It’s fair to say that while most firearm enthusiasts will be aware of the .45 ACP, the .45 GAP is not as often spoken about. However, it’s probably also fair to say that the .45 ACP is the quintessential .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol cartridge. So if you are wondering what the differences are between the .45 ACP vs. .45 GAP, you’re in the right place.
In this blog post, your expert team at Diamond K Bras will take a deep dive and look at the histories of these two cartridges and their differences. That way, you will be able to understand which is the most suitable cartridge choice for your firearm needs. Let’s get started.
What Is the .45 ACP?
The .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge. Below, we will highlight the history of this cartridge, which goes back more than 100 years. The .45 ACP has the following specs:
- Bullet diameter: .452 inch
- Case length: .898 inch
- Overall length: 1.275 inch
- Max pressure: 21000 PSI
- Primer type: large pistol
Some of the pros of the .45 ACP include its improved stopping power in comparison to .38 and .30 bullets. It has also been tested in combat with several decades of experience. So it is no wonder that this is a well-known and highly-popular cartridge.
What Is .45 GAP?
The .45 Glock Auto Pistol (GAP) is a pistol cartridge that was designed by CCI/Speer engineer Ernest Durham at the request of manufacturer Glock. As with the .45 ACP, we will take a closer look at its history below (we won’t have to go back quite as far as we will have to for the .45 ACP). First, let’s break down the specs of the .45 GAP:
- Bullet diameter: .451 inch
- Case length: .755 inch
- Overall length: 1.070 inch
- Max pressure: 23000 PSI
- Primer type: small pistol
What is immediately evident when just looking at the numbers for both the .45 ACP and the .45 GAP is the difference in size, with the .45 GAP being slightly smaller.
History of .45 ACP
The .45 ACP was designed in 1904 by John Moses Browning. During his career, Browning was an American firearm designer who developed various civilian and military cartridges, firearms, and gun mechanisms.
Browning designed the .45 ACP for use in his Colt semi-automatic pistol. Its purpose was to address the issue of stopping power by the ammunition being used at the time during the Philippine-American War. Before this, the ammunition used was not considered lethal enough, necessitating the development of a new cartridge.
The .45 ACP served its aim to increase the stopping power at this time and continued to be an important cartridge in a military sense for many decades. Even today, while the cartridge has been broadly replaced in modern-day usage, it still serves an essential role in several applications, including large-caliber sports shooting and several police units (specifically tactical police units here in the United States).
Because of the greater diameter and length of the .45 ACP, the grip of the pistol must be broader and longer than the grip of a comparable pistol of a smaller caliber. Therefore, such a pistol can be more challenging for shooters with smaller hands.
History of .45 GAP
As noted above, the .45 GAP was designed by Ernest Durham. It has been in service since 2003. It was developed at the request of Glock to provide a cartridge that equals the power of the .45 ACP while having a more robust case head to reduce the possibility of case neck blowout and fitting in a more compact firearm.
While the .45 GAP has effectively the same diameter as the .45 ACP, it is slightly shorter. Rather than the large-pistol primer commonly used in .45 ACP ammunition, the .45 GAP used a small pistol primer.
The .45 GAP is designed to operate at higher standard pressures. In 2003, the cartridge was quickly adopted by many law enforcement organizations around the globe and continues to be used in several states, such as Florida, New York, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Understanding the Main Differences
Below, we will highlight the main differences between the .45 ACP and the .45 GAP under various headings, including design, power, accuracy, stopping power, range, cost, and popularity.
Design
As we have noted with the specs of both the .45 ACP and the .45 GAP, there isn’t a big difference when it comes to design.
However, the fact that the .45 GAP is shorter, even if only slightly, this difference can have a significant impact. Using larger guns in real-life situations can prove more challenging to handle, which is why many do prefer to use the smaller .45 GAP.
On the other hand, the .45 ACP has a lower functioning pressure than the .45 GAP, giving it less recoil, which can play a role in improving accuracy. Therefore, your own personal preferences will play a role in determining whether you prefer the .45 ACP or the .45 GAP.
Stopping Power
When it comes to stopping power, the .45 ACP has the upper hand with superior stopping power in comparison to the .45 GAP. When comparing the stopping power between these two cartridges, we need to look at the foot-pound force of each round. This is used as a measurement for the muzzle energy of a bullet.
We are able to gauge this by looking at the energy transferred to an object when, through a distance of one foot, one pound of force hits an object. The foot pound-force depends on both the bullet type and mass.
For the .45 ACP, the average foot pound-force is 532 ft⋅lbf. This is quite a bit higher than the .45 GAP, which has an average foot pound-force of 483 ft⋅lbf.
Velocity
When we speak of velocity in a firearm, we are referring to the speed of the projectile. Comparing the velocity of different rounds is an excellent way to compare the efficacy of both types of .45 cartridges.
It should be noted that higher ammunition velocity doesn’t automatically equate to better stopping power, however. To give an example of this, though artillery rounds have far lower velocity compared to handgun rounds, they arguably produce a more significant amount of stopping power on an individual.
Of course, the .45 ACP and .45 GAP are nearly identical, so a higher velocity would equate to increased stopping power in this case. The average velocity across the different types of .45 ACP is 1,218 m/s. This is significantly higher than the 483 m/s averaged across the different types of .45 GAP.
Range
Once again, the .45 ACP comes out on top in this category. It has better range capabilities due to both its higher force and velocity. It’s worth highlighting that, when dealing with range comparisons, most applications of handguns are not going to be in long-range instances.
By comparing both, we can say that, through the combination of the .45 ACP’s greater velocity measurements and foot pound-force, it has superiority against the .45 GAP in terms of both short- and long-range abilities.
The .45 ACP allows firearm users to shoot longer ranges for marksmanship practice, competition, and general training. It also has higher stopping power, so it is the better option for general defense or life-threatening scenarios.
Cost
Once again, the .45 ACP is the winner in this category. It is considerably cheaper than the .45 GAP, thanks to the widespread use of the ACP.
The .45 ACP is widely found in physical and online stores, with a lower cost per round. The. 45 GAP, on the other hand, is only produced by a small number of manufacturers and is more expensive to purchase (with a higher cost per round).
The Bottom Line: .45 ACP vs. .45 GAP Differences
As this blog post highlights, there are several differences between the .45 GAP and ACP
Generally, we would say the .45 ACP is the way to go if you are looking for a .45 round. That’s because it is more readily available, is cheaper to purchase, and has greater stopping power, higher velocity, and better range.
However, you may prefer the smaller size of the .45 GAP. As noted above, there is a degree of personal preference involved when choosing one or the other.
Everything You Need to Know About the .45 ACP and .45 GAP
We proudly stock the .45 Gap and the .45 ACP at leading prices at Diamond K Brass.
All of our once-fired and brand-new brass is guaranteed and, thanks to our pricing, is an excellent option for people looking to buy in bulk and save. As we routinely ship 2% more than the ordered amount of brass, your satisfaction is assured.
We are committed to supplying premium quality fired brass to the reloading community. Our brass is gathered, cleaned, and separated by hand.
If you would like to learn more about .45 ACP vs. .45 GAP, check out our home page.
