Any visual difference between Speer Gold Dot .38 Special+P 125gr vs SB 135gr?

Hapworth

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Other than the box they come in, of course. :p

If you only had one -- without the opportunity to compare, would there be a way to tell the difference?
 
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Could I trouble you for a little more detail?


As said above, the mouth is wider, the cavity deeper. Speer makes their HP's in two stages, designed to achieve their expansion criteria. The SB construction is clearly different and close inspection shows it striated deeper to cause easier expansion.
 
Here's what the 135-gr GD bullets look like before they're loaded, if it helps.

17apr100240001yyy.jpg


17apr100250001yyy.jpg
 
check out a recent gel test video of the 125gr out of a snub. there's some closeups of the bullet nose. looks like a narrower profile than the 135.

ScubaOz - YouTube
 
check out a recent gel test video of the 125gr out of a snub. there's some closeups of the bullet nose. looks like a narrower profile than the 135.

ScubaOz - YouTube


I compared them side-by-side and the nose for the SB version is wider. The cavity is also deeper.


But you have to have seen both to determine which is which later.
 
The 135 gr SB bullet looks like a 140 gr bullet that has had an extra 5 gr of lead removed from the nose. This would make the profile about midway between a 125 gr and a 158 gr bullet, quite a bit larger than a 125 gr. bullet. And, of course, my scale would know the difference.


rat
 
Here's what the 135-gr GD bullets look like before they're loaded, if it helps.
17apr100240001yyy.jpg
IMG_0330.jpg


And just for fun, the "SB" version. Son-of-a...

HOLY MOLLEY, THEY'RE THE SAME PART NUMBER!!

We've been hornswaggled.
 
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If you go back and look, both box labels say short barrell. Looks like just a label change somewhere along the way.The first label spells out short barrel just under the word gold dot, the 2nd label uses the abeviation SB.
 
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