45 acp vs. 45 gap

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the gap is a shortened acp loaded to acp+p pressure to get standard pressure 45auto balistics out of the 9mm/40 s&w sized frames.IMHO it is already fading into niche status.get a acp its more powerful(you can use +p)and ammo is everywhere
 
They're pretty much ballistically identical. Pressure is higher with the GAP cartridge, as has already been stated. IIRC, the reason behind the GAP's invention was to allow a doublestack .45 in a platform made for 9mm/.40 Shorty. You didn't have to increase magwell length - only width (I believe). The .45 is 23mm long, IIRC. Those few extra millimeters cause you to change your grip radically on a gun.

That said, I don't know if users of the .45 GAP would notice much difference if the gun was modified a bit to take .45 ACP. I think it might make the manufacturer's jobs easier, and the GAP cartridge might be a better choice for subcompact .45s.
 
GAP is a shortened case that 'SOMEHOW' is saposto have as much power as a non-shortened case.

And It's ALOT harder to get ammo...
 
I like the idea of the GAP.

I hope it catches on.

Until it does though, I'll stick with the ACP.
 
Well, for what it's worth, Springfield is no longer offering the XD in .45 GAP. It has never caught on, and is very unlikely to catch on, in my opinion. Also, apparently, in other peoples opinion because in an article in the most recent Guns and Ammo, a writer said that he thought that the GAP was on the way out. I must make clear that this was his own speculation and not some sort of inside information, but it was still his opinion that the GAP was wack.
 
Until a gun in .45GAP comes out that is smaller than the Kahr P45 I see absolutely zero reason for .45GAP to exist.

The XD in .45GAP is discontinued because if you handled the XD45GAP vs. the XD45ACP you'd scratch your head and ask what's the difference except more expensive and harder to find .45GAP ammo!

I suspect .45GAP will always be available in Glocks, and just like the 7.62 Nagant, ammo will always be available if yoiu are willing to pay the price premium for it. Although I suspect a whole lot more Nagant revolvers are out there than are guns chambered in .45GAP.

--wally.
 
The Glock 37 full size 45GAP has allowed a person like me with small hands enjoy shooting a larger caliber. One thing that I am not happy about are the price differences between GAP and ACP (close to a dollar higher). Since the Glock 21SF (slim frame) came out I am going to sell the GAP to pay for the new G21SF. Anyone interested? Listing it in 2 days. :)
 
Just because its been discontinued doesn't mean they will stop trying to sell what's already been imported.

We got a great deal on the Beretta 9000S after it was discontinued. Has worked very well for my wife, but its a standard 9mm. You still run into them at gun shows "new in the box" from time to time.

--wally.
 
Just because its been discontinued doesn't mean they will stop trying to sell what's already been imported.

My point was, is Springfield discontinuing the .45GAFFE just rumor or does someone have proof?
 
The 45 GAP will limp on for awhile. The New York State Police and the Georgia State Patrol are going to the 45 GAP Glocks.

I imagine a few other mid-size departments will transition to it and this will give the round some life. But I don't think it will ever be a serious challenger for the 45 ACP, 40 S&W or even the 9mm Luger.

I believe it will be similar to the 357 Sig, which is another round that is carried by some police departments around the country but nothing like the Big Three.
 
Well, to be fair to the .357sig, hasn't it been around quite a while longer than the GAP? It's a round that I personally have no interest in, but it is apparently popular enough for my local Walmart to stock them.
 
GAP is a shortened case that 'SOMEHOW' is saposto have as much power as a non-shortened case.
Click to expand...

Not supposed to, it does get about as much power as the non-shortened case by running higher pressures. Sure, it's not as versatile due to case length and bullet weight limits, and can't match +P in .45 ACP. But, .45 ACP +P is fairly rare, and the inability to use diverse loadings isn't much of an issue since the niche it's designed for is police/self defense work. Not too much need for load diversity there. Overall, it fulfills it's job of matching standard pressure .45 ACP quite nicely.

I chalk it up as a poor planning, good design, poor execution sort of thing. The .45 ACP is far too well entrenched for a parallel cartridge to survive. If Glock had released a slim grip G36 variant in .45 GAP, if Kahr had released their PM-45 in .45 GAP, or if a manufacturer made a slimmer gripped 1911 in .45 GAP, they might have found a fairly lucrative niche for the round. Too bad.
 
if Kahr had released their PM-45 in .45 GAP
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Pick-up a Kahr P40 and compare to the Kahr P45. There is not enough difference in the grips to make the 45GAP worthwhile.

I didn't know there is a smaller PM45, if so would leave even less reason for .45GAP to exist.

--wally.
 
I'll just say this... They are both great cartridges, but to replace a great and proven one like the ACP, you have to be truly awesome. I have both and can say that the GAP kicks a little less to me.... but will it be enough to keep it around? I hope so. Good luck deciding.
 
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