Substitute Golden Sabres for Gold Dot's?

[gunsnhoses]

So I really like the 124gr. +p variety of Gold Dot's for my 9mm's, but just can't find them available regularly. So, I was thinking about substituting the 124gr. +p Golden Sabre which I can find regularly.

What is everybody's opinion of this substitution? Do those of you who have experience using both find similar results? What is the velocity difference if any?

Just need good carry ammo I can get easily.... Thanks.

[fredj338]

I like the RGS 124gr+P, it has issues w/ jacket core sep, but it performs well enough in my own wetpack test to carry it. The SGD may have a sligth edge, but it is slight. The other issue is cost, but if it's available? Buy a box, test it in your pistol & carry it w/ confidence.

[unit1069]

The 124-grain Golden Saber +P has the best shooting characteristics I've found yet in one pistol I own, a Steyr M9-A1. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try any Gold Dots of the same variety.

I've also noticed that the price of GS from online ammo dealers has dropped quite a bit. If you want some get it while the price is low. Perhaps Remington is phasing out Golden Saber in favor of their "new" product, which sounds suspiciously like Golden Saber right down the line. New box, higher prices. What's not to like about free-wheeling enterprise?

[Wolfgang]

Golden Sabre is a good choice.

[cowboy1964]

I really haven't shopped GSs but can you get them in 50 round boxes or are they just 20 round?

There are plenty of GD 124+P's on gunbroker.com and the prices aren't that bad really. Usually between 50-60 cents per round + shipping.

[N/Apower]

The 124-grain Golden Saber +P has the best shooting characteristics I've found yet in one pistol I own, a Steyr M9-A1. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try any Gold Dots of the same variety.

I've also noticed that the price of GS from online ammo dealers has dropped quite a bit. If you want some get it while the price is low. Perhaps Remington is phasing out Golden Saber in favor of their "new" product, which sounds suspiciously like Golden Saber right down the line. New box, higher prices. What's not to like about free-wheeling enterprise?

Based on what data?

[H&K 4 LIFE]

I like the Rem. Golden Saber. I think the biggest difference would be the GS non-bonded bullet (although they make a bonded version as well) versus the Speer GD's bonded bullet. That may matter and it may not. Probably matters alot more if your shooting through laminated windshield glass.

That being said, I use Speer GD as my main carry round but also have a couple spare mags. loaded with the Rem. GS 124gr. +P (non-bonded). I have also shot the 147gr. load which had a very mild recoil. The same could be said for the .40S&W 180gr., and the .45ACP 185gr. +P was a bit of a flamethrower. :cool:

[gunsnhoses]

So, if you guys had your choice would you rather have the standard pressure 124 gr. Gold Dot's or the Golden Sabre 124 gr. +P????

[hurley842002]

So, if you guys had your choice would you rather have the standard pressure 124 gr. Gold Dot's or the Golden Sabre 124 gr. +P????

I'm a big fan of the GS, great design and even tho the non bonded are prone to Jacket separation, they still shoot very well and seem to get the job done. With that said, even the +P variety are loaded fairly light. The Standard 124gr Gold Dot (1150fps) is only 30fps slower than the +P 124gr Golden Saber (1180fps). Basically comes down to if you want bonded or not.

[mooseman]

I love Gold Dots, but I've had the privledge of getting many many cases of them free over the years. It's the same with the Winchester Ranger line and to some extent Federal's LE ammo. I haven't been issued any Golden Sabers. I'm sure they're great, but I follow the philosphy of why mess with it if it works. Not to mention, I'd have to purchase the Golden Sabers myself, unless my agency switches to Remington on our next contract bid ;-)

[fastbolt]

I love Gold Dots, but I've had the privledge of getting many many cases of them free over the years. It's the same with the Winchester Ranger line and to some extent Federal's LE ammo. I haven't been issued any Golden Sabers. I'm sure they're great, but I follow the philosphy of why mess with it if it works. Not to mention, I'd have to purchase the Golden Sabers myself, unless my agency switches to Remington on our next contract bid ;-)

I'm of a similar philosophy.

