Getting out of .45 GAP

Honestly debated getting out of .22lr because of lack of availability and overpricing for the past few years.

InkEd said:

Honestly debated getting out of .22lr because of lack of availability and overpricing for the past few years.

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+1, I've been thinking of going the same route. It just ain't what it used to be.

I've been thinking about getting out of 7.62x54mmR. I have about 3000 rounds of it available for my Mosin Nagant, but truth be told I don't ever shoot the gun anymore and frankly when I do it's not as fun as it used to be. I'm looking to sell the ammo, it's all still packed in 440 round tins.

I would use the money to get more black powder shooting supplies, as I've fallen in love with muzzle loading pistol/revolver and rifle shooting over the past couple years.

I too have debated selling my .22's, something I never thought of but honestly I can't find any locally and the 500rd bricks on the net are $50 and that's not including at least $10-15 to ship it. I can damn near shoot my .40's for that price since I handload.

I had a GAP, a G38 and it was a nice shooter but I sold it . I loaded for the 10mm for years but sold all my 10mm stuff. Had some 357 Sig that I NEVER shot, so I sold that. All nice shooters but I didn't really see what they were giving me that I didn't already have. I sold all my 9mm stuff because while I like the 9mm, I just have much more .40 and .45.

So for me since I have so much .40 and .45 and stuff to reload for it, that's what I'm sticking with. I also got out of the .357 Mag, but I'm thinking of getting back into it, you can ultimately reload 38 Spl for cheap, and if you consider free brass then one could shoot the .38 for about the same price or cheaper than .22 LR anymore (especially if you cast your own, I do not), and that's just sad.

Add one more to the "I'm strongly considering giving up on .22" group. I hand load center fire calibers for not much more than I can buy .22 when you can find it.

Then again I can't find *any* pistol powder right now so I'm sitting a fence.

VooDoo

I'll never get out of 22 entirely, but I am afraid that the cost of sending such expensive, difficult to replace ammunition down range will cause me to develop a flinch. I wonder if practicing with a 4-inch Smith .44 magnum will harden my nerves enough that I can effectively continue to shoot the .22 should the need arise?

I haven't considered getting out of any calibers lately though I can relate to the Mosin comment...mine doesn't get out much lately.

What I have been doing is taking advantage of some of the rediculously low prices I've seen on 22 firearms lately. I really enjoy shooting 22 and I have enough to last me, hopefully, until prices go back down. I can see why people would want to get out of 22 now, I guess I'm just hoping the long game pans out differently.

I would never get out of .22 just because the ammo is now harder to find. A .22 is in a league of its own. Went to a Bass Pro shop last week and they had Federal .22, 325 in a tin can for $18...yes, you could only buy two, so?

People were actually IN .45 gap?

the count said:

I would never get out of .22 just because the ammo is now harder to find. A .22 is in a league of its own. Went to a Bass Pro shop last week and they had Federal .22, 325 in a tin can for $18...yes, you could only buy two, so?

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I agree but thought the same last year when I could by pistol powder 3 lbs at a crack...."Yippee!! The shortage is over!!" Now there is *none*. Again. With no plausible reason as to why (hoarding/panic again?) nor when it will or if it will be available. I'm curious if the .22 shortage will reappear as well.

I know I'm being overly dramatic but I'm uncertain that .22 lr will remain available enough to invest in guns to shoot it. I'm consolidating calibers that I can renew through reloading and unfortunately I'm skeptical enough about .22 to shut it out of the equation. Leaves more for the guys who really love it....

VooDoo

If I remember correctly Glock was selling their .45GAP pistol for three hundred something dollars, new, a couple of years ago (around 2009?) to get the caliber off the ground. That was almost $150 less than a 'normal' Glock at the time. Guess that didn't really work out though. Its probably more of a status thing, coming up with your own caliber...

To me the .22lr is a caliber of occasional fun, last chance survival and hunting. I'd never get out of it as I've been in it for 45 years, no ammo? don't shoot it. Keeping two handguns and a rifle in the safe ain't costing me a thing.

Prior to y2k I flushed out my 16 gauges now all I own is two 12 gauges and 1 20 gauge(deer gun). Since 2007 I flushed out all the magnums in favor of cheaper and more practical(for me) calibers.

I've been thinking about getting out of 7.62x54mmR. I have about 3000 rounds of it available for my Mosin Nagant, but truth be told I don't ever shoot the gun anymore

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Sounds like a good reason to get a VEPR in 7.62x54, if you ask me.... or an SVT... or PSL... or...

Yes, yes, yes, I did it...

I bought a Glock 37 several years ago. It was under $400 NIB including the transfer fee- how could I pass that up?!

And I shoot it fairly often. I use the same Speer Custom Comp 185gr JHP that I regularly load in 45ACP for plinking steel plates.

It does feel redundant to have a second 45cal pistol cartridge. The ballistic data are comparable between the two cartridges. Magazine limitations to 10 rounds don't bother me so much. I can only get 7 in my 1911. What it really boiled down to was that it was an inexpensive way to get into a new cartridge. I reload with my 45ACP dies. I only had to buy brass from Starline (and also bought some NYS police once fired range brass. I'm not comfortable shooting cast bullets, and I mostly stick with the above mentioned 185g JHP's. Not really a need for this cartridge- I totally agree. But I enjoy it still.

