This is a guest post by Andrew Betts
By now, most people are well aware that the G2 Research RIP is a steaming lump that does only one thing well: separate fools from their money. Hopefully most people are aware that fragmentation in pistol ammunition is not desirable. Pistol ammunition does not produce velocity sufficient for the temporary stretch cavity to contribute to wounding or for fragments to substantively improve tearing caused by the TSC.
What is desired in a pistol round is large expansion and high weight retention, with a minimum penetration depth of 12” to ensure that vital organs can be perforated, even if the projectile strikes a limb first or impacts the torso of a large attacker at an oblique angle. But while fragmentation is not ideal in a pistol round, projectiles that impact at approximately 2,000 fps or faster can benefit from fragmentation, assuming that the fragments depart significantly from the primary wound channel and that a significant portion of the projectile still exceeds that all important 12” minimum.
Based on this test, the Rip Out (.300 AAC Blackout) version of G2’s bullet may actually be a legitimate choice for defensive use. The impact velocity was sufficient for the TSC to exceed the elastic limits of tissue, causing tears and complicating the wound. The fragments travelled a good distance away from the primary track and even the fragments came close to meeting the 12” penetration minimum. The core was of a decent size but penetrated well beyond the 18” max.
This is not nearly the problem that a lot of folks might make it out to be. The FBI recommendation is that projectiles penetrate at least 12” but projectiles that exceed the 18” max are not necessarily ruled out, so long as they produce tissue damage that is at least consistent with other projectiles. The fears of “over penetration” expressed by some are largely exaggerated. We have covered this in more depth with other articles, but the primary takeaway is that all ammunition that is appropriate for defense is likely to leave the target’s torso and that missed shots, which outnumber hits in most fights, are a far greater risk. The important part is to stop the threat and reduce the number of rounds fired.
Although clear gel can produce inaccurate penetration figures, it can also give us a clearer picture of what’s going on as the bullet comes apart.
Unsurprisingly, the fragments and core show deeper penetration here than they did in the real ballistic gelatin test, but they came apart in the same way and to the same degree as in the real ballistic gelatin test. While the penetration figures are unreliable, the views into the block are nice, and it serves to confirm the function of the bullet.
So is G2’s Rip Out something worth considering for defense? It certainly bears consideration, but there are a few factors working against it. The first is that it has yet to be tested against a variety of barriers in statistically relevant sample sizes. The only .300 AAC Blackout projectile that has passed this sort of testing is the Barnes 110 gr TTSX. That doesn’t mean that the Rip Out is necessarily a bad choice, but its pre-fragmented design is not likely an advantage in that sort of testing. If barrier performance isn’t a priority for you, you can disregard that factor, anyway.
Another issue working against the Rip Out is that it comes from a company that does not have any large government contracts for defense ammo. Again, that does not necessarily mean that it is garbage, but when you purchase ammunition from a company like Federal, Black Hills, Speer, or Remington, you know that their quality control procedures have met the standards to be accepted vendors for large police departments or the military. G2 may very well produce high quality, highly reliable ammunition but in the absence of these LE or defense contracts we can’t really know.
The last issue that really jumps out is the price. Barnes TTSX isn’t exactly budget ammo but Rip Out is even more expensive at more than $50 for a box of 20. That’s two dollars and fifty cents per shot. To be clear, you should not select defense ammunition with price as a primary factor, but you do need to be able to afford to purchase enough to ensure proper function in your rifle. Whether you are confident with a magazine or two or a couple hundred rounds is up to you, but it is something worth considering.
To be frank, I am pleasantly surprised by how well this ammunition did, but put off by the cost and the over the top marketing of snake oil the manufacturer puts into its other products. As always, training is far more important than ammunition selection. Before you worry about dropping serious coin on ammo, optics, and other go fast stuff, take a carbine course and learn how to fight with your rifle. Just knowing how to shoot is not knowing how to fight.
Andrew Betts served with the Arizona National Guard for over 12 years, including a tour to Afghanistan. Visit his YouTube Channel for more great shooting information.
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