Gold Dot Short Barrel Personal Protection - 357 Magnum
Part Number Cartridge
Bullet Wt. Bullet Type Box Count Bullet Coefficient
23917 357 Magnum 135 GDHP-SB 20 0.141
Velocity(in feet per second) Energy (in foot pounds)
Muzzle 50 yards 100 yards Muzzle 50 yards 100 yards
990 928 877 294 258 231
Here's the link. I bought some but have not lit any up yet.
http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/short_brl.aspx
Here is the "hype" or unique sell proposition if you will.
True, bonded-core bullet velocity-tuned for optimum terminal performance
• Nickel-plated case
• Low-flash propellant
• Famous CCI® primers
Uni-Cor Bonded Gold-Dot Construction
We take hours to make a Gold Dot bullet for the split-second you need it. Our exclusive manufacturing processes give us flexibility to match bullet design to cartridge performance. Below is a brief overview of a few of the many operations making every Gold Dot bullet—Best in Class.
1 The Speer Gold Dot bullet begins with an alloyed lead core.
2 Uni-Cor technology bonds an incredibly uniform jacket to the core—one molecule at a time.
3 First stage of patented* two-stage hollow point process creates memory lines that expansion can follow.
4 Second forming stage finishes the cavity to match bullet weight and velocity, produces a smooth leading edge for reliable feeding, and a uniform heel for superb accuracy.
5 Bullet and case are assembled using top-quality nickel-plated brass cases, clean-burning, low-flash propellants, and famous and reliable CCI® primers.
I have standardized on SGD in my .357 M&P 340, either .38 spl plus P or Buffalo Bores snub rounds with low flash which are slightly heavier.
I also like the COR BON DPX +P 110 gr for my wife's 642, a bit less snappy.
Lifes to short and too valuable to shoot cheap ammunition for CC. Is it the best? I don't know it's right up there according to FBI tests.
Here is a synopsis of some testing at Speer's facility in 1999.
2-inch .38 snubs
There seems to be no JHP bullet cartridge that is capable of providing a reasonable balance of adequate penetration and reliable expansion. A bullet that expands will not penetrate deeply enough, whereas a bullet that does not expand will probably overpenetrate.
As a result, we feel the best cartridge for .38 snubbies is the 148 grain wadcutter target load. (MacPherson, Duncan: Bullet Penetration, Ballistic Publications, El Segundo, California, 1994. p. 247, Figure 10-2 Cylinder Bullet Penetration Depth.) The sharp-edged shoulder of the full wadcutter design provides the best penetration and wounding efficiency for this gun/cartridge combination.
Speer offers a total metal jacket (FMJ) 148 grain wadcutter in its Lawman line of ammunition. As opposed to a lead wadcutter, the shoulder of the Speer copper-jacketed bullet is more likely to retain its sharp shoulder on impact. The downside of the Speer bullet is the less sensitive "Cleanfire primer" which may not provide reliable cartridge ignition in guns that have had trigger work, a lighter mainspring installed, or bobbed hammer.
There a many who swear by this formula.