Frankl03 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Hi, I found a Glock 37 GAP new at Buds Gun shop for $379 delivered. Seems like a great price but I would like to know more about 45 GAP. Is this a good round? I would reload if I buy this gun. Can I trim down regular 45 acp cases to make them fit 45 gap? Is 45 gap brass available? Is the commercial 45 gap allot more expensive if I buy it? I have reloaded for rifle but not pistol before. This is my first post and this would be my first handgun. Also if you have this model do you like it? Pros, cons? Thanks, Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hefta Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I don't have any knowledge in reguards to the G37 or the 45 GAP, but I had to say welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankl03 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ede Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 GAP uses a SPP unlike the ACP which uses LPP so I'd say making cases from ACP is out. I used one for a while in GSSF and it proved to be accurate and fairly soft shooting. With that said I gave up on GAP mostly becasue shooting .40 and 9mm proved simpler from a reloading perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Interesting picture comparing the dimensions of the two rounds: http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=390745 Though I have seen people say that you can trim the .45 ACP down to GAP length, it looks like rim dimensions are different and I would worry about extractor issues. Honestly, unless you are really drawn to the GAP round, I'd look at guns that shoot more common rounds (like .45 ACP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankl03 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Thanks for the advice! Its not that I like the round but that I have read great reviews on the Glock 37 and found one for a great price. I would like to know the availability of brass. Again I have not loaded handgun rounds before but I have done rifle rounds. Thanks again for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precision40 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I picked one up from Buds as well and love it. The ONLY minor drawback is the availability of brass, but if you look it's available. It took me all of 10 minutes to find someone who had brass in stock and at a very good price. Nowadays I might shoot 1-2 matches a year anymore, so when I do I don't mind shooting the 37. Slick up the trigger, install good sights and it's a good all-around gun. I might even buy another one or two before they go away at that price... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankl03 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 This is what I was thinking. And I have read some reviews and they all are positive. Great price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 The reviews are decent because it is pretty much identical to every other Glock which also gets decent reviews. However I wouldnt touch this gun for that price, You are gonna be stuck with an oddball gun shooting oddball ammo that will soon be nonexistent ammo. You cant safely use 45acp brass unless you can find small primer brass, The ejector may hit the primer, same reason you shouldnt use 10mm brass cut down to .40. So now you'll be stuck, you cant re barrel to 45ACP because the frame is too short, and you cant re barrel to .40 or 9mm because the breach face isnt right. Odd ball guns are not nearly the deal they seam to be. look around lots of .40's out there that are way more versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 You can't use cutdown .45 ACP because the .45 GAP casing has a rebated rim, i.e. the rim is smaller than the case body, compared to the .45 ACP where the rim is actually slightly larger than the case body. (Trivia: the .45 ACP is not a true "rimless" cartridge, it's actually rimmed, albeit barely.) Also you can't use .45 ACP loading data; case capacity is much smaller, both because of the shorter OAL and the fact that the .45 GAP has a much heavier web. Having said that, if you're going to be handloading, and you can get casings inexpensively....why not? Be aware that the rebated case rims can cause a problem when running a Dillon reloading machine with a case feeder and .45 GAP brass. If you're running the normal casing feed tube, the casings will tip slightly inside the tube - not normally a problem with typical auto pistol casings, but in the case (pun intended) of the .45 GAP the rebated rim will hook into the mouth of the next casing down and the casings won't come out of the case feeder. Just tell the folks at Dillon you're loading .45 GAP and you can buy a slightly narrower feed tube that will hold the .45 GAP casings one right on top of the other so that doesn't happen. Also be aware that most factory .45 GAP ammo is loaded to .45 ACP +P ballistics, so in a really light gun like the Glock 37 it's not particularly pleasant to fire. The 230-grain ball ammo in a Glock 37 is likewise it not the lightest recoiling gun in the world. Among factory .45 GAP loads the most pleasant stuff to fire I ever found with the Winchester Silvertip. Hope that helps. Any other info I might be able to provide, please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beans Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I have and still do use 45 GAP brass in my S&W 625 .45 ACP revolver. The accuracy is great. The rebated rim does cause it to be some what looser in my moon clips but it still works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbo76 Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I run a G-37 gap in L-10 USPSA and a local steel competition. I really like the way the reduced frame size feels in my hand. I have tried the G-21, and G-21SF, but my hands are on the smallish size so the G-37 worked best for me. I was able to find 4000k once fired gap brass on the net without much searching and at a fair price. My dad reloads using a Dillon press, and says that its no problem switching back and for between the GAP and ACP brass. IMHO, this is a great carry gun, and effective L-10 gun where a major round is taken into account. As mentioned