Widely considered the most lethal ammunition on the planet, RIP rounds are changing the way that gun owners protect themselves, their loved ones, and their property. Due to the power that they contain, RIP rounds have been widely debated, primarily because of the damage that they can cause to their targets. Our team at We The People Holsters believes that educated gun owners are the backbone of American society. Based on that belief, we strive to ensure that you are constantly informed of the advances in firearm technology and the pros and cons that come with them.
What Are RIP Rounds and How Do They Work?
RIP stands for “Radically Invasive Projectile”. Those words paint a great picture of how powerful this new type of ammunition really is. When looking for a comparison to how RIP rounds work, there isn’t much to choose from in terms of ammunition. Instead, RIP rounds essentially work as a hole saw. The copper-tipped machined bullets don’t just make a single penetration into their target. Instead, RIP rounds can produce up to nine different points of entry with a single shot. RIP rounds were introduced in 2014 by a company called G2 Research. G2 Research took the concept of Advanced Energy Technology, or AET, and amplified it.
AET rounds were originally developed in the 1970s as a response to a wave of international and domestic airline hijackings. Law enforcement quickly recognized the need to be able to target terrorists without doing damage to any innocent bystanders who are present in an enclosed space such as an airplane. AET rounds were designed to fracture into multiple pieces upon impact. As a result, AET rounds quickly lose energy which minimizes the risk that harm will be done to a secondary or unintended target.
Are Rip Rounds Legal?
The answer to this question is both “yes” and “no.” Since RIP rounds fall under the heading of hollow-point ammunition, it is legal to purchase in the United States. While the concept of hollow-point bullets and RIP rounds have been debated in the past, the US government has not taken the official leap to outlaw this type of bullet.
What is the Cost of Rip Rounds Compared to Traditional Ammo?
As is the case with all new firearm technology on the market, the price of RIP rounds are inflated in comparison to their traditional ammo counterparts. We realize that different companies always have a price variance on ammunition, but below is a general side-by-side comparison in the pricing difference:
Typically, you can expect to spend roughly twice as much on RIP rounds as what you’d spend on traditional rounds. Deciding whether or not the increased cost of RIP rounds is worth it to you will largely depend on what you’re looking for in your ammunition. For instance, if you are looking for ammunition to blow through during a day at the shooting range, you may not want to spend the money on a box of RIP rounds. Truthfully, the need for this type of ammo for home defense purposes has plenty of contingencies itself. The type of ammo that you use is largely dependent on what your needs and wants are. If you want to have ammunition that will increase your level of personal protection, RIP rounds are a sound investment. Yes, you can protect yourself with traditional ammo. However, the technology behind RIP rounds simply increases the amount of harm you can inflict on a would-be assailant while minimizing the risk to others in your home or your property.
Pros and Cons of RIP Rounds
As is always the case, we like to provide our readers with a list of the benefits and drawbacks of potential investments they are going to make in personal defense. Here is a list of some of the pros and cons associated with RIP rounds:
Pros:
More Points of Entry:
round. For instance, a single jacketed round fired from a 9mm produces a single entry point in the target and can produce a single exit point. Conversely, RIP rounds disperse on impact and create nine separate entry points. From a purely logistical standpoint, RIP rounds allow you to fire a single bullet that will enter your target at nine different points.No Excess Penetration:
Damage to Primary Target:
Make no mistake about it; the sole purpose of a RIP Round is to fully impact the target. If you hit your target with a RIP Round, you will most likely cause extensive damage. When a RIP Round hits its target, that target absorbs all of the power contained in the round.
Cons:
Higher Price Point:
The most glaring drawback of using RIP rounds is their increased price point. Anytime a new technology is introduced in any industry, there is a higher price tag attached to it and ammunition is no different. In most cases, you can expect to spend twice as much on RIP rounds as you would on traditional jacketed ammunition.
Lack of Difference Between RIP Rounds and Other Fragmenting Rounds:
Technically speaking, we could have discussed this point under the price point, but we believe it bears its own subsection here. If you are already invested in hollow points or “fragmenting rounds,” you will need to decide if there is enough of a difference between your existing fragmenting rounds and new RIP rounds.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the ammunition that you choose is contingent on your needs. The most important thing is that you can safely use the ammunition that you choose for your weapon. We recognize the need for gun owners to have ammunition that they can effectively protect themselves and their families with. This includes protecting your ammo in a mag carrier. You never know when you may be in a situation where you need to use your weapon, and being able to do so with full confidence is one of the keys to safely using your weapon.