What handgun caliber(s) do you carry for self defense?

[Guest darkstar]

Anyone besides Glock chamber anything for that 45 GAP round? You don't really hear too much about it

[strickj]

XD has a gap option

[towerclimber37]

Heh. think that if you want to, but I respectfully suggest you never attempt to exercise that line of thought...

[Guest Jevs]

Why would he have to?

Lol, alright, thats a fair point

[HoustonGrey]

9mm Low recoil and I practice more because it is cheaper!

[Marswolf]

Ah the 45 GAP, a fine cartridge for which their is no known need.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

Ah the 45 GAP, a fine cartridge for which their is no known need.

sure their is for my safety and to protect my family and for the fine State troopers of S.C AND NY AND GA AND PA. and all the others who knew what a fine cartridge the GAP is. look marswolf back when you were just starting to shoot guns you know when all there was chamber in 45 was colt 45 and they came out with 45 acp all you guys said the 45 acp would never make it and it did so just give the GAP some time it is doing alot better then the 45 acp did when it first came out

Edited May 2, 2008 by GLOCKGUY

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

Anyone besides Glock chamber anything for that 45 GAP round? You don't really hear too much about it

Para-Ordnance makes two micro-1911s in 45 GAP and Bond Arms makes a derringer in 45GAP.

http://bondarms.com/ifirearms.php

[Marswolf]

look marswolf back when you were just starting to shoot guns you know when all there was was colt 45s and they came out with 45 acp all you guys said the 45 acp would never make it and it did so just give the GAP some time it is doing alot better then the 45 acp did when it first came out

I'm not quite...that old.

Actually, I was an early semi-supporter of the 45 GAP. I say semi, because I think it is a good round with good external ballistics and significantly higher velocity in the lighter mass bullets.

But the end results of the "better" 45 still have the problems of a 45, as well as the advantages. It makes a lovely large bleed-out hole in the BG, but it still doesn't penetrate vehicles very well. I think it is better than a 45 ACP, but not enough better to make it worth the additional cost of rounds.

My prediction is that the departments that have adopted it won't replace it or keep it for long, even if Glock gives them the handguns. It will eventually slip into the file of oddball rounds. Save your brass!

That has nothing to do with Glocks really. Springfield does still have the 45GAP XD available, although I thought they had eliminated it. I had to check. But good or bad (I bought a "superior" Beta video recorder) the 45 GAP is dieing quickly.

I won't say that packing it is a bad move, but you may end up like the guy who insists on packing his 45 "long" Colt instead of a "normal" round.

[Guest BG38357]

.44spc.

OK I dont carry that all the time but I do sometimes. The .44spc is a terribly overlooked cartridge. Smith just brought out a K-frame 5 shot version that I want to see.

Otherwise it's .357mag, .38spc and 9mm with an occasional .45acp.

I used to have an N Frame 624 5" in .44 spl. Nice round and fun to reload.

May want to see the K Frame when it's out.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

I'm not quite...that old.

Actually, I was an early semi-supporter of the 45 GAP. I say semi, because I think it is a good round with good external ballistics and significantly higher velocity in the lighter mass bullets.

But the end results of the "better" 45 still have the problems of a 45, as well as the advantages. It makes a lovely large bleed-out hole in the BG, but it still doesn't penetrate vehicles very well. I think it is better than a 45 ACP, but not enough better to make it worth the additional cost of rounds.

My prediction is that the departments that have adopted it won't replace it or keep it for long, even if Glock gives them the handguns. It will eventually slip into the file of oddball rounds. Save your brass!

That has nothing to do with Glocks really. Springfield does still have the 45GAP XD available, although I thought they had eliminated it. I had to check. But good or bad (I bought a "superior" Beta video recorder) the 45 GAP is dieing quickly.

