10mm question

[DanPop]

I have owns handguns on and for years, my choice has always been 9mm and .380 for cc. Glock is big into 10mm and I'm curious about all the differences, advantages and or disadvantages. Please excuse me for being ignorant.

[Duelist]

10mm cartridges are longer and wider than 9mm and .380, and throw heavier bullets at relatively still high velocity. Sort of a magnum round for semiautos.

The guns are also generally a bit larger, on par with the .45 ACP. In fact, many similar or near identical guns are chambered for .45 ACP and 10mm.

[Hauptmann]

10mm is kinda in between the standard service calibers(9mm, .40S&W, .45acp) and the magnum revolver calibers like .357mag, .41mag, and .44mag. I say in between in that it can kinda do the job as a service caliber or a magnum caliber but it doesn't do either job as well as a caliber designed for that category. The problem with 10mm factory loads is that the are a generation or two behind modern bullet technology and the support for 10mm isn't improving among the major manufacturers.

Usually if people want an antipersonnel caliber they will select the much easier to shoot 9mm, .38spl, .40, or .45acp. On the flip side, if people want to hunt or have a pistol for predator protection they aren't gonna go with the single shot marginal effectiveness of the 10mm......they are going to go with a true magnum caliber that is capable of using an ultra high sectional density bullet with a wide meplat.

[JohnO]

Just like a .357 Mag is a longer case than a .38 Special and packs more punch the 10 mm has a longer case than a .40 S&W and packs more punch. Only the 10 mm came first and it was watered down into the .40 S&W.

The 10 mm is considered a decent cartridge if you are in large critter land and want to carry a semi-auto. Like anything else the 10 mm has a niche market but outside of that it doesn't have much market share.

Advantages: 1300 - 1500 Ft/Sec muzzle velocity, 600-750 Ft.Lbs of muzzle energy. (Depending on loading chosen) However it's still a handgun cartridge and isn't going to set the world on fire.

Disadvantages: 1300 - 1500 Ft/Sec muzzle velocity, 600-750 Ft.Lbs of muzzle energy. Simple physics. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. (Not exactly the type of round you would want to use in a high round count multi-day class.)

[DanPop]

Thanks guys, guess I'll stick with my proven 9mm.

[Hauptmann]

Advantages: 1300 - 1500 Ft/Sec muzzle velocity, 600-750 Ft.Lbs of muzzle energy. (Depending on loading chosen) However it's still a handgun cartridge and isn't going to set the world on fire.

Disadvantages: 1300 - 1500 Ft/Sec muzzle velocity, 600-750 Ft.Lbs of muzzle energy. Simple physics. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. (Not exactly the type of round you would want to use in a high round count multi-day class.)

I wouldn't trust velocity and muzzle energy levels as a measure of effectiveness. There is TONS of data on this website that demonstrate why those numbers mean very little when shooting through hide, tissue, and bone. Even though you can crank up a .357mag 125gr bullet to 1750fps and 850ft-lbs of energy so that it will equal the muzzle energy of a .44mag 300gr XTP at 1150fps......the .44mag WAY outclasses the .357mag due to the extremely long bullet sectional density of the 300gr XTP. The .357man load will still only penetrate up to 15" in gel, and it will so down so much that any bone structure deeper than about 6" in the gel will likely not be penetrated. This was demonstrated in the 1994 Canadian study that showed that slower, heavier bullets did a much better job at defeating internal bone structure. The .44mag 300gr load will penetrate over 20" in gel, and retains the ability to crush large bone structure after over 12" of penetration. Guess which one I will be using on a bear?

Dr. Roberts has said before that the best 10mm Auto load that he's tested was the Hornady 200gr XTP. The primary reason is that it uses a very high sectional density bullet which is capable of deep penetration, retains its weight better as it punches through material, and it is better able to punch through dense bone structure after the bullet has expanded. So 200gr 10mm bullets are pretty decent(not in the same class is magnum revolver calibers though). However, the availability of 10mm 200gr JHPs isn't that wide spread and the bullets that are available are old generation tech that does not do well against commonly encountered barriers like auto glass. Speer has stated that they will not be bringing back the 200gr Gold Dot reloadable bullets for the .40/10mm, and Federal and Winchester have stated that they will not be updating their 10mm loadings to modern bullet designs.

From a practical standpoint, the 10mm doesn't offer much benefit as a service caliber, and any benefit is eclipsed by the detriments of muzzle blast, muzzle flash, and heavy recoil which greatly effects a shooter's performance. As a bear or mountain lion defense tool, I have personal experience in this regard I have investigated a number of defense cases in the Smokies and the Rockies. Hunters and game guides that I have worked with all agree, when it comes to deterring or killing large dangerous game you rarely get the chance to get more than 2-3 hits at most on a bear before it is on you......usually you get one good shot due to the rapid movement of the animal. In a handgun, I have never seen these guys carry anything less than a .44magnum. One guide told me that he carried a .41magnum(which is more powerful than the 10mm) in the 1980s, and after one shooting involving a grizzly in Montana that almost got him killed, he bumped up to .44magnum and was satisfied with that caliber after two more grizzly shootings.

[Hauptmann]

Thanks guys, guess I'll stick with my proven 9mm.

For two-legged varmints, you will likely be best served with 9mm. If you want something for 4-legged varmints which will likely be 1-2 shot engagements, get a true magnum caliber pistol.

[El Cid]

For two-legged varmints, you will likely be best served with 9mm. If you want something for 4-legged varmints which will likely be 1-2 shot engagements, get a true magnum caliber pistol.

Wait... The salesman told me a 10mm opens a worm hole and transports the attacking critter back in time keeping me safe. Was that all marketing??

[Sensei]

Thanks guys, guess I'll stick with my proven 9mm.

I'd say you're making a great choice. 9mm answers the vast majority of life's questions when it comes to pistol calibers.

[Clusterfrack]

"Only manly men and very dangerous mythical creatures can handle the raw power of the 10mm automatic"