Glock .45 ACP vs .45 GAP - Solving the question that nobody is asking…

[@Swampytheroot]

I have a 21 & 41 in ACP and a 37 in GAP. Thing is, I prefer the GAP.

[@paleo704]

Why

[@fernandosantiago1679]

Why

[@DickTickles]

People asking why, it's likely because he prefers the smaller frame and lighter weight and probably reloads.

[@smithwesson7765]

I have a G37 and love it. By the way, John Browning's recommended load for his 1911 pistols was a 200 grain bullet at 900 FPS which is nearly identical performance to the .45 GAP 200 grainer. It was US Ordnance that wanted the heavier 230 grain projectile.

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Good to know, thanks. I was certainly skeptical of GAP before owning one. I don't think it's one that I would recommend (limited ammo availability, no real advantage over ACP) but I'm impressed at what is.

[@camumaharajah1033]

@@JustAGuyAtTheRange No real advantage? You can get 45 GAP in a G19 platform. ADVANTAGE over any 1911. A better more reliable platform that does what a 1911 5 inch barrel does out of a 4 inch barrel.

[@Gieszkanne]

Normally the 45 GAP is loaded to 45 ACP +p level. In the wiki articel its stated that the 200gr loads of 45 GAP is 1050fps!

[@iwasneverkilled3516]

@@camumaharajah1033 45 GAP in a G17 platform as well, though you retain the 10 round mag 4.5" polygonal vs 5" traditional similar performance, GAP with more PSI on a shorter grip indeed ballistically is a very interesting option, better than ACP, although the only way GAP would beat the ACP is if every industry decides to sell GAP chambers. and if glock releases gen 5, gen 4 and competition/long slide

[@Gieszkanne]

@@iwasneverkilled3516 The problem is that so many are concerned about capacity. Glock should have taken the 21 frame for the 45 GAP. So with the same width you could have also 13 rd capacity. But I dont know if it would still made a significant difference in grip size if you have the width of the 21 frame just shorten from front to back for the shorter ammo. Also they would have to redesign a gripframe and magazines. The 37/38/39 just have the same frame of the 17/19/26 and almost the same mags. The lips and follower obviously are different.

[@ronaldjohnston7989]

Well done. I have both ACP and GAP...and I love them both. It's a shame the GAP isn't more popular since it is truly a more evolved cartridge. Thanks for sharing the video. Ron J.

[@EverettBaland]

GAP fan here as well. Good calibers don't really die, just lose popularity and or industry support. Thanks for the comparison.

[@The100percy]

I've had both a G21 and G30 in the past. Sold both and now have a G37 and G38. Like shooting and carrying the GAP guns much better.

[@mishaptjo3735]

What benefits have you noticed

[@Gieszkanne]

@@mishaptjo3735 Obviously the smaller frame. Thats why 45 GAP was designed.

[@andresgazso881]

The great advantage of 45 GAP is that it is a full size round that fits in a mid size frame gun, not to mention subcompacts like the Glock 39. The police departments are moving away from the 45 GAP and 40 S&W for no other reason than the economics of shooting and training, not because the rounds do not perform. Given the choice, I would always choose the biggest caliber that fits in the particular frame size. Magazine capacity is not critical in civilian and police applications, because most encounters are resolved with three shots or less, in three seconds or less. In the end, is your life on the line.

[@Gieszkanne]

They also left the 357 Sig. Most are going with 9mm now. Main reason is cost.

[@viniciusbortoloso4678]

Very Nice round The GAP

[@jlsgarage872]

A couple fun facts. The glock 37 is available in VERY small numbers in Gen4 but not the 38 or 39. Also, springfield offered a 45Gap in their original service model with 9 round magazines.

[@Swampytheroot]

I started selling off popular rounds during this current nonsense. I found 230GAP Speer Gold Dot at $350/1000. I bought enough to last my lifetime and found a customized race gun 37 with optic and 10 mags for a song. People paying $2/rd for 380/9/45acp? Hell, buy mine! I'll shoot GAP & 7.62x25 all day

[@randalltoliver983]

I love my G37!!

[@chouyi007]

LOVE my Gen 4 Glock 37, which I originally bought for 2 reasons. First, I carry a Gen 4 full-size Glock (31), and wanted a pistol to shoot He-Man Division of 3-Gun (full-power battle rifle, pump 12 gauge shotgun, handgun with bore diameter of .45" or larger) that would share a lot of parts and feel exactly the same in the hand as the 31 so 3-gun would improve my self-defense skills with my 31. Second, for a new-in-box 37 Gen 4 with 2 extra magazines (5 mags in total) and 100 rounds of Speer Lawman TMJ, it was $310 out the door! I am very curious about the failures to lock back at altitude; I know the thin air improves the trajectory of rounds considerably, but I can't think how (except for extreme low temperature) it would prevent a firearm from locking back on an empty magazine. This is quite significant to me, as every year my wife and daughter go deep into the Wind River Range of Wyoming fishing, and carry our Glocks for Grizzly/Black Bear/Cougar/Wolf/Moose defense. We fish up to 12,000', and camp as high as 11,600' (dangerous to camp at an above-the-timberline lake due to lightning).

