10mm today—hot or mild?

[Old Griz]

:cb2: I have never fired a 10mm. Now my wife has, and she loved it. (Even at the range, the cute chicks get all the breaks!) However, this was years ago when the only 10mm guns I remember seeing were the Colt Delta Elite, the Glock 20, and the S&W gun (which I never actually saw) that I heard would self-destruct so quickly, it didn't last long in production.

In the pre-.40 days they tried a reduced load trying to save the small number of police contracts out there so that weenies could shoot it, and then along came the 10mm short (.40) and the 10mm almost faded from the scene. OK, enough of the history lesson.

My question is, are the factory 10mm loads on the market today (if they are still on the market) as powerful as they once were, or have they been watered down to barely above .40 levels?

While looking for a new .45 I saw the Dan Wesson Razorback, and it looks pretty sharp. However, if you have to roll your own in order to get a decent load, then I'll just stick to a .45 and forget it.

[Tom C.]

I have each of the 10mm pistols you mention, and none of them have self-destructed. All shoot well. I even converted the Delta Elite to a comp gun for IPSC (years ago).
Don't know about the current ammo. I almost never shoot factory ammo in any gun. I have seen that at least some of the current 10 mm loads are fairly hot. The Winchester 175 gr. Silver Tip always was hot. Others are also at least warm.

[Mikey]

Griz:  I think the current 10mm loads are still the watered down loads that are either the same as or just a bit above the 40 short and weak (40 S&W), although I think a couple of firms are making hotter loads - that is, they are putting the 10mm out there where it should be.

Although you may have to roll your own to get a preferred load in a 10mm, that particular caliber has a very wide application, even moreso than the 45.  The 45 is the best personal defense/military round there is, in my book, but that is its limit.  The 10mm can be loaded to near 41 magnum capabilities and that has a much greater application in the field than the 45 acp does.  In addition, you can obtain personal defense loads for the 10mm that are easy to shoot but very, very tough on the target.  

If you plan or intend on using this handgun for more than one purpose, and want to use it in the field, as well as the target range and for personal defense I would recommend the 10mm as a sound all-around caliber to fit those needs.  I would just as easily use the 45 for defense and target but feel it is limited for field work.  Just my 2 cents worth but hope this helps.  Mikey.

[jem375]

try this website for ammo:
         www.doubletapammo.com

[Old Griz]

:cb2: Tried to, but couldn't get past the Company Profile page.

[Savage]

The 10mm has been pretty much a reloading proposition for good hunting and defense loads untill recently. Looks like some of the speciality ammo manufactures are coming onboard now with some ammo loaded to the full potential of the 10mm. As was previously mentioned, "Double Tap" is a good example.
Savage