9mm test review and summary
- Thread starter apdanos
- Start date
The Best online firearms community in Louisiana.
Member Benefits:
Fewer Ads! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
flamatrix99
Well-Known Member
I have 124 gr HST. For at the range I use WWB 115 gr.
dangermoney
C'est Chaud Peur Lot
Winchester Ranger T 124 gr +P, Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P GDHP, and Speer Gold Dot 124 gr GDHP +P Short Barrel.
SpeedRacer
Well-Known Member
Man that HST sure does expand real pretty. 
flamatrix99
Well-Known Member
I need to get some more of it... I have been stocking up on mainly range ammo.
dangermoney
C'est Chaud Peur Lot
Agreed. Ranger T is my primary load. If I can't find/get it, I'll use the gold dots.
dangermoney
C'est Chaud Peur Lot
AFAIK, it utilizes a faster burning powder that guarantees that all of it burns before the bullet leaves the shorter barrel (3.75" and shorter). This allows the bullet to leave the barrel at a rate of speed that is very close to the velocity of the equivalent standard load fired through a longer barrel. So, all things being equal, short barrel bullet velocity and expansion consistency, when fired through a shorter barrel, should be functionally equivalent to its standard load sibling fired through a longer barrel.
Also reduced muzzle flash from the short barrel.
I use the SB stuff in my snubbie j-frame and there is a noticeable difference in muzzle flash than from other +p loads.
I use the regular stuff in a G19 and a G26, but I'm thinking about switching to the SB stuff for the G26.
dangermoney
C'est Chaud Peur Lot
I use the Speer Gold Dot .38 SPL +P 135 gr. GDHP (23921) in my S&W 642 Airweight. Seems to work well enough. What short barrel ammo do you use in your snubbie J Frame?
posse comatosis
Hoo-ahh!
I want to see an expanded hollow point bullet from an actual shooting. Are there any known cases of this happening? I have yet to see anyone, anywhere, produce an expanded hollow point taken from a human body, or a picture of said item, or even a verbal recounting of an actual expansion related to a body hit, except by gun rag writers.
dangermoney
C'est Chaud Peur Lot
Stephen Camp has been known to test ammo by killing wild game with it. You might want to check out his website.
nickatnite
Crybaby Hater...
Federal 115 gr JHP (9BPLE) here. Tried and true round....
posse comatosis
Hoo-ahh!
That one does have an excellent reputation, reportedly averaging 16 inches of penetration in the human torso with excellent expansion. Bullet is 1300 fps at the muzzle. Still in use according to recent info by Mas Ayoob with the DeKalb County, GA Sheriffs Dept., which covers metropolitan Atlanta. It can't be no slouch round if it works on the clientele in that neck of the woods. Worked for years also with the Illinois and New Jersey State Police. It's reputation is so stellar, it's questionable if there really a need for any other semi auto handgun round where the potential target is human.
I use the same in a 642. I recently tried some other brand +p next to it (don't remember which brand) and you could see the difference in muzzle flash .
Speer also produces a short barrel ammo for 9mm and other calibers.
posse comatosis
Hoo-ahh!
One guy on the S&W board recently found denim would consistently clog the hollow point on the Gold Dot 135 grain 38 Specials fired from a snub nose barrel and prevent their expansion in gel. The problem was non-existent with the Speer 357 load short barrel load, which has an additional 130 fps or velocity and uses the same bullet.
posse comatosis
Hoo-ahh!
I take that to also mean they DO NOT expand under other conditions.
And the impression I have after talking with several guys like you that have seen some actual handgun wounding results is that hollow points for the most part either don't open up in bodies like they do in gel, or get deformed from hitting obstructions like bone.
I recall reading on the web two-three years ago about two police departments in the Midwest that regard the entire hollow point fever thing as a joke perpetuated by advertising.
At the root of it all is the fact that handguns have always been woefully inadequate in take down power compared to longguns. No matter how you tweak the ammo, it's never enough to clear the next hurdle. But hype sells, leading to a constant procession of newer and better magic bullets.
