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Law Enforcement Chooses .45 GAP Ammo

Florida Highway Patrol Chooses .45 GAP

Glock introduced .45 Glock Automatic Pistol (GAP) ammunition in 2003. It was the first cartridge manufactured by the Austrian firearms manufacturer. The ammo is a rimless, straight-walled round that shares the same bullet diameter of the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP). The diameter is .451 inch. The .45 GAP is housed in a .755-inch casing, the same length as a 9mm shell). The cartridge’s overall length is 1.070 inches.

The ammo is made with a big bore bullet and uses a small pistol primer. Its maximum pressure is 23,000 pounds psi. It is ideal for self-defense and concealed carry. The round is suitable for use by civilians, military and law enforcement. It is efficient, accurate, and reliable. Glock has supplied United States law enforcement with more handguns in the last twenty years than any other weapons manufacturer.

Development of the .45 GAP

Glock aimed to design a .45 cartridge for a compact handgun that didn’t have an oversized grip. The design would allow the weapon to be used for concealed carry. In 2003, Glock introduced the Glock 37. They collaborated with ammunition designer Ernest Durham, an engineer with CCI/Speer.

Glock told Speer what it needed in new ammunition. They wanted a .45 caliber bullet housed in a case no longer than the one used for a 9mm Parabellum or .40 S&W. They also requested a cartridge that could easily fit inside a grip similar to their Model 17 or 22 pistols. The size would ensure that the gun could be used by most shooters, regardless of the size of the user’s hand.

Speer delivered the cartridges. The finished product was created using bullets ranging from 165-grain to 230-grain. The .45 GAP ammo’s muzzle energy averages 400 to 500 foot-pounds (ft-lbs).

The Popularity of the .45 GAP

The public quickly embraced the .45 GAP. As a result, several firearms manufacturers made pistols to house the new ammo. The trend died down and eventually Glock and Bond Arms became the only companies to continue production.

Currently, Glock offers several pistols chambered in .45 GAP: Model 37 (full-size), 38 (compact), and 39 (sub-compact).

Some shooters falsely claim that the .45 ACP and .45 GAP are interchangeable. The extractor grooves are cut differently which makes the main difference. Additionally, the .45 GAP uses a small pistol primer whereas the .45 ACP uses a large pistol primer.

Law Enforcement

Glock’s biggest success with the .45 GAP has been with the law enforcement community. Several state law enforcement agencies use the Glock 37 with .45 GAP ammo as standard issue. The ammo has similar fire power and performance compared to the .45 ACP yet is more compact.

Many law enforcement agencies have switched from .45-caliber weapons in favor of guns chambered in 9x19mm and .40 S&W. Despite the trend, three state law enforcement agencies have chosen the .45 GAP as a replacement for their standard issue 9mm Parabellum (New York) or .40 S&W service weapons (Florida and South Carolina). Smaller law enforcement agencies have also chosen to use the Glock 37 and .45 GAP. They include the Burden, Kansas Police Department, Greenville, North Carolina Police Department, and the Berkeley, Missouri Police Department.

The Georgia State Patrol previously carried the Glock Model 37. It has replaced it with the fourth generation 9mm Glock 17. The South Carolina Highway Patrol also abandoned the Glock 37 in favor of the Glock 17 “M” also chambered in 9mm.

The Pennsylvania State Police used the Glock 37 from 2007-2013. Lack of ammunition caused the agency to adopt the fourth generation Glock 21 chambered in .45 ACP. The police experienced recall issues and switched to the SIG-Sauer P227 in .45 ACP.

Types of .45 GAP Ammo

Several ammunition manufacturers produce .45 GAP ammunition, but it’s not a popular round. Most shooters looking for bulk ammunition choose from full metal jacket (FMJ), total metal jacket (TMJ), or jacketed hollow point (JHP) rounds.

  • Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammo is a lead bullet enclosed in a metal, typically copper, casing. The casing helps the projectile maintain its shape from firing to impact at the target site. FMJ rounds are typically used for plinking and target shooting. They can also be used for self-defense purposes.
  • Total Metal Jacket (TMJ) ammo is like FMJ in that it uses a lead bullet sheathed in a harder metal. The lead bullet is exposed within the round’s casing, unlike the FMJ. TMJ bullets feature a projectile is encased in copper. The shooter’s exposure to lead is limited due to the cooper casing. Some indoor shooting ranges in the U.S. require this configuration.
  • Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP) ammo also uses a lead bullet encased in copper, but this bullet has a hollow point in its center. The hollow point allows for greater expansion upon impact. The expansion creates a larger entrance wound while reducing the risk of over-penetration.

