Glock 37 .45 GAP

[floritucky]

acquiring a gen4 Glock 37, 4 mags, and 1100 rounds of Ammo at a steal. I couldnt say no.

i have been a fan of the .45 ACP most of my gun life. but never got into the GAP rounds.

first question is mag capacity. its 10 rounds vs 13 in the 21. im trying to understand why that happened? i get the round is shorter but the diameter is the same, and the height of the glocks are only 1mm difference. anyone more knowledgeable then i that understands the reason?

second question. i know i considered GAP once before and there was plenty online. this was only about 3 years ago. right now under ammo seek i see 2 listings for the same ammo at $40 a box. i understand the current ammo situation in general, so my question for those GAP guys out there. is the lack of .45 GAP option temporary due to the current Ammo situation or has the GAP options died that much in 3 years? i am trying to figure out if its something i can expect to buy ammo for online down the road once we get back to somewhat normal or is it just simply dead as a round and i need to get back into reloading once i turn some of my rounds into brass. places like minuteman munitions no longer have it listed as an option. but I wasnt sure if thats because they stopped making it, or just temporarily focusing efforts on whats needed most right now.

third. i dont even see any 37,38, or 39 for sale online. did they simply stop making them? i understand that they were mostly kept alive by agencies that are now moving away from GAP. i know we may see some surplus 37 and 39's pop up soon, but the 38 just seem to be "wait for a collector that never sells to sell his". which is a shame because if i have to go as far as get back into reloading just to keep ammo, it would be a good excuse to have the 38 and 39 as well.

and lastly, from GAP guys, any additional thoughts? anything you wanna tell a new GAP owner? before my nasty devorce that left me selling most of my guns and such, i had a good collection going but never did get anything in GAP despite coming close a few times. sadly, i think the rounds i am getting is 200 grain. while i would want to look for 230 in the future or for reloading just because thats what i know with .45 ACP. nothing wrong with 200 and it will due just fine, but reloading down the road i will probably stick with 230 if i can.

one last thing i almost forgot. conversions, i see conversions to .40 S&W but couldnt find any to any other caliber like 9mm. only care for maybe some range fun with ammo that can be found locally (once the current situation dies down in a few months... or years).

 

[JTQ]

first question is mag capacity. its 10 rounds vs 13 in the 21. im trying to understand why that happened? i get the round is shorter but the diameter is the same, and the height of the glocks are only 1mm difference. anyone more knowledgeable then i that understands the reason?

Because the G21 is a much bigger gun. The G37 is a G17/G22 size gun. The whole design was to get a .45 caliber round in a gun that was the same size as a 9mm/.40 S&W gun. There is less room in that grip size for a .45 caliber round than in the G21.

If you've ever handled a G21 and a G17 back to back, you'll realize this immediately.

 

[jmr40]

The 45 GAP was a failed experiment. Normally I'd advise staying away from the gun and round, but if I could get a gun and 1100 rounds of ammo cheap I'd buy it. I'd shoot up the ammo and then sell the gun when the ammo was gone. Unless I could flip it at a profit. Which might be the best route now. There are people who can't find any gun, nor ammo for them.

The shorter GAP round is loaded from the factory to +P pressures which gets it pretty close to standard pressure 45 ACP performance. But you can always load 45 ACP for better performance.

Glock literally gave the Georgia State Patrol Glock pistols in 45 GAP several years ago in order to get some interest in the gun. The troopers couldn't stand them and they replaced them with G17's after just a couple of years. In today's world nobody wants 10 rounds of standard pressure 45 when they can have 17 rounds or hot +P 9mm ammo. I don't see much of a future for the 45 GAP except as a curiosity.

You can buy a S&W M&P in 45 ACP and have a gun the same size that shoots much easier to find ammo if you like 45. It also comes with 10 round capacity and 14 round extended magazines are available for the Smith. You have the option of standard pressure rounds that do anything 45 GAP does, and much more potent +p loads.

 

[JTQ]

third. i dont even see any 37,38, or 39 for sale online. did they simply stop making them?

What other models of guns are you finding available on-line? I stopped trying to buy guns back in April.

