Whatever happened to the 10mm comeback?

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HighValleyRanch

I have fired the 255 gr BB Hardcast in my G21 with some modifications and it felt like it had noticeably more wallop than the 220 gr BB Hardcast in my G40.

The only 10mm ammo that was right up there with the 255 gr BB Hardcast was the UW 140 gr Xtreme Penetrators.

For the woods these days I pretty much just use the UW 200 gr polymer coated hardcast. The 220 works great too and doesn't feel like I am pushing the gun to it's limit, but if I need more I have the big bore revolvers.
 
10mm never went anywhere, no need to comeback. There are more people buying 10mm than ever before. There are more options for guns and ammo is easier to find than ever before.

But to expect the round to be as common as 9mm or 45 ACP is unrealistic. It is, and always has been a specialty round. For use against human threats or paper punching it is more powerful than needed.

But it does fill a role for guys who want a semi auto instead of a revolver or big game hunting or large predator hunting. The round has proven capable on cape buffalo and brown bear and comes in a lighter, more compact gun than magnum revolvers. And it is growing in popularity among that segment.

Also, as the 40 S&W declines in popularity I expect the 10mm to grow even more to fill part of that gap.
 
In response to some posts made while I was typing. The 10mm is versatile enough to literally shoot 40 S&W rounds from 10mm pistols as well as lighter 10mm loads that mimic 40 S&W. The better loads will shoot 200 gr hardcast loads to 1300 fps or a touch more. While there are some 45 ACP loads shooting 255 gr loads, the much better SD of 10mm means penetration is going to be MUCH better with 10mm. With less recoil.
 
Yes, the 10 IS making a comeback, I personally bought my first 10mm back 2 years ago. I also belong to a gun club with 2000+ members and the casual buzz conversations i'm hearing more frequently is "10mm" . The semi handgun crown is bored. There's a bazzilion different configurations or 9mm and 45acp. The FN5.7 sparked some initial "hype" but it's a very expensive, and PIA to handload so it's dying . The 357 Sig, same deal, initial major hype. but another prepitarty, pia to handload caliber so it too is much less popular. So what's the new flavor of the month caliber that's easy for handloaders ? The 10mm !!
 
american man, thanks for the post. I have a glock 21c that I am trying to decide between 10mm conversion or .45 super. With the .45 super would just need a fullly supported barrel, recoil rod and spring and .45 super brass.
 
HighValleyRanch said:
american man, thanks for the post. I have a glock 21c that I am trying to decide between 10mm conversion or .45 super. With the .45 super would just need a fullly supported barrel, recoil rod and spring and .45 super brass.
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That is all I did... I bought a KKM barrel and a 25lb spring. I started with a 22lb spring and it worked fine, but with the power it was displaying I decided to up the spring power and did not have any malfunctions. I tried to use it in my HK USP but it never worked out. Some of the hardcasts did not sit in the chamber properly and when I switched to the FMJ FN, I kept having FTFs... not seating properly. I got a stronger spring and it still did not work. I think it could have been the magazines... either way I just stuck with the G21.
 
MTT TL said:
Most people don't start off with a 10mm as a first, second or even third pistol. Let's say you already own: 9/40/45/38/357/44 What in the world is a 10mm going to give you that you "need" or conceivably want in a handgun but don't already have?

A full power 10mm round in a carbine might be a different animal but the velocity curve tends to run on the flat side from 5" to 16" so again what is the advantage? You won't get more power than you will out of 5.56, which gives less recoil, higher capacity and is a fraction of the price per round.
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Besides owning no .44's or .45 ACP's, that's where I am now and the reason I want a 10mm is I don't see what a 6 shot .357 or higher caliber gives me vs a 15 round 10mm Glock that weighs half as much gives me.

In regards to .45 ACP, leaving out factory ammo price, I don't see what it does better than 10mm does. Even in the weak 10mm loadings, it's pushing a 200 grain bullet at 1100 fps, a .45 ACP would be doing maybe 950 with a 200 grain pill.
 
"no new 10mm pistols"

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "new" 10mm pistol but what about.......
-low end price: RIA 10mm/1911 in several models
-mid range price: Glock G40 in two versions (I think), Remington and Ruger
1911's, including some 6" versions
-top end: Kimber Target 6"

I'm sure I'm missing some, add your own to the list. Ruger even introduced a REVOLVER in 10mm . That is a far cry from when Colt and Glock were the only handguns in 10mm still in production.
 
HighValleyRanch said:
Me, I'm wondering if .45 super can be as good or better than 10mm!:p
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I asked that weeks ago. Best I can figure is they both have an equal number of pros and cons. Comes down to do you like having 2 more rounds in a mag with 10 over .45 and if you want a carbine in the future. 10mm is available in carbines, .45 Super... not sure.
 
