Is .45GAP too strong for a beginner?

[mhm143]

Hello, my name is Matt and I'm new to pistol shooting. I've gotten training on a .22 by a licensed NRA instructor and am very comfortable with it's operation and shooting. I'd like to buy my first gun, and I've been looking at the Glock 37. I've read a ton of information on glocks, and their new caliber sounds like something I'm interested in. I'm 6' and about 175 lbs. I was wondering what people's thoughts are on RECOIL. I heard that it is pretty strong. Is it going to be something I can't handle? Is the gun going to fly out of my hands? Again, I felt very comfortable with .22, but was curious if anyone out there thinks that I would be way out of my league to just try the .45 next. The stories I've heard I don't really know what to expect. Any experts on the subject's opinion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and happy monday!

Matt

[Clem Eastwood]

I personally find the G37 snappy. i would say from least to most snappy in the full size glock platform that i have shot.

G17
G21
G22
G37
G31

whats funny about that is that i loved my g31, but i like the G31 so much because it cycles fast and gets back on target really quick. to me it seems like the G37 has all the negitive shooting characteristics of the G31 but none of the postives like fast shot to shot times. that and the round is kind of expensive and/or not as easy to find (not unlike .357 SIG) like the more common 9mm, .40 and .45. i dont think the round is too strong for a beginner, but there is other stuff out there in the fullsize glock platform that i like shooting better.

[TFin04]

Buy a Glock 19.

Your first gun should be something you can shoot often. The G19 (9mm) is cheap to shoot, easy on the hands and will last you the rest of your life. 9mm isn't the powerhouse that 45Gap is, but it is a respectable self defense round and a perfect plinking caliber.

It has a capacity of 15+1 and is large enough for all day range shooting yet small enough to conceal it if you decide to go that route. It is a bit smaller than the full size 37.

I think the 19 is Glock's most versatile pistol. You really can't go wrong with one.

If you feel you need a higher power round than 9mm I would buy a Glock 23 (.40 S&W). Same size as the 19, and you can buy a conversion barrel for it to shoot 9mm. All it takes is a new barrel ($150) and 9mm magazines ($15 each). The only Glock I own is a 23, and it has all the conversion parts to shoot 9mm at the range. Great gun!

[stmcelroy]

As long as you can afford to practice with it, then go for it.

Everybody will say buy a 9mm or get a real .45(.45ACP), but in the end YOU need to decide what you want.

For most normal adults the .45ACP or GAP will be easily controlled.

Steve

[Cannibal Roses]

I second the recommendation of the G19.
It is unbelievably comfortable to shoot and powerful enough to get the job done.

Make sure you rent and shoot several different guns (most rental ranges have many glocks to pick from) and see which one suits you best. Just don't discount the 19 till you've tried it.

[xrmattaz]

Originally posted by TFin04
Buy a Glock 19.

Your first gun should be something you can shoot often. The G19 (9mm) is cheap to shoot, easy on the hands and will last you the rest of your life. 9mm isn't the powerhouse that 45Gap is, but it is a respectable self defense round and a perfect plinking caliber.

It has a capacity of 15+1 and is large enough for all day range shooting yet small enough to conceal it if you decide to go that route. It is a bit smaller than the full size 37.

I think the 19 is Glock's most versatile pistol. You really can't go wrong with one.

If you feel you need a higher power round than 9mm I would buy a Glock 23 (.40 S&W). Same size as the 19, and you can buy a conversion barrel for it to shoot 9mm. All it takes is a new barrel ($150) and 9mm magazines ($15 each). The only Glock I own is a 23, and it has all the conversion parts to shoot 9mm at the range. Great gun!


:thumbsup: Although I'm a "dyed in the wool" .45 ACP fan, I find your post right on the money!

I truly love my 1911's, but more often than not find myself carrying the Glock 19....

[mhm143]

Thanks everyone for the replies. While the Glock 19 is great for home defense it sounds, I really need a big caliber. I'll be bringing this gun with me on some remote trail hiking and it needs to be able to fend off a bear. I don't want to buy like a S&W 500 or anything, but I don't want to be putting 9mm shells into a bear either. The superior stoppage power and ballistics of the .45 over the 9mm is a requirement in my situation.

Back to the recoil. Steve, you mentioned it should be controllable. Thank you for addressing the recoil specifically. Is there anyone else out there who has shot a G37 or .45GAP specifically and can comment on the recoil? I still expect it to be quite large... thanks! Matt

[crazymoose]

Originally posted by mhm143
Thanks everyone for the replies. While the Glock 19 is great for home defense it sounds, I really need a big caliber. I'll be bringing this gun with me on some remote trail hiking and it needs to be able to fend off a bear. I don't want to buy like a S&W 500 or anything, but I don't want to be putting 9mm shells into a bear either.