[@kentwilliams4152]

Thanks for the comparison test! As an agency firearms instructor I noticed that when you drew you placed you non-gun hand on your stomach. That is quite rare to see among civilian shooters, but common among LEO’s.

[@SumD-EGuy]

What is the reasoning behind that?

[@jalenking4117]

Great vid keep it up. You seem to shoot much better with the 37 maybe it fits better in the hand or something but it definitely would be an argument for the 37 over the 21 atleast in your case

[@wendellbell6164]

Thanks for this video. I had not heard of the 45 gap.

[@JMR6813]

And that is why the 45 GAP was created. They fit my hand better, but I still get 45 ballistics. If they would market it better, it would be very popular. You could have a Glock 43, 43x, Sig p365, etc. in a 45 caliber.

[@jalenking4117]

@@JMR6813 unfortunately i dont think theyd ever try to make those and they wouldnt be popular alot of people that have no idea on ballistics and how ammunition work convince everyone that 9mm is just as effective and has less recoil which both are not really true and everyone has also been convinced that they are gunna need 20+ rounds in any self defense situation instead of the statistically accurate 3-5. All the fear mongers have got everyone to believe that not only is a smaller ballistically inferior cartridge just as good but also that bullets dont kill people effectively and that you will always be attacked by 3+ meth heads that cant feel any pain.

[@Peace-ju9us]

...I can hold the G37/38 45 GAP grip, but not the Glock 21...if I could hold the G21, I would use the G20

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

In my opinion, the solution to grip size is more about how you hold the firearm than how big/small your hands are. I prefer the standard glock grip size to the larger frames but a good push-pull hold makes the difference indistinguishable. I've worked with a few people (teaching them to shoot) for whom the M&P shield or G43 is "just the right size," and teaching them a good push-pull allows them to handle even the largest double stack 45 frames.

[@Joyos77]

This is actually helpful and DID want to know, thanks!

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Oh good! I'm glad it was helpful to someone. Thanks for the comment!

[@graysoncarter85]

In my opinion it's the fact that you are comparing a mixture of factory loads vs a mixture of reloads. The ballistics are not the same, as you said in the beginning of the video the 45 gap is a high pressure round that is the basic equivalent of a 45 ACP +p. Your reloads we're definitely not loaded to spec and comparing the 45 ACP vs the GAP is kinda like comparing a 5.56 to a . 223 nearly identical round but the .5.56 is a higher pressure round. I own loads of 45 ACP firearms but the size difference between say even the Glock 30 vs the Glock 39 is extremely noticeable, where the Glock 30 is not only as long as a g19 it's nearly 1/4 inch wider, while the g39 is just barely bigger than a g26, 27,33. Just some stuff for people to consider, I say shoot what you are comfortable with and what's available

[@Gieszkanne]

But the G30 is double stack and hold 10 rounds while the G39 only 6. You will have to compare it to the G36 which also hold 6 rounds. The G36 is slimmer than the G39!

[@ghostlygrimrapper]

7:36 you can hear the whistle of a ricochet lol

[@VulcanGoF]

I caught that too. That was awful close to the camera.

[@Orthrus]

You have a wonderful voice well suited for your channel title. Nice vid

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Well thanks

[@jeraymeeah]

Remember: flinching is fine if done at the right time

[@joshua6168]

I had a Glock 39 that I reloaded for. Honestly once you get the components it isn’t bad if you reload for it. Only issue is the obvious ammo availability off the shelf. Overall I liked it a lot and got rid of it for practical reasons but it was reliable and felt like a 45 acp

[@Tuxster3]

I'll settle it for you. I hate BOTH of them! The guns AND the cartridges! 😄😄😄😄

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

:)

[@chrisr251]

.45 GAP was designed to get the most large rounds in a standard size frame while conforming to the 10 round magazine limit that was in effect when it was designed. When the magazine restriction went away, so did the reason for .45 GAP. It isn't a bad cartridge. And it isn't a bad idea. But it serves no real purpose anymore. That doesn't mean it will go away any time soon. But it also won't replace the ACP. It is going to go the way of the .40 S&W, only faster.

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

I'd agree with that

[@kentwilliams4152]

I hope not. It was a great idea, IMHO.

[@chrisr251]

@@kentwilliams4152 It is a great round, and where the .45 ACP should have gone decades ago. But .45 ACP has massive momentum in the collective mind of gun owners. So it will continue on for a long, long time. .45 GAP, on the other hand will likely only last until Gaston Glock dies. Then it will drift into obsolescence, followed by becoming obsolete. Don't misunderstand me here, I like it. I stocked up on both the guns and ammo when they were cheap. But they are unlikely to get around to mass production of either for the next few years, as cartridges with more appeal are being made. It will probably be at least 2 years before we see any large-scale production of ammunition.

