Ballistic Gel Testing
As you hunt for the best self-defense 38 Special ammo, we thought you might enjoy seeing the results of some testing we recently conducted with calibrated Clear Ballistics gelatin.
We shot five of these Speer rounds through a four-layer cloth barrier using a S&W 640. The results are detailed in the video you see above as well as the photographs. Through the charts, you should get a great idea how this Speer ammo stacked up relative to other 38 Special ammo products available to American shooters.
To get a better sense of our tests, be sure to check out all the protocols we followed when conducting our tests to determine the best self-defense ammo.
Unfired versus Fired Round Comparison
| 50rds - 38 Special Speer LE Gold Dot Short Barrel 135gr. +P Ammo Gel Test Results | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | |||||||||
| Bullet Depth (in.) | 12.3 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 15 | 15 | ||||
| Expanded Diameter (in.) | 0.55 | 0.57 | 0.57 | 0.58 | 0.58 | ||||
| Expanded Weight (gr.) | 133.4 | 133.5 | 134.1 | 134.6 | 135 | ||||
| Bullet Velocity (fps) | 864 | 884 | 888 | 896 | 899 | ||||
