If I recall correctly, back about the time Speer was developing the .45GAP they also revised their 200gr GDHP.
This would have made sense, since the 200gr GDHP was anticipated to be a mainstay in their .45GAP line (although a couple of other manufacturers later found ways to use 230gr bullets, which are typically a much more popular bullet weight among LE users than the lighter 185/200gr bullets).
I thought I remembered reading that this was in response to some LE customer reports that the bullet might not be offering the desired consistent expansion in some instances. It's not unusual for ammunition companies to make ongoing revisions, refinements and improvements to their products, though, especially in the highly competitive (and lucrative) LE/Gov market.
I haven't seen much in the way of testing for that bullet weight since the time I heard about the supposed revision of the 200gr GDHP. Maybe if it were more popular it would be getting more attention in more places. (I know, it's popular among non-LE customers, especially those who frequent online firearms forums, but I mostly talk to LE instructors and trainers instead of commercial instructors.)
The last time I
carried a CCI/Speer .45 ACP 200gr load it was the earlier JHP load (in both velocity ranges, as they revised that original load at least once that I can remember - reducing the velocity so it was easier on guns, I believe).
Someone once gave me most of a case of the earlier .45 ACP 200gr GDHP +P load, and I used it for
range ammo. I discovered a while that I still had a 50-rd box of it left over
, and I'd like to eventually get around to throwing it in my range mix at some point. (Use it for feeding & function testing purposes.)
I typically don't use much in the way of +P in my .45's, although I still have a supply of it from back when it was a short-term duty load (Winchester RA45TP 230gr +P, because Winchester didn't have any of the standard pressure RA45T available to ship at the time we placed an order, so they offered to substitute the +P for the standard load we wanted).
I'd worry more about whether the 200gr GDHP actually fed & functioned in
my gun(s), in
my hands, though.
I remember several years ago when I was helping a small agency get used to their brand new G30's. Their firearms guy had selected the Speer 200gr GDHP +P for their issue ammo. During the familiarization range day 5-6 of their folks experienced repeated stoppages. Coincidentally, some of the same folks expressed having a hard time dealing with the felt recoil in their guns.
While it wouldn't be among the top few choices of what
I'd prefer to use in
my .45's, as long as it worked in
my guns, when
I was shooting them under demanding conditions and drills, I'd not lose too much sleep over it. Mindset, skillset, shot placement & weapons maintenance are what occur much of my attention ...
Suit yourself, though. Why not? If you're making your own informed decision, you're the one who has to accept the consequences, right?
