The Florida Highway Patrol is purchasing unique Glock pistols that are unavailable, for now, to anyone else, according to Randy Pitts, a Glock sales representative at the 2010 SHOT Show. These new pistols will replace the aging Beretta 96 handguns currently carried by FHP.
Recently the Florida Highway Patrol conducted testing for a new duty pistol in Tallahassee, Fla. One of the pistols they tested was the Gen 4 Glock. The problem is Glock is only offering the Gen 4 in 9mm and .40 S&W, and FHP wanted a .45. To secure the contract of “about 3000 pistols,” Glock agreed to manufacture a special run of Gen 4 pistols chambered in .45 GAP.
According to Pitts, “We don’t even have a model number for these guns.” Pitts stated Glock has secured ATF approval for the new pistols, and FHP should take delivery of the new guns in “two to three months.”
It is unknown if Glock will turn these custom pistols into a regular production item. The .45 GAP has gained some popularity with law enforcement, but has not captured the shooting public’s attention. Though the GAP reproduces the ballistics of a .45 ACP in a smaller package allowing for a “normal” Glock grip size, the relative high cost of ammunition has kept many buyers away.
Other agencies carrying the .45 GAP pistols include the Georgia State Patrol, New York State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and South Carolina Highway Patrol. FHP is currently the only department that will have a Gen 4 .45 pistol.
About Richard
Richard is the publisher of BlueSheepdog.com. In addition to writing here, he publishes GunsHolstersAndGear.com and is a regular contributor to places like Human Events, Police & Security News and The Firearm Blog.
We’re excited about receiving these new pistols, and proud of the thorough testing and evaluation process our agency undertook when deciding what caliber and weapon to transition to. Thanks to the other state police/highway patrol agencies that provided their input.
So Fla Trooper, thanks for checking in. I was in a training class with a central Fla trooper last fall, and he was telling me that it looked like you guys were going to .45. It wasn’t until SHOT that I realized it would be a Gen 4 platform Glock.
Once you get yours, let us know how it shoots.
Stay safe!
Richard
Interesting choice. Can’t help but wonder why the GAP and not the ACP? and why the move away from the 96 to begin with.
[...] Interesting. Florida Highway Patrol wanted the new Glocks in 45. But the Gen4 models were only available in 40 and 9mm. So, Glock agreed to do a special run of pistols in 45GAP. [...]
The .45GAP Glocks have a smaller grip than the .45ACP Glocks, while shooting the same size projectile with equal ballistics. Chalk it up to advancements in gunpowder technology over the past 100 years that give the ability for GAP casings to be shorter than the ACP design.
Also,Gen4 Glocks have an even smaller grip potential (three different sized grips, with the middle one being the same as the older Glocks).
Smaller grips give better control. Better control means faster follow-up shots.
I figure the choice of .45 gap instead of .45 acp is like the .40 s&w instead of the 10mm.
Good choice I love the GAP cartridge and have a Springfield XD45LE Tactical and it is my favorite carry gun (when weather allows cover clothing). I hope that more law enforcment switch to GAP to keep the ammo alive for us GAP owners out there.
The .45 GAP was designed for the Glock. It’s a little shorter case than .45acp and allows it to be used in a the same Glock frame as .40 s&w & 9 mm.
I too like the .45 GAP. I have a G37 and it is a damn fine weapon. I like shooting it over my three .40 cal Glocks that I use for primary, back up and off duty. My agency already has six calibers to purchase so adding no. seven isn’t going to happen. Yes, ammo availability and cost are annoying at times, but I really like the cartridge and the weapon. With FHP adopting it, that’s now 10.2% of the state police/highway patrols in the U.S. that are using it.
Not everyone is as excited about the GAP as SoFlaTrooper. It is uncharacteristic of the agency to go with an unproven design like the GAP. Especially when most people felt confident with the .40. It will take time for the GAP to achieve a reasonable level of acceptance in Florida.
Not everyone here is as excited as SoFlaTrooper about the GAP. Very few people are sold on the virtues of the cartridge and the rest have been left wondering why it was adopted. The reports from HQ have done little to answer the questions,other than, “trust us it’s great”. We’ve all heard that before. It is going to be some time before everyone is confident that the new round was the right choice.
Hi Mark,
No doubt– Troopers have reason to question some of the things coming out of Tallahassee, but I don’t think this is one to worry too much about. The .45 GAP is not an unproven design, rather it has been out for about seven years now, and has been carried by a number of police agencies in the USA. Notably, the GAP has been popular with state police agencies where back-up response times can often be measured in 1/2 hour increments, not minutes.
Your neighbors to the north in the Georgia State Patrol have been involved in a number of shootings while carrying the .45 GAP, and I’ve not heard of any complaints on the performance of the cartridge.