I've never bought from them, but frequently use Davidson's Gallery of Guns as a data point for price and availability. There isn't much of anything available.

https://www.galleryofguns.com/default.aspx

 

[floritucky]

Because the G21 is a much bigger gun. The G37 is a G17/G22 size gun. The whole design was to get a .45 caliber round in a gun that was the same size as a 9mm/.40 S&W gun. There is less room in that grip size for a .45 caliber round than in the G21.

If you've ever handled a G21 and a G17 back to back, you'll realize this immediately.

at one time i had the 21, 22 and a 17. i do recall a size difference but i guess i was just thinking about mag length. didnt consider width as well. the slide width is still more on the 37 then the 17 so i guess i just didnt think about the grip width i was thinking of the 37 more as a 21 SF similar. so thank you! im gonna go look at the measurements and such now.

The 45 GAP was a failed experiment. Normally I'd advise staying away from the gun and round, but if I could get a gun and 1100 rounds of ammo cheap I'd buy it. I'd shoot up the ammo and then sell the gun when the ammo was gone. Unless I could flip it at a profit. Which might be the best route now. There are people who can't find any gun, nor ammo for them.

The shorter GAP round is loaded from the factory to +P pressures which gets it pretty close to standard pressure 45 ACP performance. But you can always load 45 ACP for better performance.

Glock literally gave the Georgia State Patrol Glock pistols in 45 GAP several years ago in order to get some interest in the gun. The troopers couldn't stand them and they replaced them with G17's after just a couple of years. In today's world nobody wants 10 rounds of standard pressure 45 when they can have 17 rounds or hot +P 9mm ammo. I don't see much of a future for the 45 GAP except as a curiosity.

You can buy a S&W M&P in 45 ACP and have a gun the same size that shoots much easier to find ammo if you like 45. It also comes with 10 round capacity and 14 round extended magazines are available for the Smith. You have the option of standard pressure rounds that do anything 45 GAP does, and much more potent +p loads.

if i was looking at another carry gun maybe i would consider all these things. while i do think of most (not all) of firearms as being potentially a self defense weapon (making sure every room in the house has one handy, etc.) this purchase wasnt really an attempt to have a primary weapon of any sort. i have handled and shot the 37 on many occasions and dont have any issues with it from a user standpoint there. as for flipping the gun. not a bad idea, but after having to sell so many a few years back. i have kinda made a self promise to never sell another gun again (exceptions being MAYBE if i just absolutely hate it or sever reliability issues or something). as someone who enjoyed having strange things like a .222 rifle, NAA mini revolvers, and other not-so-practical firearms. im comfortable with having and keeping this one.

side note. i have a M&P9 and i plan to never own another M&P short of a crazy good price. i hate its takedown (having to insert the mag just to release the slide) and it just doesnt impress me in any way. i dont hate it, but i dont like it enough to ever desire another. currently owning XD, M&P and glock. and have had in the past own many other Glocks and XD as well as other poly's. i can say it really says something that i never had more then the one M&P.

What other models of guns are you finding available on-line? I stopped trying to buy guns back in April.

I've never bought from them, but frequently use Davidson's Gallery of Guns as a data point for price and availability. There isn't much of anything available.

https://www.galleryofguns.com/default.aspx

didnt really think about the availability of others. i havent really bought any guns since the previously mentioned selling of a large portion of what i had so i just seen that nobody had these 3 in stock and assumed. but you make a fair point. it could just be that nobody has anything. bad time for me to start buying and getting back into the hobby i guess.

 

[5-SHOTS]

In my opinion you made a right move. I'd keep it as a "backup pistol" for ammo shortage period like this one. I'd also buy other .45GAP ammo when found them at good price and store them in the safe.

 

[JTQ]

...the slide width is still more on the 37 then the 17 ...

As a data point. The Gen 5 G22 will have a slide similar to the G37 rather than the G17 as in the previous generations.

 

[JTQ]

side note. i have a M&P9 a... i hate its takedown (having to insert the mag just to release the slide)

I've never owned an M&P, but I'm not familiar with that "feature". Is that procedure in the owners manual?

