What’s so great about 10 mm?

[Frank Black]

Ironic perhaps, but the 10mm AUTO, and later its larger offspring, the 10mm Magnum, were both initially premised on operating off autoloading platforms, not revolvers ... and yet here we are in 2021 talking about their ballistic performance from wheelguns, or 'converted' wheelguns in the 10mm Mag's case.

With the 10mm AUTO, a myriad of semi-auto platforms now exist, many more so than at any other time since Norma introduced the cartridge back in 1983. We've got 10mm 1911s, Glocks, Sigs, CZs/Tanfoglios, Springfield XDMs, that one Yugoslav gun (forgot the name, Grand Power P40?), plus all the old S&W 10XXs still floating around, et.al., and no doubt some other makes I'm forgetting.

So it would be interesting if, say, Glock came out with a dedicated, beefed-up, long slide model, similar to the G40, but chambered for the 10mm Magnum. Maybe the same length and dimensions of G40's 6.2" slide, but with a 7.2" barrel. Possibly factory-ported, as they used to do with the early G20Cs.

Or possibly, a new version of the old-but-beefy Grizzliy 1911 pistols could be made to work for the 10mm Mag, if one wanted a 1911-platform. No doubt they'd come with higher Q.C. than anything AMT/IAI cranked out, ... although AMT still deserves some amount of kudos for giving us at least one gun chambered in 10mm Mag, the AutoMag Mk IV.

Otherwise Taffin couldn't have penned his very fine, and now historically significant, article detailing his experience shooting it and handloading for it.

 

[gunsnrovers]

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Another thing that make it great is.........I have ammunition for it and can make more.

 

[Erocksmash]

That shouldn’t be a problem for the SRH or 610. The GP100 is another story though.

What say everyone on a GP100? Cylinder to short? Anybody have both to measure...

I would explore the idea in a 3inch gun if the greater thought it would work....

 

[challer61]

It is absolutely true. At it's best the 10mm is the equivalent of a good 357 Magnum. Underwood makes the hottest ammo I've found in either caliber and they have both 180 and 125 grain 357 loads that deliver more energy than any of their 10mm options in any weight. If you find a 10mm load that can outdo their stated 125 grain 1700fps and 800 ftlbs then you can back up your claim. Until then its unsubstantiated opinion...

Underwood and BB also have 357 loaded with more muzzle energy than their .41. ME is not the be all end all.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

The 10mm round is a good cartridge, but it's not the equivalent of the .41 mag. It's the equivalent of the .357 mag.

You missed the MAGNUM part.
He'll ream out the cylinder to accept the 10mm. Magnum round.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

I've never heard of 10mm magnum. Underwood doesn't list it. S&W's description of the 610 doesn't say anything about 10mm Magnum. But the above posters have apparently seen it. And I guess they've established that the 610 can handle it if the cylinder holes are elongated.

Edit: Whoops,they came from Double Tap not UnderWood.

Check out Underwood ammo,they carry them.
I just recently bought the 610 and sent out the cylinder to Mark to have it reamed.
I purchased 700 rounds of various 10mm Mag rounds from underwood from hollow points to hardcast.

 

[tlawler]

Check out Underwood ammo,they carry them.
I just recently bought the 610 and sent out the cylinder to Mark to have it reamed.
I purchased 700 rounds of various 10mm Mag rounds from underwood from hollow points to hardcast.

Did he give you any idea of lead time? And how much is it going to cost?

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

Check out Underwood ammo,they carry them.
I just recently bought the 610 and sent out the cylinder to Mark to have it reamed.
I purchased 700 rounds of various 10mm Mag rounds from underwood from hollow points to hardcast.

I just looked again at Underwood's webpage, and I still see only 10mm auto.

 

[Frank Black]

I just looked again at Underwood's webpage, and I still see only 10mm auto.

Some folks see only what they want to see.

Take off the blinders, give yourself 20-minutes or so to let the anti-10mm myopia clear up, and you'll see the light.

Looking a bit further, you'll eventually see the most-glorious 10mm Magnum.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

Did he give you any idea of lead time? And how much is it going to cost?

Whoops! My bad....it came from Double Tap.

I've received around half of it at this point and I ordered it around a month or so ago.
When I first ordered it they had some in stock and I have another partial order on it's way.
It ain't cheap,it runs around $40 bucks for a box of twenty.

I did manage to get 3k brass casings from Starline.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

Some folks see only what they want to see.

Take off the blinders, give yourself 20-minutes or so to let the anti-10mm myopia clear up, and you'll see the light.

