Gold Dots and "jacket separation".

[Chuck Haggard]

So, twice now I have heard from reputable sources about Gold Dots separating jackets when going through auto glass and/or sheet metal, previously from JLW, the latest today from Steve F after he did a vehicle/shooting class for NYPD's firearms instructors recently. Since Gold Dots are my go-to 9mm round, and what my old job uses, I find this greatly concerning.

Anyone else seen this? I've seen numerous vehicle shoots, FBI tests, and a number of real world OISs against bad guys in cars, and I've not seen this before, so it makes me wonder if Speer changed the bullet construction somehow.

[DocGKR]

Gold Dots are a plated bullet, lacking a traditional jacket. Having said that, we have not yet seen major problems with the plating peeling off.

[Chuck Haggard]

Yup, I know they are plated, hence bonded, which is why the losing the jacket reports are so odd.

[JDM]

How thick is the plating on a bullet like the GD?

[Drifting Fate]

Take this FWIW, which is probably nothing, but in some windshield tests we did, we found even non-bonded JHP's sent a good chunk of lead into the target. Perfect? No. Damaging/would ruin your day? Yes.

I think the Gold Dots work great, would recommend bonded over non-bonded any day of the week, but wouldn't lose too much sleep over a few Gold Dots shedding their jacket, esp for "civilian" self-defense situations.

[RevolverRob]

I think the Gold Dots work great, would recommend bonded over non-bonded any day of the week, but wouldn't lose too much sleep over a few Gold Dots shedding their jacket, esp for "civilian" self-defense situations.

IIRC - I believe all (modern) Gold Dots are bonded rounds.

Chuck, any specifics on the rounds in question (bullet weight, +P, etc)? Is it possible that a bad batch of ammo is out where the core and jacket are not properly bonded? These are original Gold Dots and not G2s, correct?

Personally, I'm not overly concerned about barrier penetration issues for non-LEO, but the excellent, consistent, performance of HSTs all the way around is why I have switched to them almost exclusively in 9mm (and wish I could in other calibers too). I just wish I could reliably get a hold of the damn things (or GDs for that matter).

-Rob

[Chuck Haggard]

I've shot up a lot more cars than most people over the years, and done dozens, if not hundreds, of demo shots with the issued at my job 124gr +P Gold Dot, never seen a problem, nor did we have any when shooting real bad guys in real cars.
Steve saw what he reports at a class he did for NYPD a couple of months ago, so that's more 124gr +P. Others have reported seeing issues with .40S&W Gold Dot.

[Jeep]

I've seen Gold Dots lose their jacket when fired at substantially higher velocities than those for which they are intended, so my guess is that while as a statistical matter they work the great majority of the time, you are still dealing with a bell-shaped curve and sometimes they won't work, with the more stress they are under--ie, shooting through glass, higher velocities, etc.--the more likely there will be a failure. But those failures are probably only inevitable "tail" events, given how often Gold Dots do work.

[SJC3081]

Does Speer have special extra hot load specially formulated for the NYPD. If I remember correctly when I chonographed my NYPD duty loads on about 1995 they were doing almost 1250fps for my 5946.

[Chuck Haggard]

Does Speer have special extra hot load specially formulated for the NYPD. If I remember correctly when I chonographed my NYPD duty loads on about 1995 they were doing almost 1250fps for my 5946.

No.

Lot to lot variations will give 1225-1275fps in my experience in testing new batches of duty ammo when we bought it from year to year.