reloading insurance

[Neil-Carter]

Hi Folks

We've just found out at Blackburn Rifle and Pistol Club that from 1st Jan 2015, the public liability insurance cover we get from the nsra will no longer cover members using downloaded ammunition. They have not defined what they mean by downloaded but what the heck, we are only the paying customers. If your club gets its insurance through the nsra or perkin-slade then please check that you are still covered

thanks

neil carter

[Eligus]

Downloaded ammunition is a strange phrase. Could they mean using loads downloaded from forums? How would anyone know?

[angrybear]

Provided the load is within the range specified by the manufacturers surely it has been tested as safe, if outside that range then only a fool would use it.

[bullbarrel]

Normally means rifle loads with less powder (or a pistol powder) to meet the range velocity/power regs.

I'm sure someone on here is shooting .303 with subsonic lead cast bullets on his club range.

[physeptone]

Provided the load is within the range specified by the manufacturers surely it has been tested as safe, if outside that range then only a fool would use it.

Fool indeed.
But given some of the stories i have heard about some peoples reloading nothing will ever surprise me. I think the tolerances we give to guns to save large numbers of fools should not be underestimated!

[amc577]

Another mystical often used phrase..."downloaded"..do we assume that anything which is not factory ammunition must be "downloaded"...but then even factory ammo varies in MV/ME.....are rimfire subs "downloaded"?? The NSRA would not know anything about CF loads in any case. Perhaps they mean "handloaded"? All ranges have specified limits of calibre, ME/MV and provided your ammunition is within these limits I cannot see what the problem is.

amc577

[tacfoley]

Normally means rifle loads with less powder (or a pistol powder) to meet the range velocity/power regs.

I'm sure someone on here is shooting .303 with subsonic lead cast bullets on his club range.

I shoot so-called 'downloaded' ammunition in my Swiss rifles. The issue 7.5x55 is mite 'healthy' for a guest to shoot and still enjoy, but they can get the feel of shooting with a 180gr gas-checked lead bullet and a load of suitable powder without leaving their shoulder behind the shooting line.

Most loading manuals I have give details of suitable and safe reduced loads for pistol and rifle calibres, usually employing cast lead bullets instead of jacketed bullets. RCBS actually produce a reloading data handbook ONLY for cast bullets.

tac

[bear]

it only takes on numpty to home load a round incorrectly and the effects can be serious for those in the immediate area with regards to gun blowing up and injury's sustained ,same as on an outdoor range with home loaded rifle ammo ,and having 2 shooters firing at one target next to each other on same firing point (accident waiting to happen)as both would be injured or maimed ,when I pointed this out at a range ,was told well the military do it ,no they don't ,and its factory ammo so ammo is of proven type ( but it doesn't always go bang ),same with all insurance it only needs once and it affects us all

[amc577]

Any BBS members have factual instances of guns "blowing up" with homeloads and injuring/maiming shooters or bystanders? UK only....

amc577

[bear]

I have seen the results (of some weapons) both as an item/remains and piccys but as for seeing it happen or injurys I have been told of some which where fatal and the reasons of why they think it happened or how

[tacfoley]

Any BBS members have factual instances of guns "blowing up" with homeloads and injuring/maiming shooters or bystanders? UK only....

amc577

Nope. Mind you, I've only been reloading since the late 1960's, and any incident outside of my stamping grounds - wherever they may have been at the time - would have passed me by. But I've never even heard of one. There's a Euroarms Remington .44cal M1858 on a plaque in a local gun store that was blown up with a 1-4-1 nitro instead of BP load. But I don't have any details about the consequences.

tac

[EGGY]

Normally means rifle loads with less powder (or a pistol powder) to meet the range velocity/power regs.

I'm sure someone on here is shooting .303 with subsonic lead cast bullets on his club range.

That's me

[tacfoley]

That's me

I'm sure that Eggy, like me and the other shooters that I know who use reduced loads for compliance with range restrictions [as we do in our club for those who few shoot the 338LM], also comply with and use the loading data from the many loading data handbooks around.

As I pointed out before, most, if not all, also list reduced loads for cast bullets of different weights, and also table minima and maxima for the loads as well.

tac

[gtpkeeper]

Hi Folks

We've just found out at Blackburn Rifle and Pistol Club that from 1st Jan 2015, the public liability insurance cover we get from the nsra will no longer cover members using downloaded ammunition. They have not defined what they mean by downloaded but what the heck, we are only the paying customers. If your club gets its insurance through the nsra or perkin-slade then please check that you are still covered

thanks

neil carter

sounds like a change of insurance is or may be needed

[harry mac]

Any BBS members have factual instances of guns "blowing up" with homeloads and injuring/maiming shooters or bystanders? UK only....

amc577

Yes, although it's not recent. The Sheffield Shooting Centre used to have a S & W 686 in their armoury which had been "bulls-eyed" by a member who had been reloading 9mm with Bulseye and then switched to reloading .357 mag with a much slower powder; or so he thought. Although he had upped the powder charge for the larger cartridge he hadn't changed the powder in his measure. Que cylinder full of rounds loaded with huge charges of very fast Bullseye. The result was a shattered cylinder, the top strap bowed out at a silly looking angle and the frame and cylinder crane bent. The shooter suffered minor injuries to his hand and a piece of the cylinder had to be pried out of the concrete wall of the building.
I know it's not a case where "down-loaded" ammo was being used, but it goes to show that blow ups do happen.