No Comments When it comes to choosing a 9mm round for self defense, you’ve likely come across the Speer Gold Dot 9mm. While Speer designed this round for law enforcement use, it is also popular among everyday carriers.
In this Speer Gold Dot 9mm review, I’ll be heading to the range to put the round through ballistic testing to see how it stacks up for self defense!
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Review: Quick Takeaways
- Speer produces a few different variations in its Gold Dot line, but for this review, we’ll be looking specifically at the Gold Dot LE
- The Speer Gold Dot LE 9mm comes in four different loadings: Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP, Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP, Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP +P, and Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP
- Gold Dot is designed to defeat many different barriers, including clothing, glass, drywall, etc.
- While Speer designs the Gold Dot LE line for law enforcement use, it is popular among civilians who carry for self defense as well
- Speer Gold Dot comes in 50-round boxes while most manufacturers package defensive ammo in 20-25 round boxes
- Speer Gold Dot 9mm has no issue reaching the minimum penetration depths of 12″, and in our tests tended to travel past the maximum 18″ depth
- My favorites of the four loadings are the 147gr. and 124gr.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm: Specs & Design
The Speer Gold Dot LE line comes in four loadings:
- Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP
- Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP
- Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP +P
- Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP
Speer uses nickel-plated brass case, clean burning propellants, and CCI primers in their Gold Dot line. The company also designs the Gold Dot line with bonded-core bullets. This is supposed to stop core-jacket separation, which tends to be more common when shooting through hard barriers like windshield glass or car doors. This is why the Gold Dot line is considered barrier blind and often recommended over non-bonded bullets.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Ballistics
| Round | 5-Shot Average Muzzle Velocity (FPS) | 5- Shot Average Penetration (inches) | 5- Shot Average Expansion (inches) | 5- Shot Average Muzzle Energy (ft/lbs) | Gun Used | Barrel Length (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 1142 | 19.225 | 0.4694 | 334 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 1144 | 19.825 | 0.5394 | 335 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 1060 | 19.175 | 0.5322 | 310 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 1077 | 19.4 | 0.5269 | 320 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 1146 | 20.775 | 0.531 | 362 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 1193 | 19.9 | 0.5328 | 393 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 920 | 16.425 | 0.5412 | 277 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 950 | 17.3 | 0.5542 | 295 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
I wanted to see how the different Speer Gold Dot rounds performed in some ballistic testing. At the range, I set up testing similar to how the FBI performs some of their ballistic testing.
For the ballistic gel test, I shot 5 rounds of each Gold Dot round into Clear Ballistics 10% synthetic ballistic gel with a 4-layer heavy fabric covering from a 10-foot distance. I used two different guns for each round: a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm (3.1” barrel length) and a Glock 19X (4.02” barrel length).
After firing the rounds, I measured how deep they penetrated and retrieved them from the gel to measure how wide they expanded.
Keep in mind, these tests can give us an idea of how the rounds may perform in a real-life defensive situation. However, these tests alone do not tell the whole story and should not be the sole factor in picking a defensive round. When it comes to handgun rounds, shot placement is key. So, look for a round that runs well in your gun and that tends to perform well in ballistic tests.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Penetration
| Round | 5- Shot Average Penetration (inches) | Lowest Penetration (inches) | Highest Penetration (inches) | Gun Used | Barrel Length (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 19.225 | 17.375 | 21.125 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 19.825 | 17.25 | 21.5 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 19.175 | 16.5 | 20.5 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 19.4 | 18 | 20.75 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 20.775 | 19.25 | 22.25 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 19.9 | 19 | 21 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 16.425 | 14.5 | 18.25 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 17.3 | 15 | 18.375 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
The FBI’s penetration standards call for a penetration depth between 12” and 18”. This tends to correlate with rounds that adequately penetrate soft tissue and reach vital organs without over-penetrating.
Penetration is important because the round needs to reliably hit vital organs to stop an attacker. We add the 4-layer fabric covering which simulates a heavy jacket and other clothing. Some rounds will clog up with the fabric covering, causing them to fail to expand and therefore over-penetrate.
