.45ACP vs .45 GAP?
- Thread starter all4glock
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The "search" function is your friend. Lots of info on .45acp/.45gap comparisons already on this board. 
Provided that you can get adequate volumes of ammunition and can afford it, it is a good alternative to the .45acp if you want a smaller pistol platform. For defensive purposes against two-legged varmits, it is an ideal .45 caliber cartridge. Sure, the .45acp can use +P loads, but +P isn't very practical for defensive purposes.
Provided that you can get adequate volumes of ammunition and can afford it, it is a good alternative to the .45acp if you want a smaller pistol platform. For defensive purposes against two-legged varmits, it is an ideal .45 caliber cartridge. Sure, the .45acp can use +P loads, but +P isn't very practical for defensive purposes.
moooose102
Member
i am not a fan of specialty cartridges either. what are you going to do in 10 years after glock drops that from their line up, and salse for that ammo plummit. no one will make it, and you will be scrounging every corner for old outdated ammo that is very scarce. 45 acp has been around for so long that if they quit making guns in that caliber today for ever. there would be enough demand for ammo to last for another 100 years.
highlander 5
Member
45 acp gets my vote. Tons of brass,readily available bullets,cast and jacketed,a myriad of powders that can be used in it. Who could ask for more.
.45gap for people with small hands that want .45acp power. Problem is, is that the GAP will only reach the the low end performance of some .45 acp rounds. I do believe the .45GAP will have the same grip size as the 9mm glocks (17 ect...)
get what suites you best.
get what suites you best.
BlindJustice
Member
Hmm, not a fan of proprietary cartridges...
like .45 COLT
.38 S&W Special
or heck >45 Automatic COLT Pistol
Almost all centerfire have some label
with the original company's name tagged
on to it.
The only justification for .45 GAP is for the
platforms originally designed for 9x19 aka 9MM
Prarbellum, popularly called 9MM Luger. However,
in .45 ACP +P certainly is a valid option for personal
protection and in performance the .45 GAP can't touch
it. Most .45 ACP +P with heavier bullets in the
cartridge/loading are still sub sonic and a great HD/SD
option IMHO.
Randall
like .45 COLT
.38 S&W Special
or heck >45 Automatic COLT Pistol
Almost all centerfire have some label
with the original company's name tagged
on to it.
The only justification for .45 GAP is for the
platforms originally designed for 9x19 aka 9MM
Prarbellum, popularly called 9MM Luger. However,
in .45 ACP +P certainly is a valid option for personal
protection and in performance the .45 GAP can't touch
it. Most .45 ACP +P with heavier bullets in the
cartridge/loading are still sub sonic and a great HD/SD
option IMHO.
Randall
glockman19
Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2007
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- 3,700
.45acp
FMJMIKE
Member
.45 ACP = Time proven winner!!!.....
.45 GAP = A temporary gimmick.......
.45 GAP = A temporary gimmick.......
possum
Member
acp is the way to go, ammo avalibility. no matter if you are reloading or buying the ammo off the shelf there are more proven loads for the acp that have been around for years that works.
evan price
Member
.45 GAP = .45 Special.
It's the same everything as ACP just a bit less powder.
Buy either, learn to reload.
It's the same everything as ACP just a bit less powder.
Buy either, learn to reload.
Not really for the .40 S&W
More power and better penetration (especially useful against light barriers) than a .45 ACP, including +P loads, in a more compact format which allowed the chambering in all the excellent pre-existing 9 mm combat pistol platforms without modification and circa 1.5 more magazine capacity on average compared to the typical fortyfive.
The spectacular success of the .40 in both the civilian market and the law enforcement market doesn't really need further comment.
Maybe nobody asked the question but the answer is excellent....
Unlike many cartridges today, the .40S&W is one of the few that was actually designed as a solution to a problem. That problem being that the FBI wanted a cartridge that improved on the terminal effects of the 9mm with good capacity. In addition, the new cartridge needed to penetrate common FBI testing barriers better than the 9mm or .45acp. The .40S&W improved on the 9mm in non expanding effects with its more obtuse semi-wadcutter bullet profile, and it improved on expansion effects with a more rapid mushrooming effect. Up until the wide use of autos in LE, the ideal handgun bullet designs were in revolvers. Notice the semi-wadcutter bullet profiles of the .357mag, .41mag, and .44mag in JHP format. This is the ideal bullet profile for maximizing expansion, tissue cutting, and tissue disruption. The 10mm was originally to be this desired cartridge, but after extensive testing they settled on a 10mm load that pushed a 180gr Sierra bullet at 980fps. Smith and Wesson and Winchester determined that the 10mm was a waste given those desired performance levels, so they created the .40S&W which is probably the most common law enforcement caliber on the market.......for a very good reason.
That being said, the 9mm does have some feeding advantages and some barrier penetration advantages. Not to mention it is easier to control. I do however consider the .40S&W to be a much better police and duty caliber than any .45 caliber alternatives.
Thunder496
Member
I agree, and there is even a State law enforcement agency that started issuing it I just don’t remember witch one. I think it was NY Highway Patrol. They wanted a more powerful round without having to retrain from the Glock 9mm’s they had been using.
BTW the Glock 39 only holds 6+1 of .45 GAP and the Glock 30 holds 10+1 of .45 ACP. There is also the Glock 36 that is a single stack 6+1 .45ACP
Andrew Wyatt
Member
Why is the G23 off the list?
KINGMAX
Member
45 acp
kejam
Member
I think you answered your question, GAP is more expensive and harder to come by. Plus .45 is not goin away, the GAP who knows. Go with .45 its a safe choice for the long haul.
KINGMAX
Member
45 GAP, 357 SIG, 327 MAG all are experiments that will pass just like gas.
Lots of people bash the .45GAP. It is an excellent round. The same is true for the .45ACP. They essentially have the same ballistics. The .45GAP allows for a smaller grip, but the ammo is harder to find and more expensive. The .45ACP requires a slightly larger grip, but the ammo is easy to find and less expensive than GAP. Either choice would be fine. They will both put .45 holes in targets with the same accuracy and effectiveness. However, it is a personal choice based on the pros and cons of each round.
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