Free Ammo!!!

[Rastoff]

Today I found this at the range:

Free ammo, right? Yeah, maybe not. I refuse to attempt to shoot ammo I find lying on the ground. Someone left it there for a reason. Even if they just forgot to pick up the odd round that was accidentally dropped, it's not worth the risk.

I don't know if that's factory ammo, reloads or possibly damaged in some other way. Close inspection shows all the rounds seem to be seated at different depths.

This ammo may be free, but it could cost me my gun at the least and maybe a body part at the most. No, these rounds will not be used. I will disassemble them and maybe retain the empty case.

 

[Beemerguy53]

"Free" ammo is worth exactly what you paid for it...

 

[LouisianaJoe]

My brother bought some 45ACP reloads from the wife of a gentleman that had just been sent to an assisted living center because he had Alzheimer. He loaded a couple of rounds and noticed that the recoil was extreme. He gave me the ammo and I pulled the bullets. Some of them had no powder and some of them had a lot. I have no clue what the powder was so I pitched it and reloaded the cases with a proper charge. I then gave them back to my brother.

If I found bullets that the OP found, I would pull them and reload them correctly.

 

[Roadtrash]

The only free ammo I ever used from the range was years ago at the Greenville Gun Club in SC. The Marine reserve were there practicing and when they got ready to leave they gave me several boxes of 308.

 

[chief38]

Unless it's Factory or my own hand-loads I don't even take it. I am at the point now where I don't need any more Brass and can't be bothered with pulling "found ammo" apart. I'll always suggest to others that take it to pull it apart and reload them with KNOWN components.

A few "free" rounds aren't worth risking your health or your firearms IMHO.

 

[zzzippper]

Alzheimer.

Sadly, that is probably the operative word.

 

[gdnagle]

Back in Vietnam CIA use to overload ammo and SOG would leave it for the VC. That ended in 1969 when the good ol' press released the story about Project Eldest Son. Never thrust freebies in this day and age not saying they were sabotaged but if you didn't make them or buy them why take a chance.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Heck, I don't even pick up one of my own rounds if it falls on the ground. I just kick it forward off the cement shooting pad into the dirt.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I regularly find live rounds of .22LR. There will be rounds that fail to fire with one primer strike, so people clear them from their auto and leave them lay. I pick them up and fire them in my $99 Chiappa 1873. They have worked every time.

 

[BC38]

I regularly find live rounds of .22LR. There will be rounds that fail to fire with one primer strike, so people clear them from their auto and leave them lay. I pick them up and fire them in my $99 Chiappa 1873. They have worked every time.

Ditto - but I use my old French MAB...

 

[Rastoff]

I regularly find live rounds of .22LR.

This is a completely different story. No way a person can reload those. Any complete .22LR cartridges you find are factory loads for sure.

 

[Jack Flash]

For found cartridges, it would be safest to salvage the bullets only. Who knows how many firings the case has ...

 

[LostintheOzone]

 

[bushmaster1313]

I once bought some shiney bagged 357 ammo at a gun show.
I think I spent $100.00
After reading some of the wisdom on this site I disposed of it at my local Police Station (they made me feel like a criminal, but that is another story)
I do not regret dumping what cost me $100.
I thanked the Forum.