From my testing, the Speer Gold Dot 9mm has no issue reaching the 12” minimum penetration depth. Many of the rounds actually exceeded the 12”-18” range. The round from our tests most prone to over-penetration was the Gold Dot 124gr. +P out of the M&P Shield.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Expansion
| Round | 5-Shot Average Expansion (inches) | Least Expansion (inches) | Widest Expansion (inches) | Gun Used | Barrel Length (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | .4694 | .4145 | .54 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | .5394 | .532 | .546 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | .5322 | .524 | .5415 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | .5269 | .5135 | .5355 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | .531 | .517 | .553 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | .5328 | .5205 | .562 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | .5412 | .4515 | .571 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | .5542 | .5475 | .562 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
The Gold Dot round uses a hollow point that expands upon penetration of soft tissue. We want a round that expands upon impact because the expansion causes tissue disruption, creating a larger wound channel and more blood loss. These are important factors in stopping an attacker. Bullet expansion also prevents over-penetration because the expansion slows down the travel of the bullet.
To measure bullet expansion, I dug the fired bullets out of the ballistic gel then used a digital caliper tool to measure them.
While there is no official standard for bullet expansion, ballistic experts tend to look for an expansion of 1.5 times the original bullet diameter. For the 9mm (.355”), that means we’re looking for an expansion around .533”.
Nearly all of the rounds tested exceeded or got pretty close to the .533” expansion. Notably, the Gold Dot 115gr. out of the M&P Shield had the worst average expansion, with only two rounds exceeding or getting close to the expansion we were looking for.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Velocity
| Round | 5-Shot Average Muzzle Velocity (fps) | Lowest Velocity (fps) | Highest Velocity (fps) | Gun Used | Barrel Length (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 1142 | 1120 | 1192 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 115gr. JHP | 1144 | 1132 | 1162 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 1060 | 1054 | 1076 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. JHP | 1077 | 1059 | 1100 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 1146 | 1136 | 1158 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 124gr. +P JHP | 1193 | 1174 | 1206 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 920 | 914 | 940 | Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | 3.1 |
| Speer Gold Dot LE 147gr. JHP | 950 | 932 | 960 | Glock 19x | 4.02 |
I chronographed the Gold Dot rounds to see how consistent they were from round to round. Overall, nothing stood out as being inconsistent, though I’ve had 9mm ammo from other manufacturers perform more consistently.
Intermediate Barriers
Where the Gold Dot shines is its performance through intermediate barriers. Intermediate barriers are anything you to shoot through to hit something on the other side. For example, auto glass, car doors, and drywall are all barriers you might need your self defense round to pass through.
Speer loads Gold Dot with a bonded core, helping improve its performance through intermediate barriers.
Some argue that the average concealed carrier doesn’t need to be able to shoot through glass or drywall. You should do an evaluation of your needs to determine if this is something you need in your defensive round.
Speer Gold Dot 9mm Shooting Performance
Next, let’s look at some of the other performance factors of the Speer Gold Dot 9mm.
Accuracy
At the range, I had no noticeable accuracy issues with the Speer Gold Dot 9mm and all rounds were fairly consistent. That being said, you should sight in the ammo with your own gun to determine where it hits.
Reliability
I had no malfunctions out of any of the rounds shot at the range using two different pistols. However, I used guns that tend to eat whatever they are fed. Some pistols are especially picky with jacketed hollow point ammo, so be sure you test out the round you intend to carry in your gun first.
Recoil
There are a number of factors that affect recoil, including things like gun size and the shooter’s technique. Of course, ammo plays a big part too.
While none of the rounds tested were horrible to shoot, there were certainly noticeable differences in recoil between them. The 147gr. and 124gr. loads had the most manageable recoil in my opinion. That’s because they’re heavier bullets traveling a little slower.
The Gold Dot 124gr. +P is overpressure ammo, meaning it is loaded to travel at higher velocities. This makes the recoil a bit snappier.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the lineup of Speer Gold Dot 9mm rounds are reliable, accurate, and perform well in ballistic tests. From my findings, I prefer the Speer Gold Dot 147gr. and Speer Gold Dot 124gr. for concealed carry with a smaller pistol.
If you choose to load up with Gold Dot, be sure you test your ammo and get to the range for practice. Luckily, Speer boxes its Gold Dot ammo in 50-round boxes, while most other manufacturers only sell 20-25 round boxes. That means you get a little extra ammo, and have no excuse to not test it out in your gun before carrying it!
