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  1. #1
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    Default Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    So, i have 115gr Corbon DPX 9mm+P and Speer Gold Dot 115gr+P+ LE only ammo, and i'm having a hard time deciding which to use in my HK P7.

    Corbon DPX: 1250fps, 399fpe
    Speer Gold Dot +P+: 1300fps, 432fpe

    I like the Barnes TAC XP bullet used in the DPX better, but the Gold Dot is LE only ammo, and made to extremely high QC standards. And while not a solid copper slug, it is still a bonded core design. The one area where there is a clear difference between the 2 is in bare gel penetration. The 115+P+ Gold Dot only penetrates 10.5" (The DPX is in the 12.5" range)....but opens to .83" diameter (Source: Speer ammo poster). The Speer round also has nickel plated casings.

    I'm leaning toward the Gold Dot due to the superior QC and nickel plated case.

    Both shoot equally well in my gun. The DPX has slightly less recoil than the Gold Dot +P+ round.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    I love Speer GDHP but have not used any +P+, only 124+P. I currently carry the DPX 115+P in my G19 and love those rounds. There is less recoil and good energy moving forward. I also carry them in my LCP and fired more of them this past weekend and they recoil lighter than the UMC target loads I was shooting. The Barnes bullet is just great all around, I am leaning towards them also, even with the 10.5" I think they will do the job if called upon.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    Between the 2 I would choose the Speer GDHPs. Although I would stick to the Speer +P rounds.
    I currently have Speer GDHP(124g +P), Hydroshocks(I can't remember) and Critical Defense(115g) in 9mm and I still can't decide which I like best. I typically carry the GDHP.

    I haven't tried Corbon yet so I can't say anything about them.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    I shot some Corbon DPX into some layers of jean fabric and water jugs and they did very well and all expanded properly
    Hoplophobia is funny

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    Corbon has crap quality control. A buddy had 2 carry mags full and I unloaded them, in 2 mags I found 2 different styles of bullet, wild variation in crimp height, three rounds that had loose bullets and 1 round I sperated by hand. Not the first time I've seen this with their ammo.

    The big three ammunition manufacturers, ATK (federal/speer), Winchester and Remington all make top quality ammo for law enforcement that is tested to perform to FBI/IWBA standards. Individually, each of these companies spend more on quality control than all boutique manufacturers spend on their combined production. To cap it off, they cost a fraction as much ($25/50 hst vs $38/20 dpx). So if it is your ass on the line, stick to one of them.

    I would say use the GD for now, (because reliability is priority #1) but start looking for a round with better penetration. My current carry load is the Federal HST 147. I suggest the heavier rounds for a given caliber because they tend to penetrate on the upper end and deflect less through intermediate barriers.
    Last edited by vicious; March 15th, 2012 at 01:06 PM.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    The gel penetration of the 115gr+P+ gold dots goes up significantly against barriers or denim clad blocks. It's only vs bare gelatin that the penetration is 'so' shallow, reason being that in bare gel the gold dot opens up to .83" caliber.

    Overall the round has excellent performance.

    The reason i prefer +P+ is because you basically transform your 9mm into a high capacity short barreled .357 magnum, ballistics wise. (A typical 4" barrel 9mm has about the same effective barrel length as a 3" revolver .357 magnum, and will match it's ballistics very closely) This pleases me.

    I can easily handle the recoil, i've carried .45+Ps and .357 mags in the past. Recoil is about the same as 147grain standard pressure 9mm ammo, and significantly less than 147gr+P.
    Bullet weight makes a huge difference in recoil. I have some doubletap 80gr+P 9mm rounds that I keep in my Kahr PM9 that have almost no recoil at all even though they're clocking 1300fps from the Kahr's short 3" barrel.
    Conversely, i have some doubletap 147gr+P JFN trail defense rounds that give my hand a little bit of a sting after a mag from the Kahr.

