S&W 442: Speer GDHP-SB 135 Velocity and Jug Test

[Tony_the_tiger]

The purpose of this post is to report on the performance of Speer's Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 Grain .38 + P round out of a S&W 442. Velocity was measured by a Competition Electronics Prochrono Digital.

10 shots were fired at approximately 10' from the chronograph. The temperature was exceptionally hot Florida summer weather! Here are the results:

String: 817, 825, 838, 823, 843, 862, 834, 823, 828, 891

Descriptive Statistics:



Speer advertises this load as traveling at 860 ft/s at the muzzle out of a 2" test barrel. Today's test used a 1.875" barrel.

We can visualize the spread of the distribution via boxplot:



The shaded area is the interquartile range, which is inclusive of 50% of the shots fired. The dark line in the shaded area is the median. The median is lower than the mean (not shown) due to an uncharacteristic outlying shot that registered at 891 ft/s, skewing the average.

This round was also shot through a Ruger SP101 and a GP100. A full 10-shot string was compiled for the SP101, however only a single data point was recorded for the GP100.



These rounds were remarkably consistent, given the change in barrel length for each string!

Using the 442, a single shot was fired into a row of one gallon water jugs. No denim or other material was used. The round penetrated completely through 2 jugs and was recovered in the third jug of water. The bullet was recovered and appears to have retained the entirety of its weight while expanding quite nicely.






I make no effort to extrapolate the results of the water jug test to other media.

However, Brassfetcher recorded the same projectile at 858 ft/s impacting 20% ballistic gelatin and achieved 8.8" of penetration.

tnoutdoors9 recorded the same projectile at 825.3 ft/s and achieved 12.38" in SIM-TEST ballistic media with a retained weight of 134.8.

I have been practicing a bit with the J frame 442 and I have found this round to be reasonably accurate based on comparison with other bullets and my skill level. These shots were fired at 10' and are the same ones that were used for data collection with the chronograph.



I have been carrying this 442 no-lock in a Mika's Pocket Holster. Currently it is sporting Altamont grips courtesy of S&W. I have previously carried it with Crimson Trace 405 grips however I prefer the Altamonts at this time since I can get more of my hand around them and stabilize the gun more to my liking.

Today I was using Hatch KSG500 Shooting Gloves to mitigate recoil from range sessons with scandium/aluminum lightweight guns. They worked rather well and I'll incorporate them into my training as needed.



Summary: Much has been said about the 135 grain gold dot in .38. You can research the history of its design, which is beyond the scope of this presentation. I like it, and based on these tests and others it is my current selection for the J frame. Kudos to Speer on this one!

Thanks,

-Triple T

 

[jacob2745]

Very nice write up. I sometimes pocket carry a 442 and had considered getting some of the speer short barrel. The only problem is I can't seem to find it anywhere.

 

[Camjr]

The short barrel Gold Dot has been my round of choice for the 642 for nearly 8 years. I find it much more controllable for followup shots than the other gold standard, the 158 gr +p LSWCHP FBI load.

 

[moxie]

Nice test. Thanks!

I'm torn between the Speer SB and the Rem. GS 125+P for my LCR. The Rem. seems a bit more accurate.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Accuracy is an important consideration. I've carried several different brands of. 38 in the 442, but I came back around to the gold dot based on my own accuracy with it and consistency.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Nice write up.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Thanks 460Kodiak.

For comparison purposes, I am posting the data collected while testing this round using the Ruger SP101 KSP-321XL with a 2.25" barrel. No jug testing was done with the Ruger and the Gold Dot.

String: 873, 899, 885, 889, 894, 877, 884, 888, 910, 902



Extremely consistent readings with a standard deviation of 11. Note in the original post or at the end of this post that velocity readings from the SP have some overlap with the outlying shot in the 442 test.



The entirety of this data occurs within a range of 37 ft/s. The interquartile range is marked by the shaded area and includes 50% of the data. The mean(dotted line) is greater than the median (dark bar in the shaded area) in this distribution.

When I carry the SP101 and the 442 together I carry the 135 .38 + P Gold Dots in a couple of speedloaders. Whereas I generally carry .357 loaded in the SP101, I like the ability to reload either of them with the same bullets, standardizing the reload process and eliminating any need for distinguishing speedloaders by caliber.

