Best 9mm Gold Dot round for Glock 19? Or is there a better choice for a carry round?

[dfsutton]

Just purchased a Glock 19 and am very excited about making it primary carry and defense handgun. Previously I have been using a Glock 30 or a Kimber Ultra CDP and have been using 230 gr Gold Dots as my defense ammo. I feel comfortable with this ammo and was planning on using one of the 9mm variations in the Glock 19. Wanted to get everyone's opinion on the various Gold dot offerings (124 gr, 147 gr, +P or not, etc.) in 9mm and which you all think would be best for this pistol. Or if there is a better ammo than Gold Dot, what type and why is it better? Thanks.

 

[leVieux]

My G19 runs like a Swiss watch on regular factory Remington ball ammo.

If I feed her off-brand stuff, she FTL's almost every other round. Especially in very cold weather.

 

[charliepapa]

My G19 runs like a Swiss watch on regular factory Remington ball ammo.

If I feed her off-brand stuff, she FTL's almost every other round. Especially in very cold weather.

are you saying you carry it (for self defense) with the ball ammo?

 

[Leadfoot]

You're running the wrong .45 ammo in those shorties.

Try this: http://www.hornady.com/store/45-ACP-200-gr-XTP/

 

[dfsutton]

You're running the wrong .45 ammo in those shorties.

Please keep the responses on target. I am specifically asking about 9mm right now.

 

[Sin-ster]

The 147 and 124 +p both meet the requirements in Gold Dot. I've read/heard idle speculation about the plain 124's, but I'm far from expert enough to weigh in on that subject.

I personally prefer the +p for the improved penetration and increased possibility of expansion in fleshy mediums.

 

[SirIsaacNewton]

I run 127+p+ I like it.

I am currently under the mentality light and fast. If I wanted to use higher grain with slower velocity I would move up in caliber. However I don't really think there is much data to support 147 vs. 124..... I am sure someone with a lot more knowledge on the subject will chime in.....

If you find something useful on the subject. Fill us in. Not a bunch of opinion real data.....

 

[Sin-ster]

Please keep the responses on target. I am specifically asking about 9mm right now.

It was misinformation at best anyway. That bullet design is almost as old as you and I are.

 

[Leadfoot]

It was misinformation at best anyway. That bullet design is almost as old as you and I are.

And the Flying Ashtray Gold Dot isn't old?

 

[Sin-ster]

I run 127+p+ I like it.

I am currently under the mentality light and fast. If I wanted to use higher grain with slower velocity I would move up in caliber. However I don't really think there is much data to support 147 vs. 124..... I am sure someone with a lot more knowledge on the subject will chime in.....

If you find something useful on the subject. Fill us in. Not a bunch of opinion real data.....

http://le.atk.com/general/irl/woundballistics.aspx

It's in there somewhere. IIRC, they are essentially close enough to warrant no real comparison.

Nothing wrong with the 127 +p+ either, AFAIK. I doubt you'll find a ton of terminal ballistic info on it-- at least easily accessible.

ETA-- Those are the old tests-- I lost my link for the more recent ones.

 

[Sin-ster]

And the Flying Ashtray Gold Dot isn't old?

The lightbulb is older than both, but marks a pretty big jump in technology, no?

The HST isn't old in comparison to either.

 

[Leadfoot]

Whatever. Do I label your posts as "misinformation"? No. It's opinion.

FWIW, Pick one. If your gun eats it, and you can hit with it, use it. Bad guys won't feel the difference between 115gr, 124gr, 127gr or 147gr.

 

[SirIsaacNewton]

http://le.atk.com/general/irl/woundballistics.aspx

It's in there somewhere. IIRC, they are essentially close enough to warrant no real comparison.

Nothing wrong with the 127 +p+ either, AFAIK. I doubt you'll find a ton of terminal ballistic info on it-- at least easily accessible.

ETA-- Those are the old tests-- I lost my link for the more recent ones.

Thanks for posting it looks like the 124+p 9mm slightly outperforms (which might be negligible in real world) the 127+p+ but I am positive it is cheaper and easier to come by.....

 

[Sin-ster]

Whatever. Do I label your posts as "misinformation"? No. It's opinion.

FWIW, Pick one. If your gun eats it, and you can hit with it, use it. Bad guys won't feel the difference between 115gr, 124gr, 127gr or 147gr.

"You're shooting the wrong ammunition." That's a statement of fact, whether you intended it to be worded that way or not.

Opinions = "black is prettier than red". Statements of fact = "x performs better than y", when numerical data exists to quantify or refute the claim.

The XTP is typically considered "fine". It'll penetrate adequately, and .45 "never shrinks" as the saying goes. It does not however exhibit much in the way of expansion, aggressively or reliably, and therefor does not represent the pinnacle of options on the market. Further, as a non-bonded design, it's not going to be the best for intermediate barriers, either-- which is a viable concern. It is by far and large not a better option than a GD.

Indeed, the BG won't feel the difference. But you might if the frangible stuff your "gun eats and you can hit with" stops woefully short of something vital and he takes a baseball bat to your head as a result. Or the one shot you manage is .2 short of a CNS, whereas another design may have expanded well past that difference and ended the threat on the spot.

 

[Leadfoot]

Boy, you sure showed me.

 

[Sin-ster]

Thanks for posting it looks like the 124+p 9mm slightly outperforms (which might be negligible in real world) the 127+p+ but I am positive it is cheaper and easier to come by.....

It's easier to find, for sure. I wish I could find those newer tests, as well as the independent ones. HD crashed a few months back and the links have gone caput!

Essentially, the top performers are all so close in most regards that it really doesn't much matter what you choose-- provided it's from that list. The auto glass test seems to really be the crux of the discussion these days, with bonded designs being optimal-- and even within that category, some show less deflection than others. There are other random variables thrown in-- for example, HST 124 grain +p in 9mm has shown core jacket separation in actual shooting instances, where the plain ol' 124s have no. (I think Steve actually saw that in person...)

 

[Sin-ster]

Boy, you sure showed me.

Indeed, I did. Though I did not expect it to matter to you anyway, as clearly it has not.

However I care little about making a point, measuring knowledge or "testicular fortitude" as it were. There's no competition here.

But the OP is looking for information that may one day effect his life in the most poignant of ways. Just as I would expect to be corrected if I suggested a FWD economy car as the best option for off roading, so too will I correct an improper suggestion for bullet design.

99% of the time, it's safe to say that either option would be adequate for the task at hand. But why rob him of that 1%, when Mr. Murphy may dictate it's "about that time"?

The XTP is a stupid accurate projectile, though. Not sure how it stacks up against the GD, but my bet would be that it's superior.

 

[JBP55]

I have 124+P Gold Dot and HST for $46 per hundred if you are interested. Both excellent defensive rounds.

 

[Sin-ster]

I have 124+P Gold Dot and HST for $46 per hundred if you are interested. Both excellent defensive rounds.

He keeps them in great shape, too!

Ask me how I know.

 

[I.B. Pimpin]

I use Winchester PDX1 124 gr. bonded. It feeds reliably and I just plain like it.