 

[floritucky]

I've never owned an M&P, but I'm not familiar with that "feature". Is that procedure in the owners manual?

not sure. i dont have one. though im sure its on the internet. i may have it wrong in my memory. i havent field stripped it in a long time. i rarely take it to the range. i remember something funky about the takedown that i didnt like. and i thought it was having to insert the magazine back after emptying it but i could be remembering incorrectly. the core of my memory is not liking the way it field stripped.

might find the manual online later tonight and refresh my memory on why i didnt like it.

 

[floritucky]

I've never owned an M&P, but I'm not familiar with that "feature". Is that procedure in the owners manual?

not sure. i dont have one. though im sure its on the internet. i may have it wrong in my memory. i havent field stripped it in a long time. i rarely take it to the range. i remember something funky about the takedown that i didnt like. and i thought it was having to insert the magazine back after emptying it but i could be remembering incorrectly. the core of my memory is not liking the way it field stripped.

might find the manual online later tonight and refresh my memory on why i didnt like it.

my apologies. i got a few things mixed up in memory. lesson learned to be sure before posting and looking like a fool.

what i didn't like was that the takedown involves using a tool built into the frame to flip the sear deactivation lever down. which i always had a bit of a hard time reaching it and flipping it down. there is no specific grab point for the tool. and i always had a bit of a time getting the tool out of the frame at times as well.

were the magazine comes into play is that, for some reason, the sear deactivation lever does not need to be down if you place the magazine in the firearm it seams to bypass this feature all together and allows you to field strip it with the magazine in place bypassing the sear deactivation lever requirement. I myself, as part of my firearm cleaning protocol, take all my ammo from my mags and chamber and place them in another room before cleaning. and so i believe I cheated on field stripping as it was quicker to use the mag then the tool. and that's were my memory of using the mag to field strip the gun game from. and I never liked that I did it that way but sometimes i would just be too frustrated with the tool method to bother doing it that way. shame on me. but either way. that's were that memory came from I think.

 

[giggitygiggity]

Glock literally gave the Georgia State Patrol Glock pistols in 45 GAP several years ago in order to get some interest in the gun. The troopers couldn't stand them and they replaced them with G17's after just a couple of years.

Can you elaborate on why “the troopers couldn’t stand them”? I ask because the PA State Police moved from the Beretta 96 Brigadier which had a long DAO trigger pull to the Glock 37 (gen 3) and all troopers that I personally know liked the change. That said, I think the caliber was less relevant than the fact that the Glock trigger pull was lighter and shorter than the long, albeit smooth, Beretta trigger pull.

OP, if you reload, the difference between .45 GAP and .45 ACP is largely irrelevant so long as you have enough brass upfront to keep reloading. If you plan to buy ammo, the .45 ACP is the better choice as it is, under non-COVID/protests/election seasons, easier to find and about 1/2 the price of the GAP. Personally, I shoot my Glock 37 Gen3 better than all my other Glocks (19 Gen5, 21 Gen3&4, 30SF). However, if I were in a gunfight, I’d want a G21 with 3 more rounds in the standard mag and the ability to feed it with aftermarket 27-28rd mags.

That said, lots of folks will decry the GAP. Don’t confuse a failure of the round to gain widespread popularity with the performance of the round. It’s a good, reliable round and I’m confident you’ll enjoy your G37.

 

[TTv2]

The GAP wasn't a failed experiment, but one that didn't have any foresight in that the AWB was reaching its 10 year sunset and Congress at the time had no intent to extend the AWB. The concept was a novel one, but once magazines with over 10 rds were released from federal prison, the Gap didn't have any purpose other than if people really wanted a .45 in a 9mm sized gun.

If I want more power than 9mm, a heavier bullet than 9mm in a 9mm sized gun, I'd rather have the .40 than .45 GAP because it's a difference of 5 more rounds in a magazine and that is not an insignificant amount. I'm sure some are going to do a double, maybe a triple take when they read that someone is saying the .40 is a better choice because all we hear is it's losing popularity, it is, but at least unlike many other calibers, .40 has popularity to lose.

