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Out here in California the Highway Patrol rely on the Speer Gold Dot 180gr 40cal Hollow Point as their duty ammunition. Many civilians also use the Speer Gold Dot line as defensive ammunition. Below is our testing and evaluation of the round.
Testing Setup
We conducted a bare gelatin test, with gelatin from clearballistics.com. For this test we used a retired CHP duty weapon, the S&W Model 4006. We fired the round from ten feet, through our chronograph, and into the gelatin.
Results
Conclusion
The Speer Gold Dot 180gr 40cal is a viable option for defensive use. The round expanded properly, and maintained virtually all of its mass. The round's velocity seems extremely high for a 40 caliber. I will return to the range to conduct a ten shot average. The round transferred its energy efficiently by creating a ~4.5 inch temporary cavity. The permanent cavity created by the round was mediocre when compared with other rounds we have tested. The maximum cavity diameter of 0.6 inches is standard with our other tests. The Gold Dot penetrated a little over 16 inches, which falls into the FBI standards.
Keep in Mind
Our tests are only a small sample of a rounds capability. We are expanding our tests in the coming months to include a more in depth analysis of each round. This will help eliminate any skewed results.
Testing Setup
We conducted a bare gelatin test, with gelatin from clearballistics.com. For this test we used a retired CHP duty weapon, the S&W Model 4006. We fired the round from ten feet, through our chronograph, and into the gelatin.
Results
- Muzzle Veloctiy: 1496 ft/sec (32% higher than advertised)
- Maximum Penetration: 16 inches +
- Temporary Cavity: ~ 4.5 inches
- Maximum Permanent Cavity: 0.6 inches
- Minimum Permanent Cavity: 0.1 inches
- Proper Expansion: Yes
- Mass Retained: > 99%
Conclusion
The Speer Gold Dot 180gr 40cal is a viable option for defensive use. The round expanded properly, and maintained virtually all of its mass. The round's velocity seems extremely high for a 40 caliber. I will return to the range to conduct a ten shot average. The round transferred its energy efficiently by creating a ~4.5 inch temporary cavity. The permanent cavity created by the round was mediocre when compared with other rounds we have tested. The maximum cavity diameter of 0.6 inches is standard with our other tests. The Gold Dot penetrated a little over 16 inches, which falls into the FBI standards.
Keep in Mind
Our tests are only a small sample of a rounds capability. We are expanding our tests in the coming months to include a more in depth analysis of each round. This will help eliminate any skewed results.
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