Looking a bit further, you'll eventually see the most-glorious 10mm Magnum.

I screwed up.
It actually came from Double Tap.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

I just looked again at Underwood's webpage, and I still see only 10mm auto.

My mistake,they actually came from Double Tap.

 

[tlawler]

Edit: Whoops,they came from Double Tap not UnderWood.

Check out Underwood ammo,they carry them.
I just recently bought the 610 and sent out the cylinder to Mark to have it reamed.
I purchased 700 rounds of various 10mm Mag rounds from underwood from hollow points to hardcast.

Whoops! My bad....it came from Double Tap.

I've received around half of it at this point and I ordered it around a month or so ago.
When I first ordered it they had some in stock and I have another partial order on it's way.
It ain't cheap,it runs around $40 bucks for a box of twenty.

I did manage to get 3k brass casings from Starline.

Sorry I didn’t clarify. I was asking about the cylinder reaming.

I just got 500 cases from Starline. I was surprised the magnum cases are more plentiful than the regular 10mm cases. I seem to remember a time when people would be waiting for Starline to produce a run of magnum cases and jump on them when available.

 

[Texas S&W Shooter]

Sorry I didn’t clarify. I was asking about the cylinder reaming.

I just got 500 cases from Starline. I was surprised the magnum cases are more plentiful than the regular 10mm cases. I seem to remember a time when people would be waiting for Starline to produce a run of magnum cases and jump on them when available.

The cylinder ream was $140 plus $50 to have the cylinder holes beveled for easier loading with the moon clips.

I'd imagine the Magnum brass would be easier to find since not to many people shoot it.
Mine took about a month to arrive.

 

[Darkenfast]

I played with a GP100 Champion(?) at a gunshop a year or so ago. The double-action was VERY nice, especially compared to what I'd come to expect from Rugers in my old revolver days. If that platform were available in 10mm Magnum and with a six-inch barrel, then I think it would be a VERY interesting outdoors-man's sidearm! One thing: it has to be accurate, if it wants to beat the .357 in the medium-frame maggie category.

Here's another wild-hair idea: could an N-frame S&W (or Ruger equivalent) contain seven chambers? Six-inch non underlugged standard barrel seven-shot 10mm Magnum anyone? I find the long-tubed 610s to be just too heavy.

The 10mm Magnum seems to be where the Ten can definitively separate itself from the .357 in performance, for those who need that.

Just some armchair speculating!

 

[tlawler]

That shouldn’t be a problem for the SRH or 610. The GP100 is another story though.

Why wouldn’t the GP100 be a good candidate for conversion?

 

[Frank Black]

* * *
The 10mm Magnum seems to be where the Ten can definitively separate itself from the .357 in performance, for those who need that.

The 10mm Mag not only 'separates itself' performance-wise from the .357 Mag, but exceeds the .41 Mag as well.

On a revolver-platform fed by moonclips, and specifically the S&W 610s, the other benefit is that the 'Magnum conversion' then allows you to shoot 3 different cartridge from the same gun using the same clips: 40S&W, 10mm AUTO, & 10mm Mag.

That wouldn't necessarily be true of a 10mm Mag autoloader, unless aftermarket 'drop-in' barrels were available, all having the same O.D. and fitment specs, but differing as to the chambering.

Which is sorta the situation now with the 10mm Glock models ... and the availability of aftermarket tubes in .40S&W, .357Sig, and 9x25 Dillon. Four cartridges that you can shoot off one platform, because the breech-face specs are all the same. Only the extra barrels are needed; nuthin' else.

 

[cowboy4evr]

Looking at Double Tap ammo ballistics they list the 10mm magnum shooting a 230 gr bullet @ 1250 fps . They list the 41 magnum shooting a 250 gr bullet @ 1370 fps . So according to what Double Tap is showing using their ammunition . The 10mm magnum , though a stout cartridge does not exceed , nor even match the 41 magnum . Regards Paul

 

[tlawler]

On a revolver-platform fed by moonclips, and specifically the S&W 610s, the other benefit is that the 'Magnum conversion' then allows you to shoot 3 different cartridge from the same gun using the same clips: 40S&W, 10mm AUTO, & 10mm Mag.

Why specifically the S&W 610? Any revolver reamed out to 10mm Magnum would be able to shoot all three. I’m specifically looking at the Ruger SRH because I don’t want to alter my 610 no dash and I really don’t want to buy an IL 610. If I can find a -2, that would be a possibility too, but they don’t come up for sale often.