.45 GAP

[Disabled1]

Being I have only owned one Glock (Gen 4 G17) in my 50 something years, I was interested in the .45 GAP round.
I was reading about the Gen 5 last night and decided to see what other Glocks were out in the world.
If, and again, I mean "IF" I were to buy another Glock (besides the Gen 5, maybe), I would be interested in the G38.
Can anyone with experience, that has owned/shot this model, give me the facts about the .45 GAP round? Is it anything like the .45 ACP? What kind of recoil does this round produce? How effective is it at 25'/7 yards? Or, anything else that you can tell me about it.
Thank You.

 

[colt_saa]

The 45GAP was designed to put 45ACP performance in a 9MM length frame.

This it does, however the ammunition selections are slim. There is no high performance versions like 45ACP+P and 45SUPER. The 45GAP is about at it limits in bare bones form.

If you have small hands, this might be up your alley. If you have average or above man sized hands, why not go to a 45ACP

My feeling is in a world where there is so much 45ACP choice in both firearms and ammunition, why would you want something that is "Like a 45ACP" instead of the original?

 

[HeavyDuty Ken]

The GAP has always interested me, too - but my worry is that it will fade away and become a rare and expensive specialty round, it's never gotten much traction.

 

[CQB27]

The .45 GAP is very similar to the .45 ACP in all aspects - velocity, recoil, common bullet weights. In fact so similar that I would hate to live on the difference.

It seems I read somewhere in all the recent Gen 5 hoopla that Glock does not intend to produce the Gen 5 in 40 cal/357 Sig or any other of the large frame models (G 21/30, G 20/29, G 37/38/39), as evidenced in the move from 2 pins to one pin in the locking block and trigger of the Gen 5 frame. If you are waiting for a gen 5 in 45 GAP, I fear the wait may be a long one.

 

[Arik]

I only shot it once and it was a while ago. I don't remember recoil being any different than the 45acp which is none existent in a Glock, at least to me. My 45acp Sigs, HKs, and 1911 all have more felt recoil....to me.

Honestly it's a solution in search of a problem. Few departments adopted it and almost all, if not all, have dropped it. Either because they switched caliber or simply went back to the 45acp.

The idea was to make a handgun closer to 9mm size

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[HeavyDuty Ken]

The main reason I've always been interested in GAP is the reduced grip diameter. However, the Gen 4 45 ACP reduced grip size has made that mostly moot for me anyways. If they would just do a 30s Gen 4... or a revised G36.

 

[CQB27]

Holster size differs between the the 45 ACP and 45 GAP too. The 45 GAP falls somewhere in between the 17 and 21 due to the G 37's 21 sized slide and 17/22 sized frame.

 

[Disabled1]

The 45GAP was designed to put 45ACP performance in a 9MM frame.

This it does, however the ammunition selections are slim. There is no high performance versions like 45ACP+P and 45SUPER. The 45GAP is about at it limits in bare bones form.

If you have small hands, this might be up your alley. If you have average or above man sized hands, why not go to a 45ACP

My feeling is in a world where there is so much 45ACP choice in both firearms and ammunition, why would you want something that is "Like a 45ACP" instead of the original?

I have rather large hands. I own 5 of the SD/SDVE model pistols. Like the SD/SDVE, the G38 is the same frame size. It's also the same size as the G19, G23, AND G32. There are BOOKOO people in the world with large hands that own these guns.
I used to own a .45 ACP in the late 90's. It was a Turkish brand called TIZAS.
And, why would I want a .45 GAP? Because, I have never owned one.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I disagree with the "solution in search of a problem" concept, WRT .45GAP. Putting .45ACP power in a 9mm-sized package was a novel approach to combining power and concealability at the time. You could get the same round count as a Govt Model/Commander 1911 in a smaller, lighter package. I was very interested in the GAP.

However, I would not get a GAP now. As has been said, ammo can be difficult to find. This is aside from the fact that with modern JHP loads terminal performance across the service calibers are all very similar. I see no practical reason for the GAP anymore.

But if you want one "just because," it's your money.

 

[federali]

Gap Vs. ACP

If the .45 GAP had gotten there first, the .45 ACP probably wouldn't exist. It is a .45 ACP in a smaller package but as others have said, this round is probably destined for extinction, not because it is ballistically inferior but because the field of self-defense/police cartridges is overcrowded.

