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45 GAP?

smash29

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Mar 6, 2008
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Any thoughts on /experienceswith this caliber? I tried to do a search on OCDO but thesearch functiondoesn't like "45 GAP" for some reason.

I just picked up a new Glock 19 and while I was fondling all the other Tupperware they had I looked at the G38. I'm thinking of a larger/more powerfulcaliber Glock purchase in the near future and while I had pretty much decided that I'd likea 21SF the 38 got me thinking. Even with the Short Frame the 21 is still a bit on the large side for meso I was thinking that a larger caliber (45 GAP) in the same frame size as the 19 (which fits my hand very well) might work well instead. I don't care for the .40 caliber cartridge sothe G23 is out.


On a somewhat related subject, I talked to a newly retired Georgia Trooper working at the shop and his opinion was that the GAP will be a footnote in 10 years and that the only reason the Ga. State Police went to it was because Glockgavethem the guns pretty much for free. With their U.S. HQ in Smyrna GAit seems that Glock just couldn't stand theGeorgia State Police carrying a cartridgethat included"S&W" in it's name.Or at least that's what he told me.:question:
 

MetalChris

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I have no experiences with the caliber, but my opinion is it's just a neutered .45 ACP, much like the .40 is a neutered 10mm. :)
 

deepdiver

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I have heard the same negatives from gun store people about the .45 GAP. Here's my opinion in a nutshell - the .45 ACP is popular, easy to find, cheaper than .45 GAP and I can comfortably shoot it. Therefore, I see no personal reason to use a .45 GAP.
 

eyesopened

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deepdiver wrote:
I have heard the same negatives from gun store people about the .45 GAP. Here's my opinion in a nutshell - the .45 ACP is popular, easy to find, cheaper than .45 GAP and I can comfortably shoot it. Therefore, I see no personal reason to use a .45 GAP.

That sums it up for me too. If you go to a gun shop, you'll see boxes and boxes of .45ACP and a much much smaller stack of .45GAP if any at all. The .45ACP has been around for about 100yrs and has seen action in numerous wars. IMO the .45GAP willbe a footnote in history, just like the .327 magnum will be.

The XD came out in .45GAP at the same timeSpringfield Armoryreleased the .45ACP version. Which one got discontinued ;)
 

ClevelandCarry

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Since I handload for all my pistols, I tend to go with calibers that have a proven track record so that the brass anddies will always be plentiful and less expensive.

Looking at the data, a 45 ACP seems to do everything that a GAP does, especially if you have a +P rated ACP pistol.
 

VAopencarry

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The GAP and the ACP compare very closely in velocity and energy, it's not 'neutered'.

GAP vs ACP

The GAP is a decent cartridge. However, I would stay away from it due to reason already mentioned.

If you want something more powerful in a semi auto pistol, get a 10MM. The Glock 20 has a large grip like the 21 though. Maybe check out a 1911 in 10mm.
 

nova

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.45GAP is on par with standard .45ACP power-wise.

However, .45GAP runs at pressures equal to .45ACP +P.

but...

Performance of .45GAP is less than .45ACP +P.
 

Slayer of Paper

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If you want a more powerful round with the same frame size as the 9mm, you should take a look at the .40 or the .357 sig. In Glocks, the pistols for each of those rounds are identical in size to the 9mm versions, and the weights are very close, as well.

In other words, the G31 and G22 have the exact same dimensions as the G17. Same with the G19, 23, and 32, and the G26, 27, and 33.

I've heard a lot of good things about the .357 sig, including that the Secret Service chooses it in their duties. It should be noted that it is an expensive and sometimes difficult to find round, however.

The .40 S&W is also an excellent round, nearly matching the .45 acp in all respects. It is also a bit cheaper than the .45 acp. Some say that has a "snappy" recoil, but I personally hadn't noticed- particularly when fired from a Glock.
 

IanB

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I don't know what y'all are talking about. I shoot 45GAP all the time. It's not that hard to find, I have over 1000 rounds of it sitting in my closet. It's no weaker than 45ACP in standard loadings. +P GAP is the same as 45ACP+P in terms of velocity and energy. These are the same arguements that said the 10MM would be extinct back in the 90's. But we all know 10MM is here to stay and has a loyal following.
 

smash29

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Slayer of Paper wrote:
If you want a more powerful round with the same frame size as the 9mm, you should take a look at the .40 or the .357 sig. In Glocks, the pistols for each of those rounds are identical in size to the 9mm versions, and the weights are very close, as well.

In other words, the G31 and G22 have the exact same dimensions as the G17. Same with the G19, 23, and 32, and the G26, 27, and 33.

I've heard a lot of good things about the .357 sig, including that the Secret Service chooses it in their duties. It should be noted that it is an expensive and sometimes difficult to find round, however.

The .40 S&W is also an excellent round, nearly matching the .45 acp in all respects. It is also a bit cheaper than the .45 acp. Some say that has a "snappy" recoil, but I personally hadn't noticed- particularly when fired from a Glock.


I've tried the 23 as well as the M&P .40 and so far I'm just not a fan of polymer .40 guns. I've shot them back to back with the Glock 21 and M&P .45 andI do feel the "snappiness" that you mention when I compare the .40 to the .45.Then again, I recall not caring for the 19 the first time I shot itbecause I hadbeenshootingmy Sig P239exclusively so maybe I'll give the 23 another shot and see if it still shoots as I remember. Maybe my concerns will be for nothing?

