I almost bought a Delta Elite the other week, but was told by my LGS said it was not reliable and prone to issues.
...Did he steer me wrong?
I don't think so. Delta 10s are touchy, IMO. Being the expert firearms engineer that I am (

I almost bought a Delta Elite the other week, but was told by my LGS said it was not reliable and prone to issues.
...Did he steer me wrong?
Not trying to discurage or flame Colt owners, but lately I have seen and read where guys were experiencing bulged brass in their Colt Delta Elites using ammo that worked in other makes...some were returned to the factory and barrels were changed, I feel that the link was part of the issue for lock up, but there is a certain amount of less case support too.
I think Shadow is right here. I have an original Delta that was picked up new in 1989. Back then, there were more ammo choices but I was still reloading a lot. One of the cheapest options at the time was PMC. I had a lot of it. But every time I reloaded it, the bottom of the case would noticeably bulge on resizing. After about two reloading trips through the resize die, I would have to discard the brass as the bottom would be noticeably larger. This was with carbide dies and I was getting the tolerance as close as I could. This leads me to believe that part of the issue could be due to how well the case is supported in the chamber.
My experience with the 1006 is less than good. If they are shot a lot they are very high maintenance. Due to the heavy recoil things tend to break. I ran a security dept. for a private company that issued the 1006 and we ended up getting rid of them for that very reason. The G20 holds up much better and IMO is much more pleasant to shoot. I hate to knock a Smith on this site but I don't think the 1006 is one of their success stories.
This is the reason the "Pass-Thru-Sizing Dies" were made. I use the LEE FCD with the guts removed and a bullet push pin from a LEE bullet sizing kit to push the brass up thru the FCD die with the carbide ring to iron out any bulging (NOT "SMILES" as those are ruined) to bring the cases back to a smooth finish that will pass the cartridge case gauge test for reliable feeding.
If you haven't tried a Pass-Thru-Sizer then I suggest you try one!![]()
I have no experience with the S&W 10 series semi autos, so no comment on them.
I own have owned the colt delta match for 20 years the only problem I have had with it is that you will need to tighten up the sights after a day at the range. I have shot and have owned a 1006 and wish I would have never sold it.
You must rectify this situation ASAP. Go to Gunbroker right now and start bidding.
In all honesty, I have loved my 10mm Delta for over 20 years. But picked up my first 1076 last year and must say I love it as well. If you are a 10mm aficionado as I am, then you owe it to yourself to add a S&W 10mm to your collection.
Now truth be told, I have not run out to add a Glock 10mm to mine. I'm saving my money for S&W to bring out the M&P in 10mm to soothe my polymer frame desires. Come on S&W, are you listening? Don't push me to the dark side!
States look into a Glock 29. Of all of my semi autos its my favorite. I can really make it as mild or hot a shooter as i want depending on the ammo. I have a storm lake 4.5" barrel i drop in for hiking just to get max velocity.
For example, when i EDC with it, i use the 180 grain personal defense hydra shoks which are probably the most mild load but still exceeds the energy of the majority of your .45 acp loads. For hiking i carry one of the Hornady loads or Winchester silvertips which gives me a 10 shot pistol that far exceeds the .357 power level for half the size. They are sharp, but not unpleasant to shoot.
There are also a dozen factory load choices in between. BTW, don't listen to the bs about unavailability of ammo. Go to the MIdway Shooters website and pull up the 10mm ammo offerings and see for yourself whats out there.
Bottom, line is its a very versatile easy to shoot cartridge without just in factory offerings.
With full power stuff like Double Tap, it's a sharp crack like a .357 in a revolver. I have a G20 and 1006 and I don't mind the full power stuff at all.