Laws on types of experimental ammunition?

[NathanHoln]

As I have been casting more lately it has come up that I may want to try to make some weird ammo and I am unfamiliar with that aspect of law, and basic duckduckgo searches have yielded not much useful. I see a lot of fun experiments on youtube and wanna try my own, but maybe laws n' stuff.

What I am looking for is any laws that may restrict what kind of ammo can be made by a non-FFL. I was thinking of doing stuff like putting flechettes in boolits or **** (or even just normal flechette loads) like that and I can't find coherent information on it. I know my state does not have any restrictions on "armor piercing" or anything like that, but I don't know my way around federal law.

[georgerkahn]

Some queries provide clear answers; yours is one of many which may be a tad "cloudy" -- with *MY* opinion there is a lot dependent upon circumstance. The BATFE has armor piercing (AP) ammo defined at https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-gun-control-act-definition-ammunition and I surely would neither make nor own any, myself. However, a friend (now deceased) had quite a "military firearm/ammo" collection, and without being certain, I'd be quite surprised if he did not have AP cartridges along with tracers, and other types in his extensive collection. Many (50+) years ago, too, we would put a Zippo cigarette lighter flint in the hollow-point (wasn't that what the hole was for ;)?) of .22 rimfire ammunition. Was/is this "legal"? My parting note parallels the old question through the ages: If a tree falls in center of woods with no one in miles, does it make any noise? My simple answer is to weigh the consequences of something going wrong vis your experiments as well, re the possible benefits.
geo

[rancher1913]

there are several utubes showing odd stuff for ammo, just watch them and stay safe. I would think as long as you dont sell it or keep it around, nobody will know what you tried. I have been trying to replicate "bird bombs" with limited success but don't make more than a few at a time

[jdfoxinc]

Typically BATFE regs. Are based on interstate commerce laws. They were part of treasury until lately. So as long as you do not sell loaded ammo. Or cross state lines with it you are legal. Making and selling components is not regulated.

Armor piercing ammo laws were passed outlawing " cop killer " bullets, hand gun bullets that were specially coated or shaped to penetrate bullet resistive vests. Not armor plate. Thus the proposed regulation against SD209/M855 ammo couple of years ago when .233/5.56 pistols became popular.

[725]

i'd do your own research on this topic. believe it or not, some info garnered off the internet is actually wrong. who'd-a-thunk?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If I were to experiment with exotic boolits, I wouldn't use any for self-defense and I wouldn't sell any and I wouldn't use any while hunting game where a license is required. The bulk of the laws pertaining to such, are written around those activities.

[Tom W.]

Although I can't remember the name of the publication, back in the early 70's there was a magazine where the people went into a LGS and bought firearms otc and then tested them. They didn't want (according to them ) firearms that may have been " worked over" by the manufacturer.
I distinctly remember one article where the writer filled some of those blue CCI shot capsules with various sized finishing nails that were cut to fit and shot them at a suspended chicken obtained from the grocery store. The results were just what one would expect.

I believe that their favorite bullet to shoot at things was a BAT bullet Blitz action trauma. It cut nice big holes into anything soft that it was shot into.

[St. Hogustine]

Basically, if you don't give anyone else a reason to care about what you are doing, they won't. Now, if you have a friend/family/neighbor who cares about what everyone is doing, proceed with caution!

[cabezaverde]

Although I can't remember the name of the publication, back in the early 70's there was a magazine where the people went into a LGS and bought firearms otc and then tested them. They didn't want (according to them ) firearms that may have been " worked over" by the manufacturer.
I distinctly remember one article where the writer filled some of those blue CCI shot capsules with various sized finishing nails that were cut to fit and shot them at a suspended chicken obtained from the grocery store. The results were just what one would expect.

I believe that their favorite bullet to shoot at things was a BAT bullet Blitz action trauma. It cut nice big holes into anything soft that it was shot into.

IIRC, the magazine was called Gun Tests.

[GONRA]

GONRA remembers lottsa flyers for "Gun Tests" mag but never subscribed. (Too Cheep.)
Sounded like a good magazine concept? ???
(Guess NOT?)

[Tom W.]

I liked it and bought it when I could....I'd buy anything that was gun related.....and legal

[MT Gianni]

If I were to trust any of my firearms with exotic ammunition, I would not tell anyone. I would never load more than I wanted to shoot the next day and I sure wouldn't tell the internet.

[DCM]

I recommend that link in post 2 be read carefully in regards to this matter.