.45GAP vs. .40 S&W?

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albanian

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Is there any real reason to get a .45GAP over a .40S&W in say a SA XD? My brother is looking to buy a XD in .45GAP. I said, just get the .40 since ammo is less expenisve and as far as I know, just as potent. I think the .40 holds more rounds as well.

Not trying to start a caliber war but other than just have .45 cal, what is the main benifit here?
 
"None. The ammo costs more, and the capacity is reduced"

I agree. I think it has a place in smaller framed pistols, but no advantage over the .40
 
Personal preferance, Bigger hole or more rounds. I've got a 40 S&W, my friend has a 45acp, and my wife has a 357 mag. All good! I feel the 40 sits some were between the 357mag and 45acp in power. It's a bigger hole than the 357 mag and faster than a 45acp. I shoot 40S&W 155gr - 165gr at 1100-1200fps. My friend shoots 45acp 230gr at 850-1000fps. My wife shoots 125gr at about 1350fps. All data from 4" barrels at http://stevespages.com/page8f.htm
 
To play devil's advocate...the 45 Gap's bullets are wider and heavier than the .40. That's reason enough for some people.
 
Glock would have you believe that the .45 GAP has the same balistic info as the .45 ACP, less but more powerful power yealding about the same MV. If thats the caae this could be also said whats the difference between a .45 ACP and .40 SW?
 
I don't know about the 40SW being between a 357Mag and a 45ACP.

I thought the .357 mag was the all time best one shot stopper. Even better than a 44Mag from what I'm told. I would think that a 357 mag would do a lot more damage than 45 acp.
 
The .40sw is almost equivalent to the .357mag especially when comparing 155gr (.40) to 158gr (.357) loadings... their velocities are almost equivalent... And being that the .40 is larger in diameter... It makes it better in some minds...
 
jk,

Damage would probably be pretty much the same. All depends on the round used - the amount of penetration and the diameter of the hole. (and location of course). Lighter faster bullets such as the typical .357 usually don't penetrate as deep as the bigger calibers. They also depend on expansion a bit more. Compare the aspects of recoil, capacity, revolver vs. auto, muzzle flash etc. and there are some good reasons to go for the .45 if so inclined.

The .40 is a great round too - as described previously, it fills a gap quite nicely - more capacity then the .45, heavier and wider then the 9mm, good round selection, etc. I would pick it before the .45 GAP if pistol size (or platform) is not the issue.
 
The reason the 357 mag has more one shop stops than any other round is because it was carried by more police officers for a longer period of time. The 180 gr 40 is pretty much equal to a 230 gr 45. The Gap can pretty much equal the 45 acp with higher pressures, ie: more recoil. Clock could have made smaller grips by just doing away with the cavity behind the magazine well like Taraus did with the PT145. The 45 Gap was the answer to a problem that didn't exist.
 
I wonder how many 1 shot stops Sgt. York had in WWI? (Or any of the guys who carried them in WWI/WWII for that matter) I would bet if those stats had been kept it would be a whole different ballgame. :)

Have a good one,
Dave
 
One-shot stops should probably be but a minor consideration, when choosing between .40 and .45GAP.
 
albanian

I have both 45GAP & 40 S&W.

If you only have one, I’d go with 40 S&W for the reasons you listed.
 
I must disagree with some statements regarding the power the different calibers mentioned here.

With full power loads, the 357 magnum is the most powerful. The 45acp is next , then 45 GAP, followed by the 40 S&W. Again, I am talking about full powered, not even +p+.

All are good choices (although I have never shot the 45 GAP.) I recommend renting/borrowing several, and then chosing the one that works best for you.

Regards,

Stinger
 
40sw. cheaper to shoot and is slowing starting to get good commercial ammo that can show 40sw's best capability.

check doubletap ammo. hottest commercial ammo in 40sw and good in other calibers with safe pressure

below are availible with handloading powders
40sw can push 200gr bullets at reasonable speed.
180gr to 1150fps
165gr to 1300fps
155gr to 1300fps per load data might get it faster with couple powders
135gr to nearly 1500fps

though may not want to shoot many loads of 40sw in the HOT range.
 
Stinger,

Power is one thing, damage is another. Energy doesn't incapacitate - tissue destruction does - it's the size of the hole that matters.
 
shield20,

Thanks for the info.

I guess I will sell all of my firearms and just purchase a sword. :rolleyes:

Size matters, yes. But how about my '06? It is smaller than any of the mentioned pistol rounds, and yet, which will do more damage?

You need a balance of size and velocity, particularly in a handgun.

Like I said, any of the mentioned rounds are adequate for protection. Choose the one that is right for you.

Regards,

Stinger
 
But can you conceal that sword? Or the '06? :) I do know the size of the holes made by both are usually pretty big. And hey - not much power coming from that sword at all, but it can really do ALOT of damage! ;)

See - we are agreed! Your point about round size and velocity combining and NOT just power deciding wound damage is just what I was saying. Making a handgun round more powerfull, or even bigger, doesn't necessarily make it more effective...only if it increases the perm. wound cavity size.
 
No experience with .45 GAP

I do like my Glock 23 in .40. I also like my subcompact .45 Taurus. If you can't tell yet I am biased towards handguns that start with a 4 :D ...

I think that the .40 wins this battle for all the reasons given(especially expense).
 
shield20,

I think we may be having a miscommunication due to semantics. When I refer to power, I am talking about mass AND velocity. So yes, the sword does have a lot of power (due to greater mass), but not as much velocity.

No, I don't suppose I could conceal a sword very easily. Although Duncan McLeod (sp) never seemed to have much trouble :p

And to the fellow that said 180gr 40S&W is equal to 230gr 45acp... :confused:

Regards,

Stinger (who owns no swords because he has trouble enough using a steak knife)
 
By no means am I calling the 45 ACP a sissy round. I have a lot of respect for the 45 ACP. I have nothing against the 40SW as I own two guns in that cailber.

I also own a .357 Magnum. Its a Taurus 66, I think it weighs about 40 something ounces. I'm not sure how much of the recoil a semi-auto absorbs, but to me it seems that the .357 is ALOT more punishing than either of the other two. The recoil is in a league of its own. In my very unscientific head I figure, wow that sure was alot of recoil, that bullet must be really moving.

I think if I HAD to get shot(and I had a choice), between the .357 Mag and the 45 ACP, I would probably pick the 45 ACP. The 45 ACP doesn't seem as brutal and punishing on my hands(and ears).
 
The terminal preformance of the .40sw and .45acp are very comparable with .45 being in a slight lead. At least going through clothed and bare gelatin. When looking at all 8 test the FBI preformed picking a round .40 sw was the clear winnner though.

Chris
 
Ahem...

From Corbon: (who doesn't list their test barrel lengths)

40S&W -- 150gr JHP -- 1200fps/480ftlbs --
357MAG -- 140gr JHP -- 1325fps/546ftlbs --


40S&W -- 135gr JHP -- 1325fps/526ftlbs --
357MAG -- 125gr JHP -- 1450fps/584ftlbs --

From DoubleTap:

40S&W 155gr. @ 1275fps / 560 ft/lbs- Glock 23 (4.0"bbl)
357MAG 158gr. Velocity: 1400fps / 4" Ruger GP-100
Muzzle Energy: 688 ft. lb

(keep in mind that auto barrels count the length of the chamber too, unlike revos)

That's just a couple examples were I tried to find similar bullet weights. When you figure in barrel length I see it as 357mag slightly faster - 40S&W slight wider.

The 10mm beats them both, closer to .41mag than .357
 
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