I've been fortunate to have received a lot of free ammunition over the years that I've worked in LE, especially since I've been a firearms instructor & armorer for a lot of that time.

Sure, there's been plenty of times that I've spent my own money on ammunition, both when it was authorized to use personally purchased factory ammunition for duty, and even afterward when it remained authorized for off-duty weapons but duty weapons had to use issued ammunition ... although I eventually (and probably not unexpectedly ;) ) ... tired of spending money on ammunition and simply carried whatever was available for duty weapons in my off-duty weapons. Naturally, I still have to buy my own ammunition for any authorized off-duty weapons which are chambered in calibers for which we no longer stock carry ammunition, but are allowed to purchase suitable factory ammunition.

When the time comes that I no longer have access to an ammunition inventory, or my existing personal stocks are depleted, I'll probably look for the best deal I can find on one of the more modern JHP loads offered by one of the major manufacturers, in sufficient quantities on a regular basis ... check it for feed/function in my various pistols ... and not get too wrapped up around the axle about it.

One nice thing about being able to use representative samplings of the different production lots received by my former agency (where I still help out as an instructor & armorer) is that I can try a random box or two pulled from any case/production lot to test-fire in my guns. When I start having to buy a lot of my own ammunition again I'll either try to buy it a case at a time so I can continue to try 1-2 boxes from each case for function, or else randomly test-fire a mag or two from any particular 50-rd box (or less from smaller 20-25 rd/ct boxes), looking for any unexpected QC/spec/tolerance issues which might offer a problem.

Have you tried a representative sample of each load which interests you? How did it work in your gun(s), while you were shooting them?

Now, you can find recommendations regarding ammunition all over the internet nowadays.

Some are based on carefully controlled testing adhering to currently accepted scientific testing protocols that have been developed to meet the anticipated needs of LE/Gov users (and not all agency end users of the info may necessarily agree on how the results are to be interpreted for their needs).

Others may be less formal, but still done by one of the major manufacturers as part of a hosted gel/shoot event.

Others are being done by individuals or smaller companies.

It's not always easy for the public to gain access to actual forensic results from shootings involving, and/or investigated by, LE ... but you can find some such anecdotal info published now & again.

Now, if I were issued either of the loads named in the original post I'd carry whichever and not lose any sleep over it. If I were going to spend my own money? I'd look and see whether one or the other were more easily obtained in sufficient quantities, and then look at cost.

FWIW, I've been carrying the Remington 124gr +P GS loads for the last few years because they were on the previous state contract. Before that I carried the Winchester 127gr +P+ (RA9SXTP followed by the RA9TA) when they were being issued ... as well as various standard W-W, Fed & Rem 147gr JHP's when they were issued. Fussy, I am not ... although given my druthers, I do prefer to use one of the more modern hollowpoints which have been observed to offer consistently better, robust expansion.

What can you buy enough of to enable you to test-fire a box or two of any case/production lot ... and then spend more of your time working on developing, improving and maintaining your skill-set with that gun/ammunition combination?

[GunFighter45ACP]

Well put, fastbolt. I've always been a fan of the Golden Sabers, going back to the days when everybody wanted/carried Fed Hydroshocks. People thought I was nuts to prefer the GSs, but to each his own. Yes, jacket separation is an issue, but if you're a civilian/CCW, or even off duty & you're providing your own ammo, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over carrying them vs. a bonded jhp if you had no other choices. GS prices & availability is usually pretty good in my area, so if I can't find what I currently 'want', I'd pick some up & not sweat the details that can be so prevalent via the internet. Just make sure they function well in your weapon, & that you can put them where your sights are pointed, & you'll be fine.

[UnTainted]

So, if you guys had your choice would you rather have the standard pressure 124 gr. Gold Dot's or the Golden Sabre 124 gr. +P????

standard pressure 147, which are available too

[grenadier]

Today's premium bullet designs are the results of millions of dollars of research and development spent by the bullet companies, and they're all going to do the job, if you do your job of placing your shots.

I would feel equally confident using a 147 grain Remington Golden Saber as I would with the standard pressure or +P 124 grain Golden Saber, and I would also feel equally confident using any of those three loads as I would using a Speer Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger, Federal HST, etc.