Exercising The Right
Is Your Ammo Incriminating?
Most people who carry a gun for defense might not ever consider it, but the type of ammunition you use in your gun can have a serious impact beyond just ballistics. A writer by the name of “Salvatore,” who describes himself as “a firearms instructor, competitive shooter, and life-long practitioner of the concealed carry lifestyle,” brought up some salient points on November 18 at the website reflexhandgun.com. In his opinion piece entitled “Defensive Ammunition: Legal Considerations,” Salvatore explained that the bullets you use can potentially incriminate you to a jury if you’re not careful. Opening his column, Salvatore gave some sage advice beyond just ammunition, and explained that every aspect of your life will come under a microscope after a self-defense shooting, so you need to be very cautious. “In the aftermath of a self-defense shooting, one can anticipate a critical analysis of every aspect of their character, their decisions made, and even their gear.... The image of yourself that you portray can haunt you. I am absolutely opposed to things such as punisher logos on your gun, or bumper stickers on your car that say something like ‘Kill them all, let God sort them out,’ and so on. Wearing a shirt that says ‘keep calm and shoot them in the face’ is, likewise, not appropriate. As an armed citizen, you should conduct yourself in a low profile manner. Do everything possible to avoid trouble and your mannerisms should be a testament to that.”
Salvatore then explained that, much like your clothing and other accessories, your ammunition will also be heavily scrutinized. “But, think about it, the ammunition you select can be a testament for or against your character, and it is something that an ambitious prosecutor with an agenda just might make an issue of.” Salvatore’s first advice was to avoid gimmick ammunition. “If something were to happen, are you sure you want to be brought in front of a jury and hear the prosecutor call your very sanity into question due to equipment choices? Your punisher backplate on your Glock clearly indicates you are a vigilante. Your gun, loaded with Zombie Hunter ammunition, leads one to question your very sanity, does it not? After all, perhaps you were not even of sound mind, and when you shot that guy who you claim was attacking you, maybe you thought he was a zombie! Why else would you carry Zombie Hunter ammo in your gun?”
Salvatore reminds the reader that the above is not just paranoia and that “if you think such a scenario is far-fetched, then you are not aware of how far an anti-gun, anti-self-defense, prosecutor may be willing to go to crucify you in order to make a political point.” Salvatore also discussed how public perception might play into it as well, which we all know is heavily shaped by an anti-gun media. In the end, Salvatore advises readers to choose ammunition that is regularly in use by law enforcement because it’s mostly proven, and it also speaks to your mental state as a reasonable gun owner seeking to use industry-standard ammunition for self-defense. “Choosing from the most widely used and proven law enforcement rounds provides a level of vetting not available elsewhere. But let’s go beyond the proven ballistic performance. Using a round that is widely chosen by law enforcement also ties back into legal considerations. Should you be forced to defend yourself, choosing ammunition based on what the cops carry can work in your favor. Such a solid choice can offer the ability to point out that you, a sensible self-defender, chose a proven brand in the arena of self-defense. Using brand so-and-so, as utilized by agency so-and-so, is undoubtedly more reasonable than using Zombie Hunter rounds in your carry or home defense gun.” Overall, Salvatore offered some solid advice for those of us looking to protect ourselves from violent criminals and opponents of the Second Amendment who work either at the district attorney’s office or in the media.
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