Speer Gold Dot for M&P Shield

Tommato

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My Shield arrives tomorrow! I am fairly sold on Speer Gold Dot as CC ammo, but wanted to find out which of the 5 flavors of Gold Dot others would recommend for the Shield:

147 grain
124 grain
124 grain +p
124 grain +P short barrel
115 grain

Thanks,
Tom
 
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I'm also a Gold Dot fan. My M&P 9C and PM9 are loaded with 124 grain +P. My Shield will be loaded with the same.
 
I would think the short barrel would be the obvious choice, but I could be mistaken.
 
124gr +P Short Barrel is what I will be using. Has served me well in my other subcompact 9mm's.
 
Gold Dot

Gold Dot is my department issue duty load:
.380acp 90gr
9mm 124gr+P
.38 Spl 135gr+P short barrel
.357 Mangum 125gr
.40 S&W 165gr
.45acp 230gr

I've never seen any of the 9mm short barrel stuff. Would like to try it sometime.
 
Midway USA has Speer Gold dot short barrel 124 +p ammo on sale for $21.09/box.
 
I put a hundred rounds thru mine yesterday. I also fired about 300 of mix FMJ. All of the FMJ worked perfect. Of the 100 Speer Gold dot 124gn +P, I had two failures to eject. Cleared quickly and moved on. I don't think that mine is broke in yet. But that what I carry too.
 
I put a box of 50 of the standard 124g Gold dots and it ran perfect.

Also shot a box of 50 147g HST and 50 147 Winchester JHP. No malfunctions at all.

Add in 200 FMJ and I am up to 350 rounds, no malfunctions.

This pistol is good to go.
 
Have always run standard 147gr GoldDots in my carry guns. May try out some short barrel GDs.
 
I ran standard 124 and 147 gr. Gold Dots through mine, and they worked just fine out of both the 7 and 8-round magazines.
 
I sent Speer an e-mail about my M&P9c and asked about different Speer loads beacause that was what I preferred.
They answered back that the 124 grain short barrel Gold Dot was what they recommended in a 124 grain. 23611.
23619 was the proper choice for 147 grain.
 
Light weight, standard pressure. Why? The ability to control. Shot placement and rapid follow up are most important in a tiny gun. Use the Speer Gold Dot 124. The +P will produce more recoil (yes, it is a 9mm, I know) and a bunch more flash.

In a larger pistol, I like +P. For the baby sized, regular.
 
This is maybe a question for another thread but have you noticed the lighter weight bullets producing more recoil in a short barreled gun?

I know most of the time when reloading I can pack a hotter charge behind a lighter bullet without exceeding pressure maximums. The heavier bullets need a more gentle push out of the barrel.

I know a lot of guys shoot better groupings with heavier rounds. But with something as short as a Shield I would like to know what you have found.
 
Gold Dot

I'm sold on the Gold Dot. See Tennessee 9 you tube tests. The only real comparisons I've been able to find. Invest a little time and see his careful tests. He follows the "standards" for testing with 4 layers of denim and gel, very interesting.

Speer Gold Dot 9mm +P 124 gr JHP SIM-TEST w/denim - YouTube

I don't know if this shows as a link, if not will have to paste into a browser.
 
I started to submit an order through MidwayUSA, but they wouldn't have the Speer Gold Dot .22WMR short barrel that I have been looking for cheaper, until I checked with Cheaper than Dirt. Both calibers are cheaper there than anywhere else. I ordered 4 boxes of each.
 
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