Originally Posted by Steve_NO
Originally Posted by Savuti
About a year or 2 ago Ayoob responded to a thread like this, might have been on Rugerforum, can't recall.
Anyway, he cited 2 cases where guys are currently doing hard time because they weren't using factory ammo. One of them involved shooting the defendant's wife, he said suicide, prosecutor said murder.

So, you guys go ahead and keep stoking your handloads, and keep that Alfred E Neuman smile on your face. I'll continue to practice with reloads and carry factory.


Pete


well, obviously, in a spouse homicide the issue of handloaded ammo couldn't possibly be the deciding factor. if it was really a suicide, the ammo in the gun is irrelevant.


Hey Steve,

Unless I'm just completely wiffing on my recollection of the case the question was if they were dealing with a suicide or not. It's my understanding they were actually leaning toward suicide until GSR evidence seemed to contradict the distance of the gunshot. As it turned out it was a very light handload. The fact it was a handload turned out to be more than a little problematic for the defense.

I'd like an opinion if you would grant me the few minutes to offer it. Say John Doe was involved in a SD shooting. Let's also say it was not the kind of shooting any of us would want to face. As it turns out the only witnesses were friendly to the victim. (say fellow gang members) Their testimony is, as expected, much more damning than exculpatory to Mr Doe. After all the twists, turns and convolutions such a case may take one of the huge areas of contention was the distance at which the shot was fired. Mr Doe was carrying handloads and the DA is pushing that whatever evidence forensics turns up is impossible to accurately quantify (the only way to know that rounds GSR pattern is to test it) or reproduce it.

I think an awful lot of things would have to be already working against a defendant to be in such a position but if they were it would certainly seem, to my mind anyway, having a readily available and easily defended forensic exemplar couldn't be seen as anything but an advantage. What do you think?


If there's one thing I've become certain of it's that there's too much certainty in the world.