I am often intrigued by the perceptions of life as compared to the reality. So as to not sound smarter than I really am, I am addressing things like what people’s perceptions of things or products are compared to what the reality of the item does as it is put to use on a daily basis.

The perception of the little plastic plug thing shoved into the butt end of a Glock pistol is that it keeps dirt out of the opening. The reality is a toothbrush and elbow grease will keep the dirt out of the hole … and without the goofy plug in place, a stuck or damaged magazine can more easily be removed as the thumb is allowed access and leverage to clear the problem magazine from the magazine well. That said, if you like the plug things, I am elated for you, but they are still silly.

The Bang

This reality vs. perception concept now can be transferred to another area — ammunition. Basically let us say there are two areas to address, those being factory ammunition and/or reloaded ammunition of either “loaded by them or loaded by me” varieties.

Historically, the perception is factory ammunition is better than that made by we-in-the-basement reloaders. This is an arguable point from all sides. What I understand of it, precision benchrest rifle people make ammunition producing stunning results down range and they have the records to prove it. In addition, what little I know of it at places like Camp Perry, groups fired there must be somewhat smaller than Volkswagen trunk lids to win said match and to take treasured trophies home.

Handgun reloads I have observed fall into two categories: those being the “made by me” and the “made by a friend or guy I know.” The “made by me” loads are the ones working at the range and, in the overall spectrum, make the gun run correctly for a class or range practice. When the ammo works, I note everyone takes credit for making it.

The other catagory, “made by a guy I know,” are all the loads we see not working by misfiring, misfeeding and some causing the slide to depart the frame at high velocity and whiz by the shooter’s head. I would conservatively guess I have seen a solid dozen such high velocity disassembly incidents over the years. If the ammo doesn’t work or the handgun craters, it is always “made by” someone other than the guy pulling the trigger. Funny how it works.