10-25-2015, 12:12 AM
stanc Wrote:Second paragraph, Gene:
"In many countries, terrorist organizations and cartel members pick up spent brass cartridge cases (the single most difficult ammunition component to obtain) that were left behind by government security forces, and reload them with homemade lead bullets and propellant extracted from fireworks."
When I was in high school many years ago, I read the book, American Guerrilla in the Phillipines, which told how the people fighting Japanese occupation troops would save fired .30-06 brass for reloading. Don't recall what they did for bullets or powder, but they re-used the primers by filling them with an improvised priming compound made from ground up match heads.
So, it is theoretically possible, but I'd be quite surprised if there's more than a few people -- if there are any at all -- who are actually doing it. It sounds to me like an exaggeration intended to boost sales, instead of a genuine cause for concern. Since drug cartels and terrorists seem to have no problem acquiring the weapons they want, I'd think they would be able to also get ammo.
Stan:
Same thoughts exactly. Especially the drug cartels.
That said, I would think it a good idea to go for technology that would make ammo lighter and less expensive. My experience with the very first batches of 'Green' bullets was they sucked. In fact, a person would be hard pressed to come near a E Sil at 300 with them. They shot somewhere around 7 or 10 minutes. Never could get a decent idea of how badly they shot. That was how badly they shot.
LR55