There won't be much of a difference between a 9mm or a .45 if you have to shoot a bear... both are waaayyy too small for the job. The .45 might be a little bit better, but it's still not enough. Especially if you're talking about Grizzlies and not black bear.

[BrianNH]

Originally posted by mhm143
Thanks everyone for the replies. While the Glock 19 is great for home defense it sounds, I really need a big caliber. I'll be bringing this gun with me on some remote trail hiking and it needs to be able to fend off a bear. I don't want to buy like a S&W 500 or anything, but I don't want to be putting 9mm shells into a bear either. The superior stoppage power and ballistics of the .45 over the 9mm is a requirement in my situation.

Back to the recoil. Steve, you mentioned it should be controllable. Thank you for addressing the recoil specifically. Is there anyone else out there who has shot a G37 or .45GAP specifically and can comment on the recoil? I still expect it to be quite large... thanks! Matt

This may sound silly, but I find the G38 to be more controllable than the bigger G37. So... dont rule out the smaller G38 unless it is too small for your hands.

In comparison to other pistols, mainly the 45 Glocks, I find the recoil of the GAPs to have a slight more snap to them than the G21 and G30. The GAP is certainly much easier to handle in terms of recoil than the 40's and .357 sig.

If you decide to go with the GAP, be certain you have ammo available in your area at a decent price otherwise I would suggest going with a Glock in 45 acp.

[rsilvers]

A G20 will be better for bear. Or even a G21 with special hunting loads. You cannot get any kind of special heavy loads in GAP.

Both the G20 and G21 are easy to shoot with lots of ammo types though most people would find them on the large side for CCW. In a COMP-TAC Ghurka my G20 carries very well and I am only 154 lbs.

[Clem Eastwood]

the above post is correct. neither 9mm or .45 are suitale for bear defense. and by suitable i mean something i would trust MY life with. you need a shotgun. and as far as 9mm being inferior to the .45, thats simply an untrue statement. ive been a party to shootings where calibers involved were .357 magnum, .45 and a couple of 9mm. all one shot instances. the shootings involving 9mm resulted in instant incapacitation, the shootings with .357 magnum and .45 did not. i am not saying that one round is better then the other. what i want you to take from this is that some people are harder to stop then others. and animals are even tougher to incapacitate.

so where ever you got this idea that .45 is the hand of god compared to 9, you might want to reconsider that. they all work (and often times dont work) about the same.

[engineer151515]

I've found the recoil between 45GAP and 45ACP to be indistinguishable.

.40 cal, with the significantly higher chamber pressures, does indeed feel snappy. Although an extremely popular round with LEO service, I just never warmed up to it.


I have every confidence that Glocks firing the above calibers would not fly out of your hands. I'm sure you would manage just fine.


That said, 45GAP is not the usual starter round, but more for cost and ammo availability reasons. If you order bulk over the internet, those reasons are minimized but still present.

If I was worried about a bear attack, I'd probably go 10mm or a G-21 in 45ACP with 13 rounds.


You might also consider a revolver in .357mag or .44mag. In my California days, some of the firefighters would reportedly carry a .44mag with buckshot in the first cylinder.

[Los Suenos]

Not too strong but too expensive. Ammo has gone up so much the last few years, I'll suggest the 9mm to start. After that, you can add or switch to another caliber if you want. It's always good to have a 9mm around for cheaper shooting and taking the chicas out for a session.

If the 9mm looks to small for you, the .40 is cheaper than the .45 GAP or ACP.

[gary newport]

I'm with engineer on this; recoil on .45 GAP and ACP Glocks are just about the same, IF you compare similar loadings. Speer makes some pretty warm 185 and 200 grain Gold Dot and Lawman loads for the GAP and it won't do to compare those with 230 grain loads in the ACP. Given comparable 230 grain loads, the difference is not great, or compare light-bullet ACP loads with those Speer loads.

That said, I'd also agree with engineer that a first-timer to centerfire handguns should give a lot of consideration to 9mm, both because lower ammo prices should allow more practice and because effective defensive 9mm ammo is available. After you've gotten good with your 9mm Glock, get one in .45 GAP!

[Rusty Phillips]

Originally posted by gary newport
I'm with engineer on this; recoil on .45 GAP and ACP Glocks are just about the same, IF you compare similar loadings.

+1

speer 200 grainers hurt to shoot more than a hundred rounds at a time

Win 230 is smooth!!! I could shoot them all day long

[pack-indy]

My first handgun is my G37. The recoil is more of a push straight back towards your arm rather than the muzzle flipping up. You won't have any problems with it flying out of your hand. I love mine :hearts: