Reloads vs. Remanufactured Ammunition: What’s the Difference?

Within the realm of ammunition right now, you have to take what you can get.

Empty shelves and “out of stock” are common sights to see at both retailers and online storefronts at the moment, and this may lead you to begin searching for alternative forms of pew pew.

For many, reloading and remanufactured ammunition is where they go. But what’s the difference between these two processes? Are they similar? Are they safe?

Let’s take a look…

What’s the Difference Between Reloaded Ammunition & Remanufactured Ammunition?

There are a lot of similarities between the two, but there are also some distinctive differences that should be noted.

The main difference is in where the two types of ammunition are crafted.

When talking about reloaded ammunition, we’re talking about ammo produced in somebody’s basement, garage, or backyard shop with common off-the-shelf equipment one can pick up at a retailer.

In contrast, remanufactured ammunition is produced by a business. These are places with specialized equipment that are typically mechanized rather than hand-operated.

While reloaded ammunition is typically produced for a single shooter, remanufactured ammo (commonly called reman) is produced on a large scale to be sold to the public.

The quality between the two types of ammunition can greatly vary as well. Reloaded ammunition from a professional PRS shooter is going to be one thing, but reloaded ammo from a clueless relative is something else entirely.

Remanufactured ammunition is a bit more standardized. You know what you’re getting here. If you’re reloading your ammunition, you know what you’re getting, but what if you’re shooting somebody else’s reloads?

Well, now you’re playing the trust game.

This larger scale of production, machinery involved, and level of quality control make up the main difference between these two types of ammunition.

Do Reloaded and Remanufactured Ammunition Save You Money?

For starters, neither reloaded ammunition nor remanufactured ammunition is brand new. They both utilize recycled brass that has already been shot one or more times before.

The benefit of this is that reloads and remans are cheaper than brand-new ammunition straight out of the factory. The brass itself requires a significant investment to craft into the shape of a casing, and reloads and remans can avoid this expense completely.

All of the equipment, time, and money required to get the brass into casing shape is avoided by these types of ammunition, resulting in dollar savings to the customer.

Imagine the cost of having your own metal casting equipment.

Reloaded ammo is a bit different.

Here, we’re looking at guys reloading their own ammunition in their basements rather than commercial businesses with facilities specifically designed to remanufacture ammunition.

This is why you’ll find a 500-round case of reman ammo significantly less than the brand-new ammunition. This sounds enticing for those trying to make our dollars stretch further.

Not only can you shoot more with your ammo budget, but you can also put more away into storage by going this route. Keep in mind we’re still talking about reman ammo, though.

For reloads, after you factor in the cost of dies, components, presses, and all of the other random paraphernalia you’ll need to hand reload your own ammunition, you’re looking at having to shoot a lot of rounds before you ever actually begin to make your money back.

Back in 2019 money, you were looking at somewhere around 15,000 handgun rounds needing to be hand reloaded before you would begin to start saving yourself money.

Considering that you can pump out an average of 100 rounds/hour hand reloading – and that’s with all of the components already clean and ready, mind you – you’re looking at 150 hours of work having to be spent behind a press before you start saving money.

Do you want to spend that much time, money, and concentration? That’s up to you.

For the competitive shooter, this effort can be well worth every cent. You can individually tailor your rounds to your weapon – figuring out which recipe gives you the best accuracy, knowing what’s in each cartridge, and knowing everything is as standard as you permit.

Golden trophies and big, fat prizes can be the result.

But what about the average shooter?

If you shoot 200 rounds of 9mm ball every Saturday (something a very small portion of America does), you’re likely looking at spending $120-ish in brand-new ammo. If we follow our above metric that it takes 15,000 rounds before you recoup your initial investment, you’re looking at a year and a half of Saturdays before you start to save money.

Whether that’s worth it or not, here is up to you.

Is Reloaded Ammunition More Dangerous than Remanufactured Ammunition?

This really depends on who is loading the ammunition.

If you’re the one reloading your own ammo, you made 100% sure that you were using the correct powders, primers, and components, you were very focused throughout the entire reloading process, and you’re properly checking your brass for quality, then reloading is safe.

If Bubba reloaded your ammo for you after his fifth beer, then reloading may not be as safe.

Keep in mind that PRS shooters throughout the U.S. shoot reloaded ammunition all the time, as do hunters throughout America. Off the top of your head, you can probably think of several friends who reload their ammunition.

It’s not inherently unsafe; it’s just that – like an air traffic controller – there’s little room for error.

Remanufactured ammunition can be reproduced to SAAMI specifications with highly sensitive equipment and monitors. The average Joe you’ll find pulling levers in his own basement doesn’t have all this.

So, to answer the question, it really depends on who is reloading the ammunition. If they know what they’re doing, the ammo can be as safe as reman.

If they don’t – or if you don’t know the person offering you their reloaded ammo on range – then yes, it can be more dangerous than remanufactured.

Is Remanufactured Ammunition Safe?

As I mentioned, reman ammo is fixed up to SAAMI standards. That’s the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute. They’re the head honchos who set the guidelines for safe cartridge specs.

If some guy is going to set up shop and hang his shingle as a remanufactured ammunition factory, he will follow SAAMI regulations. He will also have to be insured, licensed, and have a significant stake in the game to ensure that he’s making quality ammunition.

Should he not, he’s opening the doors open for a potential lawsuit to wreck his livelihood.

To avoid this, the business will be investing in some pretty serious equipment that’s so expensive that the average reloader isn’t able to come anywhere near having it.

The reman guy will throw his brass into specialized machines, which spits out a final product considered “like new brass” and utilizes specialized automatic sensors to ensure everything is as perfect as possible throughout the entire process. 

And remember, he’s doing all of this to SAAMI specs the whole time. That’s something the reloader may not be doing.

Does Shooting Reloaded or Remanufactured Ammunition Void My Gun’s Warranty?

Yeah, maybe. It depends on who you get the gun from.

After looking through an instruction manual for a Taurus handgun, I found that shooting reloaded ammunition does void the warranty. You may also find the same flipping through the fine print of some of your gun manuals.

However, this manual specifically mentioned reloads – not reman ammo. Whether reman ammo voids your warranty is something you’ll need to check for your individual gun.

Final Thoughts

A gun without ammunition is an expensive stick, and both reman and reloaded ammo may serve as a cost-effective means of ensuring you can still put lead down range when your wallet is feeling a little hungry.

While remanufactured ammunition is probably going to be the more cost-efficient means of saving money for the average shooter, that’s not to say it’s impossible to save money with hand reloading by oneself – just that it takes a lot of time and initial investment to begin to do so.

What do you prefer – reman or reloads? Let us know in the comments below! If you’re interested in learning more about how to reload your own ammunition, check out our guide.