I won't say that packing it is a bad move, but you may end up like the guy who insists on packing his 45 "long" Colt instead of a "normal" round.

how can you say the 45 GAP is dieing quickly Glock says sells are doing real good for the GAPs for them being still new to the market. look how long it took 45 ACP to catch on. And for you thinking it is better than a 45 ACP, but not enough better to make it worth the additional cost of rounds. where are you buying your ammo at? i get my range ammo for $16.00 a box of 50 and my carry ammo for $24.99 for a box of 50 and thats not on the Internet. i could get it alot cheaper if i go that route. but thats about how much you pay for 45 ACP ammo

[Fallguy]

Unless they have recently changed State LEO's in TN (Troopers, TBI) have .357sigs (Glock 31)

[Marswolf]

how can you say the 45 GAP is dieing quickly Glock says sells are doing real good for the GAPs for them being still new to the market. look how long it took 45 ACP to catch on. And for you thinking it is better than a 45 ACP, but not enough better to make it worth the additional cost of rounds. where are you buying your ammo at? i get my range ammo for $16.00 a box of 50 and my carry ammo for $24.99 for a box of 50 and thats not on the Internet. i could get it alot cheaper if i go that route. but thats about how much you pay for 45 ACP ammo

I stand by my statement.

Talk to me in 20 years.

Or ever five....

[Guest darkstar]

So pretty much from what I have read they developed this round .45 GAP to create a slightly more ergonomic pistol in the Glock 37....is it more ergonomic? I am given to understand the round is about an eigth of an inch shorter than the .45 ACP...does this make that much of a difference in creating a smaller pistol? How is capacity affected?.....not starting crap just kind of curious and don't know anything about the GAP round

[Guest sling]

Not to break topic or anything... but i really feel that the "love" with the .45 with the *ahem* older crowd is the fact that they grew up with it. Everyone that served in the military at that time was issued .45 1911's. Sure, the .45 is a big slow round with some weight behind it... but unlike how its portrayed its not a "one shot stopper." Handgun cartridges dont do that...

I think all in all it comes down to how you personally perform that makes all the difference. Pick what you can skillfully hit a target with and train and train and train. This is why i carry another proven round. The good ole' faithful 9x19... been around since 1902. Just a few years older than the .45. Theres a reason both have been around for over a hundred years.

[towerclimber37]

Not to break topic or anything... but i really feel that the "love" with the .45 with the *ahem* older crowd is the fact that they grew up with it. Everyone that served in the military at that time was issued .45 1911's. Sure, the .45 is a big slow round with some weight behind it... but unlike how its portrayed its not a "one shot stopper." Handgun cartridges dont do that...

I think all in all it comes down to how you personally perform that makes all the difference. Pick what you can skillfully hit a target with and train and train and train. This is why i carry another proven round. The good ole' faithful 9x19... been around since 1902. Just a few years older than the .45. Theres a reason both have been around for over a hundred years.

oh, I'm part of that *ahem* older crowd...I was in the army and learned combat pistoleering with a 1911. I generally carry a 9mm but I'm proficient with what ever you hand me.

if I know I'm going into combat, I'll take a 1911. if I'm going for a stroll..that's another matter.

and remember, the 1911 has killed more enemies than all the other guns put together

[Marswolf]

I'm not sure there are more 1911 fanatics among the older folks. From what I see, this is one matter that pretty much is age independent.

[Guest Phantom6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike.357

Mostly I just decide how many bad guys might need killing today then load up as need be.

And as John Bernard Brooks put it to Lauren Bacall's character of Bond Rogers in The Shootist, "I never killed a man that didn't need killin'".

Another favorite line of mine from from John Brooks in that classic was "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." That's why I carry a 9mm, .38 spl. and a .32

[Guest 270win]

The 45 GAP, from my readings, was developed for countries where the ownership of a 45 ACP is prohibited. Italy is funny about owning firearms that are of 'military' caliber. Mexico is also not too keen on you owning a 45 ACP, thus the popularity of 38 Supers. You can get a Glock 380 25 or 28 in Mexico, but not here (doesn't meet BATF sporting requirements). There are other Latin American countries that restrict military caliber firearms, such as Brazil.

[Guest 270win]

Usually 38 Special to occassionally 9mm or 40 depending on clothes. A snub nosed S&W hides in about anything with not a lot of effort.