45GAP

20 July 07

G37/45GAP shooting in NY:

State police in NY, as well as PA, GA, and soon SC have all converted to 45GAP as their service caliber. Most carry G37s. NY was the first, and their transition is now complete.

With most OIS incidents, several officers are involved, shooting several different guns. In these cases, the individual effectiveness of any particular round of ammunition is difficult to determine, as multiple wounds are usually inflicted. However, now and then a suspect is struck with a single bullet, fired by only one officer. We may then be able to say something about the potency of that particular brand/caliber.

In an extremely rural part of upstate NY last month, a single NY State Trooper responded to a domestic disturbance. She was armed with a G37, loaded with Speer 200gr Gold Dot. A man came out of the house in question with a shotgun (birdshot) and fired at the trooper, wounding her slightly in the shoulder. She fell backwards into a flower bed.

The suspect then want back into the house but reemerged seconds later, again armed with a shotgun. By this time, the trooper, still on her back in the flower bed, had drawn her pistol. She fired a single round at the suspect, one-handed, striking him mid-chest. Range was six meters. The bullet, fully expanded, was later recovered from the suspect's shirt on the backside. It had passed through-and-through and just barely exited.

Suspect dropped his shotgun and fell in place, DRT.

Our trooper is expected to recover fully from her shoulder wound.

Nominal velocity of the 45GAP/200gr Speer GD from the G37 is 1,020 f/s. Same round in 45ACP is 1,080 f/s. So, the two are essentially ballistically identical.

Comment: This is, of course, only one case, but the 45GAP is catching on, and incidents like the foregoing only serve to persuade police administrators that this new round is an authoritative fight-stopper. As it is involved in additional shootings, we'll know more, but it is surely off to an auspicious start!

/John