 

 

 

The Iconic Colt Detective Special

Colt Detective

Manufactured by Colt’s Manufacturing Company in 1927, the Colt Detective Special is one of the most iconic snubnosed revolvers ever made. It’s a six-shot, double-action revolver with a 2” barrel historically used by plain clothes police detectives when carrying concealed. It also became a popular model to carry off-duty.

History

Colt employee John Henry Fitzgerald came up with the concept of the “Fitz Special” snubnosed revolver in the mid-1920s. Fitzgerald wanted to reduce the barrel size of the .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver to make it easier for police to carry concealed. He shortened the barrel and ejector rod and removed the front of the trigger guard to enable faster trigger acquisition. Fitzgerald also modified the butt and bobbed the hammer spur to make it faster to draw without catching on the policeman’s clothing.

The Detective Special

The Fitz Special made such an impression on Colt that they made some modifications to the design and introduced the Detective Special. Upon its release in 1927, the Detective Special became an instant success. Several law enforcement agencies worldwide still use the gun.

Five Generations

There have been five generations of the Detective Special, starting with the first generation in 1927. Some purists only consider the gun to have had four issues, since the fifth issue was a last-ditch attempt at reviving the weapon by making a run using spare parts. 

First Issue

The Detective Special was first manufactured from 1927-1946. This issue was the pared down version of the .38 Special Colt Police Positive Special revolver. Distinctive features of the “snubby” included a shortened ejector rod with an ungrooved, knurled tip; a checkered cylinder latch and hammer spur, wooden grip panels, and a “half-moon” shaped front sight. The earliest model, featuring a 2” barrel, retained the original square butt grip frame. In 1933, Colt rounded off the grip frame to make the weapon easier to conceal. Colt switched over to the rounded butt for the Detective Special. However, the original square butt was used into the 1940’s.

Detective Specials were manufactured for the U.S. Government during World War II. Due to the high demand and quick turn-around required, many of the weapons had the original square butt. Historians believe that the guns were pre-war Police Positive Specials retrofitted with 2” barrels.

Second Issue

The second issue of the Detective Special was sold from 1947 to 1965. After World War II, Colt began to make changes to its line, including the Detective Special. The company changed a variety of things including the cylinder retention system. They also replaced the front sight, altered the hammer spur, and lengthened the ejector rod.

The gun’s grips were known as “Coltwood,” made from a reddish-brown plastic. This was common throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. In later years, Colt returned to using checkered American Walnut embellished with silver Colt medallions.

The second issue offered a 3” variant with a lengthened ejector rod. Colt changed to a serrated trigger spur, and the cylinder latch was smoother than the original.

Third Issue

Produced from 1966 to 1972, the Detective Special’s third issue only offered a minor change. Colt changed the grip frame to match the short, “stubby” frame used on the Colt Agent. Colt changed the grips to simplify and reduce the cost of production. Other changes included adding a new shroud to enclose and protect the ejector rod. Designers changed the front sight to a full ramp, and oversized wooden gripstocks covered the front frame strap.

Variations on the third issue included a limited run of nickel-plated guns as well as a 3” barrel variant.

Fourth Issue

Produced from 1973-1986, the fourth issue was the last of the series and featured the last major design change made by Colt. In 1973, Colt changed the barrel to a heavier version, adding a shroud designed to cover ramped front sight and the ejector rod. They also changed the narrow, old-style grips to a sleeker combat-style that wrapped around the frame. Additionally, the formerly grooved trigger was now smooth.

In 1986, faced with dwindling sales and rising costs, Colt discontinued the Detective Special.

Fifth Issue

Manufactured from 1993-1995, the fifth issue was a last hurrah for the Detective Special. Colt had just recovered from bankruptcy. The company decided to take leftover parts and made a short production run of Detective Specials. The reissue was an instant success.  There was enough demand from the reintroduction that Colt continued to produce the gun until 1995.  The guns were identical to the 1973 model except for the introduction of Pachmayr’s “Compac” rubber grips.

The Detective Special’s revival only lasted until 1995, when Colt introduced the stainless-steel SF-VI.

Many experts tout Colt’s Detective Special as one of the finest snubnose revolvers ever made.