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Springfield Defender .45 GAP
Springfield's mini .45 GAP was plenty accurate for self-defense. Its best group average (1.5 inches at 15 feet) came with Speer's 185-gr. Lawman loads.
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Plenty Powerful & Accurate Too
My shooting tests with the .45 GAP Defender were done using seven different factory loads: Federal's 185-grain Hydra-Shok, Speer's 185-grain Gold Dot and Lawman TMJ, Speer's 200-grain Gold Dot and Lawman TMJ, and Winchester's 185-grain Silvertip and 230-grain FMJ. I fired four five-shot groups with each of the loads from a sandbag benchrest at a self-defense distance of 15 feet.
The test ammunition gave good combat accuracy with the groups averaging from 1.50 to 2.25 inches. The consistently most accurate round in the Defender during my shooting review was the Lawman 185-grain TMJ loading from Speer. Velocities from the three-inch barrel averaged 942 fps overall, with the highest being turned in by Federal's 185-grain Hydra-Shok (981 fps). But the difference between it and the second highest velocity load (Speer's 185-grain Gold Dot) was only one fps, so on another day of shooting the ranking could conceivably change.
Winchester's heavy 230-grain FMJ load produced the lowest average velocity (820 fps). All loads compared favorably to .45 ACP factory ammunition fired through a three-inch-barreled pistol. (I recently test-fired a three-inch-barreled Kimber Ultra Raptor II in .45 ACP and for factory loads with the same bullet weight range [185 to 230 grains], it averaged 814 fps.)
The Defender was very comfortable to shoot. As for functioning, well, short-barreled .45 ACP 1911 pistols, regardless of brand, are known to be picky when it comes to what ammunition will run through them flawlessly. That doesn't appear to be a problem with the .45 GAP Defender. It was exceptionally reliable.
To my way of thinking, the most unique feature of the Springfield Defender is its size. The gun is, to put it in a single word, dainty. But don't take that the wrong way. In the hand it feels like a real gun, and it is plenty stout enough to handle comfortably when firing the .45 ACP-equivalent .45 GAP cartridge.
| Shooting Springfield's .45 GAP Defender |
| Factory Load |
Muzzle Velocity (fps) |
Standard Deviation (fps) |
Extreme Spread (fps) |
15-foot Accuracy (inches) |
| Federal 185-gr. Hyrda-Shok |
981 |
17 |
44 |
2.00 |
| Speer 185-gr. Gold Dot |
980 |
14 |
39 |
1.75 |
| Speer 185-gr. Lawman TMJ |
975 |
11 |
35 |
1.50 |
| Winchester 185-gr. Silvertip |
970 |
20 |
50 |
2.00 |
| Speer 200-gr. Gold Dot |
920 |
12 |
36 |
1.75 |
| Speer 200-gr. Lawman TMJ |
950 |
18 |
47 |
1.75 |
| Winchester 230-gr. FMJ |
820 |
16 |
45 |
2.25 |
| NOTES: Accuracy is the average of five five-shot groups fired from a sandbag benchrest at 15 feet. Velocity is the average of 20 rounds measured 15 feet from the gun's muzzle. |
The 200-grain factory loads were noticeably the most comfortable to shoot, but I am confident that even small-stature defensive shooters can handle any of the factory ammunition easily. And the pistol is plenty accurate for its intended purpose of personal protection.
The .45 GAP Defender is a slim, compact defensive handgun that is chambered for a powerful, fight-stopping caliber. Its sights are easy to pick up quickly, in both bright light and low light conditions. It is very comfortable to shoot, and it is plenty accurate.
I like the direction Springfield is taking with this small, reliable pocket pistol. I think you need to check out one for yourself.
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