I normally use CCI Gold Dot 124gr +P as my SD round. Well I just got a PM9, and I'm wondering if I should use the short barrel version instead.

Is there much of a difference between them? And where would I find the short barrel for a somewhat reasonable price?

You do not lose that much velocity out of that polygonal bore in that length. I would stick with that ammo as it has a super track record.

And that's what I was hoping to hear. I bought a case of this stuff from Chesters in the classified last year for I think it was $230. I wasn't looking forward to paying close to $1.00 a bullet for the short barrel version.

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at's what I was hoping to hear. I bought a case of this stuff from Ches

I have a PM9 myself and well, regular 124gr hollowpoints don't seem to be expanding very well.

I tested regular gold dots in 124 and 147 gr, Federal HST in 124 and 147 and Winchester Ranger sxt in 124 +P and 147.

Very unscientific testing, but all would penetrate 4 gallon milk jugs and settle in the bottom of the 4th one. All expanded reliably, but none but the ranger 124+p expanded fully down to the bottom of the cavity. Meanwhile out of my Sig P226, they all expanded to their full potential.

Supposedly gold dot short barrel has some special powder that gives you that extra velocity, but I don't know the difference between that and regular gold dot 124 +P.

If the 9MM stuff is like the rest of the line from Speer the bullet is a complete redesign. They may also use faster powders, but I do know that the bullets themselves are differnt from the standard GoldDots. They are designed to expand at lower velocities. The .40S&W in particular is very different. It has almost vertical sides and a very flat bottom to the hollow point. Looks like some one used a pencil eraser to shape the hollow point.

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The .40S&W in particular is very different. It has almost vertical sides and a very flat bottom to the hollow point. Looks like some one used a pencil eraser to shape the hollow point.

Oddly, the 9mm Short Barrel bullets have a smaller, more closed HP design than standard 124gr +P. They look like they were designed to expand less.

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Originally posted by staudacher:

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The .40S&W in particular is very different. It has almost vertical sides and a very flat bottom to the hollow point. Looks like some one used a pencil eraser to shape the hollow point.

Oddly, the 9mm Short Barrel bullets have a smaller, more closed HP design than standard 124gr +P. They look like they were designed to expand less.

I would venture a guess that the jacket is thinner in critical areas of the bullet. The smaller opening may also mean that the hollow point has a greater surface area, thus more area for hydralic pressure to work on. Just a guess.

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The smaller opening may also mean that the hollow point has a greater surface area, thus more area for hydralic pressure to work on. Just a guess.

What!?!?!?

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Originally posted by staudacher:

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The smaller opening may also mean that the hollow point has a greater surface area, thus more area for hydralic pressure to work on. Just a guess.

What!?!?!?

You know...hydralic pressure.

No more posting while asleep, hydraulic pressure. The smaller opening may lead to a deeper hollow point that has a larger surface area for hydraulic pressure to act upon and thus expand at lower velocities.

The hollow point is more shallow and closed than the standard round. I have been intending to shoot one of each into some water jugs but have not gotten around to it yet.

If you ever get around to it let me know staudacher. For now I'm gonna carry what I got, but on my next ammo order from Natchez I'll throw a box of that stuff on there and try to do the jug test myself.

I'm also very interested if any of you guys test out hte short barrel stuff. Hopefully out of a PM9.

Hell I'm gonna start up another thread in the ammo section. I put 79 rounds of that 124gr +P through my PM9 at my first range visit with it, and that stuff is just a touch too snappy.

My follow up shorts were pretty slow cause my left hand had to reacquire it's grip after every shot. I'm just curious to see what other people use.

I use winchester 147gr HP in my PF-9 because anything else is a bit much to handle in that small/light gun. IMO

Although the +P stuff isn't all that bad in my much heavier CZ RAMI.

Yeah the +P in my Glock 26 isn't bad at all. A little zippy, but very controllable.

Both worked the same against wet phone books. Last fall I did some very unscientific testing, and here are my 9mm Gold Dot results:


From my G-26 (9mm) at 5 feet: 124gr +P Short barrel Gold Dot (left) penetrated about 7 in and expanded to about .5 in. Right, AmmoMan reclass 124gr Gold Dot penetrated about 8 in and expanded to about .5 in.

I emailed Speer some time ago about this short barrel vs. regular ammunition, and they said the bullet in the short barrel ammo was designed to expand faster. Then I asked them at what barrel length should one use regular vs. short-barrel speer ammo ? They said the cutoff for one or the other was 4 inches. So now I don't know which ammo is better, because my Sig P220 carry in 45 has a 3.9 inch barrel. So I might be able to go either way. I dunno.

But you gotta love Speer Gold Dot bullets. They expand PERFECTLY.