Reloads in Duty Pistol

[FloraBama Kid]

Looking back more years than I want to admit, I had a close pard and fellow LEO who reloaded. He taught me just enough to get by and with little to no concern I started carrying reloads in my duty pistol. Not so sure I would do it today.

Anyone else load their own?

[California Lawdawg]

In all the years I was RangeMaster/Armorer, no officer was allowed to carry reloaded ammunition. Only authorized rounds were factory bought by the department..

Reloads were an invitation to a lawsuit in a shooting.

Lawdawg

[Texas Lawdog]

I reload for CAS and Target shooting, but duty rounds are factory. None of those CAS or Police Targets shoot back.

[Cuts Crooked]

Interesting!

I carry reloads in my off duty gun all the time. But department policy is to only carry issue while on duty.  This appears to be the norm for every department nation wide. Reasoning is, as stated earlier, the lawsuit thing. I've heard this preached by every armourer and gun pundit out there...including the great Massad Ayoob. All of them claim that the use of reloads will get the pants sued off you and your department.

So....several years ago I started searching for any cases wherein the use of reloads has resulted in a judgement against a person or department. So far I have been unable to document any such case. I even wrote to Ayoob askin' for case file numbers to provide evidence that this has ever happened. He didn't reply.

What I think is going on is that the legal eagles and ammo companies have perpetuated a myth...a good sounding one...but a myth nevertheless. Indeed, the closest I've come to finding any real evidence of this sort of thing was a huge outcry back in the late 80s or early 90s regarding FACTORY ammo. Winchester was forced to pull their Black Talon pistol ammo off the civilian market due to bad publicity concerning how "lethal" they looked!?!?!

On duty? I'll carry issue stuff...I don' wanna get cashiered! But I don't worry about my off duty ammo at all!

[Utah Bob]

Most departments, mine included, prohibit the use of anything but dept issued ammo on duty. I think Cuts is right  about the "myth" of reloads but nobody is willing to risk a lawsuit these dayys. Personally, I carry commercial loads in my off duty weapons and replenish them once a year.

Additionally, we just convinced the dept to use full house duty ammo for qualification instead of under-powered range ammo. The justification in the past was always budgetary. They finally realized that they had a stronger position in court if the officers routinely practised and qualified with the same rounds they use on duty. The added cost is minimal.

[Cutwires Al]

Most departments, mine included, prohibit the use of anything but dept issued ammo on duty. I think Cuts is right  about the "myth" of reloads but nobody is willing to risk a lawsuit these dayys. Personally, I carry commercial loads in my off duty weapons and replenish them once a year.

The danger I've alway felt with carrying reloads, is having some Sharkish Attorney try to paint me as some diabolical Whcak-job, sitting in my basement chuckling evilly as i load the ammunition used to shoot the Plaitiff's Hubby, Son, Daughter, Cousin, Dog, Ect.  ANYTHING i carry has factory ammo in it... :-D  there's enough that i DONT carry for me to load all the nasty little surprises my heart desires...hehehehehhehehehe

[Lawful Larry]

I am retired now, but still work with my former assistant on my departments firearms program.  I wrote the policy on our firearms program and the ammo is strictly first run factory made.  On off duty ammo we were only allowed to load first run factory ammo and no reloads.

I do have to admit I know where Cuts is coming from on his data.  What he says is correct.  I also researched this subject and found no evidence to show that reloads were the main topic for a law suit.  But ya know that it will be only a matter of time before some land shark will use his/her slimmy tricks to make a jury think it has merit for a law suit.   

[Brazos Bucky Smith]

I agree!  It isn't the reloads themselves that come to question.  Some bloodsucker lawyer could could weddle into the minds of muddleheaded jurors and a city, county, or State PD could lose a passle of money they can near afford.  Look at many of the decisions coming out of courts these days and not only from juries, but "learned" judges too!

BB

[Sergeant Smokepole]

I can make them cheaper but I can't make them better. Factory only for real life situations.