Does .45 GAP have any use today? Only if you live in a state with an AWB, but given how unpopular the caliber is, I'd be hesitant to own one today if I lived in one of those states given those states will likely pass an online ammo sales law and then you'll be stuck buying from local shops who never stock it and if they do charge a buck a round for FMJ.

 

[9mmepiphany]

my apologies. i got a few things mixed up in memory. lesson learned to be sure before posting and looking like a fool.

what i didn't like was that the takedown involves using a tool built into the frame to flip the sear deactivation lever down. which i always had a bit of a hard time reaching it and flipping it down. there is no specific grab point for the tool. and i always had a bit of a time getting the tool out of the frame at times as well.

were the magazine comes into play is that, for some reason, the sear deactivation lever does not need to be down if you place the magazine in the firearm it seams to bypass this feature all together and allows you to field strip it with the magazine in place bypassing the sear deactivation lever requirement. I myself, as part of my firearm cleaning protocol, take all my ammo from my mags and chamber and place them in another room before cleaning. and so i believe I cheated on field stripping as it was quicker to use the mag then the tool. and that's were my memory of using the mag to field strip the gun game from. and I never liked that I did it that way but sometimes i would just be too frustrated with the tool method to bother doing it that way. shame on me. but either way. that's were that memory came from I think.

Not to cast aspersions, but to avoid confusion for future reader, I'd like to post some clarifications

1. The M&P manual instructs to remove the tool (that retains the backstrap to the gripframe) and use it to depress the Deactivation lever to free up the slide for removal
1(a) the common way owners depress the Deactivation lever is by inserting their pinky finger into the ejection port
2. If you insert the magazine into the frame it presses up on the lever (the magazine is designed to raise the lever when inserted) and will additionally physically block the slide from moving forward and off the frame.
3. The other way to disassemble the M&P (which the Deactivation lever was meant to prevent...for safety reasons) is the release the striker by pressing the trigger...as you would on a Glock

 

[9mmepiphany]

Does .45 GAP have any use today?

I have recently seen them used in revolvers chambered in .45ACP. They load easily into moonclips, use SPP, allow faster reloads and more reliable ejection

 

[TTv2]

I have recently seen them used in revolvers chambered in .45ACP. They load easily into moonclips, use SPP, allow faster reloads and more reliable ejection

Same principal as .38 Short Colt in .357. Makes sense, I didn't know people were using rimless .45 revolvers in competition. Would have figured 9mm would be preferred given some 9mm revolvers can hold 8 rds.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Any way to possibly convert it from a .45 Gap to another caliber by barrel, spring and Mag changes?

 

[CDW4ME]

If under a 10 round limit (now or in the future) 45 GAP is a good choice.
I have a Glock 38 which has a shorter barrel than the 37 and 8 round magazine; the 38 is a 19/23 size frame with a thicker slide.

 

[Miami_JBT]

.45 GAP – THE CARTRIDGE THAT SHOULD HAVE REPLACED .45 ACP



The .45 GLOCK Auto Pistol cartridge, otherwise commonly known as the .45 GAP, was and is still a very viable cartridge for the 21st Century.

It was developed by Ernest Durham, of CCI/Speer in November 2002 at the request of GLOCK to have a cartridge that’s the same overall length as a 9x19mm cartridge, but be equal in power to a .45 ACP cartridge. It was introduced to the shooting world in 2003 to much fanfare and support from a number of industry writers and critics.

Speer originally released the cartridge in a Gold Dot defensive load where a 200gr JHP round was pushed out at 1,050 ft/sec and delivered about 490 ft-lbs in energy. That load replicated the +P .45 ACP loads that Speer was making at the time.


They later released the cartridge in a 230gr load that achieved 935 ft/sec and delivered 445 ft-lbs of energy. That’s similar to other non +P .45 ACP loads.

GLOCK, of course, offered standard, compact, and sub-compact-sized pistol chambered for the round. The frames were the same size as their 9mm/.40 S&W counterparts and though the slide was slightly wider. The .45 GAP chambered guns fit in most holsters made for the lesser diameter pistols.

