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Proof the RIP ammo is trash
Why RIP ammo is ineffective
- Yes the RIP is capable of meeting the penetration standard set by the FBI. This is not the issue. Take a look at the permanent cavity left by the base of that round. Not only did it barely reach vital organs, but it did virtually no damage while getting there.
"Since the highest handgun velocities generally do not exceed 1400-1500 feet per second (fps) at the
muzzle, reliable fragmentation could only be achieved by constructing a bullet so frangible as to
eliminate any reasonable penetration."
- Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness
- Handgun ammo travels too slow to create extra damage through a large temporary cavity. That cool slow motion shot of the stretch cavity means nothing for handgun ammo. Dropping weight to increase muzzle velocity is useless.
"To cause significant injuries to a structure, a pistol bullet
must strike that structure directly. The amount of kinetic energy
lost in tissue by a pistol bullet is insufficient to
cause remote injuries produced by a high velocity rifle bullet."
- DiMaio, V.J.M.: Gunshot Wounds, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, New York, NY 1987, page 42
"The reason is that most tissue in the human target is elastic in nature. Muscle, blood vessels, lung,
bowels, all are capable of substantial stretching with minimal damage. Studies have shown that the
outward velocity of the tissues in which the temporary cavity forms is no more than one tenth of the
velocity of the projectile.21 This is well within the elasticity limits of tissue such as muscle, blood vessels,
and lungs, Only inelastic tissue like liver, or the extremely fragile tissues of the brain, would show
significant damage due to temporary cavitation."
- Fackler, M.L., MD: "Ballistic Injury", Annals of Emergency Medicine 15: 12 December 1986
- When handgun ammo fragments, it gives up one of its most important characteristics: mass. Without mass the bullet has a much more difficult time penetrating the target. Generally speaking a bullet with more mass will penetrate farther (Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness, 10).
- Even though the base is capable of penetrating to the FBI standards, its low mass will enable it to be quickly deflected by bones, fat, muscle, or other tissue. This became evident in our testing of the Liberty Civil Defense line of ammo. Both the Liberty and the RIP utilize similar fragmenting designs.
- The RIP design is intended to deal damage early in the target. This would destroy skin, muscle, and bone, but leave vital organs unharmed.
"It is essential to bear in mind that the single most critical factor remains penetration. While penetration
up to 18 inches is preferable, a handgun bullet MUST reliably penetrate 12 inches of soft body tissue at a
minimum, regardless of whether it expands or not. If the bullet does not reliably penetrate to these
depths, it is not an effective bullet for law enforcement use"
- Wound Ballistic Workshop: "9mm vs. .45 Auto", FBI Academy, Quantico, VA, September 1987.
Conclusion of the Workshop
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