.45GAP (.45 GAP): Vihtavuori Lapua N320 Reload handload Data

.45 GAP: Vihtavuori Lapua N320

Disclaimer: The powder charge information (in black) was taken from gun powder companies, gun powder distributors, and/or published handloading data (paper and/or electronic) to the best of my knowledge – not responsible for typos; Always refer to published official handloading data for verification.

Pressures may differ significantly due to component variations and whether a test barrel or an actual pistol was used for testing purposes. I am not responsible for your actions. Powder charges that are too light or too heavy can both cause pressure problems. Use your own common sense. If you wish to use any of the following data, use at your own risk! You are responsible for your own actions.

WARNING: Red lettered data in charts refers to loads that have not been officially pressure checked and may be beyond maximum pressure limits --- extreme caution required.

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Starline brass

Winchester small pistol primers

West Coast Plated 230 Grain Round Nose Bullet

OAL: 1.134

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
3.4	582	539	43	560	14	148	123
3.6	625	586	39	604	14	175	134	USPSA Minor Power
3.8	667	623	44	641	16	198	143
4.0	711	666	45	694	15	226	153
4.2	732	697	34	721	11	248	160
4.4	771	761	10	766	3	295	175	USPSA Major Power
4.6	804	777	27	792	10	308	178
4.8	828	809	18	819	5	334	186
5.0	860	842	18	851	5	362	193
5.2	878	850	27	864	9	368	195

Maximum case expansion (new brass): .476

As a Vihtavuori Reloading Guide .45 ACP comparison (6 inch barrel): 4.9/784 fps to 5.2/850 fps

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

West Coast Plated 230 Grain Round Nose Bullet

OAL: 1.134

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
3.8	666	619	46	646	14	195	142	USPSA Minor Power
4.0	692	654	37	672	15	218	150
4.2	724	685	39	711	15	239	157
4.4	770	729	41	747	12	271	167	USPSA Major Power
4.6	802	780	21	791	8	310	179
4.8	828	799	28	815	9	326	183
5.0	850	831	19	840	6	352	191

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .477

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

West Coast Plated 225 Grain Flat Point Bullet

OAL: 1.072

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
3.4	612	582	30	599	10	169	130	USPSA Minor Power
3.6	656	623	33	637	10	193	140
3.8	664	635	29	653	10	201	142
4.0	696	662	33	685	11	218	148
4.2	738	701	37	723	10	245	157
4.4	783	738	45	759	14	272	166	USPSA Major Power
4.6	809	788	20	798	7	310	177
4.8	835	808	26	821	8	326	181
5.0	873	844	29	858	10	355	189

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .477

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

West Coast Plated 200 Grain Flat Point Bullet

OAL: 1.072

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.2	669	619	50	638	15	170	123
4.4	711	657	54	695	18	191	131	USPSA Minor Power
4.6	778	721	56	754	22	230	144
4.8	810	772	37	790	12	264	154
5.0	864	826	37	845	14	302	165	USPSA Major Power
5.2	897	850	46	871	14	320	170

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .4775

As a Vihtavuori Reloading Guide .45 ACP comparison (6 inch barrel): 5.0/855 fps to 5.4/928 fps

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

Rainier Plated 200 Grain Flat Point Bullet

OAL: 1.107

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.2	660	608	52	638	19	164	121
4.4	710	644	66	671	24	184	128	USPSA Minor Power
4.6	762	713	48	741	18	225	142
4.8	780	734	45	759	14	239	146
5.0	825	810	14	819	---	291	162
5.2	863	831	32	851	12	306	166	USPSA Major Power
5.4	887	863	24	875	9	330	172

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .477

Red = Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

Rainier Plated 200 Grain Hollow Point Bullet (bullet length: .587 avr.)

OAL: 1.104 with bullet length of .587 (compare this chart with the next chart that uses an OAL of 1.130)

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.2	703	635	67	672	28	179	127
4.4	758	702	56	728	20	218	140	USPSA Minor Power
4.6	795	733	61	757	20	238	146
4.8	802	740	62	781	19	243	148
5.0	869	826	42	847	17	302	165	USPSA Major Power
5.2	894	860	33	876	12	328	172
5.4	921	869	51	899	15	335	173

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .477

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Starline brass

Winchester small pistol primers

Rainier Plated 200 Grain Hollow Point Bullet (bullet length: .587 avr.)

**second version of the Rainier Plated 200 gr. HP (bullet length: .565 avr.) This version has more plated material inside the hollow point and the nose is a bit shorter. Without changing the seating die, this bullet caused an OAL of 1.118. It still funtioned quite well.

