Edwin P. Przybylowicz, Leo R. Gizzi, Walter F. Rowe, and Ronald L. Simmons, Committee Members

On March 18, 1998, a subcommittee of the Committee on Smokeless and Black Powder³ visited the National Rifle Association (NRA) Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, to learn about the reloading process using smokeless powder and to observe the use of black powder in muzzle-loading rifles. Tammy Begun, Michael Bussard, William Parkerson, and Glenn Gilbert hosted this visit.

The reloading procedure of 12 gauge shotgun shells, 9 mm pistol bullets and .30 caliber (7.62 mm) rifle bullets was demonstrated to the subcommittee. Reloading was indicated as a procedure used by a number of target shooters to reduce the cost of their ammunition (typically by 50 percent), to provide experimental loads for better performance, to match a load to a specific gun, and for recreational enjoyment.

The manual equipment used to reload this ammunition consisted basically of a series of dies contained on a platen or a "press" that permitted the following steps to be performed on the initially empty, used shell casing: (1) remove the spent primer and resize the casing to remove deformations from previous use; (2) install a new primer; (3) add a measured amount of smokeless powder; (4) seat and crimp the bullet, or in the case of a shotgun shell to add the plastic "wad" (which separates the powder from the shot); (5) add a measured amount of shot; (6) in the case of a shotgun shell, pre-crimp the top of the plastic shell casing; and (7) finish the crimping of the top of the shell. The first three steps are basically the same for shotgun shells and ammunition for pistols and rifles. In the case of the shotgun shells, a shell casing is used—a plastic tube with a brass base—into which the primer is mounted. In the latter two cases, the shell casing is brass, and because bullets instead of shot are used, there is no need for a wad separator. In these cases, the bullet is added after addition of powder.

It was observed that reloading shells must be done according to a tested formula that is carefully spelled out in reloading manuals, so that the correct propellant is used in the specified amounts. The equipment for reloading is typically sold through retail gun shops, rather than mass merchant chains. The manual equipment generally sells for under $100, although there are semiautomated devices that cost more. Safety instruction in the use of this equipment is

Front Matter (R1-R14)

Executive Summary (1-13)

1 Background and Overview (14-37)

2 Detection of Black and Smokeless Powder Devices (38-55)

3 Identification (56-96)

Bibliography (97-100)

Appendix A: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members (101-106)

Appendix B: Statement of Task and Enabling Legislation (107-111)

Appendix C: Committee Meetings (112-114)

Appendix D: Taggant and Marker Concepts (115-122)

Appendix E: Presentations by Stakeholder Groups (123-129)

Appendix F: Committee Site Visits (130-146)

Appendix G: Laboratories Capable of Testing (147-149)

Appendix H: Regulation of Black and Smokeless Powders (150-153)

Appendix I: Glossary (154-163)

Appendix J: Acronyms and Abbreviations (164-164)