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FI REARMS TACTI CS BY LINDSEY BERTOMEN Reload to train How does Hornady's Lock-N-Load Ammo Plant Loader measure up in an ammo shortage? Accessories for the Lock-N-Load AP include an automatic bullet and a brass feed, which automate operations considerably. The Lock-N-Load AP plant standard version, tested here, was plenty fast enough. A few years ago, most police agencies would not have considered reloading metallic cartridges as a means of providing practice ammunition. However, one does not have to look hard to find news of ammunition shortages nationwide. A lot of political posturing and finger pointing has been exercised over the lack of ammunition. Regardless of the source of the shortage, my informal poll of law enforcement agencies indicates that many agencies have reduced their training allotment to bare-bones. They simply don't have the inventory for adequate practice. Adequate practice is not the number of rounds allotted by policy for training and qualification—that's the minimum. Adequate practice means that officers get enough trigger-time for formal and informal practice on a regular basis. For some reason, reloading in law Many progressive reloading presses use powder bushings or standard measuring tools. Hornady uses a rotary powder measure with a micrometer adjustment, allowing users to fine-tune their loads. enforcement agencies has never been considered risk management friendly, even though some departments have been reloading for years. If an agency's policy impacts its efficacy (Oklahoma City v. Tuttle, 471 U.S. 808 (1985)), or provides inadequate training (City of Canton, Ohio v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378 (1989)), they're wrong. Considering the statistical increase in danger for... offcers nationwide, our offcers should be shooting more, not less. Considering the statistical increase in danger for law enforcement officers nationwide, our officers should be shooting more, not less. The way to do it is to pick up fired brass on the range and scrounge for bullets, primers and powder. Yes, these things are scarce, but not www.officer.com impossible to acquire if one pays attention to the market. Officers who reload to augment their training know that reloaded cartridges can be loaded to mimic the performance of duty cartridge counterparts. Remember, reloaded stuff is for practice only. For this column I tested Hornady's Lock-N-Load Ammo Plant Loader, hereafter called (appropriately) the Lock-NLoad AP. It turned out to be a solid performer, cranking out plenty of practice ammunition for serious training. The Lock-N-Load AP Press is a fivestation, auto indexing, progressive press. It can be purchased with an automatic bullet feeder and automatic brass feeder. The model I tested did not have these two features; I found that any user can get into a cadence where completed cartridges fly into the bin using the patented EZ-Ject system. The Lock-N-Load AP Press is manufactured with great attention to detail. It June 2013 Law Enforcement Technology 39