    I've never personally ever had any problems with corbon, and i've been using their stuff for over 2 decades, but that's just me. I've used their ammo in .32acp, .380acp, 9mm parabellum, .40S&W and .45acp. I've used their Sierra JHP, Powrball and DPX lines.

    I will say this, the stuff is very accurate.


    HK P7 firing Corbon Sierra 115gr+P @ 10yds off hand.

    I have heard of the problems with Corbon QC, but i've not been bitten by them. I have bought Doubletap ammo and had .380 rounds mixed in with 9mm rounds in the same box...which is not good. I've never had any problems with Buffalo Bore either.

    I do agree that overall LEO ammo is going to have much stricter QC than typical commercial ammo.

    If my P7 would cycle it i'd use the 80gr+P Barnes TAC XP doubletap round. Out of the P7's 4.2" polygonal barrel that round is close to 1600fps. Unfortunately P7s are unreliable with bullet weights under 100grains.
    Last edited by Valorius; March 18th, 2012 at 01:19 PM.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    Energy is meaningless where pistols are concerned and expansion is just icing on the penetration cake.

    I will let Paul Gomez explain:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dA3...e_gdata_player
    Last edited by vicious; March 15th, 2012 at 01:31 PM.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    Quote Originally Posted by Valorius View Post
    So, i have 115gr Corbon DPX 9mm+P and Speer Gold Dot 115gr+P+ LE only ammo, and i'm having a hard time deciding which to use in my HK P7.

    Corbon DPX: 1250fps, 399fpe
    Speer Gold Dot +P+: 1300fps, 432fpe

    I like the Barnes TAC XP bullet used in the DPX better, but the Gold Dot is LE only ammo, and made to extremely high QC standards. And while not a solid copper slug, it is still a bonded core design. The one area where there is a clear difference between the 2 is in bare gel penetration. The 115+P+ Gold Dot only penetrates 10.5" (The DPX is in the 12.5" range)....but opens to .83" diameter (Source: Speer ammo poster). The Speer round also has nickel plated casings.

    I'm leaning toward the Gold Dot due to the superior QC and nickel plated case.

    Both shoot equally well in my gun. The DPX has slightly less recoil than the Gold Dot +P+ round.

    456 - I'd let the gun choose the ammo that it shoots best would be the ones I'd use out of the two. If there was no noticeable difference then choose the one you want or continue testing until found a round that performed well and shots accurately in your gun.

    Good luck. And have fun!!

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    They both shoot really well. My P7 likes the Corbon 115gr+P Sierra JHP the best, but that round is known to break up in tissue, has poor barrier performance, and only gets about 10" penetration in gel tests.

    I've seen those rounds stopped in a car door (without hitting the glass) and inside a tiny little desktop computer speaker (I like to shoot odd things at the range, lol).

    Anyway the 115+P+ Gold Dot and the 115gr+P DPX shoot equally well. I'm going to go with the Gold Dot though. My reasoning being that i can get the 115+P+ for about $25 a box/50, so it is cheap enough to buy en masse, and it's recoil, velocity and trajectory will be identical to the large stockpile of Federal 9BPLE 115gr+P+ rounds i already have on hand.

    The Federal 9BPLE+P+ round is also a solid choice that is extremely inexpensive ($17 and change per/50), but it lacks a bonded core. So i use the 9BPLE as my EOTW bulk stockpile round.

    Thanks for the help and opinions guys.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Decisions, decisions... (9mm ammo selection)

    456 - My how time has changed at one time in the 1990s the Corbon 9 +p was the best of the best in 9mm with energy output that rival 357mag and over 89% 1 shot stops. Now its only mediorce with Gold Dot and Double tap beating it out with better bullet construction and penertration. I guess so goes tthe way of the Hydra Shock and Black Talon that I had stock piled, all late anicent greats in the Ammo world.

    I still like Corbon because I'm stuck with them after stock piling;-). Oh well.

    Whats your take on Powerball 9mm? I got a lot of those too.

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