CDW4ME said:
Before Wal-Mart stopped selling handgun ammo, caliber popularity tied to "mart calibers".
"Mart caliber" = 9mm/40/45 FMJ
Inexpensive 10mm FMJ not available at the mart, so popularity limited.
The end of mart handgun ammo, for many this means go to local gun shop or the inconceivable ;) buy ammo online, maybe in quantity greater than a box or two. :eek:
Once exposed to online ammo selection, some may discover that ammo in other calibers like 10mm is easily obtained.
Just maybe they will get a 1911 in 10mm or a 10mm Glock, thanks to enlightenment beyond the former limitation of mart calibers. :D

Holdouts? Sure. ;)
9mm advocates that prioritize cheapest ammo, most rounds fired in the least amount of time, they will still resist 10mm, along with 40 and 45
Someone content to bet their life on a 32 acp - beyond hope..
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Walmart dumping handgun ammo is something I was hoping this would start, people getting out of the 9/40/45/38/357 bubble, but I get the feeling those people will just find a local sporting good store like academy, dunham's, etc. and buy there.

I gotta believe most of the people who have never bought ammo online are old people in their 70s/80s and they're not going to change their ways, nor buy any new guns in calibers they don't already have.

As to your .32 comment, I'm not saying I'm content to bet my life on a .32, but it does have clear advantages to larger calibers for some people.
 
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Forte S&W said:
@TruthTellers

Thank you for taking the time to write out such a detailed response the thread, especially when you could have just as easily written me off as a troll as others in this thread have. (Do trolls really take the time to type out as much as I did around here? I'm used to seeing trolls just post lazy, inflammatory comments to get maximum attention with minimal effort.)

Yours was just the sort of detailed, tangible response that I was looking for, as it actually explains why there aren't more pistols and ammo being developed for the 10mm Auto cartridge.

It's a real shame too, because I would love to own something along the lines of a Smith & Wesson M&P10mm or a Ruger SR10. Right now the options are rather limited and most of them are single stack 1911s. Other than that there's mostly just Glocks and a few other European pistols. Don't get me wrong, I love European pistols, (my favorite is the Walther PPK/S) but I'd like to own an American-made 10mm pistol.
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Ask a good question, get a good answer. What you do with the answer is up to you.

As to your .380 comment, I do think a lot of what makes a non 9/40/45 caliber succeed is the guns available. Before the LCP and P3AT came, the next closest thing in that size was the Kel Tec .32, maybe the Seecamp if you had money to spend, but they were still .32's. A .380 with more power in the same size? Gotta have that!

The same applies to all other unpopular calibers, but the thing with 10mm is that it appeals to those who live outside cities and suburbia, which means not nearly as many as those who buy LCP's.

So that comeback... IDK, I think it's going to take some sort of LE or military organization to adopt them in large quantities.

Or maybe it's not even in a handgun at all. Maybe what would get 10mm selling is some pistol caliber carbine. I see ETS makes 30 round 10mm Glock mags now, imagine 30 rounds of full house .357 Magnum being shot in seconds at distances of 100 yards?

That's got to be useful to some people.

A 5 shot .32 revolver in between a North American Arms Black Widow and a J frame? That's along the lines of the pocket .380 and it would get .32 back in business.
 
Less than ten years ago--if you wanted a 10mm you were pretty much limited to a Glock 20 (with a partially unsupported chamber face and polygonal rifling that couldn't handle lead cast and not able to cycle effectively with "real" full-house 10mm loads) or the colt delta elite that was still trying to emerge from it's reputation for cracked frames. Otherwise, you were going to have to pay thousands of dollars for a custom gun.

A quick search of cheaper than dirt for 10mm weapons returns 85 hits. Buds returns 193 hits. Comeback--fascination of reloaders; call it what you want but the increase in market demand is indisputable.

Not saying reloaders aren't partially driving that market--they are the ones more likely to be aware of the superlative ballistic performance of the cartridge.
 
I gotta believe most of the people who have never bought ammo online are old people in their 70s/80s and they're not going to change their ways, nor buy any new guns in calibers they don't already have.
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I have bought ammo on line but it is still cheaper locally after accounting for shipping. Not so much at Walmart (although it was reasonably priced there) but at discount sporting goods places and the Mega Gun shops. They are much more likely to have volume deals.
 
Where I live we don't have particularly large gun stores. It's mostly smaller operations. Ordering from sgammo, even accounting for shipping, is usually cheaper, especially if I split the costs across larger orders.

That said, I still order the cheaper brass options I can find. If to realize the true benefits of 10mm I need to pay for more boutique ammo that's another factor. Reloading is always an option, but with kids my time is limited.

I do think it's more popular and I can see the appeal, but it's more work than I'm looking for personally.

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bamaranger said:
I'm not sure what qualifies as a "new" 10mm pistol but what about.......
-low end price: RIA 10mm/1911 in several models
-mid range price: Glock G40 in two versions (I think), Remington and Ruger
1911's, including some 6" versions
-top end: Kimber Target 6"

I'm sure I'm missing some, add your own to the list. Ruger even introduced a REVOLVER in 10mm . That is a far cry from when Colt and Glock were the only handguns in 10mm still in production.
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A couple more, Springfield has the 10mm XD-M and S&W brought back the 610 this year. And the number of carbines available is a huge jump.

