Rbcd performance plus ammo discussion
I'd like to address the PRACTICAL points about this ammo and hopefully, cast an experienced light on its use.
I have loved guns all my life, but in the last many years, I have refined my scope of interest to handguns, specifically, Glocks. By way of qualifying my opinion of RBCD ammo, I have the following "credentials", if you will:
I have been legally licensed to carry since the 70's when my Nursing School classmate was raped and murdered in Memphis, TN. I have been shooting for pleasure and in competitions for years, and own many handguns, all different calibers, as well as rifles and shotguns. I have been fortunate to attend two courses (60 hours) of study under Clint Smith at the Kerrville, Texas facility, THUNDER RANCH. In addition, I used what I've learned from a lifetime of shooting, but especially what I learned from Clint, to teach a Defensive Hangun Course while I lived in Texas. I also conducted Concealed Handgun Classes for both men and women. Before I would accept women into the CHL class, I REQUIRED them to take the Defensive Handgun Course first. I am not disparaging women; I just learned early on that women were somewhat intimidated by male handgun instructors, but they responded very well to a female teacher (yes, I am one of each). I actually was pressed into developing a CHL class for women by my local shooting range folks when I lived in Texas. It was a lot of hard work, little pay, but rich in reward, to see in one weekend's time, a woman go from a timid, insecure, frightened victim-in-waiting, to a confident, poised and ready "defender-in-waiting". She KNEW she could do it!
Now, for the ammo thing.
Regarding the testing done by 'Truth-In-A-Box', I have to challenge him on several levels. Respectfully, I feel that he has done a tremendous disservice to this ammo because he was simply[/I] unfamiliar with it on a practical level.[/I]I have conducted very similar tests in front of students, and have proved to them that, if their lives depend on a reliable handgun and reliable ammo, the combination of the Glock and RBCD ammo is one to be depended upon, without fail.
I have used the gallon jug demo many times, using Federal HydroShock ammo as my control (which is what I carried up until I found the RBCD Performance Plus). Needless to say, after my comparing both ammos, I quickly abandoned the Federal for the RBCD. After all, my life depends on reliability. I also divided a loaf of "Spam-Ham and shot each half with a Fed HydroShock JHP and an RBCD Performance Plus, both 9mm. The FHS blew a big hole in the first half, but the RBCD exploded its entire half into shreds. Which result would you like to have if your life is on the line?
Here are my practical reasons for using RBCD in my personal carry guns, as well as for ALL my home-defense weapons:
1. If your aim is to see how far into a line of water jugs a round will go, the test is adequate. What happens in real life situations, however, is much different. The "inadequate penetration" as you put it, is exactly why these rounds are made as they are. It is a FRANGIBLE round, you DON'T WANT OVERPENETRATION! When the RBCD PP strikes its target, a fluid medium (center mass), the round slows. The little ball behind the bullet continues its course forward, striking the bullet from behind, "exploding" it, and creating utter devastation! The gray tip that looks so unimpressive is actually a composite metal that is created under 40,000 pounds of pressure. When it disintegrates, it creates a "shock" to the nervous system and brings all activity ro an immediate halt. There are accounts under actual use, of seeing a "mist" emanated from the target when hit. Any hit to the upper torso will immediately shock the nervous system and bring all nervous innervation in the area to a standstill. Grown men have been dropped to the ground by being hit in the shoulder/upper arm area with one of these rounds.
2. If you achieve limited penetration upon hitting your target, there is no danger of the round going through your target and hitting an innocent person. After all, you accomplished your goal with your hit; you stopped the advance of your attacker without undue risk to bystanders. You'll have a lot rougher time in court defending yourself against whatever charge the prosecutor can think up than if you exercised prudence by controlling the environment as much as possible. The fact that you chose a round that offers this much more safety to innocent people will only go to your favor if you end up in court. This choice of round is much more defendable because of this one factor.
3. These rounds were developed by a former New York City Policeman (SWAT TEAM?) and Roscoe (?) in San Antonio, after the policeman's frustration at Bad Guys who kept on coming, bringing with them 8-9 rds of NYC-sanctioned ammo, usually Federal HydroShock. He sought to find a round that would absolutely STOP the BG. When he teamed up with Roscoe, who owned an ammo mfg co in San Antonio, a new breed of ammo was born. Unless you are willing to carry a .50 cal concealed, my firm belief is you can substitute an RBCD 9mm for anyone else's .45 cal. The result will be generally the same, with the edge going to the shock-value of the RBCD.
4. If you will search gun magazine articles going back several years, you will find an account of law officers shooting through the back of an SUV with this ammo. The rd went through the back door, the back seat, the front seat, and into the perp, killing him instantly. The reason for this is this round was DESIGNED not to "deploy" until it hits a FLUID MEDIUM. What would the human torso be considered other than a "fluid medium"?
So, in summary, I would carefully consider this ammo again, in light of the experience of someone very familiar with it, your open-mindedness and willingness to get some of this ammo and check it out for yourself. The recoil IS less, the results are SPECTACULAR, and the confidence you have once you see what it will do is worth any amount of money. End game is, you STOPPED THE ATTACKER even if you did not kill him.
See you on the Range,
Andy