This might be a pipe dream. I owned a Glock 38, chambered in 45 GAP. I decided I was not interested in the cartridge and ended up selling the gun. For several years I have been sitting on several hundred rounds of 45 GAP nobody seems to want.

I’ve done some looking overtime and found some saying they used 45 GAP in their 45 ACP revolvers. I thought buying a 45 ACP revolver might be a handy way to burn up some ammo I don’t have a gun for. While searching a local classifieds website I found a listing for a Smith & Wesson model 22 Thunder Ranch edition. Would a model 22 handle the pressure of 45 GAP?

If the Internet is correct, 45 GAP Is around 2300 psi, supposedly close to 45+ P pressures.

I'm m in the same boat. I haven't bought one yet but I've been looking.  Shame all the 45acp revolvers are so expensive.

Smith & Wesson owner's manual says my 625-8 will handle .45+p.  Since the chamber will be slightly longer than a .45 GAP chamber, the pressure will likely be slightly lower.  Some people report loading .45 Super in their N-frame .45 ACPs.  I haven't done that, and won't recommend it, but I don't think .45 GAP would be any problem pressure wise.  I don't know about the accuracy though.  Might deteriorate since the bullet has a slightly longer jump to the forcing cone, which distance is already long enough with .45 ACP.

My only concern shooting 45 GAP in a S&W model 22 is the design of the cylinder.   The cylinder is manufactured to where the revolver can be fired without moon clips so there is a ledge for a 45 ACP case to head space in the chamber.    The early S&W 1917 cylinders couldn’t be fired without moon clips because of the straight wall cylinder chamber.   Early on S&W machined the cylinders so the case would headspace in the chamber just like a semi auto pistol barrel.   I know you can fire 40 S&W in a 10 MM semi auto barrel but I never heard if repeated use wears the 10 MM chamber more quickly.   This would be my concern shooting 45 GAP in a S&W model 22.   I would really like a 45 ACP revolver like a model 22 or 1917 but not for shooting 45 GAP.    I’ve shot the Glock 37 and 38 a good bit and I’d probably buy a Glock 37 or 38 cheap for the Gap ammo.   I’m a Glockaholic with about twenty Glock pistols.    

I think it depends on how many rounds of 45 GAP ammo you intend on shooting in the S&W model 22.   A Friend had a S&W revolver which could fire 45 Colt, 45 ACP with moon clips and 454 Casull.   This was an N frame stainless 5” barrel revolver but I don’t know if it was a modified 625 45 Colt or whether it was made for the 454 Casull.  This particular revolver cylinder was machined to accept moon clips.   I shot the revolver with 45 ACP with full moon clips, hot 45 Colt and 454 Casull.  The 454 Casull felt like a hot 44 Magnum.   I don’t think this revolver was a S&W 460 on the extra large frame but it has been a few years ago and is a possibility.  A 45 Colt S&W revolver machined to accept moon clips would be a great S&W revolver and could easily handle 45 GAP with moon clips..

I would buy the ammo for the right price. I have two gap pistols

The problem with .45acp in .45 colt is because the colt has a slightly larger chamber you lose a couple hundred GPS with acp. Not a big deal if you're just shooting paper. Just something to remember.

I load .45 win mag cases to keep it in major
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I've seen folks shoot 45 GAP in 625s to speed up their reload in ICORE. Don't see why it wouldn't work.

This is incorrect. That applied to the very first Colt M-1917s, not the S&W M-1917s.

Some early S&W 1917s have been found to not have been machined to headspace... if you want an example, check out C&Rsenal on YouTube. They had one in hand during their video on them, and said that they "should" have all been machined.

Colt's change with the cylinders is more well known.

For the original question, I don't have access to .45 GAP, so I never really considered it. I do know the case is beefed up for the slightly higher pressure. But the pressure listed for .45 GAP and .45 ACP +P are pretty much identical. If the gun says good for +P... I'd send it. I'd just do a good cleaning of the cylinder prior to shooting the longer ACP casings again.

Not in a prewar 1917. It might work just fine, but these are elderly guns and won't take to ballistic funny business as much as newer ones. I probably wouldn't even do it in an early postwar gun, simply for the fact that they're more collectors' items than shooters one can or should abuse. But find a beater example and that might change my mind. Remember this is a platform that can handle the .44 Magnum just fine. It's not a Charter Arms Bulldog.

I would 100% go for it with any 1980s or newer 625 or the new 22s, and many already have with good results.