LR1955 Wrote:As for the enemy policing up the brass and reloading it, I didn't see that in the article but when ever someone says this I wonder where the enemy is getting the primers and bullets for his reloading set up.Second paragraph, Gene:
"In many countries, terrorist organizations and cartel members pick up spent brass cartridge cases (the single most difficult ammunition component to obtain) that were left behind by government security forces, and reload them with homemade lead bullets and propellant extracted from fireworks."
When I was in high school many years ago, I read the book, American Guerrilla in the Phillipines, which told how the people fighting Japanese occupation troops would save fired .30-06 brass for reloading. Don't recall what they did for bullets or powder, but they re-used the primers by filling them with an improvised priming compound made from ground up match heads.
So, it is theoretically possible, but I'd be quite surprised if there's more than a few people -- if there are any at all -- who are actually doing it. It sounds to me like an exaggeration intended to boost sales, instead of a genuine cause for concern. Since drug cartels and terrorists seem to have no problem acquiring the weapons they want, I'd think they would be able to also get ammo.