Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 Grain +P

[BlueLineNYPD]

What do you guys recommend for self-defense in a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight — Buffalo Bore 150 grain standard pressure wadcutters or Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +P? I’ve been carrying the Gold Dots for years, but I recently saw a few review videos claiming they don’t expand reliably out of a snub-nose.

 

[Autonomous]

Without trying to sound like a smart aleck 'cause I'm not.
If you are willing to shoot solid bullets does expansion matter?

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

Well if the bullet doesn’t expand, I’d imagine a flat nose would do a bit more damage than a round nose profile.

 

[Autonomous]

I'd choose the one with the best POA/POI If you don't trust the HP to expand.
That said the HPs have a better chance of expanding than the solids.

 

[Smeckler]

In my S&W 442, 637, and Taurus 856, I carry Remington Golden Saber 125gr +P. They are designed to reliably expand from a snubnose revolver.

 

[BrBa]

I would stick with the 135 gr Gold Dot. If it doesn't expand it will work just as well as a wadcutter.

 

[Chuck Edwards]

I carry that Gold Dot load in my 642 because it hits to the sights, while wadcutters hit high. I carry the Federal wadcutters in my 49 because they hit to the sights, and the Gold Dot load hits low.

 

[stansdds]

I use the Speer 135gr Gold Dot Short Barrel +P load as it was the last duty issue revolver ammo for the NYPD. The NYPD had good results with this load and I do not think that any miscreant in Virginia is going to be built differently than the miscreants in NYC.

 

[ladder13]

wasn’t it made exactly for snub noses many years ago? I use them in my snub guns but admit to never shooting anyone.

 

[seldon14]

.38 Special and .357 Magnum Self-Defense Ammo Ballistics Test - LuckyGunner.com Labs

We conducted ballistics gelatin tests for 38 self-defense revolver loads in 38 Special and 357 Magnum. Here are the full results along with photos and video

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I like the performance of HST. The Gold Dots look like they have acceptable performance, but not ideal.

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

I use the Speer 135gr Gold Dot Short Barrel +P load as it was the last duty issue revolver ammo for the NYPD. The NYPD had good results with this load and I do not think that any miscreant in Virginia is going to be built differently than the miscreants in NYC.

Yes and they still use Speer Gold Dots in their 9mm’s. Great round in a 4” barrel, just not sure about the expansion in a 2”

 

[eb07]

Ballistic gelatin is not a reliable test medium.

There are articles dedicated to this.

Ballistic gelatin comparisons: Part III

There's a clear difference between synthetic and organic gelatin that law enforcement needs to understand

www.police1.com

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your input.

 

[walkin' trails]

There are a number of gurus in the training and writing scene who are now advocating wadcutters for short barrels - because while they don’t expand, they cut and penetrate evenly. I haven’t seen the GD short barrel loads on shelves for ages. I personally have some Federal 158 grain +p lead SWHPs for my .38s, but don’t really carry them right now. They say the specs for wadcutters should be 750 - 800 fps minimum to achieve what is necessary. Buffalo Bore and Atlanta Arms make wadcutters that meet they criteria. The reason for the experts advocation is that none of the hollow points expand or penetrate as reliably as needed.

 

[Tabby Lynn]

What do you guys recommend for self-defense in a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight — Buffalo Bore 150 grain standard pressure wadcutters or Speer Gold Dot 135 grain +P? I’ve been carrying the Gold Dots for years, but I recently saw a few review videos claiming they don’t expand reliably out of a snub-nose.

Reliable expansion is controlled by velocity. If the bullet is not traveling with enough velocity to cause the expansion then don't expect a hollow point to work. Snub nose handguns are notorious for low muzzle velocity. +P ammo will not help because powder burned after the bullet leaves the barrel does nothing but cause muzzle flash with no gain in velocity. Check the barrel length that the ammo was tested at. All are 4 inches. Cut half or more off the length of the barrel and you can expect a large decrease in muzzle velocity, thus not enough velocity to cause reliable expansion. If you are shooting a 2 inch or less snubbie you might as well shoot flat points, at least you know what you are dealing with.

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

There are a number of gurus in the training and writing scene who are now advocating wadcutters for short barrels - because while they don’t expand, they cut and penetrate evenly. I haven’t seen the GD short barrel loads on shelves for ages. I personally have some Federal 158 grain +p lead SWHPs for my .38s, but don’t really carry them right now. They say the specs for wadcutters should be 750 - 800 fps minimum to achieve what is necessary. Buffalo Bore and Atlanta Arms make wadcutters that meet they criteria. The reason for the experts advocation is that none of the hollow points expand or penetrate as reliably as needed.

That’s exactly why I asked the question. The newer wadcutters have much more of a punch than the standard target wadcutters. In fact, the Buffalo Bore 150gr standard pressure rounds supposedly penetrate up to 16 inches, which may be too much in some situations. Georgia Arms makes a 148gr round made for snubs that supposedly just meets the FBI standard of 12” penetration and has very little recoil.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have found that the best SD JHP load in my M49 snub nose in all my testing, is the
130 gr Federal HST ammo. If you want lead, the old FBI load works.

 

[CH4]

Another fan 135 +P or 357 135/158 Gold Dot in my 38/357s. I also prefer them in my 44 spc.

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

Reliable expansion is controlled by velocity. If the bullet is not traveling with enough velocity to cause the expansion then don't expect a hollow point to work. Snub nose handguns are notorious for low muzzle velocity. +P ammo will not help because powder burned after the bullet leaves the barrel does nothing but cause muzzle flash with no gain in velocity. Check the barrel length that the ammo was tested at. All are 4 inches. Cut half or more off the length of the barrel and you can expect a large decrease in muzzle velocity, thus not enough velocity to cause reliable expansion. If you are shooting a 2 inch or less snubbie you might as well shoot flat points, at least you know what you are dealing with.

Speer says that the velocity from a 2” barrel is approximately 860–900 fps with 12” to 13.5” of penetration but I’ve seen many videos stating otherwise.

 

[BlueLineNYPD]

There are a number of gurus in the training and writing scene who are now advocating wadcutters for short barrels - because while they don’t expand, they cut and penetrate evenly. I haven’t seen the GD short barrel loads on shelves for ages. I personally have some Federal 158 grain +p lead SWHPs for my .38s, but don’t really carry them right now. They say the specs for wadcutters should be 750 - 800 fps minimum to achieve what is necessary. Buffalo Bore and Atlanta Arms make wadcutters that meet they criteria. The reason for the experts advocation is that none of the hollow points expand or penetrate as reliably as needed.

There are a number of gurus in the training and writing scene who are now advocating wadcutters for short barrels - because while they don’t expand, they cut and penetrate evenly. I haven’t seen the GD short barrel loads on shelves for ages. I personally have some Federal 158 grain +p lead SWHPs for my .38s, but don’t really carry them right now. They say the specs for wadcutters should be 750 - 800 fps minimum to achieve what is necessary. Buffalo Bore and Atlanta Arms make wadcutters that meet they criteria. The reason for the experts advocation is that none of the hollow points expand or penetrate as reliably as needed.

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 38 Special +P Ammo 135 Grain Bonded

Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel Ammunition is loaded with bonded core bullets and designed for home defense and personal protection. It is designed to...

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