Well, the other thread got locked, and seemed there was more to say yet.
I'm sure the mod's will delete this if necessary.
ANYWAY, what I'd like to add is that I think the comparison of civiies to cops is erroneous, and any decent lawyer can defend a client using reloads.
Here's why: First, the reasons an officer and a civilian gets into a shootout are totally different usually. Second, the "reasons" cops have to shoot what they shoot are completely different from the decision an individual might go through. What a police officer has in his/her handgun is dep't issued, and likely chosen on grounds of - what? - general shootability vs stopping power, i.e., every officer must be able to handle the recoil well enough to shoot it effectively. I don't know of any officer that gets to choose their own ammo, but if they could, I'll bet some would choose much softer rounds than 200gr +p .45's which is what I believe these guys here in the NW use. This is to say, the fact that "it's good enough for the police, it's good enough for me," has little weight.
Most self-defense sources I've read/heard recommend very simply to shoot whatever highest caliber/bullet/speed you can effectively manage, and then practice, practice, practice!
They also recommend practicing with "duty" ammo - shoot what you're going to have to shoot.
Put these two mandates together, and many will have (a) a bigger something (bullet/caliber/speed) than the local PD, and (b) a hard time paying for 4-800 rounds a month of over-the-counter ammo! It's just cheaper to roll your own.
Here's another one for you:
Say I shoot a "hot" 40 S&W. Does it not matter that there are much milder loads in 10mm that shoot the same bullet weight quite a bit faster?
I can comfortably load 230 gr .45's a wee hotter than factory, but still stay way under +P pressures.
In other words, once the judge/jury takes this stuff into consideration, it'll be hard to make some blanket assertion like "he reloads, therefore he likes to kill people." -Not to mention that it's very easy to chrono another cartridge specimin to see just how mad you really are about blowing holes in people. Who knows? Maybe your home-brew is even slower than factory.
Lastly, and most importantly, the self-defense purpose of making a hole in someone is singular: to stop the action. The way to do this is by either hitting the cerebro-spinal complex (aka "Lucky Shot") or cause a violent, massive, sudden drop in blood pressure, via a big, wide, long hole, hopefully through organ tissue. Of course you might get lucky and scare the will out of the perp with your little .32, which can also be done with a few karate moves once in a while, but I for one will not consider such minor options.
So, with this ugly fact established, it is very easy to justify the use of a fast, heavy, expanding bullet. The faster, heavier and expandier the better (to a point, of course - diminishing returns and all.)
So if the offense tries to claim you were "out to kill," simply ask how they are able to distinguish between an "effective" self-defense round and one made just "to-kill."
If it's true this whole "don't load your own" hysteria (oh, yes it is!) came from Maas, then let it be known he also makes the case for expanding bullets over non, as a possible way to prevent death, by virtue of the possibility of causing more blood-loss with one shot, not needing 5 holes of ball, to stop the aggression, thereby raising the chances of survival.
Now, after all that, let me say I think those 200gr Speer +P's are a pretty darn good defense round.
That's all I have to say about that!
