Shooting excursion

[Bovaloe]

Went out shooting the other day with some friends, took a few random guns. I only brought my G30sf and my 10/22 because im still mostly crippled from tearing my right bicep and having surgery to re-attach it, one brought his M&P .45, a .22 and a .410, another brought his M&P 9mm, and the other brought his .44 rifle he was sighting in.
Anyway, there was a brick at about 40yds me and the other .45 were shooting at, he shot a whole mag at it missing everytime, I finished loading my mag and got it first time, weak arm 1 handed, i got to flip him some crap for that.

Well bragging aside, the reason for the post was this, he was loading up a magazine of some new "cheaper than usual" .45 ammo and commented on how it was shorter, I took a look and it was and had a square nose bullet. Well I took a look at the box and it turned out to be .45 GAP he was about to shoot, which I stopped him from doing.

So heres the question: Did I stop a pretty serious happening? Like blow the gun up serious?
I know the 2 rounds dont interchange, but how serious would this have been if he would have shot them?

Read More

 

[Spray-n-pray]

I couldn't say for certain, but I wouldn't want to find out firsthand. Maybe we could send it in to Mythbusters?

 

[onearmedswordsman]

Well, now, thanks to you we won't know. :angry:

Sorry, bad joke. Could not help myself. I really don' know. I hope someone who really knows, jumps in. But, in my opinion, if you can believe Wikipedia, 45GAP loads pressures are roughly equivalent to 45ACP+P. So, if the gun can take +P, he is probably ok.

But like with 38spc/357mag and 44spc/44mag, he should clean up the chamber with a brush before switching to 45acp.

Again, this is an educated guess (aka SWAG).

 

[PhysicsGuy]

But like with 38spc/357mag and 44spc/44mag, he should clean up the chamber with a brush before switching to 45acp.

Good guess, but incorrect;

Rimmed cartridges head space on the rim, so length does not matter, but auto cartridges head space on the mouth, so cartridge dimensions are critical.

This means that it is unsafe to fire any cartridge that head spaces on the mouth or shoulder that is not originally specified for the firearm.

I am uncertain what would have happened if he would have fired the .45 gap, but it could have resulted in catastrophic failure if his luck that day was that bad.

 

[deadeye]

Not a good idea to try. The gap may seat fine if the chamber is still newish and tight but if not may slide too far in. It may fire and may not due to the rim not being quite as big and the firing pin making contact or not. Also it may eject and may not. Biggest issue would be bullet not in where it should be as gap is shorter than a 9mm overall which could damage chamber.Here is what I found.

Another common question I've heard asked when shooters first learn of the .45 GAP is whether it can be fired in .45 ACP chambers. The answer is one of those not-so-simple ones: No, but sometimes it might. Both the .45 ACP and the .45 GAP headspace on the case mouth, so the .45 GAP won't reach the chamber headspace index in a .45 ACP chamber.



On the other hand, the taper of the two cases is essentially the same so a .45 GAP might not slide too far forward in a really tight-chambered .45 ACP for the firing pin to reach the primer. But the .45 GAP rim is rebated, remember, so a .45 ACP extractor may not hook on, unless it's got a really deep lateral reach. The real answer to the question is...maybe. If you drop a .45 GAP into a .45 ACP pistol it might go bang. Sometimes. And maybe extract and eject, too. From some guns. It is not a good idea--under any circumstances.

 

[DoktorT]

I can't address the original question. But it does point out that there is risk in shooting firearms with others you haven't known for a long time to be no. 1 very prudent and cautious by nature and no. 2 have a long history of safe firearms use. Too many people think if they have been out plinking 22's a few times, they also think they are experts with anything that goes bang.

 

[longcolt]

I remember discussions about firing the 380 in the 9mm and the 9mm in the 38 super.

The risk is if the shorter cartridge does in fact fire, it will have jump the gap to the headspace. That may work out OK but it may not and damage your firearm and you with it.

Like was stated it works OK with rimed cartridges but not the rimless variety.

I would never attempt to fire the 45 gap in a 45 acp or the other examples stated above.

 

[Working 4 U]

Hi Guys,

I own a 45 GAP (Springfield XD Tactical probably the most accurate pistol I have ever shot) and before purchasing it I did a lot of research about the cartridge. In everything I read and gunsmiths I talked with the cartridge is the same except the GAP is shorter about a tenth of an inch. I asked why and they said there was space left between the bottom of the bullet and the top of the powder in a 45 ACP and by shorting the casing and removing that space they could get the firearm to cycle faster.

Also I was told (I would not do and have not confirmed) that you can shoot the 45 GAP out of a 45 ACP,because is shorter, but you can not shoot 45 ACP out of a GAP, because its longer. From the first post it sounds like you can shoot 45 GAP out of a 45, but had some miss fires.

Also in the firs post he said he found some cheap ammo in 45 GAP if so where, I have a hard time finding any 45 GAP ammo, and what I do find the ammo has doubled in price since the Obama scare. Frankly I think they are gouging on the price.

Well hopefully this has helped, But I stress I would not shoot any out of a firearm that is not rated for it.