10mm Bug

[USAF Ret]

My son lives on CO and has been looking for a sidearm for hiking, both in CO and other states. He has been set on a S&W 44 magnum. I did some research and the next thing I know I am led to watching 10mm videos. Bad news is, now I want one. Also want to start reloading (ammo run will do that to you).

So, watching videos, I am liking the Glock 40 and the RIA double stack 1911. This will be a future purchase, if there is a future after all of the craziness going on.

Just looking for thoughts, inputs on folks shooting the 10mm. If you reply, I promise to cough into my sleeve and wash my hands really well so you don't get sick.

Too much time on my hands being locked down. Haha.

[greentick]

Been loving my G20 since 1991! 10mm is what got me into reloading. Almost 10yrs ago, before a conference in Big Sky MT (close to Yellowstone) I was looking at the hiking sidearm thing and while researching other calibers found I already had a good one. This has somewhat recently been debate right here on TFL. I reloaded a specific round for that trip and practiced shooting a paper plate with rapidity at 35m. Plenty of factory ammo available for that purpose as well, if you don't reload.

[MarkCO]

I am a big fan of the 10mm. Have a S&W610, DW Razorback, G20SF and a DI AR in 10mm. Have shot big game including Elk, shot matches and carried in the woods.

The Glocks are good, from the G29, G20, G40. Depends on what you want to do with them. My Razorback is my 1911 in 10mm and it is awesome. I tend to suggest 1911s be from the higher end manufacturers who have a history a good long term reliability with 10mms. Even the vaunted Wilson had trouble getting that in 1911s.

Yes I reload on a Dillon 650. My brass has mostly been new Starline.

They do recoil, but it is manageable. Of course the heavier the gun, the less the felt recoil. 43 ounces in the 610 makes it nice and moderate. The G29 (sold mine) is on the edge of stout. All of mine have been very accurate and the reloading is no harder than standard auto-loading service cartridges.

[USAF Ret]

Thanks for the input. Also interested in the Springfield XDM.

[John D]

Added a Kimber 10mm after loving my Kimber .45 for many years. Have been happy! Yes, I reload; my first 10mm was a Ruger Blackhawk convertible revolver in 10mm/38-40. Really liked the pistol but ammo in both calibers was crazy expensive. Since I already reloaded on a Dillon 550, it was just a matter of adding the dies. Like Blue Dot for 10mm.

[AgedWarrior]

I really like my RIA 10mm. It is not a double stack because I just don’t care for the wider grip on a 1911. The gun is fun to shoot, and very accurate, and it has been quite reliable. I was looking at the XDM in 10mm, thinking it would be a nice companion for the .45 I already have, but I have not had the resources to jump on that yet. 10mm is best if you reload for optimum performance; most factory 10mm is not really much more than good .40 S&W loads, although there are a few good loads out there, but at a real premium price!

[Forte S+W]

The only advice that I can give you is to make sure that you're shooting real full-power 10mm loads, otherwise you might as well just get a .40 S&W since a lot of commercial factory loaded ammo are 10mm FBI loads which are basically just .40 S&W loads in a longer case which cost substantially more.

Some 10mm pistols can fire .40 S&W loads, but they really aren't designed to and doing so may damage the extractor.

[RickB]

Cardboard can't tell if a bullet is going 1000fps or 1200fps, so I'd suggest taking full advantage of the flexibility.
I like to shoot 180s and 200s at 1000fps for the majority of my shooting, many different powders are suitable, and the guns will last forever.
One major difference between the Glock and an all-steel hi-cap will be the weight; if you are not going to be hiking with it, not a big deal.

[44caliberkid]

I really like the Kimber Target 6 inch long slide, $900 to $1000 on GB, or Remington Hunter 6 inch long slide, high 8's to $900. GB also has Iver Johnson 10mm 6 inch long slides for $680 - $700, they are Philipino made budget 1911, have excellent sights and good reviews on YouTube.
Don't know that you need double stack or high capacity, the bear will get you before you can fire 8 rounds.

