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.45 ACP .45 GAP?

Nhoppt
I need a question answered. i recently bought a new springfield XD in .45 ACP 5' Tactical. i was wondering the difference between .45ACP and .45GAP. Will the GAP only work in a glock? Or is the round interchangable? i realize this might be a stupid question but i will need a stupid answer so thank you for any help you all can give me.
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Zebra
    Might end up like that shotgun that Mythbusters shot underwater!
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  • spurgemastur
    I'm not sure, but I don't think they're interchangeable.

    Edit: then again, if you have an arm that can use a .45ACP, why would you want to use the more expensive .45GAP?
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  • Nhoppt
    Thanks i do appricaite the info. That being said, what do you all think about the XD pistol? Good purchase?
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  • ElMuertoMonkey
    Nhoppt,

    As far as I know, the ACP and the GAP have almost the same performance, but are completely different rounds. The GAP has a slightly thicker casing, which would make it unwise, if not impossible, to put into a .45 ACP gun.
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  • Nhoppt
    thank you elmuertomonkey.! much appricated!
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  • ElMuertoMonkey
    Nhoppt,

    No problem. Oh, and welcome to the boards! Hope you stick around and enjoy all the craziness![8D]
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  • SuburbanNoize
    isnt the gap also a little shorter?
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  • buschmaster
    yes, the .45GAP is a little shorter. the purpose of the design is to make a smaller grip frame. there are other side benefits, as described in this article.

    from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_51/ai_n13469649/pg_1

    The premise of the .45 Glock Automatic Pistol is to provide the ballistics of the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol in a smaller platform. The .45 GAP cartridge case is .138" shorter than the .45 ACP and the overall length more closely matches the .40 S&W. The goal of the .40 S&W was to put a major-caliber cartridge in a 9mm frame. This time it is to put a .45 in a .40-size pistol.

    I think it would be fair to say that the .45 GAP was met with a fair share of skepticism. "That can't be done." was heard more than once. The efforts of the cartridge case designers, largely Speer and Federal, gave us a case that is not simply a shorter ACP and they proceeded to load it with 185- and 200-grain bullets of both FMJ and hollowpoint designs. But when Winchester got aboard and showed it really was possible to duplicate the standard 230-grain load in the smaller case, interest seemed to improve.

    If you compare it with the ACP, you first will see it uses small pistol primers. The reason is exactly the same as it was for the .40--to avoid any possible interference from the ejector. With a large primer there was at least the potential that a cartridge might be ignited if a live round was forcibly ejected. You will also notice that there is a difference in the shape of the extractor groove on the cases. The GAP's groove is sharper, which means the web of the case is thicker. That, coupled with the small primer pocket equals a stronger case. The pressure limit is the same as the +P .45 ACP (23,000 psi), but when you see the available case capacity is reduced by over 20 percent, powder selection is a serious concern. At first the opinion was the 230-grain load wasn't going to be possible, but Winchester showed the way there and both their 230-grain loads are effectively equal to the ACP. More recently, Remington announced that they, too, would offer 230-grain loads.

    So let's lay one thing to rest right away. The .45 GAP can, and does. duplicate the ballistics of the .45 ACP. The cartridge is the real news here, for the pistols don't look or feel any different from other models. This then becomes a philosophical issue rather than one of ballistics and we go back to the age-old debate of whether or not you can put a 50-pound cat in a 25-pound bag. The GAP follows a well-worn path paved by the .40 S&W, which put a 10mm-size bullet in a 9mm-size pistol. Don't forget the first somewhat faltering steps of the .40 when folks thought that all you had to do was put a bigger barrel in a 9mm. There was more recoil and some delicate balancing was required to make slides just a little heavier.

    ...
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  • nononsense
    Nhoppt,

    Here are two photos of the comparison:

    http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/gap-v-acp.html

    The Gun Zone has a long detailed article on this comparison.

    Best.
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