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View Poll Results: What is your experience with a .45 GAP?
I have never heard of the .45 GAP. 5 9.09%
I don’t like .45 GAP, but have never fired one. 32 58.18%
I have fired a GAP, but don’t like them. 10 18.18%
I have fired a GAP and love them. 8 14.55%
Voters: 55. You may not vote on this poll

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Old September 27, 2012, 09:33 PM   #26
chris in va
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My Lyman manual has the ACP as about 17k psi for a max load while the GAP is 22k. That's barely starting pressures for the lowly 9mm. 357 SIG is nearly 40k max.
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Old September 28, 2012, 10:49 AM   #27
RC20
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Quote:
Just to be pedantic, I feel I should mention that .45 GAP is a cartridge, not a firearm. I don't believe Glock or any other firearm manufacturer sells a pistol called a "GAP." Is it safe to assume that you're really asking who has fired Glock's .45 GAP model, or are you asking about firing any make or model that's chambered for .45 GAP?

Yes, you are correct, but since the .45GAP cartridge is almost totally only used in Glock models G37, G38 and G39 (Gen 3 and hopefully someday Gen 4), the two (cartridge and handgun model) have become synonymous in common parlance. However, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused.
S&W worked with Remington to make the 40 caliber, its chambered by others (I believe glock beat them to the market actually in delivering a gun for it). Its S&Ws design but originally Remington produced.

357 Sig was designed by Sig. Again chambered by others but its a Sig cartridge design and originally produced for them them by?

the 45 GAP was designed for and or at the auspices of glock. It is chambered almost exclusively by glock. Ergo, its their ego cartridge. After all, the famous firm of glock can't not have their own cartridge because S&W does and Sig does.

Note that glock now refuses to put name "Sig" on the 357 caliber guns they chamber for though 357 Sig is the correct designation. Ditto for the 40 S&W.

the 45GAP is a glock boutique cartridge by any definition and it says 45GAP on the chambering designation.

Quote:
DPA and others fire the 45 GAP in competition revolvers because of the shorter length is quicker to load. So I guess 45 GAP in 45acp is ok.
No its not. Its shorter, it does not head space correctly in a semi auto. Its a recipee for a KABOOM! A revolver uses a clip to head space it in the cylinder and no problem (like shooing 44 special in a 44 magnum).

It was purely my total ignorance that glock had come out with their boutique cartridge that led me to buy a box I thought was 45 ACP and to shoot it. Call it stupidity if you will, and possibly deserved, I will leave each to decide for themselves.
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Old September 28, 2012, 10:56 AM   #28
Water-Man
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I owned a 37 and liked it.

Fit me alot better than the 21.

230gr. ballistics (not +P) the same for both.
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Old September 28, 2012, 11:27 AM   #29
CDW4ME
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I have a Glock 38 and like it fine, not sure I like it better than my 23.
The 45 GAP / G38 makes for a soft shooting combo.
I've had the pistol (G38) several years and only shot a few hundered rounds through it.
I'm finally ready to handload some 45 GAP, if I can get about 950 fps with a Hornady 185 XTP I'll be satisfied.
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Old September 28, 2012, 12:10 PM   #30
RickB
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Sorry RickB, but thats bad info you got. "Normal" 45acp is around 21,000 and GAP is about 23,000 (similar to +P 45acp). For comparison, 9mm and 40SW are both well above 35,000.
Yep, I had bad info. I thought GAP ran at the same ~35k as 9, .40, and 10.
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Old September 28, 2012, 02:37 PM   #31
DFrame
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The moribund 45 gap was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.
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Old September 28, 2012, 02:47 PM   #32
Woody55
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I am in the never fired, don't like category. However, to say I don't like the round is a bit strong. It's just that I don't like to use ammunition that isn't common because it tends to be expensive and hard to find.
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Old September 28, 2012, 08:41 PM   #33
KenW.
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If a few large LE agencies hadn't accepted them really cheap from Glock, they'd all be history now.
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Old September 28, 2012, 08:55 PM   #34
Walt Sherrill
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If a few large LE agencies hadn't accepted them really cheap from Glock, they'd all be history now.
Perhaps -- but the same might be said of Glocks in general... Pricing has a lot to do with the guns purchased by Law Enforcement organizations.

(I like Glocks, so this isn't an attempt to slam Glock. I've had a number of them, and still have a Glock 35 and a Glock 38.)(
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Old September 29, 2012, 12:08 PM   #35
pete2
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I already have 45ACP guns, The GAP is a good round but why add another caliber plus ammo for it is limited. I just see no reason to want it.
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Old September 29, 2012, 01:16 PM   #36
Sulaco2
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I could not vote as well. Never fired one, have seen several as they come under the authorized section of my depts., manual. If issued I would have no problem carrying one as the gun/ammo would be provided by the dept., but would not buy one, looking more and more like the .450 Marlin, (which I also have )
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Old September 29, 2012, 02:27 PM   #37
JonathanZ
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Don't need to have shot a 45 GAP to know I don't want to pay nearly 50 cents per practice round for one. I don't even own a 45 ACP due to ammo costs, but I'd get that before the GAP because it's significantly cheaper to shoot than the GAP.
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Old September 29, 2012, 03:16 PM   #38
Walt Sherrill
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Don't need to have shot a 45 GAP to know I don't want to pay nearly 50 cents per practice round for one. I don't even own a 45 ACP due to ammo costs, but I'd get that before the GAP because it's significantly cheaper to shoot than the GAP.
That has not been my experience. I have guns in both .45 acp and .45 gap, and I buy in bulk from Natchez Shooter's Supply and Georgia Arms.

In both of those cases, some loads are the same price as a.c.p, and in others, about 10% more. But , whether .45 acp or .45 g.a.p., it's still about $.50 a shot -- shooting .45 isn't cheap.

Buying locally CAN be a problem, but I seldom do that -- local prices are just too high.

The Glock 38 I shoot is the first .45 that I really enjoy shooting; it seems as soft-shooting as a 9mm, to me.

Last edited by Walt Sherrill; September 29, 2012 at 04:48 PM.
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Old September 30, 2012, 05:33 AM   #39
kozak6
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I don't like Glocks and I don't reload. They don't fit my hands regardless of caliber and I don't need expensive ammo I can't even buy anywhere.

Shooting one is unlikely to change either of these factors, and if it does, it may only increase the impact of the second factor.
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Old September 30, 2012, 07:24 AM   #40
dsb1829
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Interesting pole. Results showing about what I had expected, lots of dislike from a lot of folks who have never fired a single round of GAP. I own a 38. I like it and feel it is a great bedroom/home security gun for both the wife and myself.

If I did not reload i would not have purchased this caliber. That said I do reload and GAP brass is easy to come by.
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Old October 1, 2012, 08:00 PM   #41
Hairbag
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I have a glock 45 Gap and some of you ought to try it it is amazingly accurate once you go GAP you might not go back!
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Old October 1, 2012, 08:48 PM   #42
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The .45 ACP is to the .45 GAP, as the 10mm is to .40 S&W.

The difference is the .40 S&W was adopted by the FBI. At the same time, the 10mm wasn't an established catridge. The .45 GAP has an uphill battle, since the .45 ACP is an accepted standard.

It's a valid concept, otherwise the .40 S&W wouldn't be so popular. Truth is, those looking for more power on a 9mm frame will mostly likely do what the police do and select the .40 S&W. Too bad, I'm more a 10mm guy, but the .45 GAP probably deserves to be more popular.
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