Bill Rapier EDC
Bill Rapier is a highly disciplined combatives professional. His EDC kit is equally Spartan.

Those who know Bill Rapier also know there’s a rational purpose behind everything he does. The owner of Amtac Shooting and Amtac Blades, and twice the subject of our SureFire Field Notes training video series (see Episode 38 and Episode 51), Rapier’s mindset extends to the selection of tools he might need to save his life—or someone else’s—whenever he is away from home.

“Here is the logical order of thought behind the items I carry on a daily basis,” Rapier says while talking us through his carry kit. “The Glock G45 is incredibly reliable, accurate, and carryable. The Holosun 509T MRDS makes shooting significantly easier, and the Surefire XC2 WeaponLight/laser is so small and lightweight that I carry it 100% of the time. The BlackPoint Tactical FO3™ holster has the best combination that I have found between speed of draw, concealability, combative ability, and comfort.”

Rapier prefers to use Black Hills Ammunition HoneyBadger ammo because “the round offers excellent penetration and large permanent wound cavities.” He also carries a spare Magpul 21-round magazine. “It costs me nothing to carry an extra magazine,” he says. “If I ever find myself in the middle of a coordinated attack, I would rather have the extra ammo.”

Bill Rapier EDC
Clockwise from upper left: Amtac Blades Northman, Magpul 21-round Glock magazine, Glock G45 w/ Holosun 509T MRDS and SureFire XC2 WeaponLight/laser, BlackPoint Tactical FO3™ holster, Glock G45 magazine, Amtac Blades Magnus, SureFire Stiletto Pro, BIC lighter, ratcheting medical tourniquet

Like others in our EDC Gear Dump series, Rapier prefers a Surefire Stilletto series rechargeable handheld flashlight, but he favors the machined-aluminum SureFire Stiletto Pro over the polymer Stiletto. “This light is bright and has a wide dispersion in the beam, which makes it great for wide-area searches,” Rapier says. “It’s also big enough where each end protrudes slightly when I make a fist around the light, which is excellent for striking. Finally, it has a pocket clip that I use for attaching to my ball cap for unexpected late-night returns from hiking or skiing.”

Rapier also prefers to carry two Amtac Blades knives at all times: a Magnus and a Northman. “The Magnus is my other strong side blade,” Rapier says. “The Northman goes in my strong side pocket. Being able to deploy a lethal tool with either hand makes you an order of magnitude more dangerous.”

Rapier’s last two carry items may not be as defensive, but they’re no less sensible. They include a ratcheting medical tourniquet [RMT] and a standard Bic lighter. “If you have the ability to make holes, you should also have the ability to stop them up,” Rapier says. “I run the RMT because they are easy to apply one-handed. And, you should always be able to start a fire. The BIC lighter is inexpensive and makes it easier to do that.”’

Bill Rapier EDC

ABOUT BILL RAPIER
Bill Rapier is recently retired after 20 years in the Navy, where his duty assignments included several years at SEAL Team 3 and over 14 years at Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Positions held include assaulter, breacher, sniper, team leader, troop chief, and military working dog department senior enlisted adviser. He has always been an avid shooter and is heavily involved in combatives. He is the owner of American Tactical Shooting Instruction, LLC [Amtac Shooting] and Amtac Blades, a producer of high-quality fixed-blade knives. For more information on Amtac Shooting, visit https://www.amtacshooting.com/. For more information on Amtac Blades, visit https://amtacblades.com/.

For more information on SureFire’s entire line of innovative illumination tools and tactical products, including WEAPONLIGHTS, visit SUREFIRE.COM.