Current Issue - Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County

Check Your Ammo
by Paul Markel, Officer.com
Save Your Life
With the benefit of hindsight firmly in my corner, I can say without
a doubt that the lead firearms instructor at my police academy was
decades ahead of most L.E. trainers. Though I’m sure he’s been
promoted myriad times, Sgt. Doug Hunter gave us young police cadets
much more information than was required by the book. Two decades
later while living in southern Mississippi I’d discover a term for this—
“lagniappe,” that little something extra.
Doug gave us several lagniappes during the Ohio Peace Officer’s
Training Academy. One of these was to remove any screws that might
be found on our duty guns, clean the threads with alcohol and secure
them back in place with some type of thread-locking compound.
Damaged
Winchester
round direct
from box
Check your Ammo
Another lesson not found in the manual was to
visually inspect each and every round of duty
ammunition issued to us before we loaded our
magazines or speed-loaders (yes, some of us still had
revolvers back then). Doug instructed us to check
the primers and the cases and to give each piece a
once over. He even went so far as to explain that
when he swapped out old duty ammunition for new
that he would sit down and manually drop each
round into the chamber to ensure that it would seat
properly when needed. This is readily accomplished
by disassembling the pistol and using the barrel sans
slide.
I can recall a couple of guys scoffing at that advice. They commented
that they weren’t using basement reloads, but factory fresh ammunition.
Surely the factory ammunition would be unquestionably the best
available. While that was for the most part true twenty years ago,
nevertheless, mistakes did and do happen.
The Modern Ammo Crunch
Twenty plus years ago, finding a piece of bad or damaged
factory ammunition was like finding a four-leafed clover.
You saved it and showed your friends. You remembered the
exact day and circumstances. It was indeed rare.
In the year 2013, every ammunition manufacturer in the
nation is operating at maximum capacity. They simply
cannot make ammo faster or in greater quantities. What
this translates to in the real world is less experienced
personnel running the machines and mistakes can and do
happen.
During the last few years there have been several voluntary recalls of
ammunition from all the big makers. The biggest culprit has been the
use of the incorrect propellant. After a maker discovers that a lot of
ammo went out with the wrong powder they issue an immediate recall
Factory fresh, flawed
ammunition (left) hole
in case, no powder
(right) over-seated
bullet, will not chamber
and warning. But, what about a lot of ammo that might have had an
inverted primer or two, does that lot get recalled? Perhaps one round
out of ten thousands has the projectile over-seated? Will a recall be
issued for that lot? Not likely, nor would it likely be warranted.
During the last couple of months I’ve personally found pieces of factory
fresh ammunition that were damaged in the manufacturing process but
shipped out. About two months ago I discovered one round of .45 ACP
that had a hole punched in the case wall and the propellant powder had
all fallen out. A week ago as I write this, I encountered a piece of .45
ACP that had the projectile seated too deeply causing the case wall to
bulge ever so slightly. This round would not fully chamber.
Just so you don’t think that .45 ACP ammo is the prime culprit I’ll
share another experience. While working as a Small Arms and Tactics
instructor for the military I personally found a few rounds of 9 mm
that, despite being chambered and having their primers dented, failed
to ignite. Not just once, but they failed after being rechambered by an
instructor later on. This was Mil-Spec 9x19 mm ammunition from a
major ammo maker.
The Solution
First and foremost, if you are loading your personal defense firearm
with ammunition you will potentially be using to save your life, I would
visually inspect every piece. Taking each round and dropping it in the
chamber is solid advice as well. If you really want to get serious, use a
digital grain scale and weigh each and every round. If you find a round
that is a few grains off that might indicate a low or empty charge.
Insure that the ammunition you are using is the premium
grade version from your favorite ammo maker. As a general
rule, higher quality control goes into the manufacture of
premium personal defense ammo. You may not have a
choice in the matter, but it’s worth considering.
Have a backup plan. Firearms and ammunition are merely
tools made by the hands of men. While most are extremely
reliable, your life is worth having a second option. Another
lagniappe Doug gave us was the “two is one, one is none”
rule for critical gear. Doug always advocated carrying two
guns.
In the end, it’s your life. Live it like you want to. For my
part, I will check all the ammo I load when it might be “for
real”.
***
Reprinted from Officer.com. Mr. Markel has been a firearms industry
writer for twenty years and currently hosts and produces “Student of
the Gun” a television show dedicated to education, experience and the
enjoyment of firearms.
Witness to History: The ATF Raid at Waco
On Feb. 7, 2013, the National Law Enforcement Museum hosted the
sixth event in its Witness to History panel discussion series, held at the
Pew Charitable Trusts Building in Washington, DC, and sponsored
by Target®. The event marked the first time that agents of the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)—on the ground
when the 51-day raid began in Waco, Texas, on Feb. 28, 1993—have
spoken publicly about their role in this tragic case.
“We were honored to host yet another successful Witness to History
event as part of our continuing series,” said National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO Craig Floyd, who moderated
the panel discussion. “Our excellent panel provided valuable insight,
and each panelist shared his unique perspective on this seminal
moment in law enforcement history.”
Panel discussion included expert analysis and firsthand accounts
from Bill Buford, ATF (ret.) Resident Agent in Charge, Little Rock
Field Office; Pete Mastin, ATF (ret.) Special Agent in Charge, New
Orleans Field Division;
Jerry Petrilli, ATF (ret.)
Resident Agent in Charge,
Albuquerque Field Office;
and Dick Reavis, Author
of The Ashes of Waco:
An Investigation. A Q&A
session allowed audience
members to interact with
the panelists at the end of
the discussion.
Acting ATF Director, B.
Todd Jones, was also in
attendance and shared his
thoughts on the events
at Waco to open up the Q&A portion of the program. “This was the
biggest gunfight involving federal law enforcement in the history of
America,” he said. “The men who were there that day were all heroes, in
my mind.”
Each of the agents on the panel shared insight into what they felt went
wrong, as well as how ATF has improved operations as a result of what
happened at Waco. According to Mr. Buford, “One thing that came as
a result of Waco, was a strong contingency plan. We have that for every
operation we run now.”
The Museum’s Witness to History series focuses on significant events
in law enforcement history that shaped regional and national identity,
told through narratives and accounts from those involved. The first
five events focused on the 1963 shooting of President John F. Kennedy’s
alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas; the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001; the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash in Washington,
DC; the 1968 assassination of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy
in Los Angeles; and the 2002 Washington, DC-area sniper attacks.
The event, Witness to History: The ATF Raid at Waco, was open to the
public, with about 150 guests in attendance. For more information
about the National Law Enforcement Museum’s Witness to History
program, visit www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org/WitnesstoHistory.
Photos courtesy of the NLEOMF.
14 Silver Star May 2013
Silver Star May 2013 15