Thanks to a good friend, I just "inherited" 500 rounds of Speer LE Gold Dot 38 Spc +P 125 grain duty ammo. What do you know about it? Having never used Speer, I know nothing about it. Second, is +P safe in a Model 67 no dash or should I save it for an N frame gun...or trade it for something less expensive to plink and target shoot with?

Thanks in advance,

Paul Moore

Take a gander.

Effective .38 caliber for Self Defense - S&W 642

Gold dots are some of the best defensive ammo. I don't have any in 38spl but I dont see why that would be an exception

Kaedan and Arik,

Thanks for the responses and the link. Looks like the Speer ammo is about as good as it gets. I've never had any before and didn't know anything about it.

Are you fairly certain that my 67 no dash and my 10-10 4" are safe with +P rounds?

Thanks,

Paul

One good part about the 'LE' version is that it's the same exact stuff as the 'regular' Gold Dot rounds, but come in 50 round boxes, rather than boxes of 20 (and at a better price).

Thanks, RobzGuns. Looking at the price, I don't think I will be "plinking" with them.

Paul

Nope... Not for plinking, but When you consider one usually puts several mags/cylinders of SD ammo through their pistol/revolver to test functionality/reliability and consider things CAN change from one lot/batch to another, after testing 2 cylinders worth, a box of 20 is only good for 1 load and 1 spare reloader...

So the point of my last reply was basically, why buy a box of 20 'Regular' Gold Dots, when you can get 50 round box of 'LE' Gold Dots for just a couple bucks more.

Speer Gold Dot is good stuff. I've shot 9mm and .38. I have a .357, so no issue with .38 +P. Rarely do I see it at my local LE supply shop. But yes, in the 50 round box it is a much better price.

I shoot hotter stuff through my 67 nodash all the time.

The 38 +p is really not hot ammo, and your two K frames will eat it up just fine.

Very good fortune to come into an inheritance of that sort. If it was mine, wouldn't be trading it off. Top notch ammo.

Thanks for the input.

Paul

Here in Georgia the Speer Gold Dot is all the State Patrol will use. This has been the case when they used the 45 GAP and now back to the 9mm. When I asked some of the LE guys why, they told me that it was the "only" load that will effectively penetrate the wind shield of an automobile and continue straight to target without deflection. I guess they should know how good it really is. A lot of stuff goes down here in Georgia.

I would not get rid of any quality Speer GD ammo, if I had it.

It is standard SD ammo for my 38 J frame and 9mm's.

True the box is labeled +P but you need this extra fps for the bullet to expand properly. While the "Standard Load" with the lower fps out of short barrels has shown not to expand correctly and give poor penetration results in a lot of test.

Test a few for recoil and where they strike your target and log the info in your memory bank, if ever needed..... as well if they eject and work properly in your weapons.

Good shooting.

Thanks for the input.

Gold Dots are some of the very best hollowpoint rounds out there. I carry them in my .357 and have carried them in a .38 before. I did some expansion tests a while back with my 158 grain bullets. They went about 13 inches if I recall and made a huge channel in wet newsprint. I am willing to bet the 125 grain .38 +P should do ok.

A pair after some newsprint testing

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Vaya con Dios

I use them exclusively for self-defense. Very accurate out of my S&W M&P 340 as well as my other j frame's. My understanding is they were designed for the NYPD.

I just picked up four 50 round boxes of 9mm off of Gunbroker. I have not seen the 50 round boxes in stock anywhere in a while.

The 125 grain Speer GD's are excellent along with their "Short Barrel" version, the 135 grain +P. I believe the 125 grain was designed for longer barrels (4 + inches) where as the 135 grain was specifically designed for 2" barrels. All in all - one of the best!

Thanks for posting about the 135 grain Speer Gold Dot +P 38 special. Must be good stuff but unfortunatley we never see it for sale in our little town. Gun shows may have it but only in the smaller 20-25 round boxes. Got 4-50 round boxes of the above ammo from SG Ammo from ordering to delivery 4 days. Great folks to deal with. Frank

SPEER MAKES HIGH QUALITY AMMO. THIS STUFF IS EXCELLENT SWCJHP FOR SD / HD. AT OVER $1.00 / ROUND +SHIPPING ON THE INTERNET, YOU HAVE A VALUABLE STASH. ITS TOO NICE TO PLINK WITH. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT 500 ROUNDS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WILL HARM YOUR REVOLVER, IF IT IS IN GOOD CONDITION. EITHER SELL OR TRADE IT, FOR SOMETHING CHEAPER TO PLINK OR TARGET SHOOT WITH, OR KEEP IT TO GO TO IN A SHTF SCENARIO…...

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Paul-

The 125 grain load will do fine from your four-inch barrels, and S&W has stated that any of their STEEL-FRAMED .38's with a Model number, all made post 1957-58 will do okay with Plus P ammo. Many use it in older guns, but I think softer metallurgy makes them shoot loose sooner with much Plus P use. I would not use Plus P in prewar (WWII) guns.

The Short Bbl. 135 grainers are what I use in snubs and three-inch barrels. Longer barrels get that 125 grain JHP like you seem to have. The GP-100 by my desk is usually loaded with it, unless I go for lead SWC-HP 158 grain ammo.

I find this Speer ammo to be exceedingly accurate, even from the little J-fame guns. It is loaded for defense and some limited hunting, not as a cheap target round. All premium defense ammo is expensive, not just this.