OAL: 1.130 with bullet length of .587 (notice the better consistency than the above 1.104 OAL for this particular bullet)

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.0	653	594	58	618	18	156	118	**shorter Rainier 200gr. HP
4.0	647	602	45	624	16	160	120
4.2	671	629	42	656	15	175	125	**shorter Rainier 200gr. HP
4.2	685	636	49	658	19	179	127	4.3gr. USPSA Minor Power
4.4	720	687	33	710	12	209	137	**shorter Rainier 200gr. HP
4.4	748	711	36	733	13	224	142
4.4	764	740	22	751	8	243	148	Here & below: 25 degrees warmer than above readings
4.6	806	780	26	791	9	270	156
4.8	847	799	48	828	18	283	159
5.0	875	838	37	853	13	311	167	5.1gr. USPSA Major Power
5.2	896	877	18	886	7	341	175
5.4	925	887	37	905	14	349	177

Maximum case expansion (new brass): .476

As a Vihtavuori Reloading Guide .45 ACP comparison (6 inch barrel): 5.0/855 fps to 5.4/928 fps

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

Oregon Trail 200 Grain Laser Cast Silver Bullet (round nose flat point)

OAL: 1.118

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.2	676	611	65	644	21	165	122
4.4	727	675	52	702	16	202	135	USPSA Minor Power
4.6	751	728	23	740	8	235	145
4.8	822	757	65	789	23	254	151
5.0	848	811	36	830	13	292	162
5.2	871	839	31	853	12	312	167	USPSA Major Power
5.4	899	861	38	882	13	329	172

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .476

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

Precision 200 Grain Black Bullet (round nose flat point)

OAL: 1.118

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
4.2	685	637	48	655	18	180	127
4.4	715	664	51	691	21	195	132	USPSA Minor Power
4.6	759	722	37	737	15	231	144
4.8	818	761	57	794	21	257	152
5.0	853	816	37	832	14	295	163
5.2	869	836	33	854	12	310	167	USPSA Major Power
5.4	902	859	43	885	15	327	171

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .477

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

Glock 37 with standard 4.5” barrel

Speer brass

Winchester small pistol primers

West Coast Plated 185 Grain Flat Point Bullet

OAL: 1.074

Grains	High Velocity	Low Velocity	Extreme Spread	Average Velocity	Standard Deviation	Energy: Low Velocity	Power Factor: Low Vel.	Notes
5.2	861	809	51	845	19	268	149	USPSA Minor Power
5.4	895	855	40	873	13	300	158
5.6	937	888	49	916	18	323	164
5.8	951	899	52	923	21	331	166	USPSA Major Power
6.0	991	960	30	971	11	378	177
6.2	1025	978	46	1000	14	392	180

Maximum case expansion (reused brass): .4775

As a Vihtavuori Reloading Guide .45 ACP comparison (6 inch barrel): 5.8/955 fps to 6.3/1037 fps

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

The following chart is the result of Kestrou’s excellent work which he shared on www.glocktalk.com, The Bull Dawg’s Club. This work was the first VV N320 .45 GAP test performed on the planet! I used his work as my starting point to test the bullet weights listed above.

Glock 37 (4.5” barrel)

West Coast 200 gr. Jacketed Round Nose bullet

48 to 55 Degrees during Chronograph testing (Pact Mark IV)

Overall cartridge length: 1.074”

Winchester small pistol primer

The data is based on 6-shot samples (throwing no data out as fliers)

Grains N320	FPS	FPE	Power Factor	Extreme Spread	Standard Deviation	Notes
4.2	709.3	223.50	141.86	27.8	12.3
4.4	764.6	259.69	152.92	74.6	27.0	USPSA Minor Power Load (minimum 125)
4.6	803.6	286.88	160.73	71.5	28.8
4.8	858.5	327.38	171.70	49.7	19.5
5.0	890.9	352.58	178.18	49.5	16.2	USPSA Major Power Load (minimum 165)
5.2	945.7	397.30	189.15	21.0	8.1
5.4	963.3	412.22	192.66	32.8	13.5	Duplicate of Speer Lawman 200 Gr.

Red = Danger: Individually worked up loads; Red lettered charges have not officially been pressure checked out of a Glock G.A.P. pistol!

safety, safety, safety

Disclaimer/Safety Warning

.45GAP (.45 GAP) Caliber Page; Document Version 09/19/04