before, a trigger job is a must, and the factory sighs are ok at best. Make sure you get a mag loader if you do go this route. The 9-10th rounds are challenging to get in. they do loosen up a little over time, but a loader will make the round much more fun. For $389 I just don't know how you can go wrong! Along these lines though, has anyone tried the Tungsten or SS guide rods for recoil management with any success? I shot a 9mm for the first time last night (G-34) and was amazed at how little recoil was there. I would like to do anything I can within the rules to reduce that hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 . Make sure you get a mag loader if you do go this route. Fortunately the gun comes with one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Along these lines though, has anyone tried the Tungsten or SS guide rods for recoil management with any success? I believe that one or two people may have experimented with this, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 . Make sure you get a mag loader if you do go this route. Fortunately the gun comes with one. They are however crappy and breakable..... HKS makes a much better one for the 17/19 etc. sized mags..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Along these lines though, has anyone tried the Tungsten or SS guide rods for recoil management with any success? I shot a 9mm for the first time last night (G-34) and was amazed at how little recoil was there. I would like to do anything I can within the rules to reduce that hit. I've played with both. With Tungsten rods and other mods (Sights, griptape), you'll be cutting it very (too?) close on weight for production, but they should be fine for Limited/L10/Open.... I don't know that the rods per se affect recoil much --- they seem to have more effect on balance. Springs can make a difference in how the gun cycles, how the sights return, etc. so that may be a reason to switch and experiment..... After a bunch of time though, I'm back to running a mix of stainless, tungsten and stock recoil assemblies in various blasters, and I can't notice a significant difference during a match.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbo76 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 My plan was to run the G-37 (L-10)for USPSA paper matches and the 34 for Tuesday night steel / USPSA production paper. Are the aftermarked SS/Tungsten guide rod / lighter springs legal for use in production matches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 For production, the gun (with empty magazine inserted) can't weigh more than 2 oz. over the weight that's listed on the production list. Considering that as with power factor, you want to leave some room for scale variations, tungsten rods may be too heavy (especially if you've also replaced the plastic sights, added grip tape, made other mods) to make weight.... Spring and guiderod changes are legal in production --- but you've also got to consider weight.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 They are however crappy and breakable..... Hm. I've never broken one, and they work just fine for me. Have you actually broken a factory Glock magazine loading tool? Man, that would take some energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 They are however crappy and breakable..... Hm. I've never broken one, and they work just fine for me. Have you actually broken a factory Glock magazine loading tool? Man, that would take some energy. I've broken 3 or 4, all in .40 or .45 trying to load high caps..... But then you probably don't command quite the bulk or leverage I do..... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braxton1 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I was going to try running one in L-10 also, but with 10 rounds in the mag, it was very difficult to insert in the gun on a quick reload (Almost like trying to cram a 20-rounder into a G-22). I ended up going with extended pads, not for round capacity, but to give the spring some wiggle-room during a load. When reloading, occasionally you will trip across some GAP brass with Large Primer pockets. I believe the first runs of CCI were Large, but please don't quote me on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbo76 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I was going to try running one in L-10 also, but with 10 rounds in the mag, it was very difficult to insert in the gun on a quick reload (Almost like trying to cram a 20-rounder into a G-22). I ended up going with extended pads, not for round capacity, but to give the spring some wiggle-room during a load. That is a great Idea. I will add a mag well at some point and was wondering if seating the mag was going to be a challenge. Does the extra room make it quite a bit easier to get that 9 & 10th round in? A tip I read on glock talk was to use the loader to depress the springs as far down as possible when the magazine is full. They said that by forcing the rounds to compact, they would stack better allowing for a little space in the mag. I tried it on Tuesday, but I can't tell you if there was a difference or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EkuJustice Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 (edited) If your wanting a mag well etc you gonna want longer mags. If cost is a factor, I would look at a used 22 over the glock 37. Brass is going to be much cheaper and easier to find, bullets cheaper.Mags are harder to buy as alot of shops dont even stock them. If you ever decide to get rid of it a 22 will hold value and is able to move. A 37 good luck. Most shops wont even take them and if they do will pay nothing for it as no one wants them(hense why buds is dumping them cheap). If you alaredy had the gun I would shoot what ya got, but when your buying one, there are much better choices out there. Also nice to know if you run short on ammo, its easily found at the local walmart etc. Edited January 28, 2010 by EkuJustice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKAL Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Which one on Buds site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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