Homeland Arms

Speer Gold Dot is the .45 ACP load to buy when your 1911 rejects HST and Ranger T. The bonded bullet's FMJ-like profile feeds in tight-throated 1911s that catch wider-mouth hollow points on the feed ramp. Expansion is more conservative (0.60 to 0.72 inches versus 0.85 to 1.0 for HST/Ranger T), trading frontal area for guaranteed penetration and 100% weight retention. The Short Barrel variant (23975) is purpose-built for sub-4-inch barrels with a wider cavity and softer core that expands at velocities as low as 760 fps. For 1911 owners and compact .45 carriers, Gold Dot solves problems the top-tier loads create.

Read Full Review →

★Reviews

View All →

Speer Gold Dot .45 ACP 230gr personal protection ammunition with a 1911 pistol, unfired cartridges, and expanded hollow point bullets on a shooting target.

Speer Gold Dot .45 ACP (Standard and Short Barrel)

Read Full Review →

A single hollow point cartridge standing on a box of Winchester Ranger T-Series 230gr .45 ACP (RA45T) law enforcement ammunition.

Winchester Ranger T-Series 230gr .45 ACP (RA45T and RA45TP)

Winchester Ranger T 230gr expands to 1.0 inches through heavy clothing. No other .45 ACP load matches that diameter in independent gel testing. The six-talon SXT design produces sharp cutting petals that HST's rounded petals do not replicate. The catch: Ranger T is LE-only distribution. Civilian access comes through police surplus dealers at $0.66 to $0.75 per round when it is in stock. The +P variant (RA45TP) is the best-performing .45 load from compact 3.3-inch barrels in the data we compiled. When you can find it, buy it. When you cannot, Federal HST is the equivalent.

Read Full Review →

Boxes of Federal Premium Law Enforcement Tactical HST .45 Auto 230-grain ammunition stacked together with two loose hollow-point cartridges resting on top of a box.

Federal HST 230gr .45 ACP

Federal HST 230gr is the best .45 ACP defensive load from a full-size barrel by every measure the data supports. Independent gel testing shows 0.85 to 0.91 inch expansion through heavy clothing with 14 to 15.5 inches of penetration and near-100% weight retention. The six-petal pattern is consistent shot to shot. From a 3.3-inch compact barrel, the standard pressure version fails to expand through denim roughly half the time, dropping below the FBI 12-inch minimum. The +P variant recovers 80 fps and partially solves the short-barrel problem. Buy the standard pressure for full-size guns. Buy the +P for compacts. Buy both in 50-round LE boxes at $0.61 per round because the 20-round retail price is a tax on not knowing where to shop.

Read Full Review →

SIG Sauer P238 .380 ACP

The SIG P238 is a miniaturized 1911 in .380 ACP with the best trigger in the pocket pistol class. The SAO pull breaks at 4.0 to 4.5 pounds with zero creep and a snap that belongs on a gun twice its size. SIGLITE tritium night sights are standard. The all-metal frame absorbs recoil better than any polymer .380. Compiled user data produced 2.80-inch groups with Critical Defense at 15 yards, which is the tightest we have recorded from any pocket gun. At $549 to $710, it costs more than the LCP MAX and Bodyguard 2.0 combined. The 6+1 capacity and the manual safety are the reasons it does not score higher. The trigger and the sights are the reasons it scores this high.

Read Full Review →

Glock 42 .380 Auto pistol with 6-round magazine on a textured surface, showing the USA rollmark, Tenifer slide finish, and compact single-stack frame.

Glock 42 .380 ACP

The Glock 42 is the most reliable .380 ACP pocket pistol you can buy. That is not marketing language. Owner-reported data documents round counts past 5,000 without a single malfunction across forum after forum. The Safe Action trigger is the smoothest in the pocket .380 class. The 3.25-inch barrel squeezes more velocity from .380 loads than shorter competitors. What the G42 gives up for that reliability is capacity (6+1 versus 10+1 from the LCP MAX and Bodyguard 2.0) and value ($389+ versus $209 for the LCP MAX). The G42 is the .380 you buy when you trust Glock more than you trust the spec sheet.

Read Full Review →

Magtech 9mm Range Ammunition (FMJ)

Magtech makes three 9mm FMJ range loads and each serves a different training purpose. The 115gr is the cheapest brass-case 9mm that stays in stock. The 124gr groups tighter, matches defensive 124gr POI more closely, and costs only $0.02 more per round. The 147gr is subsonic from every barrel length and is the cheapest brass-case suppressor practice load on the market. User chronograph data across 2,000+ rounds and six platforms shows all three weights run 15 to 40 fps below advertised. They all run dirty. The brass reloads beautifully. For volume practice where cost per round determines how often you train, the Magtech line puts more rounds downrange per dollar than anything else in brass.

Read Full Review →

Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. 9mm

The Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. puts P365-class capacity (11+1/13+1) and a factory optics cut into a micro-compact frame at $279 to $349. The flat-face trigger at 5.0 lb is one of the best stock micro-compact triggers regardless of price. Independent testing produced 3.00-inch groups with HST 124gr at 25 yards from a 3.06-inch barrel. The concession is a 100-200 round break-in, snappier recoil than heavier alternatives, and an aftermarket ecosystem still catching up to the P365 and Hellcat. For a budget CCW that does not feel budget, the GX4 T.O.R.O. is the strongest option under $350.

Read Full Review →

Walther PDP F-Series Compact 9mm

The Walther PDP F-Series is the only production handgun from a major manufacturer designed with female shooters' dimensional input from the start. The trigger reach is 0.2 inches shorter than the standard PDP. The grip circumference is reduced. The recoil spring is 20% lighter. The Performance Duty Trigger breaks at approximately 4.5 pounds and is widely considered the best stock striker trigger made. Independent testing produced 2.20-inch groups with HST 124gr at 25 yards. At 15+1 capacity in a compact frame with a factory optics cut, the F-Series gives up nothing to accommodate smaller hands.

Read Full Review →

★Guides