The .45 GAP duplicates .45 ACP performance, which has an excellent reputation, in a smaller package meaning more ammo on hand. You put the bullets on target and they will do the job.
–Richard
Silly stuff.
They needed to change from the Berettas as Beretta doesnt make them anymore and they are beginning to fall apart.
They wanted a 45 first and foremost and only a 45 but then the small hand brigade reared its…small hands.
The 45GAP is Glocks abortive attempt at getting a 45 cal upper on a small frame lower ( the 17/22 series)by making a 45 round that fit the 9mm envelope like the 40 does too.
The deal is/was to swap the Berettas for the Glocks 1:1 plus some additional Glock compacts to be thrown in…its all on a public RFP.
Glock has about $90 manufacturing costs in a pistol so if they can get $200 each for the Berettas in a trade in, they are ahead. Part of the RFP is that the troopers be allowed to purchase back their Berettas so how that works will be interesting!
However, now its 2010 and the G4 frames are out, who needs the 45GAP round?…why they didnt stay with the 40 is utterly amazing and no one can figure that one out. The ammo is about x2 the price of the 40 FETOUT and the FHP shoots over a million a year in practice alone.
I’m not surprised the FHP would choose a Glock 45 GAP. It’s like my Glock 22 with 20% more knock-down power. Apparently that’s what they needed. As far as the cost, the GAP should eventually be cheaper than the 45 ACP in that it is smaller, uses less powder and a smaller primer. I just bought 200 rounds of 45 GAP for about 50 cents a round and that’s in line with 45 ACP, and it was easy to find. I think the 45 GAP is going to catch on, especially when the American Gun companies start adding the round to their lineup. The 45 Gap has a lot going for it.
I carry also a Springfield Armory XDLE 45GAP and I LOVE IT. 9+1 in the same size as the 40 cal XD. I dunno about you guys but I’ll take a .45 over a .40 anyday. and with Winchester 185 silvertip HP it sings perfect !1000 FPS! it’s like music to my ears….
Bob, how do you calculate that the GAP has 20% more “knockdown power”? Everything I’ve seen shows them equal too or below the power of the .40, depending on the load.
I have shot all calibers and the .45 gap has less felt or the same as some people say than the .40 s&w.
If you shoot the .45 gap you will love it!
I can see more and more LEO’s going to the .45gap!
I want the New gen. 4 Glock 37 or I would take in the 38.
Right now to the best of my knowledge the 45 GAP is proprietary to Glock only, meaning the only 45gap pistols on the market are Glocks. It did not take the .40S&W 7 years to catch on and the 45gap has seen that much time in use already with little to no fanfare from the shooting community.
IMO FHP must of struck one hell of a deal to agree to the 45gap instead of the 45acp. There are quite a few LE agencies already in the State of Florida issuing the G21 and now the newer G21SF (short frame for those girly hands out there) and having great success with them.
45gap is just too much of a “novelty” round right now and I don’t see it really becoming as popular as the major three (9mm, .40S&W, and 45acp).
Kudos to FHP for finally making the jump to the Glock. I’m actually surprised they didn’t go with the S&W M&P45 since they are concerned about small hands because ergonomically the M&P is far superior to the Glock. A lot of agencies who previously issued Glocks have switched over to the M&P and it’s getting more and more popular as time goes on.
The GAP was developed between Glock & CCI/Speer, but it is not proprietary to Glock. Springfield began producing an Xd chambered in .45 GAP(though I don’t think it is still in production) and Para is producing a 1911 in it. The round is gaining a lot of traction and seems to be growing at a noticeably more exponential rate. I just purchased a Glock 37 and have to say that I love it. I was unsure of the round myself when I first really looked at it, but after an unbelievable amount of research on it, it has proven itself superior to the .45 ACP in quite a few ways.
1. Advancements in primer & propellant technologies have allowed the case to shorten in length, yet produce velocities that are typically slightly higher than .45 ACP counterparts…Advantage-GAP
2. Reduced length means more flexibility in a round that has massive stopping power. The .45 GAP has been shortened to 19MM, the same as the 9MM Parabellum(Luger), so it will fit into a 9MM frame.With no energy loss(usually a slight energy gain) compared to the 45 ACP, an undisputed man-stopper, the round greatly increases the number and type of frames that you can get a .45 in…I like options. Yet again options are gained with nothing lost…Advantage GAP
The 45 ACP is now the longest surviving pistol cartridge, period. It has survived and flourished because it’s effective. Large rounds that have enough kinetic energy at impact to stop a grown man no matter where he is hit, that’s a good feeling. The .45 GAP only adds options to the wonderful caliber, it doesn’t remove them. Every person not giving this round credit, either hasn’t really learned of its functional differences and the opportunities those differences present, or is basing their decision on the fact that it hasn’t been widely adopted yet and doesn’t command respect at the mere mention of it’s name…but it will. The .45 ACP was developed before the assembly line, and these have been an impressive 100 years to not be helped by technology. Give it a chance, as it catches on and more manufacturers see there is a demand for the versatility it offers, even the name droppers will have a new round. Prices will come down and availability will rise, it’s still brand new for a pistol cartridge…but in 7 years more than 10% of all U.S. law enforcement agencies have adopted it, but what do they know!
