45 Gap Load

[Harmon]

a friend of mine has a springer XD in 45 gap and was telling me how expensive it was to shoot. i thought about it for a bit and decided to load him some rounds to try to sway him to the handloads.(reload for himself, save big money)

i went home and scrounged up 100 pieces of GAP brass i had found on the ranges and started adjusting the press to load the short GAP round.

after getting the press set up for GAP, i looked at the bullets i had on hand, 230 precisions.

i had nothing lighter so i decided to use the 230s and Titegroup powder. for this application i felt CLAYS would be TOO fast.

the load i settled on was 3.7 grains Titegroup, Precision 230 and federal small pistol primer loaded to 1.10 oal. this load feels exactly the same as the 230 grain federal american eagle ammo and has been 100 percent reliable. the thing that intrigued me was how soft BOTH loads shot in the 5 inch springer. if the gun held 10+ rounds i would buy one...definitely a sweet little gun.

tomorrow ill swing buy the gunshop and get some 185 JHP bullets to try..with about 4.6 grains Titegroup..

anyone else have a pet load for the GAP pistol?

[glockadict]

230gr Zero JHP

4.4gr VV N320

O.A.L 1.134

Should make U.S.P.S.A major

3.6gr or 3.8gr if you just want a powder puff load.

Go to www.45gap.com, they have a lot of recipes.

[LPatterson]

after getting the press set up for GAP, i looked at the bullets i had on hand, 230 precisions.

i had nothing lighter so i decided to use the 230s and Titegroup powder. for this application i felt CLAYS would be TOO fast.

Hodgdon Manual #27 Relative Burn Rate Chart shows Clays as #5 & TiteGroup as #8, however the Ramshot Powder Burn Rate Chart shows TiteGroup as # 10 & Clays as #14. Can not find any other powder manufacturers that list burn rates.

I have found that loads of TiteGroup in a 45ACP cause the case to be hotter longer than loads of Clays. Also with TiteGroup I get a ring of brown residue around the muzzle that I do not get with Clays. At least 1 manufacturer of poly/moly coated bullets recommends against the use of TiteGroup but does not include Clays in that recommendation.

[Harmon]

titegroup with the 9mm and master blaster bullets sucked, with the 40 it was better, less leading less smoke, with the 45, its almost like shooting a FMJ, NO leading and very little smoke.

another difference is the precision bullets seem to have a better coating than masterblasters...the bear creek are about the same as precisions...