The GLOCK 37 was, of course, the full-size duty pistol. Having a total capacity of 10+1 rounds. It served well with five big law enforcement agencies; the Florida Highway Patrol, Georgia State Patrol, South Carolina Highway Patrol, New York State Police, and Pennsylvania State Police.

Smaller county and city agencies issued .45 GAP GLOCKs, too. Agencies like the Melbourne (FL) Police Department, Burden (KS) Police Department, Greenville (NC) Police Department, the Berkeley (MO) Police Department, and others.


I carried a G37 during my career as a uniform patrol officer and actually enjoyed it. At no point did I ever feel under-armed. With a total of 41 rounds on me plus a backup Smith & Wesson 642, I think I did pretty well.

Shooting it was a hoot. It was smooth and comfortable, exhibited little recoil and no snappiness. Prior to the G37, I was issued a G22 in .40 S&W and I found both to be equals. I love the .40 S&W.

Both .45 GAP and .40 S&W are great cartridges that are highly misunderstood. They’re fantastic duty cartridges and do the right job for their intended tasks.

Other manufacturers got on board and chambered guns in .45 GAP, too. HS Produkt, the manufacturer of the Springfield XD (HS2000) offered it for a period of time. It was marketed and marked as the Springfield Armory XD-45LE.


It came with 10-round capacity magazines and had the option of a 4-inch or 5-inch barrel.

Other than the G37, GLOCK also made the G38 with an 8-round capacity and little G39 with a 6-round capacity.


So, while it may repulse many in the gun community, I’m an enthusiastic defender of the .45 GAP round. Yes, you read that right. I’m defending the cartridge and openly stating that I like it.

The .45 GAP is what should have replaced the .45 ACP industry wide. By comparison, the .45 ACP is outdated and a waste of space. The cartridge dates from a bygone era of black powder and horse-mounted cavalry attacking infantry with sabers.


.45 GAP (left) next to .45 ACP (right).
Why carry a cartridge that’s outdated, wastes space and makes the gun unnecessarily bigger when you can carry a smaller cartridge and gun that achieves the same power? It isn’t logical, and you know things had gone a little differently, you’d be carrying a gun chambered in .45 GAP right now.

The .45 GAP simply was released in the wrong era. The cartridge was GLOCK hedging its bets that the 1994 Clinton “assault weapons” ban would be permanently renewed by President George W. Bush. It’s no coincidence that the full-size G37 holds 10 rounds.

During the ban, GLOCK did very well selling their pistols for a few reasons. One was they had a great marketing strategy. Get as many of them out into police holsters and on both the big and small screens. Back before the AWB came into effect, they would go to a police department and allow the agency to trade in their old stock of guns and magazines, even if they were a competitor’s product. Why? Because they’d flip the guns and mags on the used market.

When the AWB kicked in, it was the dawn of the era of the .40 S&W and agencies left and right were trading in their Wondernines for the hot new caliber. GLOCK did the same thing with their own stock of 9mm pistols. They’d go to an agency and swap the older pre-ban Gen1 and Gen2 9mm guns and mags for brand new .40 S&W G22s. They’d then take those used, but still very valuable pre-ban magazines and sell them for a good price.

By the start of the 21st Century, they figured the supply of pre-ban mags would start to decline. Brand new full-size 9mm and .40 S&W guns weren’t going to sell as well when the buyer couldn’t get 15-round or 17-round magazines for their new gun. Why buy and carry a 10-round limited G17 or G22 when a 10-round G37 made more sense.

That’s why the popularity of the 1911 was resuscitated after the AWB was signed into law. Suddenly having a 8-round single-stack 1911 made more sense because it was “thinner” and “had more knockdown power.” A 10-round .45 GAP G37 made even better sense since you could pack more ammo than a 1911, it was the same size and weight as a G17, but you still get the capabilities of the .45 ACP in an overall better package.

If the .45 GAP has been released when the .40 S&W came out (January, 1991), it would have taken the LE and civilian market by storm. The GLOCK 21 was released the prior year and the biggest complaint was that the frame was too big (it sold well anyway).

