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Hi,
I don't know a thing about reloading! Warning, this may be a stupid question.
I read that the new 45 GAP has a shorter case than a 45 acp but can still have the same ballistic performance because they formulated a new powder to use for the 45 GAP. If that is true, can that powder be used to load .40 S&W cases to get the same ballistics as the 10mm? I wonder about stuff I don't understand.
Thanks, and PS I'm not going to try this at home.

OverEasy wrote:Hi,
I don't know a thing about reloading! Warning, this may be a stupid question.
I read that the new 45 GAP has a shorter case than a 45 acp but can still have the same ballistic performance because they formulated a new powder to use for the 45 GAP. If that is true, can that powder be used to load .40 S&W cases to get the same ballistics as the 10mm? I wonder about stuff I don't understand.
Thanks, and PS I'm not going to try this at home.

If there is a special powder for the 45 GAP it isn't availble as a canister (reloader's) powder so to answer your question in a word, No. I would be really leery of a handload that replicates 10MM ballistics in the .40 S&W.

I don't know much about it either...But...

I would be a very popular person if I got all muh Dad's stuff and set it up and started chunking the stuff out...

Which is something I am thinking about...

I remember him reloading some very special stuff for the competitions he participated in years ago...And I remember him churning out some really good plinking and self-defence loads (not +P stuff) but really well thought out rounds...

I could do that...yeah...that'd be fun...

MoJo wrote:I would be really leery of a handload that replicates 10MM ballistics in the .40 S&W.

That could be exciting to see at night...

stevie_d_64 wrote:

MoJo wrote:I would be really leery of a handload that replicates 10MM ballistics in the .40 S&W.

That could be exciting to see at night...

OverEasy wrote: I read that the new 45 GAP has a shorter case than a 45 acp but can still have the same ballistic performance because they formulated a new powder to use for the 45 GAP.

I'm not sure about a special powder, but .45 ACP cases have a good bit of unfilled case with most loads using several different powders I've used over the years. I use WW231 more than any others and a load of 5.8 gr. is approx. 850 fps with plenty of room in the case for more powder. I would think there would be plenty of room in a .45GAP case to develop a load equivalent to the .45ACP using any number of available powders.

Regards,
Chas.

I normaly use a hard copy manual, information on the internet, and recomendations from my gunsmith.

Here is a web page with loads for both .45 ACP and .45 GAP

http://www.reloadammo.com/

There aren't that many loads for the GAP yet but you may be able to compare the same bullet and powder.


As to "new" gun powder for the GAP
Here is a direct link to a burn chart.
http://www.reloadammo.com/burnrate.htm

They have more than 100 powders listed.


In the cowboy days every one used Black Powder.
Today, reloaders use lots of different powders.

My guess is that they didn't have to invent a new powder for the GAP.


I have reloaded a little less than 20,000 rounds of .45 ACP with WW231.
I too have noticed that there is plenty of room in the case for more powder.