R.I.C.E.
When thinking about the purchase of firearms related gear/equipment such as the weapon itself, holsters, slings, ammunition, body armor, magazines, etc. you should be taking into consideration R.I.C.E: Reliability, Importance, Cost and Effectiveness. Not all gear/equipment is created equal. Let’s look at each letter in the acronym individually.
Reliability
When purchasing something like a firearm, reliability is key. You do not want to buy something that will fail you in your time of need. If you want to buy a cheap .22 to go plinking, that’s great. If you intend on using your gun for home and/or personal defense such as concealed carry, ensuring reliability is an absolute must.
As for gear and other equipment that you may purchase, reliability is very important. You can buy a lot of cheap, inexpensive items that will work temporarily but most likely will not last long term. Not only will the item fail, there is no way to predict when that will occur. I had an experience with this during a pistol/carbine course. At a gun show I purchased a cheap, no name plate carrier. For the course I opted to run the carrier not only to test it out but to be more effective while training. The course started with the mag pouches being loose forcing the magazines into an awkward position and ended with the carrier breaking at the cumber bund area when trying to make an adjustment. A piece ripped at the seams with ease. This was the carriers first use in the field.
I learned quickly that although the carrier seemed like a good price it did not provide any real value. Since then, I have taken the time to thoroughly research every purchase I make. I look for only good quality companies and field-tested items with solid reviews. If I read the reviews and none of them provide field-based performance tests, then I continue my search. This goes for every item I buy, no questions asked. It does require more time and sometimes requires you to “kit” things together, but it is well worth it.
Recently I decided to upgrade my battle belt setup. Though it took a bit more time, research, and money I came out with a sound product. I purchased:
-WPS Blue Alpha Gear Inner/Outer gun belt with MOLLE webbing and Cobra buckle
-T.REX Arms Ragnarok Light Compatible Holster with the Safariland UBL Mid-Ride and accompanying thigh strap
-ESSTAC KYWI Double Gap Pistol Pouch
-ESSTAC KYWI Single 5.56 Pouch x2
-Tactical Tailor Dump Pouch
-Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit
-Gerber Ghost Strike knife (which I will probably change at some point)
-Black Mechanix Gloves held on with a D loop clip
The reliability of every one of these products has been tested not only by civilians but police and military personnel. Taking the time to put it together was fun for me and gave me the peace of mind that I wouldn’t have to worry about my gear in the future.
Importance
Is what you are purchasing important? Is it necessary? Do you have a designated plan for its usage or are you buying a product that will never be touched after its initial opening? Think long and hard about this before you decide to spend your hard-earned money. I am a proponent of being well prepared for a multitude of scenarios. However, there are purchases that I could make that would be tacti-cool but not practical.
For example, would it be great to go out and purchase a long-range rifle that could shoot out to 1000 yards? Absolutely! Will I ever have an easy place to shoot that rifle at that range both for target shooting purposes or in a defensive situation? No, not where I currently live.
You need to analyze what your intent is for buying your firearm and accompanying gear. If you are focused strictly on home defense, then buying a reliable firearm with the appropriate ammunition is first. Then you can move on to a white light. After a light, if you want to continue to upgrade your gear then you could buy body armor (if you are legally allowed to own it.) I could continue this list, but you hopefully get the point.
If your sole intent is to concealed carry, then you would be focusing on a reliable firearm with appropriate ammunition. You would then need a well-made, purpose-built holster whether inside the waist band or outside the waistband. You need to decide how you will carry spare magazines and think about the necessary clothing that will help you stay concealed.
What is important for one setting/use is not necessarily important for others. Take the time to think through and even write down what your intention for the item is then buy what you need accordingly. Don’t just follow what your buddy does, it may not fit you and your needs. Please don’t follow along with the YouTube “guru” you’ve been watching for years. Think for yourself and do your own thorough research.
Cost
The skies the limit when it comes to cost. You can buy top of the line gear or bottom of the barrel for pretty much everything you will purchase. You could buy a pistol for $200 or $2000. I remember looking up how much a basic load out for a Tier 1 military operator would cost and it can be over $60,000 for one guy! Now, that being said, do you need to spend that much to be effective? No! Do you need to shell out SOME money to be effective? Yes.
Going back to the reliability factor, typically you get what you pay for. The more money you spend the more reliable the product. You should first be looking at how much money you have available for purchases, then complete your Importance list. Start with the necessary items first. Write down their prices and see how much you have left after accounting for each items cost. Then create a secondary list of things that could be important and complete a new price list. Finally, move onto a “wants” list. Work within your budget by purchasing the necessary items first then chip away at your secondary list with whatever funds you have remaining. If you have more money in the future, then you can continue to make purchases.
To give you an example let’s assume you are buying a home defense gun. At the absolute bare minimum, you need the gun and appropriate defensive ammunition. If that is all that you can afford to start, then great. If you are buying a quality item that is reliable then you are starting off on the right foot. If you can afford more then move on to a white light set up. Once you a light purchased you then have the option to increase your personal safety by buying a body armor set up. Ideally training would fit into your purchases before you by any gear such as body armor.
Regardless of how advanced you want to get; you should continually be completing a cost analysis. Do not put yourself in the position of going broke just to have a few extra items that may never get used.
Effectiveness
After you have analyzed an items reliability, importance and cost, you must look to see how effective the item is for YOU. Though I find the other three categories to be more important, with reliability being number 1. Effectiveness can mean many different things. In the context of purchasing an item for home or personal defense, you must utilize whatever works best for your unique circumstance.
I’ll use concealed carry holsters as an example. For those that are able to concealed carry, there is always the discussion of inside the waist band (IWB) versus outside the waist band (OWB). There are many that would argue that IWB is the only way to go and will even take it a step further that appendix carry IWB (AIWB) is the best. If you are not comfortable with that position due to injury or even weight, then AIWB would not be effective for you. You may opt to go with an OWB. Weather may play a factor as well. I know people that carry AIWB when it is warmer so that they can conceal better with lighter clothing. When the weather gets colder, they transition to an OWB for better comfort due to more layers being added such as a jacket or sweatshirt.
You must decide what is effective for you and your situation. It may vary depending upon which gun you are using, what the season is, or even what the context of using the weapon will be. Effectiveness must be analyzed and adjusted as you learn and grow as a firearms owner.
Conclusion
As you begin your journey into the firearms world or you continue charting your path, use the R.I.C.E method when thinking about your next purchase(s). Save yourself money, time, and aggravation by buying quality items that will last.
Stay safe. Stay educated. Stay practical.
-Pat
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