jetinteriorguy
New member
I’m just curious.
Why 10mm in a revolver?
- Thread starter jetinteriorguy
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jetinteriorguy
New member
Could you define more efficient?
While a 357 is probably the best choice in a revolver for most people the 10mm is an interesting option that allows people to use ammo they have including 40 smith and wesson with moon clips. 158 grain bullets are on the heavy end for 357 but 155s are on the light end for 10mm. I think it's typically 1250fps for 158 grain loads out of a 357 and about 1450fps for the 125 grain loads. The 10mm is typically pushing a 180 grain bullet at around 1150fps and 155s can be pushed a whole lot faster than 1250fps. It is a more versatile chambering than 41 magnum due to the sheer number of 40 and 10mm loads available and cost is competitive with current prices of 38 special and especially 357 magnum ammo. The 9mm is still the cheapest option but 38 and 357 are no longer as cheap to shoot as 40 and 10mm simply due to falling demand of the revolver cartridges.
The Verminator
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Because some people just like revolvers.
44caliberkid
New member
Same reason there are 45 ACP and 9mm revolvers. This is America, if a few hundred people want something, someone will make it.
Because they're cool.
Why not a 10mm revolver?
It's just another product people will buy so manufacturers make them. People will buy some weird stuff, but variety is the spice of life, right?
If you own a 10mm auto-loader and want to get into revolvers, A 10mm makes as much sense as a .357, I suppose.
Why not a 10mm revolver?
It's just another product people will buy so manufacturers make them. People will buy some weird stuff, but variety is the spice of life, right?
If you own a 10mm auto-loader and want to get into revolvers, A 10mm makes as much sense as a .357, I suppose.
The primary benefit that I see is that semi-auto cartridges like 9mm, 10mm, and .45 ACP work better with moon clips than revolver cartridges like .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .44 Magnum. The shorter semi-auto cartridges are easier to line up with the chambers for speedy reloads as opposed to the relatively long revolver cartridges. Semi-auto cartridges also have wider extractor grooves which allow for thicker, stiffer moon clips which are less likely to bend or bind. Finally, the width of the extractor groove is more uniform in semi-auto cartridges thus negating the need to use different thickness moon clips depending on the brand of brass as is sometimes necessary with revolver cartridges.
As to 10mm in particular, you can have the above-mentioned benefits of a semi-auto cartridge while still getting magnum revolver-like performance that isn't commonly available with other semi-auto cartridges like 9mm or .45 ACP. 10mm, with a top-end load like Buffalo Bore or Underwood, is pretty equivalent to a similar top-end .357 Magnum load from the same maker (similar bullet weights and velocities) and can go a bit heavier with 200-220 gr bullets (though the .357 Magnum has superior cross-sectional density with bullets up to 180 gr).
The main disadvantages of 10mm is that it is less common and/or more expensive than 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special, or .357 Magnum ammunition, though it's not as uncommon or relatively expensive as it used to be. Also, with a 10mm DA revolver you have to use moon clips if you want proper case extraction as there is no "10mm Auto Rim" as there is with .45 ACP and if you want to shoot .40 S&W as a sub-load you have to use moon clips not only for extraction, but also for headspacing.
While I've only ever owned one revolver which was cut for moon clips, a S&W 442 Pro Series, I personally don't find them that much faster than a speed loader to be worth the trouble. If a person really wanted a moon clip revolver, however, I can see why a 10mm might be an attractive option (I really do like the cartridge in a semi-auto).
As to 10mm in particular, you can have the above-mentioned benefits of a semi-auto cartridge while still getting magnum revolver-like performance that isn't commonly available with other semi-auto cartridges like 9mm or .45 ACP. 10mm, with a top-end load like Buffalo Bore or Underwood, is pretty equivalent to a similar top-end .357 Magnum load from the same maker (similar bullet weights and velocities) and can go a bit heavier with 200-220 gr bullets (though the .357 Magnum has superior cross-sectional density with bullets up to 180 gr).
The main disadvantages of 10mm is that it is less common and/or more expensive than 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special, or .357 Magnum ammunition, though it's not as uncommon or relatively expensive as it used to be. Also, with a 10mm DA revolver you have to use moon clips if you want proper case extraction as there is no "10mm Auto Rim" as there is with .45 ACP and if you want to shoot .40 S&W as a sub-load you have to use moon clips not only for extraction, but also for headspacing.
While I've only ever owned one revolver which was cut for moon clips, a S&W 442 Pro Series, I personally don't find them that much faster than a speed loader to be worth the trouble. If a person really wanted a moon clip revolver, however, I can see why a 10mm might be an attractive option (I really do like the cartridge in a semi-auto).
As I don't have any .40 or 10mm guns or ammo, the point is moot for me.
158s are more like the upper end of the middle, and have been the industry standard since the .357 was developed. 180s have become popular in recent years (though I have no idea why,
) and there are 200gr .38 slugs the .357 can shoot as well.158s @ 1250fps and 125s @ 1450fps are the speeds I see reported for most current factory ammo fired from 4 inch barrel revolvers. IF you're going to compare speeds of cartridges, do compare apples to apples when possible.
What are the usual speeds of 10mm rounds from 4 inch barrels???
Rimmed cases generally don't have much of an extractor groove, being designed to use the rim, for that, so moon clips don't has as "secure" a location on the case as they do with semi auto cases.
Ease (meaning speed) of revolver reloading isn't a primary factor in my world, I shoot SA revolvers a lot, and while I do usually use speedloaders when reloading DA swing out cylinder revolvers, I do it for convenience, not speed.
Everyone has different priorities, mine don't involve playing games where speed of reloading matters much.
The 10mm revolver doesn't interest me, because, like 10mm semi autos, the round offers me nothing I don't already have covered, both above and below.