Everyone wanted a pistol that was just as capable as .45 ACP pistols, but in an overall smaller size. The same complaints were made about the SIG P220, S&W 4506, and Ruger P90. They were big guns. That’s what led to the huge popularity of .40 S&W. It gave the shooter more power than a 9mm, but still fit in a 9mm framed gun.

If the .45 GAP had come about then, everyone would have jumped on board because it would have duplicated or bettered the .45ACP. Agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigations, California Highway Patrol, US Border Patrol, City of Miami Police Department, and other big .40 S&W adopters might have gone with the .45 GAP instead.


Again, I carried a .45 GAP G37 for a while during my career as a beat cop. I truly loved the gun and the chambering. I’m on the hunt for an affordably priced G37 right now. I still have about 500 rounds of the Speer 200gr Gold Dot and I have it all on moon clips for my S&W Model 625. Yeah, they work great in .45 ACP chambered revolvers. It’s a hell of a self-defense cartridge.

So please stop looking down on the .45 GAP. It was a great idea released at the wrong time. It was a commercial flop not because it was an answer to a question no one asked, or because it wasn’t effective. It flopped because the market dynamics that would have benefited it changed.

The AWB ended (that was clearly a good thing), the majority of the market could buy full-capacity 9mm magazines again, and the evolution of ammunition benefited the popularity of the 9mm. But in truth, the .45 GAP was a very good idea that just didn’t catch on.

 

[Miami_JBT]

The 45 GAP was a failed experiment. Normally I'd advise staying away from the gun and round, but if I could get a gun and 1100 rounds of ammo cheap I'd buy it. I'd shoot up the ammo and then sell the gun when the ammo was gone. Unless I could flip it at a profit. Which might be the best route now. There are people who can't find any gun, nor ammo for them.

The shorter GAP round is loaded from the factory to +P pressures which gets it pretty close to standard pressure 45 ACP performance. But you can always load 45 ACP for better performance.

Glock literally gave the Georgia State Patrol Glock pistols in 45 GAP several years ago in order to get some interest in the gun. The troopers couldn't stand them and they replaced them with G17's after just a couple of years. In today's world nobody wants 10 rounds of standard pressure 45 when they can have 17 rounds or hot +P 9mm ammo. I don't see much of a future for the 45 GAP except as a curiosity.

You can buy a S&W M&P in 45 ACP and have a gun the same size that shoots much easier to find ammo if you like 45. It also comes with 10 round capacity and 14 round extended magazines are available for the Smith. You have the option of standard pressure rounds that do anything 45 GAP does, and much more potent +p loads.

I had a first gen M&P .45 and it sucked.

 

[AK103K]

I just picked up a basically NIB 37 about a month ago in a trade for a pretty good deal.

Really didnt need it, but it was kind of hard to turn down, and Im a tad bored and wanted something to fool around with. I already had a bunch of brass Id picked up when our state police were using our range for practice and just left it lay.

All my other Glocks are 9mm. I had a 21 and 30S in the past, but they really didnt float my boat, and they werent here long.

The 37 feels just like my 17's in my hand, although the slide does look a little off when you throw the gun up. Kind of looks swollen.

The gun is definitely noticeably heavier when you pick it up too.

Mine shoots really well and feels a lot better than my 21 did in the hand. I did already stipple the grip, as it was "slippy", and that was annoying.

If you reload, I dont think ammo will ever really be an issue. There seems to be plenty of brass available, and bullets and primers are easily sourced from other things (baring the current silliness).

Contrary to some of what I read around the web, 45acp dies dont work, or at least the Hornady and RCBS dies I have didnt. I ended up getting a cheap set of Lee "45 Glock" dies and its all good.

I was hoping to use the 230 grain fmj's I have around too, but it seems the 200 are the better bet. At least as far as load data for the powder I use goes. Im just going to order 200's for everything from now on to keep it simple.

The other downside now is, they use a small pistol primer. Not a big deal, but with the primer situation now, its not optimal. Ive been burning through my small pistol primers at their normal rate for other things, and have had to slow that down a good bit. I have plenty of large pistol primers and now a 45 that wont take them. Go figure.

