds and the source box or container, at home, clearly marked as those being carried.

"Every bullet has a lawyer riding on it !!"

Be Safe !!!
 
This is one of those areas that its usually better safe than sorry. According to state and federal law handloads are technically legal, but if the difference between a cut-and-dry self defense shooting and a messy court battle (regardless of who wins in the end) is a $30 box of factory hollow points, the factory loads are definately my preference.

Magtech 9mm HPs, because they shoot and feel very similar to my handloaded practice ammo.
 
I don't have much time to handload anymore, but I've got a poor man's .38-44 load worked up for my S&W K-38's. I use 5.5gr of HP38 behind a 125gr XTP and get ~1125ft/s out of a 4" barrel.

For other calibers, I shoot factory ammo. I'm not concerned with potential legal implications. If I'm in a shooting, I've exhausted all possible civilized resolutions. YMMV in places like New Jersey or Maryland, however.

A couple of issues back there was an article in Handloader debunking the use of handloads and having extra troubles because of this fact.
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This has been a running debate for a couple of decades. It was further complicated recently when Massad Ayoob posted examples of a few cases where handloads had presented legal problems for the shooter.

His point was simply that, yes, it has happened. However, reviewing those cases, there were extenuating circumstances in each. An average person is extremely unlikely to find themselves in a position where handloads used in self-defense are going to present an issue.
 
My problem is that I have no trouble envisioning a slimy lawyer, his face contorted with greed, claiming that I "concocted evil mankiller bullets in the dark of night" or insane stuff like that. Not in a criminal case, of course, but in the inevitable civil suit where there is no such thing as a "cut and dried" case of self-defense and you are subject to a no rules, no holds barred attack on your judgement, your integrity, your conscience, and everything else.

In fact, though, I prefer factory loads; I know others will jump on my case, but I have had a lot fewer problems with factory ammo than with my own reloads. On the odds, I will go with factory.

Jim
 
I have used my CCW to Shoot Varmints and Snakes. I carry it primarily for Animal Defense and Control. I carry reloads in it. I hope, and don't foresee having to shoot somebody with it, but if had to, I would, and worry about Lawyers later.
 
In fact, though, I prefer factory loads; I know others will jump on my case, but I have had a lot fewer problems with factory ammo than with my own reloads. On the odds, I will go with factory.

Jim
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I have actually had the opposite experience.

I've had more failures with factory ammo than I have with my handloads.

And I've shot a LOT more of my handloads than I have factory loads over the years.

My failures with factory fodder are relatively few, but they've certainly happened. I've yet to have a malfunction with one of my handloads.

I load them very carefully, and double check everything.

Even so, I carry factory loads for SD purposes.

Daryl
 
I have actually had the opposite experience.

I've had more failures with factory ammo than I have with my handloads.
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Same here, I've shot thousands of my own reloads and never had a problem, then again I'm using a hand press and taking my time, no high speed automated progressives to worry about problem powder drops.

It's not a large sample size, but I had two squibs this summer on factory ammo, one centerfire .25 ACP and one .22LR. For now, I carry factory ammo, but might sometime switch to my own diabolically powerful handloads ;)
 
Always factory loads for carry. The courts can take a dim enough view with those, much less some specialty reloads.

9mm Corbon DPX +P 115gr are plenty for me.
 
I carry with factory ammo only because I still have some of them. I am not worried about the liability aspect. I live in Texas. We have sensible gun laws here. If one is involved in a situation where they have to use deadly force, then they will go before a grand jury. Facts of what happened are presented. Then it is ruled either justifiable. If so then all legal liabilities are waved. The person can not be sued in a civil court. If it is ruled non justifiable then civil court is the least of that person's worries. They are now facing criminal charges.
I would not hesitate to use my own. I load 230 grain Hornady XTP with Titegroup for my .45 ACP. My 9mm I load either 124 grain Hornady XTP or Speer Gold Dot with Titegroup. My P64 I load with factory ball rounds.
 
My problem is that I have no trouble envisioning a slimy lawyer, his face contorted with greed, claiming that I "concocted evil mankiller bullets in the dark of night" or insane stuff like that. Not in a criminal case, of course, but in the inevitable civil suit where there is no such thing as a "cut and dried" case of self-defense and you are subject to a no rules, no holds barred attack on your judgement, your integrity, your conscience, and everything else.
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So when you plop down a box of "store bought factory reloads" with brass having 10 different head stamps, how are they supposed to know you used your "evil man-killer bullets" and not those?

Does buying new rounds that meet the FBI 12" rule and expand 80% with sharp edges make them less deadly than hand cast tire weight lead? Does using a 45acp in any variety make you a "evil mankiller" where using a 9mm, .380 or .32acp make you a puppy huger? There's lots of posts on how only a .45 is a real killer round and the others are barely able to break the skin:rolleyes:.


Yeah, I don't place much faith in the hand load being a one way ticket to the poor house hype. No matter how guilty the attacker, you probably will be sued. That's just our legal system. Unless you are an illegal or minority and shot a legal majority person.
 
Staying away from handloads because of a fear of litigation is an urban myth. Not only has it never happened, but by definition you're talking about a situation in which the use of deadly force was legally authorized, at which point issues about ammunition lethality are irrelevant.

That said, if you're talking about rounds that will be loaded in the pistol or revolver and then carried for a long time, factory ammo tends to be more resistant to moisture or lube migration either into the propellant or the primer than most handloads. If you're talking about rounds that will only be loaded before going out the door, this issue doesn't matter.

The prime issue with any ammunition carried for personal defense is that it works reliably with your pistol, and that you can control it. All other issues are way down on the list.
 
For carry I tend to favor factory loads marketed for SD, mainly because they don't seem to have the muzzle flash of my own loads.
 
I recently shot some of my Handloads that I loaded over 40 years ago. The powder didn't smell good, but not a single misfire. If the primer is seated good and the bullet crimped good, there is very little danger of a moisture problem. I have shot my reloads of all kinds for 50 years and can't recall a single misfire.
 
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