[scottycoyote]

as a woods gun its hard to beat......i started carrying a g29 a couple years ago as more and more black bear sightings started happening here in VA....walking thru the woods with nothing but a bow got me paranoid lol

love the g29 although its a handful with hot loads.....id definitely make sure you buy an aftermarket barrel if you go glock, something that supports the casing. Had a magazine blowout with hot loads in a stock barrel.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by 44caliberkid

I really like the Kimber Target 6 inch long slide, $900 to $1000 on GB, or Remington Hunter 6 inch long slide, high 8's to $900. GB also has Iver Johnson 10mm 6 inch long slides for $680 - $700, they are Philipino made budget 1911, have excellent sights and good reviews on YouTube.
Don't know that you need double stack or high capacity, the bear will get you before you can fire 8 rounds.

"Don't know that you need double stack or high capacity, the bear will get you before you can fire 8 rounds"

Good point.

[GeauxTide]

I've been reloading the 41 Magnum since the 80s, having owned several Smiths and Rugers. I currently have a 657 and a Bisley. I've also had several Smith and Ruger 44 Magnums. I can shoot the 41 with top loads very comfortably. A 210 SP @ 1400fps is a load the 10mm can't touch. 215-220 grain Hard Cast can be driven over 1200fps. A Glock must be rebarreled to shoot hard cast. Now, to be practical, a Glock 19 and a 1911 are my home defense choices. I use factory loads because of litigation using reloads for home defense. Besides, I don't have to chase empties with revolvers.

[gbclarkson]

If you are interested in a SA/DA trigger, Sig P220 is an option and EAA also makes several 10mm's.

[Don P]

All are talking about rather large guns for the OP asking about "BUG" back up gun???????????????????????????

[rock185]

Thoughts/inputs: I admit to being a fan of the 10MM since it was introduced, and began loading for it soon as dies were available. Beginning with a Bren Ten, I've had a succession of 10s,i.e., S&W semi-autos, Colt Delta, Kimber and Glock autos, and S&W and Ruger revolvers. The S&W 10s; 1006s, 1026s, 1076s, became my favorites. The uber reliable S&Ws handle any and all 10MM ammo I've used, without any issues with durability, without need of heavy or dual recoil springs, buffers, etc. l I have no experience with compact 10MM guns, the 10MM XD, or double stack 1911 type 10s. While I'm a long time SIG owner, I never got around to buying SIG in 10MM either...

Having owned and loaded for .41 Mag, .44 Mag, and .454 Casull, I'm fully aware the 10MM ballistics do not equal any of the big Magnum revolvers. IMHO, 10MM ballistics are more comparable to .357 Mag. than the others mentioned. But in a service sized semi-auto pistol, I believe the 10 is quite practical. A factory load I've used, the Buffalo Bore 180 grain, IMHO demonstrates ballistics near the top of what the 10MM might be safely loaded to. In a 5" semi-auto the BB 180 averaged 1380 FPS. FWIW, my S&W 5" 610 revolvers routinely produced velocities higher than the same loads in the autos. I didn't have the opportunity to test the BB 180 in the revolver, but the results might have been interesting. Not equal to the big Magnum revolvers, but I wouldn't expect it to be.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by Don P

All are talking about rather large guns for the OP asking about "BUG" back up gun???????????????????????????

"Bug" not BUG.

It is a metaphor indicating a want. Not an acronym for a class of firearms.

But more on point than the ramble from the Gentleman from Alabama. I love my 657 too.

[smee78]

I have been enjoying my S&W 1006 & 1076 10mm for years, a nice single stack is easy to carry for me. I have thought about adding a Glock to the collection but haven't put it high enough on the want list to get.

The OP is talking about getting the bug for another gun, not using the gun as a bug...

[jmr40]

I've had a G20 for years, but added a G29 a few years ago for a more compact gun. I shoot both equally well and can always use the 15 round magazines in the G29. For versatility both shoot 40 S&W with no modifications and with the same POI and accuracy.

I can comfortably shoot the 41 with top loads very comfortably. A 210 SP @ 1400fps is a load the 10mm can't touch.

Barrel length?

