Two cartridges that I love that everyone else hates.

[zackmars]

I dont know this for certain, but i imagine owning a .45 gap is like the diet coke version of being a cuck.

 

[Havok1]

I like the 40 S&W also. It doesn't necessarily fill a need but I have a ton of ammo and reloading components for it.

If I was starting new I probably wouldn't invest in it though. 9mm and 45aarp cover the bases.

The 45GAP was a turd on day one. I think what really killed it was manufacturers releasing 45aarp double stack handguns with smaller grips. The XD comes to mind.

Had they made it a 50GAP it would probably have stayed popular longer.

I do have really large hands though so my view may be tainted as to even need shorter rounds.

a lot of people find double stack .45s to be too large. Theoretically the .45 gap should solve that issue. It was developed during the AWB though so capacity was limited by federal law. I would assume that played a role in it not taking off but can’t say for sure.

 

[Sasquatch]

a lot of people find double stack .45s to be too large. Theoretically the .45 gap should solve that issue. It was developed during the AWB though so capacity was limited by federal law. I would assume that played a role in it not taking off but can’t say for sure.

It was a cool idea in theory but the cost and availability of ammo kept me from ever getting into that caliber. Capacity was less an issue - Smith & Wesson's M&P .45's are low capacity for striker-poly-autos (given 13+1 in the Glock 21, original XD45, or even 15 in the hammer fired polymer FN's) but an M&P Compact 45 has the same capacity as a Glock 38, and the full size M&P45 has a capacity the same as a Glock 37.

Having had a bad taste left by .357Sig prices, I just didn't feel like getting burned by the .45GAP. Both cartridges are essentially dead now. Its certainly a cool concept, especially if you're going for concealment guns in .45 - IIRC Springfield had a subcompact .45GAP 1911 that had a thinner grip profile than a .45ACP equivalent.

 

[Eli]

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‘’ .40 S&W’’

Years back, our Son says he looked into a LEO vs) BG shooting episode in a nearby jurisdiction.

BG driver shot at Deputy.

The Deputy returned fire w/ his .40.

BG drove away unharmed.

Once arrested, agency claimed BG’s auto was ‘’armored’’, as none of the FIVE .40’s had penetrated driver’s door.

Door, disassembled, was a regular Dodge MOPAR sheet metal door.

? Lessons ?

leVieux

p.s. Both agencies soon went back to 9mmPB.

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That's an ammunition failure, not a caliber failure. My late father told a story, with great detail, of a brand of JHPs that were popular with LEOs years ago that had failed to penetrate a common, cheap hollow-core interior door in a shootout - they were shattering. The bad guy was shooting out with FMJs, and the cops couldn't figure out how he was alive.

Eli

 

[leVieux]

That's an ammunition failure, not a caliber failure. My late father told a story, with great detail, of a brand of JHPs that were popular with LEOs years ago that had failed to penetrate a common, cheap hollow-core interior door in a shootout - they were shattering. The bad guy was shooting out with FMJs, and the cops couldn't figure out how he was alive.

Eli

<>

Yes, we learned later that the LEO who recently died in a shootout near here was killed by “friendly fire”.

There was a shootout with a BG inside a trailer-house.

Our Officer, in full SWAT gear, was way outside when a LEO’s 5.56 bullet went through two trailer walls & killed him.

<>

 

[CarlS]

I got 40sw towards the end of its popularity only because I was starting to find 40 ammo more easily than 9mm and for the same price. Took a bit before getting a 40 barrel for my 357 226 and finally a couple 40s when they started going on clearance. I won't go so far as to say it's better than 9mm but it has its advantages and is worth holding onto.

I never saw any point to 45gap. However, my 45acp story is about opposite that of my 40. I got it as my first handgun in the form of a HK USP back in '01. The capacity limitations mentioned as reason for the gap plaid a role in this decision. Size and capacity penalty with a round making the same energy as 40 doesn't do 45acp any favors. At this point I keep it just to try something different occasionally and I can't stop liking the USP in 45 (even though I've had the 9 version since about '06). I collect so a 220 w.german and a 1911 seem to be must haves.

I will probably sell a couple 45 handguns to keep only the aforementioned favorites. In the interest of being practical, I plan to keep several 9mm and only a couple each of 45 and 40/357.

Such miniscule differences in the energy of handgun calibers is so often over hyped on the internet. Sure, 10mm is more powerful but how much is necessary to make any difference on humans? I stopped caring as much when I fully embraced the idea that handguns are only for offering a concealed option for defense until you can get a rifle.