Our issued +P 124gr Gold Dots run about 1275 through my G17, give or take for temperature or lot variations.
This round routinely shoots clean through with a torso shot on a large man.
I am not worried about insufficient penetration.

Even with the OISs we had with the 124gr +P Ranger-T (a non-bonded bullet) we saw superb expansion and penetration.

flop-shank, you deduce correctly as to what the bullet designers are up to.
You can have too much expansion, and this is normally worse than no expansion if you are in a fight.


I find the .38 Super to be rather watered down in most loadings. The 127gr +P+ Ranger-T runs like at least 100fps hotter than all of the 130gr Super rounds I have run out of a Commander.