Two cartridges that I love that everyone else hates.

[Miami_JBT]

In my LE career, I have carried three cartridges, all in GLOCKs.

9x19mm, .40 S&W, and .45 GAP.

Everyone loves 9x19mm, so that isn't the one of the two cartridges I'm talking about. Yup, I'm a dirty .40 S&W and .45 GAP lover. I actually like both. Yeah, I have a ton of 9x19mm and .45 ACP in my personal collection. But I really like .40 S&W and .45 GAP. I like it so much, while I don't have a GLOCK chambered in .45 GAP anymore (it was agency issue, never a private purchased piece). I have .45 GAP loaded on moonclips for my S&W Model 625-6 and the Colt M1917 and S&W M1917.

And for .40 S&W, I have GLOCKs, S&Ws, Berettas, Brownings, HKs, and SIG all chambered in it. But with my S&W Model 610-2 now in my collection. I also have moonclips loaded in .40 S&W for the revolver.

I just like both cartridges and I wish that .45 GAP got a better chance than what it got. The biggest downfall with .45 GAP was that it wasn't chambered in enough guns. You have the GLOCK 37, 38, and 39. Plus a short run of a Springfield Armory XD full-size and a Para Ordnance compact 1911. There were no Berettas, HK, FNs, nor SIG chambered in it.

But the biggest killer of the .45 GAP was actually the ending of the Clinton AWB. Remember, new guns were limited to 10rds or less. A GLOCK 37 held 10rds of .45 GAP without any block installed in the magazine. It just naturally fit 10rds.

Now, I'm not in any way saying the ban should have been renewed (thank God it died the death that is did twenty years ago). But the .45 GAP was GLOCK as a company hedging their bets for a product to take root in an artificially neutered market. If the AWB didn't expire, the .45 GAP would have probably gained popularity due to the fact that a lot of consumers hated having a gun with "dead space" in the magazine. A neutered GLOCK 17 magazine was just wasted space. But a GLOCK 37 was all that space being used up.

Consumers back then figured "if I can't get 17rds of 9mm, I'll get 10rds of .40 or .45." Folks went with "there's no replacement for displacement."

But the AWB did die and the buying populace in the majority of the country was able to freely buy 17rd mags again. And .45 GAP lingered on into the Gen 4 roll-over but died as a duty cartridge in the 2010s when the big 5 state agencies ditched it. FL, GA, NY, PA, and SC all issued it to their State Police/Highway Patrol. But soon enough, those agencies along with the municipal agencies that followed suit dropped the cartridge and the guns chambered in them.

.40 S&W stayed around much longer in police holsters and there are still some holdouts. But the Centimeter Cartridge will soon be retired as a LE cartridge, much like how .41 Magnum and .357 SIG have been in their service histories.

In the end, I'm not ditching my .40 S&Ws and if I continue to find .45 GAP ammo for the cheap, I'll buy it up. But I think the batch of ammo I have is going to be it and there'll be no more replacement.

Alas.... I enjoyed .45 GAP and I will continue to enjoy .40 S&W.

 

[War-Buff]

I have no experience with .45 GAP, but I've owned (and continue to own) various pistols chambered in .40 S&W since it was first introduced. I also own pistols chambered in 9mm and have for decades. I'm not a 'follow the leader' type, so when abandoning & disparaging the .40 became popular I just ignored the trend because everyone has the right to choose for themselves. I've also owned 10mm pistols starting in 1988, but that's another story. Of course, I prefer a 1911 in .45 ACP over all else for pure shooting pleasure. JMO

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I think the 45 gap is an interesting cartridge. I keep on the look out for something that will shoot it. I'll get one if I see a super deal on it. What's the psi on it? (Have a Webley ,,governor and judge)

 

[ABlaster]

I think the 45 gap is an interesting cartridge. I keep on the look out for something that will shoot it. I'll get one if I see a super deal on it. What's the psi on it? (Have a Webley ,,governor and judge)

I read that it was 23K PSI.

Because I shoot USPSA Limited Division, .40 will always be relevant to me due to the rules of the sport. Of course, .40 performed better in the FBI trials than the 9mm did, but they decided it was close enough and the extra rounds, lower cost, and more controllable recoil justified the switch for them.

Very quickly, 9mm being "pretty close" to .40 became "almost as good" and then became "just as good as." Even by the FBI's own trials, .40 performed better.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I read that it was 23K PSI.

Because I shoot USPSA Limited Division, .40 will always be relevant to me due to the rules of the sport. Of course, .40 performed better in the FBI trials than the 9mm did, but they decided it was close enough and the extra rounds, lower cost, and more controllable recoil justified the switch for them.

Very quickly, 9mm being "pretty close" to .40 became "almost as good" and%% then became "just as good as." Even by the FBI's own trials, .40 performed better.

Seems like factory 40, like factory 10mm is weak. Also factory sizing sucks. Get a go, no go drop in gauge and check your rounds, 80% fail. It will shock ya.

