# Scavenge 12 ga shotshells for reloading: An Southamerican experience



## TheGuyOfSouthamerica (Sep 11, 2016)

hi to all,

I want to present myself:
I am from Southamerica but am as well canadian citizen.

I recently started relaoding and a few weeks ago started casting also.
Locally we can not get gun powder and so we have to get creative. I started *scavenging 12 ga shotshells for powder and lead for reloading* and am very successfull with that.
All reloading Equipment is legal here but you can not get gun powder of any Kind since shipping lines refuse to Transport it.

I had the luck that a few weeks ago some of my ordered bullet molds arrived and since then I can cast my own bullets as well. I have the Lee 124 grain Truncated Cone tumble lube .356" 9mm Luger mold and the 7/8 oz Lee drive key slug mold. Both are awesome. I reload 9mm Luger for my S&W SD9VE pistol and for my Heritage (Pietta) Rough Rider 1873 SAA 357 magnum 5.5" Revolver I reload with same bullets my "reinvented" 9mm Federal Rimmed (trimmed down 357 mag/38spl cases to 19mm).
I reload those bullets with both caliber with 3.0 grains of bullseye type scavenged shotgun powder since they seat at about 1.044". From the Revolver I get about 1.4" Groups at 20 meters and I experience no leading. I lube those bullets with Texaco NLGI 2 (MP2) Marfak Lithium grease since it is the only lead cast bullet lube availlable here. The 9mm Federal Rimmed have good Penetration and kick since they penetrate at least 1.5" hardwood from 20 meters distance.

The reloading saves me about 50% of the factory ammo cost and if I cast my own bullets I save about 80% of the factory ammo cost. Reloading and casting are huge savings here.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

1. Where are you? In which South American country?
2. I think that using gunpowder scavenged from shotshells is probably somewhat dangerous, since you have no way of knowing exactly which powder was used to load them. It would be easy to unknowingly load too much...or too little.

I find it interesting that you cannot find a shipping company to transport gunpowder for you. Smokeless gunpowder, for instance Bullseye, will not explode. It burns, but not uncontrollably. Most ordinary shippers in the US will carry it, right to your door.
I would have imagined that it would be more likely that you could not get primers for reloading, since they are the most dangerous component of cartridges. But since you cannot load rifle or pistol cartridges with shotshell primers, I assume that you can buy the rifle and pistol versions wherever you are.


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