Help me buy a 10mm!

T

thomcatf14

Inactive
The dark side has been calling me recently - I have an extreme urge to buy a 10mm pistol.

The only problem is, I can't decide on the type! I'm looking for a full size service pistol, and I can spend up to about 700 dollars. There are two main prospects that I can think of... the Glock 20 and the Colt Delta Elite.

If I go for the Glock 20, I can spend the remaining money on some full capacity magazines or a nice set of night sights. With the Delta Elite, on the other hand, there wouldn't be much money left over, not to mention the added detractor that I'd almost certainly have to buy a used one. Also, I've heard bad rumors about the Delta Elite's slide frame cracking past a certain number of rounds. Is this true? Any Delta Elite owners out there?

On a final note, I recently moved to Vermont. Concealed carry without a permit... God bless this state!
 
Don't over look the S&W 610, otherwise get the Delta. You may want to add a shock buff and practice with mild loads.I love my Delta but don't shoot it much, its more of a collectors piece for me.
 
Glock 20. You are almost guaranteed to get a fully functional gun (allow some break-in FTFs), keeping your urge from making you buy any 10mm that walks through the door.

You can always find the DE later. The quality control on many Colts of this era means that you should look at any specimen thoroughly.

I'd also avoid EAA Witnesses in this caliber (or any other) due to questionable quality control and worse customer service.
 
Don't forget EAA makes two models of 10MM. Full size and compact. I have one of each and with >5000 rds though each with only cleaning and new wolff spring they have never given me a problem. A lot of folks don't like the EAA/CZ "innies", but I have them in four different calibers and they are great, and cheap (<$350).
 
EAA

While I agree the pidtols from EAA are good. The problem is if you ever have to deal with EAA. They are the wosrt company to deal with. Their customer service skills leave much to be desired and more often then not they can't even answer your questions about their products.
 
Don't over look the S&W 1046 I saw a used one yesterday at$459
not a bad pistol, I have heard good things about them. I would go with the Glock or the S&W 610.
 
Thanks for all the replies!

They've been a big help.

I hadn't considered the S&W 610 and the EAA, I agree that they're worth looking at. My impression of EAA is that they generally make a quality handgun, but that they seem to produce a few more lemons than, say, Glock, Sig, or HK. Is this correct? As multiple people have said, too, their customer service leaves something to be desired.

So far, the G20 seems to be the front runner. How does the G20's grip size compare to the G21's? (I own a G21 - am very pleased with it.)

Now I need to find some gun shops up here in Vermont!
 
The 20 and 21 are the same frame size.

By the way, I think Glock is the only 10mm manufacturer to offer ported barrels--if you're so inclined.
 
Since you have a G21 you can get a G20 upper for only $325 or so and have plenty left to buy a decent reloading setup. The 10mm begs for handloading.

If you already handload you could buy several standard caps and a good holster with the extra money.

Kilgor
 
I would reccomend a 10XX series S&W. My 1066 was less than $400, and it has night-sights. It was a used police trade-in, which has some holster wear, and not a lot else. The internals still look new. The triggers on 10-series guns are supposed to be some of the best that S&W has produced. I believe it. My 1066 has one of the best triggers of any of my autos, DA and SA. All in all, a very solid, reliable gun in my experience.

The big question about Smiths is whether or not you like the ergonomics. Lots of folks don't. Some 10XX series pistols can change between a straight and curved backstrap. Mine has the straight strap, and it fits my rather average-sized hands rather well. That being said, I would suggest getting a feel for one before you order it from somewhere.
 
Don't be afraid to buy a gun with a little character.

I would go with the Delta Elite. I have only heard of the earlier models cracking. There is a little debate as to whether the 10mm cartridge is a little too much for the 1911 platform, but unless you are shooting full power loads consistently, there should not be a problem.

I had one, and I miss it. It was a lot of fun, but the ammo was prohibitively expensive.

--Todd Dow
 
If you want a 10mm 1911 and aren't fixated on having a Colt (like I am :D ), a .40 S&W Kimber converted to 10mm is probably the best bet. Dane Burns does it for about $200 IIRC, but I'm sure any good pistolsmith could do it, since basically all you *have* to do is ream the chamber. You could also replace the barrel with a 10mm and it would probably work too. Figure $250-300 to have an oversized Match Target barrel fitted by a pistolsmith, or $150 for a good quality drop-in barrel. Unless you find a really good deal on a Delta you will wind up spending $750-850 anyway, so the conversion angle is fairly price-competitive depending on how you do it.

Dane Burns has my Delta Elite right now for some finishing touches, he did really great work on it. The only downside is that his waiting periods are quite long. I personally think the Deltas are really underrated guns, so if you find a good deal on one (say $650) I'd jump on it.

The S&W 10xx series guns are supposed to be really good guns, and my 610 Classic is an awesome wheelgun. EAA is OK, I had one too, but the Glock is a superior firearm all-around.
 
Oh yeah, the frame cracks happened around the left side slide stop hole. They are actually extremely rare. The slide itself is extra-heavy and you'd probably need a hammer to break it.
 
What about Dan Wessons new 10MM Pointman? The Pointman Major is now apparently available in 9mm, 10MM . and 40 S&W with the same standard features of the match grade .45 caliber model PM1-S and PM1-B. Supposed to be around $700 from wholesalers.

http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/

Would love to hear some comments, Shoney
 
I vote for the Smiths, 10xx and 610. I carry a 1026 these days and though it is a little heavy, it is otherwise the perfect all around pistol for me. Will run with lite sub-.40 power loads all the way up to deer-slayers. Recoil is much less than similar loads in my 10mm Kimber. No jams ever and I cannot say that about my 10mm Glocks. The 1026 is a rare one which is very sad as to me the frame decocker Smiths have much better DA triggers than the slide safety models. You can find 1076s pretty easy though, I just like that extra 3/4" of barrel. The easiest model to find by far is the 1006 which ain't bad and I have seen them go for less than 400.

Moon clip fed wheelies are pretty fun too and my 610 is by far my most accurate handgun. It will also fire .40s without modification (gotta use the clips though). Good luck.
 
1911 frames can crack under the recoil of the 10mm. The crack usually occurs in the left frame rail where the slide stop passes through the rail into the mag well. Colt discovered this problem and started removing the rail in this area; problem solved. I think the 1911 is the minimum strength frame for the 10mm. And yes, I did have a stainless Delta Elite. The plastic recoil spring guide was the first thing to go.
 
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