[rad14u]

hello to all!
well now that the xd 45 gap is out, has any shot one yet?
cant make up my mind xd 40 or xd 45.
i have a berreta 96 .40 and im going to get an xd but would like some info on the xd45 first so i can decide.
id like to know about accuracy, felt recoil, etc. etc.
any help would be great.
thanks,rad!

 

[omegaic]

Hey everyone, I'm having the same quandry. A friend of mine is an avid shooter and highly recommended the Springfield XD series of pistols to me. I happened upon this forum while doing my research thanks to Google and I was very impressed with the enthusiasm shown for this gun.

First off I haven't had much experience, the two best pistols I have fired to date are a Sig 226 in .40S&W and a USP .45Auto. I was basically in the market for a USP when I heard about the XD. I've come to the conclusion that the XD is the perfect gun for me, just one thing left to decide!

I was happy with the feel and performance of the .40S&W, but I would have a greater peace of mind knowing the stopping power of a .45. From what I've read so far, the .45GAP appears to be a formidable round, having characteristics very smiliar to the larger .45ACP. Of course the larger variety of cartridges for the .40S&W is appealing, I'm hoping that the market will grow for the .45GAP. If it has any bearing, I plan on going with the 5" tactical model...I was mesmerized by the handling characteristics of the large-framed USP.

I'm curious to know your guys thoughts on this...

Thanks


P.S. - One of the sites I found RE: GAP http://mywebpages.comcast.net/petej/

 

[rad14u]

i agree, it will grow in time. it does have a place!
i too want 45 power but want it in a smaller and lighter package. i feel it will benefit a lot of police depts the t are looking for the same!
rad.

 

[Evil One]

I am a proud owner of the new XD .45 gap. This is only my third hand gun, but it feels 100% more comfortable than another .45 ACP that was traded for this one. The recoil is not much more than my XD 9. I have put approxiamtely 500 rounds through the XD .45 and have had absolutely no problems with FTFs or FTEs. The overall fit and finish of my tactical .45 is practically flawless. I apologize for not getting any more technical about the handgun. If there are any specific questions that I can answer, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[jim67]

Glad to hear you like it! My XD-45GAP should be here within a week.

One thing---where do you find mags for it?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Evil One]

Springfield does not have any mags for the new .45 GAP at this time. Nobody has any as of yet for sale.

 

[rad14u]

how do u think the service model will differ from the tactical?

rad.

 

[omegaic]

From what I've read, the tactical's 5" barrel offers a better sight picture (basically more distance between the sights) than the 4" service model. I also saw something about the larger slide having a small effect on reducing the felt recoil.

I cannot confirm any of this from first hand experience mind you...

 

[RDKII]

I have had the .45 GAP for a couple weeks now. For those who insist on making bigger holes I certainly recommend it. My hope was to use it in IDPA as a CDP gun, shame on me for not reading the fine print. 45APC NOT = 45GAP, it is in ESP class, along with my .40 S&W, SO I lose a round and gain recoil!!

But that is my problem.

I have found the GAP to be plenty accurate using Winchester white box ammo, it has never failed me, it handles very well for a gun throwing that large a bullet. the 5" is a bit large for me to carry daily, and for my taste I would rather have the 3 extra rounds of .40 S&W than lose them for a .05 larger bullet. That is of course debatable, and I sauy that the .40 is my personal choice out of nothing more than taste.

For anyone considering it uyou will not likely find a .45 of this quality at anywhere near the price.

One thing that bugged me was that it was only available with the Springfield holster, I HATE this holster. Sure I could have waited, but I have to suspect that it was a plan on Spruingfields part to sell more of a lousy holster. I remember when the .40 3" came out it included the light. So if you were in a hurry, if you wanted the gun right away, like so many of us will, you bought the light.

Hope this helps someone, bottom line, another great gun from springfield. Will be a while before the brass is plentiful for reloaders, and alittle expensive for store bought, but a great gun for those wanting a .45 in an excellent format.

Rick

 

[rad14u]

to, rdkII.
is the recoil that much of a difference or a little more than the .40? i have mine set aside till i can pick it up on wed.
judging from energy and velocity charts, them seem fairly equal.
thanks, rad.

 

[RDKII]

It does have slightly more recoil but very slightly less. Similar to going from 9mm to .40 in an XD, maybe even less. I had to have a couple more recoil sensitive friends try before I would say it definately did. It is that close.

 

[rad14u]

well i got mine early, xd 45 gap service. went to shoot it today and "loved it". a slight difference in recoil. i was shooting a berrretta 40 and i think the recoil on seemed "snappier" than the 45 gap. the xd 45 was awesome from a recoil point of view.
i shot 3 different types of ammo. a/e 185gr fmj. this felt stiffer out of the 3. the next was win wht box 230gr fmj. much softer, even more than the 40. the last was the best win silvertip 185 jhp, right in the middle of the 3. these were great!
either of these are fine for shooting.
i had no control problems from the ammo/recoil or fte/ftf! i could get back on target with no problem. i was a little intimidated at first since i've never shot a 45 before, but now im a huge fan of the xd's and the .45 gap!

rad!