Questions about Funeral and Memorial Ammunition ....

[Mike Rintoul]

... don't call me crazy, yet. Joe started this. Anyway, there have been several requests from folks to have some of their relatives or pets ashes loaded into ammunition. Some want to "spread" the ashes by firing. Others actually want to shoot paper targets or plinking objects with projectiles containing ashes from their beloved. Still others want to actually be able to "shoot some birds" or "take a deer" with "grandpa's old rifle firing cartridges with his ashes". One person wants to "load a box of shotshells with Ol'Roy's ashes (a birddog) and hunt with them this season".

If you look on the internet there are reports of people doing this at home, including videos of it.

After much discussion, I looked into the legalities and nuiances of this. I have a license to manufacturer ammunition and I can get a permit to "handle processed human remains". There are a lot of cross-checks and procedures to put in place to maintain integrity with this.

In prepartation for what might become a reality, I have explored two different types of cartridges. The first is "less-lethal" and is a lightweight projectile that will carry ashes out a short distance so they are "spread" but will not cloud up and blow back on the shooter and spectators. The second is an actual modified projectile that will carry the ashes with it and is lethal. This is possible in shotgun, handgun and almost all rifle ammo.

Part of the "package" would be a memorial box made with logos, photos or quotes that the consumer specifies, to contain the ammo. In other words, the cardboard part would be customized. The second issue is the ashes themselves. There would be two ways to handle it. A consumer that is willing to portion out some ashes and send them would be told how many ounces I need based on how much ammo they want. The second way for consumers that don't want to handle/touch the ashes is to send the whole bag. This would require a pre-paid return shipping fee plus a small processing fee. I will use as much ash as necessary and the rest will be returned in the original bag.

The minimum amount of cartridges per order is 6. They would be about $8 a piece, or slightly less for a box of shotshells.

Is anyone genuinely interested in this type of service? I expect a pile of jokes, but I wouldn't mind some serious comments and feedback about this. Either way, blame Joe for bringing this up with me.

Thanks,

[perry owens]

As you are probably aware there is already company offering something similar http://www.myholysmoke.com/About.html
My shooting buddies have agreed to load my ashes into shotshells for use on the clay ranges at Bisley, but not just yet.....
Perry Owens

[Marlin32]

Interesting. I did it with my old hunting dog's ashes, one round in a shadow box with some of her ashes.

[J Miller]

Mike,

I've heard of this kind of thing off and on for a long time. I didn't know anyone was doing it commercially though.

My big problem with this is exactly how is it done? I read what you said, but I can't seem to grasp it.
Is the ashes mixed with the powder? Are they put in similar to a filler? Or are they put in the bullet or with the shot?

I really don't understand how it's done. Even after reading about it.

And if I started this ....... Eeee Gads.

Joe

[Rusty]

It seems to me the easiest way to do it would be in a shotgun shell. Either mix some of the ashes in with the shot like you would a buffering material if game or targets were going to be shot or the ashes could totally replace the shot charge.
I think I remember reading that when you hear about someone's ashes going up in space like the guy that played Scotty on Star Trek or someone like that, only a small portion of their remains actually go. By volume I think it would take several boxes of 12 ga shells to hold all the remains of someone.
A cast lead bullet with a hollow base could also hold a small amount if it were intended to actually shoot something.

If you follow this as a business I wish you good luck. I know there are people out there this would appeal to.

[Hobie]

The cremated remains will likely have to be sifted to get out the larger bones, teeth, etc. and there are enough that they usually use a box about the volume of a double VHS box for the ashes. I've heard lots of stories about the spreading of ashes, some very humorous, but I won't share them here.

A couple of people at the gun shop have expressed interest in such a thing. I think they did it for Hunter Thompson and that is what they usually refer to in expressing an interest. The big thing in marketing such is that the funeral home MUST know about it, contact info and all. If it were I and I were interested in doing this as a viable business, I'd have to send at least a flyer/brochure to every funeral home in the area I wanted to serve.

[Blaine]

What some people think of as High Caliber, might be a bore to others.....One would have to gauge it for themselves.

[geobru]

Oh Blaine, Blaine, Blaine.....