[...] Full story on Florida’s Gen4 .45 GAP glock purchase over at BlueSheepDog – HERE [...]
[...] in the LEO community due to being now loaded with the 230gr bullet in a smaller package. Unique Gen 4 Glock in .45 GAP for Florida Highway Patrol :: Blue Sheepdog LIVING THE DREAM _____________________________________ Reply With Quote [...]
I’ve carried a Glock 37 on duty for about 7 years now. My off duty carry is a G-39. I’ve seen what the .45 GAP will do and I’m sold! Most of my guys are carrying 3 mag pouches, some carry the quad simply because you NEVER know when the “stuff is going to hit the fan”. I HOPE Glock will offer the Gen 4 .45GAP to other LE personnel. I’d buy it this morning if it were available!!
I say the .45 GAP is the best of all worlds!
Less felt Slap of the .40 short and very weak
and the .357 sig!
The only people who Love this New Caliber are the ones who have
shot it!
If you try it you will be a GAPer!
So does anyone know when this Glock 38 .45 GAP will be available to the public in the Gen 4 platform?
Hopefully soon, JB. The G37 was available late last year, if I recall correctly. The 38 should be close behind.
-Richard
Troopers will be issued whatever their TOLD and it’ll be the BEST. Cause that’s what their told in training….
The GAP makes much more sense than the 45 acp. Other than the fact that the ACP has more availability and support and it what is “known” there does not seem to be really any advantage to the 45 ACP design. There may be a very little more snap over a 45 ACP since it is loaded to 45ACP +P pressures but that is the only functional downfall.
Y’all gotta get out a little more often.
See here for more info, http://home.comcast.net/~petej/biased.45gap.htm
I bought a Glock 37 when they first came out. I’ve been very happy with it. I don’t think ammo price is a huge concern, since the places where I get my carry ammo (like Streicher’s, for instance) can get you a 50-round box for between $25 and $30 in most calibers. You can get Gold Dot, Winchester Ranger and Federal HST from various sources in that price range.
I work for the Postal Service and will soon be transferring to the Orlando area. I’ve been carrying a TRP 1911 quite a bit, but I will probably stick more with my Glocks when I get to Florida–due to the lighter weight and better corrosion resistance. Since the FHP has adopted the GAP, I find myself leaning toward that gun and possibly loading it up with the same ammo they use.
what about the rest of us? any clue when all law enforcement officers will be able to switch from the gen3 to the gen4? The backstrap option alone will be a huge help to me.
Hi Ron,
Those decisions are up to your department. You might want to check with whoever is in charge of your firearms training. Virtually all of the Glock models are available in the Gen4 styling now.
Stay safe,
Richard
Sorry, I just had to laugh when I saw all the comments about the “massive stopping power” and “hit them anywhere” performance of the .45 loads. Folk, there isn’t a handgun suitable for police use that has massive stopping power or allows hits anywhere to work. If you have not noticed, only good hits count. Good bullets in 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 work sometimes to stop bad guys. After 45 years of shooting, and having just shoot my G22 Gen4 in a match, I’d prefer a M17 with Gold Dot 147 gr. loads. The one silly millimeter increase in diameter is meaningless. Some of us, especially retired guys, without an agency buying our ammo anymore, makes the cost of a GAP or ACP too much. When .50 a shot is affordable, I look back to when it cost .03 to .05 for .45 and .30 carbine. When I retired, I stopped getting practice and service ammo at taxpayer expense.
[...] full article on the Gen 4 Glock 37 sold to the Florida Highway Patrol is at the [...]
Great Article! If you shoot the GAP you will love it! I own and shoot all 3 Glock GAP models. A 45 in a 40 & 9 frame is perfect for me. Fits the hands like a glove! Ammo is not scarce nad the prices have come down and I also reload the GAP for fun. Thanks!
[...] the 2010 SHOT Show, I met with a Glock sales rep who told me about a unique Gen 4 Glock pistol being made in .45 GAP for the Florida Highway Patrol. This pistol has not been announced, and may not even see regular [...]