Golden Sabers,Which 124 gr. 9mm

[heeler]

I came across some better than average pricing on Remington Golden Sabers and was thinking seriously of stocking up on them for use in my Kahr PM9.
I know Gold Dot makes the plus P Short barrel which I thought were snappy coming out of my PM9 and was wondering how much difference there would be between the bonded plus P Sabers vs the bonded non plus P Sabers in performance and follow up shots using my 3 inch barreled PM9?
Anyone tried either of these in your compact carry 9mm's with similiar barrel size as the PM9??
At $11.95 a box for either I could buy both but just thought I would ask anyway.

 

[Water-Man]

Added velocity normally helps expansion in short barreled handguns.

 

[ku4hx]

Remington Golden Saber are fine loads and that's what I keep in all my SD rotation guns. I do have a quantity of Gold Dot and Hydra Shok but the thing is, only the GS bullet is available in 500 and 1,000 count bulk quantities.

I like to practice, a lot, with the round that's my chief SD choice.

 

[Rampant_Colt]

I would get the 147gr GS because there's less unburned powder, lower recoil, thus quicker follow-up shots. They're also on the "recommended list"

Winchester 147gr Ranger-T, Federal HST and Speer Gold Dots are another viable option

 

[Ben86]

They are a little behind the technology curve now, but they are still fine for SD work.

was wondering how much difference there would be between the bonded plus P Sabers vs the bonded non plus P Sabers in performance and follow up shots using my 3 inch barreled PM9?

Not enough for me to care. I also don't like shooting +P in tiny guns.

 

[heeler]

Ben,I dont care much for the extra kick either from my limited sampling of the Gold Dot + P's I tried out.

Rampant,I bought some Winchester Ranger 147's and liked them as the PM9 felt more controllable using this round VS the +P Gold Dot.
However I worry about over penetration with the 147's and so was considering the 124 grain Sabers.
Cant seem to find any Hornady Critical Defense anywhere currently,which was another round I was considering due to the fact that they feed well in my PM9 and are not known for over penetration.

 

[Rampant_Colt]

I wouldn't worry about overpenetration when using 147gr bullet weights; they penetrate roughly the same as their 124gr counterparts. There are too many variables to factor in when selecting a suitable cartridge for self-defense. Choose the one best suited for your personal needs

Please check out THIS link, and click 'Launch Testing Comparison Tool' link for a side-by-side Winchester Ranger-T bullet performance comparison.

HERE'S another useful link worth checking out that will support my 9mm ammo choice

 

[arthury]

Golden Saber (GS) is quite dated in their ammo technologies. They used to be used by FBI for testing new weapons but I don't think it is true anymore.

The problem I have with them is that I do not have a lot confidence in them expanding if the bullet hits bone, windshield, plywood , sheetrock and going through winter clothing. Some studies have shown that there are tendencies to exhibit jacket separation.

In addition, the expanded version of the GS bullet is not anything to write home about. Compare the expanded rounds of Federal HST and Speer Gold Dot with an expanded GS bullet and you will know what I am talking about.

Take a look at the link provided above by Rampant_Colt and discover for yourself what you would consider effective based on test results rather than hearsay.

 

[heeler]

Yes,I looked at the link and it was interesting.
However as was noted once you drop below 4 to 3.5 inches of barrel length your in uncharted waters especially when your talking about 147 grain heavy for caliber bullets.
What might seem fine in penetration and expansion for a Glock 19's four inch barrel might change a good bit for the Kahr PM9,KT PF9,Ruger LC-9,etc. equipped with three inch barrels.
Wish there was a lot more ammo testing on these shorter,lighter,concealed carry firearms.

 

[firesky101]

I have seen some jacket separation in tests, but I believe the new Golden Sabers are bonded and hold together well.

 

[heeler]

Thanks to all for info and provided links.
After viewing several Youtube bullets tests and doing some googling I decided to pass on the Rem. Golden Sabers,although at $11.95 a box they are a good buy,and decided to order three boxes of 50 round count standard pressure Federal HST 124 GR.(P9HST1) and two boxes of standard pressure Federal HST 147 gr.(P9HST2).
I ordered these from a place I have never used before but the prices were pretty good.
www.policehq.com
My PM9 has fired a full box of Federal Bonded Ranger 147gr(RA9B)without any issues so here's hoping these will be fine too,which I think they will judging how the Kahr devours everything it has been fed to date.