David,
Have you sold the top ends already? Will they include mags? I take it the G38 will fit 23 sized frames?
I own a 37 and do reload, so it's a wash for me. Any spare brass?

The Pennsylvania State Police got out of the .45GAP last year.

In 2007, they adopted the .45GAP Glock 37 Gen 3 as their new standard issue sidearm, which replaced the .40S&W Beretta Model 96D that were in service.

In 2013, they adopted the .45ACP Glock 21 Gen 4 as their new standard issue sidearm, which replaced all the .45GAP Glock 37 Gen 3 that were in service.

This year, they adopted the .45ACP SIG P-227R as their new standard issue sidearm and is being issued to new academy recruits. It will eventually replace all .45ACP Glock 21 Gen 4 in service.

The Springfield xd in .45 gap was selling new for $299 for a while as they were just trying to unload them.

Don't know that I'd get out of anything given the political climate and the likelihood of another ban.
If the Dems get a majority in congress in November, expect another ban, that will not sunset.

Some folks say, "Don't get all political"...but in all honesty, guns are a political issue as much as safety issue.
If you try to go non-political, it ends up getting the gun-owners bent over,
because the anti-gun folks are most assuredly using Everything within their means to nuke us.

Like it or lump it, its the truth.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.


The .22 issue...sooner or later it'll clear up. Why??
Well, you've got a couple dozen major MFR's making .22lr weapons, and they want to sell them.
If folks aren't buying due to ammo shortage, sooner or later those MFR's are going to pressure ammo MFR's.
Without cheap .22lr, you end up with no new gun sales...no new gun sales means no profit...
Without cheap .22lr, you've also got fewer folks at the range...range doesn't make money, range closes...
Without cheap .22lr, less hunting of small game/predators occurs...with the resulting population explosions...
Without cheap ammo of all kinds, all gun sales suffer, all ranges suffer, and it becomes Golf...exorbitant prices to play...

On the upside, I've still got plenty of arrows
Might as well switch platforms and work on my archery skills until the ammo situation gets better!!

Trimming down calibers is something I've done the last few years for simplicity and cost reasons. Agree on the .22 ammo, it's crazy. I haven't shot mine in a year because I don't want to use the cheap ammo I have and be forced to buy gouge prices and become a part of the problem. If folks stop paying those prices things will return to normal more quickly. I believe the prices will come down eventually.

Calibers I shoot regularly:
9mm, 9mm mak, 7.62x39

Calibers of which I own guns for but have all but abandoned:
.22LR, 20 ga, 30.06 Springfield

Calibers which I shoot once in a while and always bring a smile to my face:
7.62x25, .357 mag, .45 LC, .45acp, .32acp, 7.62x54r

I don't think I will ever go back to .22 LR, but I'll never sell the guns because its good for the kids to shoot.

I don't know why I would "get out" of .22, though I certainly shoot much less now than I did before. my stocks on .22 are... meh. I have enough that I can go out and have some fun here and there, but not so much that I can shoot anywhere near as much as I would like. But, not being able to shoot it doesn't mean that I won't shoot it ever again, as I do believe that the stocks will eventually catch back up at some point.

I really don't have any calibers that I will get out of, but like some, I have guns that I definitely don't shoot as much or at all. With the exception of military surplus rifles, I have been very careful to only buy calibers within a certain range, and as much as I wanted to try the .357Sig and some other oddballs, I have stuck with the popular calibers. Doing so has kept me in ammo even in the tough times.

What I have done is become significantly more interested in air guns. A large percentage of that interest is the ammo shortage and just liking to shoot, a small percentage of that is the fact that I can shoot in my basement to my hearts content and not burn gas to get out to the range. For the exact same reasons, my interest in archery has rekindled and grown quite large. I even bought my kids BB guns for their birthdays this week and have enjoyed sitting in the basement with them and their Papa shooting. I like my big booms, but at the end of the day, I just like to shoot.

I only use 9mm and 45 for the past few years. I still have another 6 or 7 calibers laying around, just in case I fall over a 22,38 or 32 380 etc I can't pass up. But there is nothing that those 2 won't do for me unless I needed a 460, 454, or 50 caliber for some bizarre reason. And for that I have rifles, and shotguns. The 9 and 45 will dispatch a human as quickly as anything of a similar nature.
Since I don't hunt they are strictly for defensive purposes, Sport ,Target and protection. If necessary I could shoot an animal with either but again I don't see that need arising.
Since pistols are so similar in their ability to do damage on humans, it's really a matter of why I would require any other caliber that I made this decision when I did.
I probably would just have gone with one or the other if 45 was not so expensive. I believe in having at least 1000 rounds per caliber, so it makes life easier.
As it stands now it's just me who shoots, no kids and my wife has no interest and suffers from bad arthritis in her hands, and is very stubborn about even getting a shot of cortisone, "which sometimes will clear it up wit just 1 shot every 4 or 5 years.
I had that experience with a bad back so I know how it feels.
I have a dozen weapons and ammo for all of them, so that's my reason

I shoot primarily .45ACP and sometimes 9mm, so I don't plan on buying any more .357sig or .40SW other than what I have right now. I still have a few cases of each, so it'll be a long time before I really need to think about it though.

.22lr is something I haven't bought in a long while, but I'm not giving up on it.