I believe the two most dangerous words in the English language are 'what if'.

All things considered,this question is much like the 'Glock vs 1911' debate, or the 'magazine disconnect yea-or-nay' dilemma.Each shooter has to make decisions based on their individual circumstances on this reload topic.

Personally, I would carry reloaded on three different points.

1-Factory ammo wont save you in court.Yes the prosecution cannot say that you made super lethal cop killer bullets in your basement. However, an attorney determined to put you in the greybar motel will merely state that you used factory +P jacketed hollow point ammo that expands on impact-"just why on Earth would a law abiding citizen carry high speed expanding ammo,lethal stuff that the military doesn't even use overseas in a war zone?"


Get my drift? Just because the rounds come in a box from a factory doesn't make it prosecution-proof.

Two, taking the advice of carrying what the local police use can be more problematic than one thinks.I don't own a .40 S&W handgun.Spending $500 on one so I can own a weapon that fires the same caliber as my local police district is a bit of a reach-that, plus the cost of ammo and practice time required to learn the weapon well enough to not blow my toes off during the draw.It also means that if you have a 1911 .45ACP odds are you'll have to change to a poly-frame .40 S&W that has not diddly squat in common with the weapon you have carried for years.

Three, what if you own a 10mm, 41. AE, .38 super, or other hard to find caliber? If the factory doesn't make it or the ammo is not sold in your town, should the gun then be retired to the display case for fear of meeting a nasty prosecutor?

Ill close this response by saying that while it is wise to prepare for the worst case scenario, it does not mean that it will happen in any of our particular cases.For every Harold Fish there are cases where the shoot was righteous and the DA dropped charges or the Grand Jury no-billed the shooter.

In case of the worst happening, having a competent defense team in court will go much farther to protect yourself legally than what box of ammo you buy.