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Tuzo · July 4, 2009, 08:40 PM

Many TFL threads mention a prosecutor's field day if reloaded ammunition is used in self defense situations. The primary reason is malicious intent when loading hollow points, frangible bullets, and other seemingly sinister ammunition for home and self defense. To determine if there are any legal cases where this ploy was used by prosecutors against defendants, I tried several searches for legal examples.

No luck. Plenty of malicious intent examples, cases, and definitions but nothing specifically mentioning personally reloaded ammunition. A reference from California Concealed Carry.com states: "The reason given for using factory ammunition, as opposed to hand-loads, is to preclude your being accused of maliciously loading up special rounds to inflict extra harm on the person you were forced to defend against in the almost certain civil suit that follows a justifiable defense". Yet manufactured ammunition comes in various flavors such as the misnamed "cop killer" bullets, +P, +P+, etc that can be considered to be purchased with malicious intent because it is not "normal" ammunition.

Can anyone cite specific cases, criminal and civil, where reloaded ammunition has been referred to as malicious intent?

July 4, 2009, 08:40 PM	#1
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Reloads and malicious intent Many TFL threads mention a prosecutor's field day if reloaded ammunition is used in self defense situations. The primary reason is malicious intent when loading hollow points, frangible bullets, and other seemingly sinister ammunition for home and self defense. To determine if there are any legal cases where this ploy was used by prosecutors against defendants, I tried several searches for legal examples. No luck. Plenty of malicious intent examples, cases, and definitions but nothing specifically mentioning personally reloaded ammunition. A reference from California Concealed Carry.com states: "The reason given for using factory ammunition, as opposed to hand-loads, is to preclude your being accused of maliciously loading up special rounds to inflict extra harm on the person you were forced to defend against in the almost certain civil suit that follows a justifiable defense". Yet manufactured ammunition comes in various flavors such as the misnamed "cop killer" bullets, +P, +P+, etc that can be considered to be purchased with malicious intent because it is not "normal" ammunition. Can anyone cite specific cases, criminal and civil, where reloaded ammunition has been referred to as malicious intent?