 

[NYlakesider]

Our state police went to the GAP round for a couple reasons.

One of them was in case a trooper lost their gun(for whatever reason) whoever now had it would have a hard time finding ammo.

Other big reason was the amount of smaller statured people now in the ranks makes it a better fit to little hands. Course it kicks a bit!

Rumor has it the NYSP is going to dump their GAPs. Being this is the peoples republic of NY best guess they will be destroyed rather than traded in! Wasting taxpayer money comes easy to some people!

I have fired a couple GAPs, their OK but I have a few guns that fire full size .45 rounds and see no reason to get one!

 

[chief38]

My opinion is the main reason Glock came out with the 45 GAP is to have THEIR NAME on a cartridge. I would not buy a pistol in this caliber as it is not all that different from the .45acp in performance and like Colt SAA states above - good luck in getting ammo choices. .45 acp is EVERYWHERE and reasonable too.

 

[Arik]

I It's also the same size as the G19, G23, AND G32. :

Same with the G30S (not the G30 or G30SF)

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[Arik]

Our state police went to the GAP round for a couple reasons.

One of them was in case a trooper lost their gun(for whatever reason) whoever now had it would have a hard time finding ammo.

Other big reason was the amount of smaller statured people now in the ranks makes it a better fit to little hands. Course it kicks a bit!

Rumor has it the NYSP is going to dump their GAPs. Being this is the peoples republic of NY best guess they will be destroyed rather than traded in! Wasting taxpayer money comes easy to some people!

I have fired a couple GAPs, their OK but I have a few guns that fire full size .45 rounds and see no reason to get one!

PASP had the 45GAP but went back to 45acp a few years ago

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[BruceM]

Honestly it's a solution in search of a problem.

^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

Putting .45ACP power in a 9mm-sized package was a novel approach to combining power and concealability at the time.

So you mean the GAP took place before Smith & Wesson's "invention" of the .40 S&W round?

When it's all said and done, the biggest asset of the .40 S&W is it's ability fit in a 9mm size guns. This is a BIG Dollar savings when equipping an entire police force with an all steel handgun. The .40 was pretty well entrenched when the GAP came along. No only that, Glocks ultra aggressive "scorched earth" marketing strategy relative to the LE market really lessened the financial impact of the GAP.

Bruce

 

[Ray1970]

If you get a Glock in 45 GAP you might likely be married it for a long time. Every now and then I'll see someone list one for sale. It will sit for a while and then the price will drop. Then it will sit and then the price will drop. I'm pretty certain the last one I saw started at $400 and didn't move until it hit $280.

So, while I would vote for staying clear of the caliber, if you really have your heart set on one you should be able to get it cheap since nobody wants them.

 

[Spokes]

I have a G38. Bought it when it just came out. I wanted it.
Shoot it once in a while and enjoy it. It is one of the calibers I do not reload for.
If it will be your second gun save your bucks and buy something else..

 

[Class III]

I ran across 50+ boxes of Fed American Eagle 45 GAP 230 gr FMJ on close-out for $9.99 per box at a now defunct LGS. I offered $6 per box and we settled at $8.50. A buddy and I split it. He shot his half in a G**** Model ?? I shot my half in a S&W and Colt 1917 after loading in moon clips.


Bad Point: The 45 GAP would not fire in either revolver without being loaded in a moon clip. It was seating too deep in the cylinders.


Good Point: I dumped the brass in the trash can at the end of the driveway. I just felt "DIRTY" having touched anything associated with the word G****

Class III

 

[JayFramer]

From what I understand, it's a shorter OAL length .45 ACP (basically) to shoehorn the round into Glock 17-19 frames.

It's a "meh" cartridge.

 

[DWalt]

"solution in search of a problem"
I might say the .45 GAP is "the answer to a question that no one asked."

The only possible advantage I can see is that the .45 GAP can be used with a smaller 9mm/.40 frame. I suppose if/when the cartridge goes out of production (and I am fairly sure that will happen), one could always trim .45 ACP brass to .45 GAP case length for reloading, and I'd guess it can be reloaded OK using .45 ACP dies.