7 Oct 00

On frangible ammunition from a friend who is a range officer with a large PD:

"There is a primer problem, which seems to be inherent with lead-free primer technology. It's a shelf-life issue that can be mitigated by buying small lots of ammunition frequently. Departments that are locked into an annual bid process might not have that option easily to hand.

There is also a problem with the durability of the bullet itself. For example, when firing our M-16s in full-auto, the bullets break off at the case mouth and cause a mess.

Of all the products available, I like C&R the best. They seem to take extra care in production.

The increased cost is more than offset by the savings in indoor range operation. With lead-free, there is no need for expensive HEPA air filters, testing of employees for lead levels, disposal of wash water as hazardous waste, or periodic 'mining' of the lead by individuals wearing respirators and disposable Tyvek suits. In addition, lead-free ranges can return us to the days when you could shoot during the day then sweep up and have a banquet in the same room that evening."

/John

7 Oct 00

Not everyone uses high-performance ammunition. This is from a friend who sells ammunition (among others things) to police departments:

"The Department of Corrections for the state of _______, which is a massive machine, carries S&W M10s. Their DUTY LOAD is 158-grain roundnose, lead (unjacketed). I thought we had bid good riddance to that garbage years ago. However, it was explained to me that, 'A hollowpoint bullet may kill an internee. We intend to just wound them.' This, of course, from a bean-counting bureaucrat who is never personally exposed to danger and who couldn't distinguish a pistol from a toaster.

On many occasions I've tried to convince them that the safety of their employees would be compromised far less if they changed out to high-performance ammunition. They won't hear it. The people who do the purchasing don't even carry guns, have no understanding of ballistic performance, and care far more about keeping their jobs than they do about doing them. No heroes there!"

Where are the heroes when you need them?

/John