Not new, but EAA and IFG carry the Tanfoglios with the multiple 10mm options. Sig has at least one. 1911 options galore.


Options are increasing.
 
9/40/45/38/357/44 What in the world is a 10mm going to give you that you "need" or conceivably want in a handgun but don't already have?
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The 10MM is ballistically similar to the .357 in terms of energy over the entire gambit of loads. I'm not going with the cherry picked ".41 magnum" nonsense that compares the hottest 10MM to the lightest .41.

However the G29 gives 11 shots in a package that is lighter than the SP101 and is FAR more manageable in recoil.

The G20 ups this to 15 rounds and is still lighter and more manageable than the larger .357 revolvers.

Now I own both .357 revolvers and 10MMs. I would ask the question differently in that if you already have a 10MM why would you want a .357? Or if you already have a 10MM why would you want a .40? Or if you already have a 10MM why would you want a .45?
 
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I had not considered a 10mm until I was offered to try one at my gun club. Gun clubs cost you so much indirect money when you "try" other members interesting firearms !! BAD BAD BAD ! (**see explanation #'s 1-8 below**)

Anyway, I was shooting my FNX45T supressed which is a unique firearm that always draws inquisitive members . I generally decline to shoot other members firearms, but a member offered to let me try his Colt Delta Elite 10mm. We were shooting at our Action Bay that uses IDPA type steel, and a dueling tree. I was curious about his 10mm so I certainly agreed. I was SO impressed with the great shootability of the 10mm, I was expecting a pretty hard hitting recoil, but yes it packed some elevated recoil, but no where near what I was expecting. Let me tell you, i've shot a lot of calibers at our dueling tree and that 10mm absolutely slammed those dueling tree paddles with authority ! Slammed the paddles equally or even harder than my Ruger GP100 357 mag. 3 weeks later, after much research and watching vids I came home with a new Kimber Target II long slide 10mm . Could not be happier. I was already deeply vested into loading .40 S&W for the wife's G22 , so the transition to 10mm reloading was respectively a low cost investment. My 10mm fills a nice niche within my handguns. Zero regrets in purchasing.

On a side note my range buddy whom lent me his 10mm tried my FNX45T supressed and was also totally admiring of how smooth the FNX shot. So happy he was going to inquire about purchasing one. "The grass is always greener in the other shooter's hands" LOL

Here's my painfully expensively list of gun club "borrowed" firearms that I ended up falling in love with and had to purchase :

1) M1 Garand
2) 460 S&W mag XVR
3) 9mm Uzi
4) 1885 Trapdoor
5) 1858 Rem Army BP cap and ball
6) 1874 Sharp's 45-70 BP
7) 1903a4 Rock Ridge repro
8) Kimber 10mm Target II
 
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TruthTellers said:
Walmart dumping handgun ammo is something I was hoping this would start, people getting out of the 9/40/45/38/357 bubble, but I get the feeling those people will just find a local sporting good store like academy, dunham's, etc. and buy there.

I gotta believe most of the people who have never bought ammo online are old people in their 70s/80s and they're not going to change their ways, nor buy any new guns in calibers they don't already have.
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I only ever bought ammo from Wal-Mart once and it was such an unpleasant experience that I never bothered again. I was already there for something else, decided to grab some .38 Special while I was there, but what should have been a simple, easy transaction was rendered a baffling ordeal which took upwards of 15 minutes because they had all of their ammo locked inside of a glass case that I had to get a manager to unlock because nobody else had the keys to it, and then they seriously carded me for it.

Similarly, I only bought ammo online once. It was from Bud's Gunshop last November, they charged an arm and a leg for shipping and it took a good 3 weeks to arrive at my door. Granted that was just one website and it was during the holiday season, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather just buy ammo from my LGS, it's much cheaper and I'm supporting a local business in a world dominated by conglomerates.

Oh, and for the record, I'm 33 years old.
 
You people that complain about ammo shipping prices... find online stores that offer free shipping over $50 or $99 or some other offer. I've bought ammo from Brownell's, Midway, and Sportsmansguide for years and have never paid for shipping.

The key is buy more ammo to offset the cost. If all you buy is one box of 20 or 50 rounds and you're paying $10 for shipping, yeah, that's a good way to blow money quick and it's for small quantities of ammo that I hate Walmart is dropping most ammo sales.
 
You people that complain about ammo shipping prices... find online stores that offer free shipping over $50 or $99 or some other offer. I've bought ammo from Brownell's, Midway, and Sportsmansguide for years and have never paid for shipping.

The key is buy more ammo to offset the cost. If all you buy is one box of 20 or 50 rounds and you're paying $10 for shipping, yeah, that's a good way to blow money quick and it's for small quantities of ammo that I hate Walmart is dropping most ammo sales.
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Any good revolver > Any good semi auto

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Others do as well--Midsouth, Precision reloading etc.
 
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