I shoot 200 gr hardcast at 1300 fps from a gun at least a pound lighter and 2" shorter with 2 1/2 times the ammo capacity. You'd need a 2" barreled revolver to match the same overall length as my G29. And you won't get 1400 fps from a 2" barrel.

Chances are you're talking about a 6" barrel. Even if you're using a 4" barrel you're talking about a much larger, heavier gun for marginal gains in performance with much less ammo capacity.

A Glock must be rebarreled to shoot hard cast.

No, it does not.

The only advice that I can give you is to make sure that you're shooting real full-power 10mm loads, otherwise you might as well just get a .40 S&W

Nothing wrong with shooting 40 S&W level loads most of the time. That is part of the versatility. Just like a revolver shooting 38's, or moving up to differing levels of 357 mag power as needed.

[Forte S+W]

Originally Posted by RickB

Cardboard can't tell if a bullet is going 1000fps or 1200fps, so I'd suggest taking full advantage of the flexibility.

Yeah, but your wallet sure can.

So if all he's going to shoot is .40 spec 10mm FBI loads, then it's substantially cheaper to just buy a cheap police trade-in .40 than buy a new 10mm then have to pay for overpriced 10mm FBI ammo.

Also, he mentioned right in the first sentence that he began looking into the 10mm seeking a hiking sidearm for his son, ergo I assume that at least part of his attraction to 10mm lies in its utility as a viable platform for Wilderness Defense, and obviously for that role he's going to want full-power ammunition, not reduced power loads designed specifically for combat with bipedal predators.

[RickB]

I've been shooting 10mm for twenty years, and never a round of factory ammo; the hottest 10mm handload is cheaper than bulk 9mm factory ammo.

[mikejonestkd]

The OP mentions reloading is his future, so the 10mm can quickly become economical to shoot.
Mild to wild, it is a very versatile cartridge.
Most of my 10mm experience is with a Glock, a Delta elite and a DW bruin. I can load 180 gr at 800 fps for range work, and step up to 180 gr at 1200 fps if needed.
Its a heck of a cartridge to work with.

[wild cat mccane]

And if you're shooting 40 level ammo...what's 9mm HST not doing for you? 124gr +P HST go the same distance and expand the same amount as 180gr HST. I mean, exact same. (luckygunner) I own boxes of the 147gr +P but haven't seen 9mm 147 +P HST, but that out performed all 40 cal rounds at luckygunner. All of them. Greater expansion and depth.





Sure the 10mm levels are across a larger spectrum...but that only matters if shooting the nuclear round matters...if not, you're giving up a lot to shoot 40 level rounds (size). At least with a 357 revolver you get the fun of a revolver.

[Steve in Allentown,]

My son lives and works in the Kalispell region of Montana. He's an outdoor guy and takes full advantage of every season in the Rocky Mountains. I brought him up with 1911s so when the time came to get a pistol to carry around the mountains he got a RIA single stack 10mm. A few years passed and he bought a Springfield 5.25" XDm 10mm. I've shot both of these pistols and my choice would be the XDm. It feels very much like a 1911 but carries a lot more rounds (15 +1) and has a trigger that is light years ahead of Glock.

He uses Buffalo Bore 220gr hard cast, flat nose rounds with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps and over 700 ft lbs of energy. Not a .44 Mag but plenty of oomph to easily penetrate the skull of Mr. Grizz.

[bamaranger]

My G20 has pretty much retired all my magnum revolvers from hiking and woods carry, due to its compactness and comparatively light weight. My Glock(s) are incredibly durable, shrugging off hard use and even a bit of neglect, and mine are very reliable function wise as well.

My GP load drives a 180 gr truncated FMJ at around 1100 fps, what I consider 40 S&W +P velocities. For serious carry, I use the W-W 175 Silvertip if I can find them, and I am hearing good stuff regards SIG JHP ammo as well. I do not find the 10mm Auto that difficult a cartridge to shoot, and equate recoil to just a bit over what the .45 Auto delivers.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by MarkCO

"Bug" not BUG.

It is a metaphor indicating a want. Not an acronym for a class of firearms.

But more on point than the ramble from the Gentleman from Alabama. I love my 657 too.

Bingo!