.45 GAP
Encyclopedia
The .45 G.A.P. pistol
cartridge was designed by Ernest Durham, an engineer with CCI/Speer
, at the request of firearm
s manufacturer Glock to provide a cartridge that would equal the power of the .45 ACP
but was shorter to fit in a more compact handgun, and with a stronger case head to reduce the possibility of case neck blowouts. G.A.P. is an acronym for "Glock Automatic Pistol", and the .45 G.A.P. is the first commercially-introduced cartridge identified with Glock.
pistol cartridge, but is slightly shorter, and uses a small-pistol primer instead of the large-pistol primer most commonly used in .45 ACP ammunition. Originally, the maximum bullet weight of the .45 GAP was 200 gr. In order to provide terminal ballistics on par with the standard 230 gr .45 ACP loads, the .45 GAP was designed to operate at a higher standard pressure—roughly equivalent to the higher pressures found in .45 ACP "+P" rounds
. Since the .45 GAP has a much smaller cartridge volume than the .45 ACP, the desired pressure and resulting velocity needed to be achieved through powder selection alone. Later development concluded that the .45 GAP could in fact fire 230 gr ammunition just as the .45 ACP.
pistol was introduced by Glock to use the .45 GAP cartridge and was followed by the compact Glock 38 and the subcompact Glock 39. The width of all three pistols is listed by the manufacturer as 1.18", compared with 1.27" for the .45 ACP Glock 21 and Glock 30, indicating that Glock was able to not only shorten the front to back size of the grip, but also the grip width.
service handguns (Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Florida). The New York State Police
, Georgia State Patrol
, Pennsylvania State Police
, South Carolina Highway Patrol
, and Florida Highway Patrol
have all adopted the Glock 37 and .45 G.A.P.
Initially, due to its acceptance by law enforcement and the popularity of subcompact handguns for concealed carry, a small number of manufacturers decided to produce pistols chambered in .45 G.A.P., including some Para-Ordnance M1911s and the Springfield Armory XD. Para has since dropped the G.A.P. Springfield Armory's XD pistol is listed in several different 45 G.A.P. varieties on their web site but they no longer produce any pistols in that caliber. Only Glock continues to manufacture pistols in the 45 G.A.P. cartridge.
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
cartridge was designed by Ernest Durham, an engineer with CCI/Speer
CCI Ammunition
CCI , headquartered in Lewiston, Idaho, is a manufacturer of rimfire ammunition, centerfire handgun ammunition, and primers for reloaders and industrial power loads...
, at the request of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s manufacturer Glock to provide a cartridge that would equal the power of the .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
but was shorter to fit in a more compact handgun, and with a stronger case head to reduce the possibility of case neck blowouts. G.A.P. is an acronym for "Glock Automatic Pistol", and the .45 G.A.P. is the first commercially-introduced cartridge identified with Glock.
Development
The .45 GAP has the same diameter as the .45 ACP.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
pistol cartridge, but is slightly shorter, and uses a small-pistol primer instead of the large-pistol primer most commonly used in .45 ACP ammunition. Originally, the maximum bullet weight of the .45 GAP was 200 gr. In order to provide terminal ballistics on par with the standard 230 gr .45 ACP loads, the .45 GAP was designed to operate at a higher standard pressure—roughly equivalent to the higher pressures found in .45 ACP "+P" rounds
Overpressure ammunition
Overpressure ammunition, commonly designated as +P or +P+, is small arms ammunition that has been loaded to a higher internal pressure than is standard for ammunition of its caliber , but less than the pressures generated by a proof round...
. Since the .45 GAP has a much smaller cartridge volume than the .45 ACP, the desired pressure and resulting velocity needed to be achieved through powder selection alone. Later development concluded that the .45 GAP could in fact fire 230 gr ammunition just as the .45 ACP.
Glock .45 GAP pistols
The full-size Glock 37Glock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
pistol was introduced by Glock to use the .45 GAP cartridge and was followed by the compact Glock 38 and the subcompact Glock 39. The width of all three pistols is listed by the manufacturer as 1.18", compared with 1.27" for the .45 ACP Glock 21 and Glock 30, indicating that Glock was able to not only shorten the front to back size of the grip, but also the grip width.
Law enforcement application
Five state law enforcement agencies have adopted the .45 G.A.P. as a replacement to their current issue 9×19mm Parabellum (New York) or .40 S&W.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
service handguns (Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Florida). The New York State Police
New York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
, Georgia State Patrol
Georgia State Patrol
The Georgia State Patrol is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. The GSP has statewide jurisdiction with the exception of federal military installations...
, Pennsylvania State Police
Pennsylvania State Police
The Pennsylvania State Police is the state police force of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. It was founded in 1905 by order of Governor Samuel Pennypacker, in response to the private police forces used by mine and mill owners to stop worker strikes and the inability or...
, South Carolina Highway Patrol
South Carolina Highway Patrol
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for South Carolina, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations. The Highway Patrol was created in 1930 and is a paramilitary organization with a rank structure similar to the armed forces...
, and Florida Highway Patrol
Florida Highway Patrol
The Division of the Florida Highway Patrol is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the law enforcement agency charged with ensuring the safety of the highways and roads of the state.-History:...
have all adopted the Glock 37 and .45 G.A.P.
Initially, due to its acceptance by law enforcement and the popularity of subcompact handguns for concealed carry, a small number of manufacturers decided to produce pistols chambered in .45 G.A.P., including some Para-Ordnance M1911s and the Springfield Armory XD. Para has since dropped the G.A.P. Springfield Armory's XD pistol is listed in several different 45 G.A.P. varieties on their web site but they no longer produce any pistols in that caliber. Only Glock continues to manufacture pistols in the 45 G.A.P. cartridge.
See also
- .45 Super.45 SuperThe .45 Super is a smokeless powder center fire metallic firearm cartridge developed in 1988 by Dean Grennell, a well-known writer in the firearms field as well as managing editor of Gun World magazine...
- .460 Rowland.460 RowlandThe .460 Rowland is a proprietary cartridge intended to attain .44 Remington Magnum level velocities with a M1911-pattern semi-automatic pistol. The cartridge concept originated with Johnny Rowland, the host of "The Shooting Show"...
- .44 Magnum.44 MagnumThe .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
- 11 mm caliber11 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the through caliber range.All measurements are in millimeters .-Pistol cartridges:-Revolver cartridges:-Rifle cartridges:-See also:...
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- List of handgun cartridges
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