[@jakeb.7997]

I feel this would have been better if they simply took a .45 ACP and cut it down to the exact case length of the 9mm (more powder in the case, and most likely it would fit a bit better giving the same capacity as the Glock in .45 while allowing for a more comfortable grip for smaller handed shooters) Any thoughts please let me know

[@Gieszkanne]

6:00 your 45 GAP 200gr reload shoots extremely flat. Locks like less recoil than 9mm. But factory ammo of 45 GAP should have more recoil than 45 ACP because it has higher velocitys like 45 ACP +p.

[@KsooTheYouTuber]

Can the 38 fit the 30 holster

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Yes, as long as the holster is open at the bottom so that the muzzle can pass through.

[@KsooTheYouTuber]

@@JustAGuyAtTheRange so a Glock 30 kydex holster with tlr1 can fit the 38 with tlr1

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

@@KsooTheKZbinr that I can't say for sure. The 38 is longer than the 30 so the light will sit further down in the holster. Many holsters designed for lights are also closed bottom so the length will be an issue. If the holster is open at the bottom, there's a chance it will work with the muzzle and light protruding, but I don't have one to confirm.

[@KsooTheYouTuber]

@@JustAGuyAtTheRange maybe the 21 holster then a guy was gonna make me a custom kydex holster for the 38 with tlr1 off of the g21 the g23 gen 5 is the same width as the 38 the barrel even fits and chambers rounds

[@KsooTheYouTuber]

Maybe I can go 40 they have a ati .40 conversion for 37 but can't use 37 barrels in 38 maybe if I can just get the extractor that comes with it and use a gen 3 .40 barrel

[@kentwilliams4152]

Wouldn’t the Glock .45 Gap weigh less than the Glock 21? If so, that would account for the increase in felt recoil?

[@Gieszkanne]

45 GAP is loaded to be equal with 45 ACP +p.

[@castorjones2455]

Wouldn’t 45 GAP be harder for ballistics to trace in a crime scene if this casings are missing?

[@aaronocello7836]

Fuck you have 38 gap as my first I love the gap

[@9unslin9er]

The 9x19 has been around since 1901...

[@itstiny.]

1:49 that statement made me cry

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Some things don't age well do they....;)

[@Swampytheroot]

Why are you having repeated issues with the slide not locking on an empty mag? Never had that happen on any of my dozen+ Glocks

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

Man I woulda never bought a gun chambered in .45GAP. Once that ammo is gone forever, the gun is worthless. At least with my Glock 32 in 357 Sig (another dying round), I simply swap the barrel and it becomes a Glock 23 in .40 cal. Glock 23 mags work in the 32.

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

Reloading makes the GAP viable even after they stop production, but I agree. I would never recommend that any one buy one unless they like collecting rare items that may never get shot.

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

@@JustAGuyAtTheRange true about reloading.

[@chrisfenske4051]

You can do a .40cal barrel swap with the Glock 37. They sell the kits, because the Model 37 if I remember correctly is the same frame size as a model 22.

[@kentwilliams3326]

Actually, police departments who want a larger caliber have chosen the GAP because of the smaller grip frame. Now, with the "Glock SF" models there is a choice where there wasn't before. BTW - You shot the GAP Glock better each time. 😉

[@Gieszkanne]

The 37 is the 17 gen 3 grip frame. Its still smaller than the new 21 frames.

[@kentwilliams3326]

@@Gieszkanne Interesting. I will check it out. Thanks…

[@aaronocello7836]

You fucked up the ammo you were talking about trying to smear the amazing GAP with regard to the prices. You said if GAP was 60 cents a round and ACP was 80 cents a round. You meant it the other way around as you were saying GAP is more expensive.

[@jaymo6627]

Thank you

[@JustAGuyAtTheRange]

You're welcome. I knew somebody really need to know...

[@Peace-ju9us]

...NYS BCI carries the Glock 38, 45 GAP, goof enough for me...I prefer the 185 gr loads...

[@knight16]

9mm is as old or older that the 45 ACP

[@johneaston2891]

I'd love to see this know at all credentials. Another KZbin Blow hard!

[@fidelabrego117]

The question nobody asking is why doesn't your slide lock back like the glock 21

[@ProfessorElliot2570]

That's a good question! The glock 37 ought to lock back and those rounds certainly have enough power to fully cycle the slide. It's been awhile since I shot the 37 but I've got a couple theories from what I remember. First, in 2019 I took a training course with a 1911 and my grip (specifically thumb placement) has been messed up since. Essentially my firing hand thumb is sitting on or near the slide stop lever. I've only recently identified the issue and have started working to fix it. The difference between the two (21 and 37) is that the 37 has an extended slide stop (making my thumb placement a bigger issue) while the 21 has the standard glock slide stop. I'm planning to make a video on this at some point. Second, if the magazine spring is weak (as in the older 37 that I have), the slide stop may not be activated fast enough. Thanks for the comment!

[@fidelabrego117]

@@ProfessorElliot2570 probably needs a better spring In the magazine

[@9unslin9er]

I've never seen a .45 gap on any shelf.