 

[ABlaster]

Seems like factory 40, like factory 10mm is weak. Also factory sizing sucks. Get a go, no go drop in gauge and check your rounds, 80% fail. It will shock ya.

My preferred .40 load is the 155 grain Border Patrol contract Federal. I get 1150 fps out of my Glock 22, which for comparison I get 1160 out of a 3" .357 using 158 grain JFP's. I've never put it in my Glock 35, but I bet it would push it up around 1200-1250.

I watched a video very recently about how 10mm these days is loaded down from its original specs, so I think you're right.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

My preferred .40 load is the 155 grain Border Patrol contract Federal. I get 1150 fps out of my Glock 22, which for comparison I get 1160 out of a 3" .357 using 158 grain JFP's. I've never put it in my Glock 35, but I bet it would push it up around 1200-1250.

I watched a video very recently about how 10mm these days is loaded down from its original specs, so I think you're right.

Oh, yeah, night and day compared to midrange loaded handloads.
Paul? I forget his last name has a detailed video on it. Must have lawyers running the ammo making machines for 10mm.

 

[.22 cents]

Oh, yeah, night and day compared to midrange loaded handloads.
Paul? I forget his last name has a detailed video on it. Must have lawyers running the ammo making machines for 10mm.

Paul Harrel? RIP

 

[War-Buff]

Paul Harrel? RIP

Did he pass away? I know he was diagnosed as terminal, but I can't find anything online to confirm his passing.

 

[.22 cents]

Did he pass away? I know he was diagnosed as terminal, but I can't find anything online to confirm his passing.

Sorry i spreaded rumors. Saw somewhere he died but looking now he has pancreatic cancer. Either way not good. People don’t come back from that

 

[.22 cents]

Derailed. To the OP, Im happy people have a choice to favorite caliber still

 

[mrjenkins]

45 GAP Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Ammo for Sale by Sellier & Bellot - 50 Rounds

Sellier & Bellot 45 GAP ammo for sale at AmmoToGo.com - Don't miss these 50 round packs of 230 Grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammunition in-stock now.

www.ammunitiontogo.com

38 bucks a box. Cheaper then expected. 45acp is 30 to 35 for ball depending on where you get it. I miss the days of 15 dollar boxes of 9mm and 20 dollar boxes of 45.

 

[Recondo 101]

Own several 9s and 40s, but not a fan of either one in an auto pistol, revolver or carbine. Partial to a 45 ACP. It is an old cartridge but well tested and still works fairly well.

And in my experience which is more than two days, a woman can shoot a 1911, in 45 ACP, as well as a man and can shoot much better than some men I have seen shoot.

You need to have shot against Bill Roger's wife in a FL state IPSC championship match, as I did. We were tied for top in class and shot the Christmas Tree as a shoot off. She did not win, but that was not for lack of trying.

 

[ABlaster]

Oh, yeah, night and day compared to midrange loaded handloads.
Paul? I forget his last name has a detailed video on it. Must have lawyers running the ammo making machines for 10mm.

Probably at the behest of the gun manufacturers who kept having the weak points in their guns demonstrated by original 10mm. That BP .40 was snappy enough we had to have our guns replaced every 5,000 rounds. Now by "replaced" I mean with one that had gone back to wherever the main arsenal was for inspection and critical parts replacement, not a brand-new from the factory gun. Some folks did get NIB guns when theirs failed a frame or slide inspection but that was not the norm.

 

[zombieh8r]

You lost me at 45gap and law enforcement career. That tells me you’re a trooper, so no reason to read further

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

You lost me at 45gap and law enforcement career. That tells me you’re a trooper, so no reason to read further

A swing and a miss....

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

Count me in as being a .40SW fan.

 

[FLT]

I can’t say I have any love for the 45 gap, I didn’t care for of the looks of the slide being wider than the frame .
And didn’t see any advantage to it over 45acp in any of my other pistols. But I’m a big fan of the 40 S&W , it’s my primary carry choice , it and 357 sig make up 90 percent of the defense pistols I choose to carry. The Glock 31 in 357sig is as close as you can get to 16 shot 357 magnum power in a reasonably compact package.
All of the above is my opinion and nothing more.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

I can’t say I have any love for the 45 gap, I didn’t care for of the looks of the slide being wider than the frame .
And didn’t see any advantage to it over 45acp in any of my other pistols. But I’m a big fan of the 40 S&W , it’s my primary carry choice , it and 357 sig make up 90 percent of the defense pistols I choose to carry. The Glock 31 in 357sig is as close as you can get to 16 shot 357 magnum power in a reasonably compact package.
All of the above is my opinion and nothing more.

Love my G31.

 

[Miami_JBT]

I think the 45 gap is an interesting cartridge. I keep on the look out for something that will shoot it. I'll get one if I see a super deal on it. What's the psi on it? (Have a Webley ,,governor and judge)

The S&W Governor will shoot it fine as should the Taurus Judge. Keep it away from the Webley. In fact, keep all .45 ACP and .45 GAP away from the Webley.