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I don't want to de-rail this thread, but isn't that exactly what a Judge does with a .45 Colt? Or is the .40/10mm thing different?
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Yes, that's what the Judge does, but no, it's not the same. The critical difference is headspace.
The Judge, as with most revolvers, fires a rimmed cartridge. Rimmed cases headspace from the rear, at the rim. This is why revolvers can often fire a variety of cartridge lengths (.38Spl --> .357Mag, .44Spl --> .44Mag, etc.).
The 10mm Auto, as with most other auto pistol cartridges, is rimless, i.e. there is an extractor groove, but the rear of the case is the same diameter as the case body. It is designed to headspace from the case mouth; as the case moves forwards, it stops at a step at the forward end of the chamber. (The step is plainly visible if you field-strip the pistol.) However, if the case length is drastically shorter than it's supposed to be, this doesn't work properly.
In your pistol, the forward movement of the shorter .40S&W cases was probably stopped by the extractor, which was apparently adequate to allow the firing pin to ignite the rounds. You got lucky this time; however, this is NOT the way it's supposed to work. Possible side effects include premature extractor wear, unreliable ignition, ruptured cases, and the potential for a gun-destroying and shooter-injuring kB!
If you want to experiment with lower-powered rounds in an automatic pistol, IMHO you should handload using proper-length cases.
If you want to shoot .40S&W factory ammo, IMHO you should buy a G21 or a conversion barrel.