Copied from original post:

 

[jim8115]

Nice, but I prefer 5.6 Grains of Power pistol with a 158 grain Lead Hollow point, Gives 825 FPS from a m 642

JIM

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Those 158s have a solid reputation and a history in law enforcement. Definitely a round worth considering. I'm at the threshold for manageable recoil with the 442 and the Gold Dot SB 135's right now. Experience and physics dictate that a heavier projectile being pushed to an equal speed as a lighter projectile may have greater recoil, all else being equal. What has your experience been with recoil and accuracy with the 158 in the 642?

 

[jim8115]

Those 158s have a solid reputation and a history in law enforcement. Definitely a round worth considering. I'm at the threshold for manageable recoil with the 442 and the Gold Dot SB 135's right now. Experience and physics dictate that a heavier projectile being pushed to an equal speed as a lighter projectile may have greater recoil, all else being equal. What has your experience been with recoil and accuracy with the 158 in the 642?

Very manageable. I worked that load up for my wife. She carries the 642 as well as a 686 +, depending on what she is wearing. Her criteria is that it must be a round that she can fire, accurately one handed,and left-handed, just in case.
It chronos at 825 from the 642, 875 from a 2 1/2" 686, 920 from a 4" M10, and 1005 from a 6" GP 100

JIM

 

[Lone Star]

This is some of the most interesting ammo stuff that I've seen in some time. Thanks for posting.

 

[strambo]

Nice write up! I really appreciate you including the numbers for the 2.25" barrel SP101. My wife's gun is a 386 Nightguard with 2.5" barrel and this is the load I chose for it as being the best compromise between terminal effectiveness and controllability for her. .38 +Ps are easy out of the Nightguard, .357s would be "sporty".

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

Given the general tolerances that Rugers and Smiths are built to, and in light of the absence of a test in your specific 386, i'd wager it is getting comparable velocity to the SP101. It's a fine round for the platform - lightweight snub revolvers. I imagine it will do its part as long as she has the willpower and proficiency to use it.

 

[Lone Star]

Is that Ruger a .38 or .357? I wonder how much difference in velocity occurs if a .38 round is fired in a .357 chamber?

I read somewhere that you lose some 40 FPS that way.

Based on what I can learn, I suspect that Ruger and S&W guns with three-inch barrels will give over 900 FPS with the 135 grain .38 Short Barrel load. But my SP-101 is a .357, so I don't know what to expect from it with .38 ammo.

Has anyone here chronographed that combo? My barrel/cylinder gap is very tight. And Rugers often give higher velocities than Smiths.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

The Ruger SP101 KSP-321XL used for the Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr .38 + P test in this thread is chambered for .357 Magnum, and is the same firearm used in a similar test with a .357 cartridge found in the following thread (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=729484).

Personally, I would think your SP101 in .357 would achieve comparable velocities within the range posted here (between 870 -910 ft/s) or higher if it has a 3" barrel, but the reliability of the data for the purpose of predicting this rounds performance in other guns (even of the same make and model) has not been established.

 

[DAdams]

Well done report. I still have my S&w M&P 340 loaded the with the subject ammunition.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

That's comforting DA. Everytime I think about your M&P 340 and what it is capable of, my right hand starts hurting. I call it "phantom recoil"

 

[DBR]

According to Speer, the 135gr +P is loaded to 20,000 psi. It is a hot round. Standard pressure 38spl is 17,000 if IRC. It should be OK for any +P rated gun but I wouldn't use it in an older non rated aluminum gun.

Aluminum frames age a bit with every round fired unlike steel frames which can operate indefinitely below their design limit. The more you stress the aluminum frame the faster it will go out of spec.

 

[kp]

Thanks for the great report!

 

[skoro]

That 135gr +P Gold Dot is what I keep my 642 loaded with. Seems like ideal snub fodder.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

I've been searching for more of these for about a year and a half...

Just thought I would drop by to say that ammunition depot has about 50 boxes for anyone that is looking. Your preferred retailer may not be far behind if they are on the production line. Perhaps they are back to stay!

 

[Panzerschwein]

LOVE those grips on your 442, looks awesome!!

I'm not so hot on jug tests though. Bullets typically expand quite dramatically and totally in jugs... I know there are algorythms and formulas for conversions, but I still take penetration and expansion tests from jugs with a grain of salt, no offense.

Now if a bullet does in fact fail to expand in water jugs, you can bet that it probably won't expand in flesh either. But it will expand all but the toughest and least "appropriate" hollow points for most calibers.

 

[Tony_the_tiger]

I agree. Fortunately, there are plenty of controlled tests of this round out there. I like to use the jugs to see if a bullet holds together well, and because it is fun

 

[Haywood]

NYPD likes it so that's why I chose it. You just added to the reason I should keep carrying it. Thanks for the results of your test.