Latest Loads: Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection 230-grain HP

by
posted on December 4, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
standard.jpg

An original offering is sometimes difficult to top, and that’s exactly the case with the .45 ACP. For more than a century, 230-gr. bullets fired from the “forty-five” have proven to be the gold standard for personal protection. With its consistent, reliable expansion and high retained weight through “FBI protocol”-prescribed barriers, Speer’s Gold Dot (GD) Personal Protection hollow-point (HP) makes the bullet/cartridge combination even better. Using 6.6 grs. of Alliant’s new clean-burning, low-flash BE-86 propellant, and fired from the 4½" barrel of a Ruger P90DC, the 0.451"-diameter, 230-gr. GDHP attained 887 f.p.s., producing more than 400 ft.-lbs. of energy. With such ballistics and a stellar reputation, it’s little wonder why fervent .45 fans are loathe to deviate from the original.

Latest

TC Encore 01
TC Encore 01

Return of the Encore: T/C Arms Brings Back Its Iconic Single-Shot

In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased Thompson/Center Arms. Now the company has introduced a modern take on its classic Contender/Encore concept: the ENCORE PROHunter.

7 New ARs for 2026

While it's certainly a saturated marketplace these days, the AR-15 has never been more popular with American firearm enthusiasts, and many manufacturers are continuing to feed the need with new options loaded with new features.

The Drawbacks of Being a Numbers-Oriented Gun Guy

Like any hobby or pastime that is in any way even vaguely related to machines or technology, firearms attract a (possibly) disproportionate number of “right-brained,” STEM-oriented personalities who like numbers.

First Look: MDT Hand Cannon Slingshot

Slingshots are fun, but they can also be a legitimate backup defensive tool—in 2023, a 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by using a $3 slingshot to fire a marble and a rock at the assailant, striking him in the chest and head.

The LCP Meets Magpul: Ruger's LCP Max with Magpul's EHG

Over the years, Ruger has enhanced its LCP with the introduction of the LCP II and LCP Max. New for 2026, Ruger is offering a new version of the LCP Max with the addition of a Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip.

Review: 945 Industries Q.A.P. Series Off-Body Carry Bag

Off-body carry can be somewhat controversial, but choosing the right gear can go a long way toward successful carry. One good option is the Q.A.P. Series of bags from 945 Industries.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.