By surface analysis, hand + load; possibly a back-formation from handloading (noun).
Equivalent to hand + load
Proto-Germanic *handuz
Proto-West Germanic *handu
Old English hand
Middle English hond
English hand
Proto-Indo-European *leyt- ‘to go, go forth’
…
Proto-Germanic *laidō ‘leading, way’
Proto-West Germanic *laidu
Old English lād ‘course, journey; carrying’
Middle English lode ‘way, course; burden’
English load
Today it means
verb To load (cartridges for firearms) by hand.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / handload
Shirt and support for this word