If you're into 10mm /.40, by all means, get a good revolver that shoots them. If you're not, there's no point, as other rounds will out perform the 10mm in every way.
Less powder for the same energy level...or more energy for the same powder charge.
4" barrel in a revolver ends up being "about" equal to a 5.5" barrel in a semi-auto.
Full power 155 10mm from a 4" revolver (in my 610) yields in the range of 1400 to 1500 fps depending on powder. With 200 grain, about 1200 to 1280. Comparatively, same powder, 4" 357Mag, about 1180-1230. With 200 grain in the .357Mag, down in the 1100 to 1150 range.
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Have you priced out 45 ACP, 38 Special or 357 Mag ammo lately? They're all as expensive or more expensive than 10mm. If the gun can shoot 40 S&W it's cheaper than all of them (except 9mm of course).
You're exactly right, which is why I mentioned the ability of semi-auto cartridges to use thicker, stiffer moon clips as well as the variations in groove diameter between different brands of revolver cartridges in my previous post.
I'm much of the same mind, the slight speed advantage that moon clips offer in reloading is not, to me, worth their fragility or the hassle of loading/unloading them. Thankfully, my only moon clip capable revolver is in .38 Special and thus it still functions normally without the clips.
As I said, 10mm isn't as expensive or uncommon as it used to be (I've been shooting 10mm since before it was in vogue). I did, however, qualify my statement with less common and/or more expensive. A quick look at Remington's website shows that they make 5 different 10mm loadings. By comparison, they make 15 different loadings of .38 Special/.38 Special +P, 20 different loading of .45 ACP/.45 ACP +P, and 8 different .357 Magnum loadings. Winchester makes 7 10mm loads, 17 .38 Special/+P loads, 14 .45 ACP loads, and 8 .357 Magnum loads. Hornady makes 4 10mm loads, 5 .38 Special loads, 8 .45 ACP/+P loads, and 6 .357 Magnum loads. Federal is probably the best for non-boutique 10mm ammo with 9 different loads which, admittedly, is the same number of .357 Magnum loads that they make (they've recently discontinued a couple .357 offerings). However, Federal makes 8 different .38 Special/+P loadings and 21 different .45 ACP/+P loads.
Also, while the number of brick-and-mortar shops which don't stock 10mm are fewer than they used to be, there are still some out there. Because .38 Special, .45 ACP, and .357 Magnum have been around and popular a lot longer than 10mm and there are a lot more guns chambered for them and thus, brick-and-mortar shops are more likely to stock them in my experience. Also, even when a shop does stock 10mm ammo, it's quite common, in my experience for them to only have one or two 20-round boxes of JHP while they're more likely to have 50-round boxes and/or a wider variety of ammo in the other calibers we're discussing.
Finally, if you're a reloader (and if you shoot anything besides 9mm or .22 LR in quantity it'd be wise for you to be), 10mm brass is less common and more expensive in my experience than any of the other calibers because you don't find inexpensive once-fired 10mm brass very often (10mm shooters tend to be reloaders and thus keep their brass). I can go to my local range and probably find 10 or 20 .45 ACP or .38 Special cases to every one 10mm I find (and believe me, I'm on the hunt for 10mm). Admittedly, I don't find as much .357 Magnum but then again I'm not really looking for it as I already have more .357 Magnum brass than I'll likely ever be able to load.
jetinteriorguy
New member
All interesting perspectives.
stinkeypete
New member
Why? Because 10 is more than 9. If 9mm is great, 10mm must be better!
Now just wait for the Spinal Tap 11mm. Because eleven.
Now just wait for the Spinal Tap 11mm. Because eleven.
That's great but I just looked at SGAmmo website to compare prices against 10mm and it was cheaper than all the others by a bit and 40 S&W is cheaper by a noticeable margin. People aren't buying 50 different offerings of 38 Special and half of those listed probably haven't been made for years/decades anyways. I don't know what % of people buy ammo in gun shops anymore but I know 95%+ the factory ammo i've bought in the last decade has been from online vendors.
FWIW I'm not trying to argue 10mm is the best revolver, but pointing out that it is a completely reasonable choice if looking at it objectively. I have considered buying a S&W 610 but haven't ever pulled the trigger even though I own a Delta Elite and Glock model 20 already. I haven't bought one mainly because I already own a few 45 ACP revolvers, a S&W 929, on top of revolvers in all the common cartridges. At this point I just can't justify it even though I do like the idea of it.
"Have you priced out 45 ACP, 38 Special or 357 Mag ammo lately? They're all as expensive or more expensive than 10mm. If the gun can shoot 40 S&W it's cheaper than all of them (except 9mm of course)."
Yesterday in SA I bought 3 50rd boxes of Fed 230gr HST +P for less than $100.
I don't think you can find 10mm made by a major manufacturer for less.
Yesterday in SA I bought 3 50rd boxes of Fed 230gr HST +P for less than $100.
I don't think you can find 10mm made by a major manufacturer for less.
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I have no idea why 
. My feeling is semi-auto rounds belong in semi-auto guns. Rimmed cartridges for revolvers as it was intended . That said I don't own any 10mm or 9mm or .40 or whatever semi-autos as they have no appeal to me. I am not military, police, FBI, or secret service, etc. so no need 'here'. Want less expensive, roll your own by reloading.
. My feeling is semi-auto rounds belong in semi-auto guns. Rimmed cartridges for revolvers as it was intended . That said I don't own any 10mm or 9mm or .40 or whatever semi-autos as they have no appeal to me. I am not military, police, FBI, or secret service, etc. so no need 'here'. Want less expensive, roll your own by reloading.Recycled bullet
New member
Maybe it's for somebody likes to shoot 10 mm and yet at the same time hates to chase brass.
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