RBCD
RBCD Performance Plus, Inc of San Antonio Texas, commonly known just as RBCD, is a company that produces "blended metal" ammunition used by civilians and some military contractors. The ammunition is a four stage, high velocity, high pressure round.
Characteristics
The RBCD round is a four piece bullet of roughly one third the grain weight of standard ball ammunition. Velocities are typically 25 to 40% faster than standard loads. It have a smooth round "ball" like tip and uses brass casings. A magazine of RBCD typically "feels" alot lighter then a standard magazine of ball or hollowpoints.
Performance against soft tissue
The ballistic performance of RBCD rounds is said to be truly amazing yet unconfirmed by reliable terminal ballistic specialists. In videos on the deesigners site show damage to various objects such as watermelons and clay blocks which suggest the round is effective. According to RBCD their products "are designed to expend the rounds energy inside a water based medium without overpenetration, thus reducing the danger of collateral damage to innocent bystanders. The rounds provide extreme stopping power, higher energy and velocity with less felt recoil and less ricochet." Wound patterns by the rounds are said to be explosive craters unlike typical gunshot wounds. This is due to the characteristics of the rounds design creating an internal explosion due to pressure build up when passing through flesh. However against ballistic gellatin the round permformed less then average in Army testing however the designers have appealed that the round is dependant on the target being somewhat warm.
Performance against barriers
A side effect of its design is said to be that the round is effective against a hard target such as plywood or steel without beforming or fragmenting. in some cases the round is said to even do better then average against said barriers then standard full metal jackets rounds.
Criticism
While result of the round are appealing the round is largely untested and results too unreliable to depend ones life on. The fact the Army refuses to properly test the round also does little to dispute this.
The price per round is also quite high, around $3 or more a round depending on which version you buy if bought al carte at gun shows. Products are normal sold in boxes of 20 rounds and handgun ammunition is priced at 34.99. Rifle ammunition begins at 35.99. Also the fact the rbcd uses brass casings rather than nickel on most loads (typically used in personal defense for better feeeding) is another complant.