I haven't given all that much thought to the .357 Sig because Idon't have any experience withit (none of the ranges in my area offer a rental in that caliber) and the ammocost is a good deal higher than that ofthe .40 or .45. I have nothing better to do than shootthrough several hundred rounds a week so the extra $$ for the .357 would definitely add up quickly!

I'm thinking I might just pick up a P239 in .40,I love the one I have in 9mm and the alloy frame takes a lot of the (perceived) snap out of the larger cartridge. Either that, or I'll just buy the 239 AND the 23 and shoot it until I like it. :D

Thanks for the responses everyone!
 

Slayer of Paper

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I have been carrying a Kel Tec PF-9, but I've been more and more concerned about the effectiveness of the 9mm, particularly since my gun has decided to be finicky about 147 grain bullets lately. I wanted something more powerful, yet not too much bigger/heavier for concealed carry. I thought about the GAP too, because .45 acp guns are just so big and hard to conceal (though I regularly conceal a G21). Then, I tired the .40, and decided that it was absolutely an excellent substitute.

My plan now is to get a G27. The GAP is a fine round, but I just don't see any real difference in effectiveness of either .45 round over the .40, and well, the .40 is much cheaper to shoot.

By the way, if you get a .40 or .357 model Glock, you can use a barrel and mags from either of the others in it, as well as from a 9mm. Note that you can't do it the other way around. I don't know how the .45 GAP pistols would fit into that kind of scenario. It also shares the same identical dimesions as the 9mm, .40 and .357 pistols, so it might be possible. I'd make sure first though.
 

Richard6218

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I don't really have much of a stake in this discussion, except that about 3 years ago I was in a gun shop looking for a box of .45ACP and picked up .45GAP by mistake. I didn't discover the error until I got home but by then it was too late. I've tried to find a buyer for it, all in vain. PLEASE --- if you have a Glock that uses .45GAP, PM me and let's negotiate a deal for it. It's not doing anyone any good sitting in my gunsafe.
 

AustinTacticalFirearms

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Slayer of Paper wrote:
If you want a more powerful round with the same frame size as the 9mm, you should take a look at the .40 or the .357 sig. In Glocks, the pistols for each of those rounds are identical in size to the 9mm versions, and the weights are very close, as well.

In other words, the G31 and G22 have the exact same dimensions as the G17. Same with the G19, 23, and 32, and the G26, 27, and 33.

I've heard a lot of good things about the .357 sig, including that the Secret Service chooses it in their duties. It should be noted that it is an expensive and sometimes difficult to find round, however.

The .40 S&W is also an excellent round, nearly matching the .45 acp in all respects. It is also a bit cheaper than the .45 acp. Some say that has a "snappy" recoil, but I personally hadn't noticed- particularly when fired from a Glock.
I shoot .40 and have had no problem with it. I've found it to be a nice balance between the .45ACP and 9mm+P. My wife can handle it pretty accurately as well, whereas a .45 round is a little much for her (she's only 5'6"/108lbs). If you reload, you may want to be careful with the .40--it's sensitive to pressures and I've heard a lot of stories about case rupturing because folks weren't careful in the powder measurements.

I'm pretty sure, but I believe the .357 Sig is just a necked down .40 which is probably why the departments from Secret Service to the Texas DPS issue them.
 

Fahrenheit

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I own a Glock 39 - subcompact chambered in .45GAP. It's my daily carry gun.

The round, contrary to popular belief, is not going away anytime soon. The GAP fills a niche for some people. If you don't like longer-grips required by .45ACP, but want .45 firepower, then the .45GAP fills that need. If you want a true subcompact Glock in .45, then the G39 is it The G36 and G30, while classified as subcompacts by Glock, are much closer to the size of the compacts.

Price between ACP and GAP are comparable.
Ballistics between GAP and ACP are comparable.
Selection of ammo is good in GAP - most of the top vendors make GAP ammo in range and SD variants.


That said, the biggest problem I have is that I can't walk into WalMart and buy .45GAP ammo. I buy my ammo online. This is not usually a problem, but one time I wanted to go to the range, but couldn't, because I'd recently used up all my range ammo and hadn't reordered yet.

If you don't have a problem with longer .45ACP grips, then you might as well stick with ACP.

If you can't see yourself having the patience and foresight to to order your ammo online, then you should probably stick with something like 9mm.
 

smash29

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I was looking at the 30SF at the range Tuesday and I was surprised at the significant (to me)difference in it's size when compared side by sidewith the 26. Even with the SF frame it's still noticably thicker so if I do move to a larger caliber Glock I'm leaning towards the GAP, despite the non-favorable opinions.

I already have a 19 and will be picking up a 26 soon so it would be nice to have virtually the same gun in a .45 caliber.
 

smash29

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I changed my mind. After re-reading this thread I now see that the .45 GAP has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and I'm wondering what possessed me to even consider such a useless cartridge.

:cool:

Edet: speling
 

giaking70

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hello everyone,
I am new to this forum and just happen to stumble over this topic of discussion. Ok, my two cents worth here. I love the .45 GAP and use it as my service and off duty pistol. I love the handling of the Glock 37 and just my HO but it shoot like a 9mm but with the .45 punch. I havent had any problems with finding ammo for it. Gun store around the corner from me keeps plenty in stock as I know some of the local LEO guys carry them too.
I dont know why people have such a hangup about the .45 GAP rounds, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
 
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