From: watt-alan@net.yale.edu (Alan Watt)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: handloads for defense, etc.
Date: 12 Aug 92 23:33:41 GMT
Organization: Yale University, Computing & Information Systems



Several people have discussed the wisdom of handloads for self-defense,
the Glock 17L (did I get the number right?) with a 3.5 lb trigger, etc.
The general contention is: don't do it because of legal problems.

I think some commentary on this is in order.  Much of the "don't do it"
advice comes indirectly from Massad Ayoob, who has had to serve as an
expert witness in several cases where the prosecution brought up the
use of handloaded ammo, modified handguns, etc., to paint the accused
in a negative way.

First, if your defense is that the discharge was unintended ("he bumped
me and the gun just went off"), then such evidence is relevant to impeaching
your credibility, and will cause problems.  "Isn't it true you deliberately
removed the grip safety from your Colt pistol?  And isn't it true that this
safety mechanism if operational would likely have prevented the discharge?".

On the other hand, if your defense is affirmative (i.e., "I intended to shoot
him, and the situation fully justified that decision under the laws of my
jurisdiction"), then the "safety" of a 3.5 lb trigger is irrelevant.  Not
to say the prosecution won't bring it up, but if you can substantiate your
claim the decision to shoot was fully justified, it is unlikely to cause
problems.  If the reason you shot someone with a match-tuned, 1.8 lb trigger,
no grip safety, compensated race gun was because a certifiable maniac missing
three weeks of thorazine medication attacked you with a machete while you
were at the public range practicing for the next IPSC match, you will have
no problems whatsoever with either gun or ammo.

If the gun in question has not been modified such that it is outside of
the parameters established by the factory, such modifications are certainly
defensible, even on a gun kept solely for defense.  Grips and sights
present no problems.  Ditto for "timing" a revolver so each chamber in
the cylinder aligns properly with the bore.  "Action jobs" which have
the effect of lightening the trigger pull start to get into the grey
area.  It is wise therefore to keep such modifications within limits
set by the factory, or perhaps police agencies in your area.  If your
local police regulations permit officers to carry firearms with a 4 lb trigger,
it would be wise to limit your action job accordingly.  Again, this is
much less of an issue with an intended shooting than an untended one.

Carrying a gun which the factory literature states is not suitable for
defensive use gets you rather far into that grey area.  If you keep the
gun at home and do use it for its factory-intended purpose and it just
happened to be the gun available when the Ayran Brotherhood goons smashed
through your front door with fire axes at 3AM, it won't be a problem.
(Unless you live in Washington D.C., of course.  I regard even living in
such places as D.C. or NYC as "well beyond" the grey area -- your best
personal protection alternative is to move out!).

With handloaded ammo the considerations are the same, but the difference
is with today's ammo, there is no reason to load your own for defense and
plenty of good reasons not to.  Unless you keep an oddball gun for home
defense (broomhandle Mauser??) for which commercial defense ammo is not
available, you can't possibly load ammo better than you can buy.

With the exception of New Jersey (?? am I right here), the act of handloading
special defense ammunition with hollowpoint bullets is not itself a crime.
The use of such ammunition in an otherwise justifiable shooting would not
thereby render it unjustifiable.

Bottom line:

	Using handloaded ammuntion and/or a highly modified gun in a
	*justifiable* shooting will not hang you.  It may cost you a
	few $1000 days of expert testimony to rebut the prosecution.
	In some jurisdictions it may make the difference between a
	Grand Jury returning an indictment instead of a "no true bill".
	It is therefore well worth avoiding unless you have a pretty
	good reason.

	However, either one can be a serious problem in an accidental
	shooting.
-- 

- Alan S. Watt
  Yale University			Computing and Information Systems
  Box 2112 Yale Station			(203) 432-6602