To manually assemble ammunition by inserting powder, bullets, and primers into cartridge cases using hand tools rather than factory machines.
From 'hand' (Old English 'hand') + 'load' (Middle Dutch 'laden'). The term emerged in the mid-20th century as firearms enthusiasts developed methods to customize and reload their own ammunition.
Handloading became popular among precision shooters and hunters because it allows them to customize ammunition for specific purposes—changing the powder amount can make bullets fly differently for different distances, which is why competitive shooters often handload their own rounds.
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