If youre looking for mags, there was a boy over on Gun Broker that was selling factory 37 mags by the 3 pack for $40. They are used, but the three I got look basically new.

 

[scaatylobo]

acquiring a gen4 Glock 37, 4 mags, and 1100 rounds of Ammo at a steal. I couldnt say no.

i have been a fan of the .45 ACP most of my gun life. but never got into the GAP rounds.

first question is mag capacity. its 10 rounds vs 13 in the 21. im trying to understand why that happened? i get the round is shorter but the diameter is the same, and the height of the glocks are only 1mm difference. anyone more knowledgeable then i that understands the reason?

second question. i know i considered GAP once before and there was plenty online. this was only about 3 years ago. right now under ammo seek i see 2 listings for the same ammo at $40 a box. i understand the current ammo situation in general, so my question for those GAP guys out there. is the lack of .45 GAP option temporary due to the current Ammo situation or has the GAP options died that much in 3 years? i am trying to figure out if its something i can expect to buy ammo for online down the road once we get back to somewhat normal or is it just simply dead as a round and i need to get back into reloading once i turn some of my rounds into brass. places like minuteman munitions no longer have it listed as an option. but I wasnt sure if thats because they stopped making it, or just temporarily focusing efforts on whats needed most right now.

third. i dont even see any 37,38, or 39 for sale online. did they simply stop making them? i understand that they were mostly kept alive by agencies that are now moving away from GAP. i know we may see some surplus 37 and 39's pop up soon, but the 38 just seem to be "wait for a collector that never sells to sell his". which is a shame because if i have to go as far as get back into reloading just to keep ammo, it would be a good excuse to have the 38 and 39 as well.

and lastly, from GAP guys, any additional thoughts? anything you wanna tell a new GAP owner? before my nasty devorce that left me selling most of my guns and such, i had a good collection going but never did get anything in GAP despite coming close a few times. sadly, i think the rounds i am getting is 200 grain. while i would want to look for 230 in the future or for reloading just because thats what i know with .45 ACP. nothing wrong with 200 and it will due just fine, but reloading down the road i will probably stick with 230 if i can.

one last thing i almost forgot. conversions, i see conversions to .40 S&W but couldnt find any to any other caliber like 9mm. only care for maybe some range fun with ammo that can be found locally (once the current situation dies down in a few months... or years).

I got a Glock in .45GAP a few years back on a trade .

I was able to find plenty of ammo for her,so she went to the range and then home to the safe.

I was never tempted to carry her as I carried a S&W .40 on duty and off too.

I sold her about a year or 2 later and was not sad to see her go,NOT what I would say about many others I traded or sold off.

The State Police in NY adopted that round & gun,they have since gotten rid of them after about 10 years [ I believe ].

I own 2 Glock 30's [ in .45 ACP ] that have had the grip reduced and stippled,MUCH better than the GAP in my not so humble opinion.

But considering the current cluster fk of shortages & such = hang on to that piece and as was suggested ,buy ammo when you can.

btw = sounds like you got a good deadl !!

 

[tarosean]

The cartridge dates from a bygone era of black powder and horse-mounted cavalry attacking infantry with sabers.

LOL yet 9mm is older

 

[tarosean]

3. The other way to disassemble the M&P (which the Deactivation lever was meant to prevent...for safety reasons) is the release the striker by pressing the trigger...as you would on a Glock

Bingo... never once even tried to use the lever..

 

[1KPerDay]

Bingo... never once even tried to use the lever..

Me neither... to quote Yzma, “Why do we even HAVE that lever??”

 

[Miami_JBT]

LOL yet 9mm is older

It is, but 9x19mm isn't stuck in the mindset of the bygone era. The entire reason and creation of .45 ACP was to replicate the .45 M1887 military Ball Cartridge issued at the time. When 9x19mm was invented, they took forward thinking ideas like less mass at higher velocities equaled better performance. .45 ACP just tried to replicate the old slow .45 M1887 used by the cavalry and make it work in a semi-automatic.