Factory seconds defense ammo?

[Axis II]

My local store had a lot of 38spl low recoil 110gr hydra shocks and 50rd 147gr HST for very cheap $13-18. Sign said Federal factory authorized seconds cosmetic blemishes will not effect accuracy, safety or functions.

I almost purchased several boxes but the whole factory seconds for defense ammo turned me away.

How do you guys feel about such things?

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

I would have bought. Could have been good plinking or practice ammo, or being “low recoil” a good way to introduce somebody to the round.

Shoot the worst-looking myself, and decide what to do w the rest based on that.

 

[George P]

All of the major bullet makers sell blems and they have slight cosmetic issues, they shoot just as good

 

[Axis II]

I would have bought. Could have been good plinking or practice ammo, or being “low recoil” a good way to introduce somebody to the round.

Shoot the worst-looking myself, and decide what to do w the rest based on that.

All of the major bullet makers sell blems and they have slight cosmetic issues, they shoot just as good

Thanks guys it didn't dawn on me to use the HST as practice ammo because that is my carry round but 124gr if I remember right I just had that little guy in my head say don't trust a blem on my life. I almost purchased the low recoil hydra shocks for my snub nose cause ive got some very old golden sabers in there now but wasn't sure the low recoil rounds were good for a snub nose self defense round.

 

[BSA1]

My ammo is for shooting, not for showing off.

I figure nobody is going to look at it while it is the box and certainly not when it is loaded in my gun.

 

[MedWheeler]

If those were my carry rounds, or similar to them, I would have bought them. By the time my bullet is recovered after a SD shooting, it will be blemished anyway.

 

[bannockburn]

I wouldn't have a problem with buying ammo that's got minor cosmetic issues, especially if it's for a decent price. At the very least should make for good practice ammo at the range.

 

[Bama59]

I bought a $25 100 round bag Speer GD 124gr JHP +p blemished. Nothing wrong just dull brass ,fired several rounds in M&P with no failures .

 

[old lady new shooter]

I would probably feel like "Great, I can get SD ammo to practice with for more realistic training." (The one box of my SD ammo that I did shoot shot much softer and somewhat more accurately than my range ammo but it's WAY too expensive to buy for practicing.) I would be nervous to actually carry it. Your actual carry ammo you will hopefully never even need, no problem paying full price for that.

 

[John Joseph]

Hmmmm....would you trust a blemished parachute?

OK for range ammo. For carry, well, that's a tough one!

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

yeah, look, for practice, it would be PERFECT for failure drills b/c you do get to add a new "what if" to your training and reaction plans. As close as it is to the OP's carry ammo, I'd shoot it just in the expectation that it WOULD fail, and then be able to train for that.

And if it didn't fail? No harm done.

 

[Alte Schule]

The Federal low recoil 38 special 110 grain Hydra Shok is one of my go to SD rounds for my Colt Detective Special. $13 is about 35% off the regular retail price. I wouldn't hesitate to buy four or five boxes at that price.