Around the blogosphere has been many reports of the new Speer Gold Dot .22 WMR round for personal defense. Many of these blogs have laughed at the idea of using a .22WMR for self defense and some of these blogs have even ridiculed the notion of it. Big companies like Speer rarely release products if there is not a call for it in the market place. Obviously there are many that own a .22WMR firearm either for home defense or personal carry. The reason why some carry a small rimfire round for defense is something that should be discussed, but first let’s discuss the reasoning for a Gold Dot .22WMR. As the Truth About Guns Blog announced in their politely worded post on the subject, rimfire cartridges are not usually known for their consistent loading leading to misfires which is unacceptable if defending your own life.

Speer’s Gold Dot ammunition has always been the pinnacle of quality and is used by civilians and law enforcement all over the US. Speer has brought the reliable expansion and consistent firing of their Gold Dot ammunition to the .22WMR. The round delivers 99 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle which will be very close to the energy delivered to the target in a self-defense application. 99 foot pounds does not sound like a whole lot to some and may only be a quarter of most .45acp ammunition, but the old analogy of it being better than a “sharp stick” holds true. You see, most criminals are not happy when their intended “easy” targets suddenly produce a firearm and begin shooting at them. Whether it be a .45acp or a .22WMR, a firearm is an intimidating equalizer in such a situation and shifts the advantage to the defender.

Why would anyone carry a .22WMR and not a 9mm or a .45acp? Many firearm enthusiasts are quick to point out those among us that are not physically capable of handling the recoil of the larger cartridges whether they be old or physically disabled in some way. Having worked in firearm sales for about a decade now, I have seen those two categories come in seeking a firearm for protection. Smith and Wesson J-Frame hammerless  revolvers were popular for those that are able to pull the trigger and were looking for something small and concealable. Many non-aged or disabled individuals purchased like models as well. Many are probably thinking that they were women. Although some were, many were healthy men looking for a small lightweight package that was incredibly easy to shoot. I know that sounds blasphemy to most passioned shooters that would not carry less than .38 special (and even then a .38 special is often looked upon as underpowered).

I take a special passioned view on such subjects, because I have lived with a disabling disease for approximately 14 years. I love to shoot but even the 9mm handguns that I own can be painful to shoot because of the recoil. At certain low points of living with a life long illness, I developed a rather consistent flinch while shooting. The flinch was because of the pain that I would feel in my wrists on each and every shot. Laughably, my flinch developed two sets of very tight groups on my targets. I loved to shoot and it is the only reason why I continued to inflict myself to so much pain. For those who understand and live with any form of arthritis knows the severe pain that is inflicted on its victims. So the question asked is: “Do you want to carry a more powerful cartridge that will cause tremendous pain to yourself when using it?” Training for most will become a non-option, and even for those that do, a flinch can be well ingrained into their shooting habits. Rimfire cartridges whether .22LR or .22WMR offer extremely low recoil, allowing the operating to shoot quickly and accurately in a stressful enough self defense situation. Will it carry the stopping power of a .357 magnum? No. Will the presence of a firearm in any caliber statistically deter the continued aggression of an attacker? Yes. Is a .22WMR handgun perform better than a sharp stick in the hands of those with disabilities and those without? Absolutely.

For more information on Gold Dot ammunition, visit Speer’s website.

More and more .30 caliber cartridges have been released over the last decade to improve the effectiveness of the AR-15 platform for combat and hunting. Wilson Combat has entered the mix with their 7.62×40 WT cartridge. It is specifically designed for the AR-15 platform so that the only modification to your rifle that is needed is a barrel change. The cartridge uses a .223/5.56 casing that has been shortened by a simple trimming procedure to accommodate the new round. There is a huge selection of .30 caliber bullets on the market, so it will be easy for re-loaders to load their own ammunition along with the dies already available from Wilson Combat. The 7.62×40 WT is capable of using slightly modified AR-15 magazines. The draw back to this particular round is that like the 6.8spc you will lose a couple rounds out of your 30 round mag and must use “optimized magazines” for greater reliability. The ballistics are good enough for hunting a great deal of North American animals, and it will fit any tactical needs as well.

Will the 7.62×40 WT take off? It is hard to say whether it will or will not, but Wilson Combat will strongly support the new round in fully packaged rifles, barrels, magazines and reloading equipment. Personally, we see the AAC .300 BLK as a better choice since it was optimized for use in standard AR-15 magazines at full capacity, designed with a suppressor in mind, and had even attracted early followers by companies like Wilson Combat! Regardless of who wins the war of the .30 caliber AR-15 rounds, more selection for the US hunting and tactical customer will only serve to help the economy and our shooting pleasure.

Ballistic Performance Comparison

7.62×40 WT (16” barrel)
110gr: 2450FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1466 Foot Pounds of Energy
125gr: 2400FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1599 Foot Pounds of Energy
150gr: 2200FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1612 Foot Pounds of Energy

5.56 Nato (16” barrel)
55gr: 3150FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1212 Foot Pounds of Energy
62gr: 3000FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1239 Foot Pounds of Energy
77gr: 2750FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1293 Foot Pounds of Energy

7.62×39 (16” barrel)
123gr: 2320FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1470 Foot Pounds of Energy

6.8 SPC (16” barrel)
110gr: 2550FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1594 Foot Pounds of Energy

300 BLACKOUT (16” barrel)
125gr: 2275FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1436 Foot Pounds of Energy

NOTE for Handloaders: Once a 7.62×40 WT case has been fired once it will be fire-formed and provide approx 1gr additional powder capacity and the potential for approx 25-50FPS more velocity at comparable pressure levels.

Trajectory and Remaining Velocity

125gr Nosler Ballistic Hunter, 2375FPS MV, Zero range 175 yards
100yds +1.7” 2156FPS
150yds +1.1” 2052FPS
200yds -1.6” 1951FPS
250yds –6.6” 1854FPS



For more information visit Wilson Combat