What’s so great about 10 mm?

[uncleted327]

I have nothing against 10mm, owned one myself in the past. However, it does nothing a 357 Magnum won't in a lighter gun with more capacity. If you're buying an N frame why not get a 41 or 44 which the 10mm cannot and never has duplicated. Or get an 8 shot 357 Mag. At it's best the 10mm is about equal to a good 357 Magnum. People that think it's something more are living in a fantasy world.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

With a .41, you fire six rounds, and it's empty.

With a 10mm, you still have 10 left.

Really? Must be a glock. My single stack 1911 & 1006 only hold 9. ! don't do glocks.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

The Hornady manual lists the 200 grain XTP bullet as a SD of .179, the 158 grain XTP as SD of .177, almost equal. Of course the 10mm MV with that bullet is around 1150 fps, the .357 with the 158 is around 1450 fps (full power loads). The velocity difference makes up for the lighter bullet in kinetic energy, so I'd call it a dead heat. Either way, whatever gets hit probably won't get back up.

I shoot the 155's mainly because I also load and shoot a .40S&W a great deal; I can load that bullet for both guns. My first 10mm was a 2nd gen G20, bought it the month it was released in 1992. kept it until last year, sold it and bought the SR1911.

Run that357 out of a 4-5 In.barrel and you'll never ever see 1450 fps. It will be close to the 10 velocity.

 

[gerhard1]

Liking both the 10mm round and revolvers, that's enough for me.

BTW Idon't have a 10mm semmi-auto.

 

[SuperMan]

Since you are just talking N-frame revolvers, already have two .41 Magnums and don't own any 10mm semi-autos, unless you can get a SMOKIN' deal on the 610 I would not bother. You won't be gaining anything at all other than adding another two cartridges to your inventory (10mm and .40 S&W).

Have been shooting .41s since about 1974. Just started shooting 10mm about five years ago. Have one Glock and several 1911s as well as a Ruger GP-100 which I consider one of the finest all-around revolvers I have ever owned. That said the .41 in a revolver is just head and shoulders above the 10mm.

Bob

 

[rubiranch]

I have a 4" 57, but it's too nice to shoot and ammo is $25/20 rounds--ouch!

My 58 is in excellent condition but not too nice to shoot.
I lucked out big time and stocked up on .41 Mag ammo
before the prices skyrocketed.

 

[Erocksmash]

I can't say anything about 41mag never shot one, on the other hand I'm in love with the 10mm in the S&W auto platform, I could only imagine it in a revo...

Not that it helps just IMO

Tlawler brings up a good point just for collectable reason...

 

[Univibe]

Really? Must be a glock. My single stack 1911 & 1006 only hold 9. ! don't do glocks.

XDM in 10mm.

 

[Marty Weatherup]

I was a little surprised at first at how many carry a Glock 10mm up here for bear protection. After some research I found there are some substantial heavy bullet loads available for the 10 specifically for that purpose. I carried a 10mm Special (40 S&W) Glock as a duty weapon and have always liked it, though now I have a 48 9mm on my hip most days, simply for the weight reduction.



The 610 has intrigued me, especially the four inch. I am a big fan of four inch N frames. I have thought for some time that S&W should bring out a run of Mountain Guns in 10mm. I'd buy one. I have also occasionally pondered having a four inch 28 rebored and chambered for a 401 Powermag, a rimmed 10mm so to speak. I have one of the single action Powermags and over 700 rounds of brass. Seems like a four inch 28 would be a natural for that conversion.



As has been stated, you'll not gain anything over your present 41 magnums. But does that matter? To me a 610 sounds like fun and certainly a useful iteration. Nobody ever accused gun nuts of being practical.

 

[k22fan]

In timed matches started holstered I fired my 3 7/8" 610 more than any other revolver. I will step out on a limb and write that is what most owners use 610s for. Revolvers that can not use moon clips are not competitive. One competitor brought a .41 Magnum that was altered to accept moon clips to local matches.

Only one. The clips for rimmed revolver cartridges are much thinner than 10 mm and .45 ACP clips. During filling and emptying they are easily bent. Once bent they act as spring cushions causing missfires. That occurs more frequently in in match tuned revolvers that can only reliably set off Federal primers. Also, the longer the cartridge the further the noses of clipped cartridges wiggle out of alignment. In full moon clips .357s are the slowest cartridges to reload. Despite their short comings, 686s set up for matches and firing shortened spit wad power cartridges in shortened .38 Special cases often are the revolver to beat. However, the match director can set up his match so that 625s are more competitive.

The only revolvers that are faster to reload than 610s are 625 .45 ACPs. Round nose bullets and thin walls between chambers enable tossing .45 moon clips into the cylinder with a slight spin with the revolver only in your peripheral vision. If the match layout puts more emphasis on fast reloads or the steel is set so that it requires more momentum to knock it down, 625s are the most competitive revolvers. That's that.

Firing my 610 I was the highest scoring revolver shooter for awhile. I was over taken by a competitor who usually fired a .38 Super 686. Why the odd revolvers? This is a hobby. Collectors and hoppyists love odd ball stuff. Ultimately practice, not equipment, wins sporting events.

My 610 did have one advantage over other revolvers. Before 9mm revolvers became common, in normal years, 40 S&W was the least expensive factory revolver cartridge. Swinging buy Wal-Mart for a $16 100 round box of Win. white box .40 S&W was not a wildly unreasonable thing for a reloader to do. Unlike spit wad power .38s factory .40 always whacked the steel right down.

Now if the O.P. only shoots his revolvers off the bench for groups than at 100 yards and beyond his .41s have an edge over all the revolvers I've written about. The 610 is one of S&W's tightest grouping models but it's no .41 Magnum.

 

[crazyphil]

If I were tramping around in an area inhabited by big brown bears, I would
not rely on a revolver or a semi-auto. I would carry a shotgun with very
large slugs. If my only choice was a handgun, it would be a 10MM semi-
auto because it holds more rounds than a revolver, and I might need
every one of them.

 

[jughed440]

Don't buy it. I love 10mm and don't need anybody else hogging all the ammo... just kidding. Buy it while you have the opportunity.
I edc a G29 and have several other 10mms, including a 610 and 1006...and if somebody asks you why mess with 10mm when there's .41 Magnum, just say "why mess with .41 Magnum when there's .44 Magnum"

 

[Marty Weatherup]

If I were tramping around in an area inhabited by big brown bears, I would
not rely on a revolver or a semi-auto. I would carry a shotgun with very
large slugs. If my only choice was a handgun, it would be a 10MM semi-
auto because it holds more rounds than a revolver, and I might need
every one of them.

As one who has spent the last 18 year tramping around bear country, both brown and white, I will say the shotgun is a fine tool if you are knowingly going into a bear encounter. However, I have on several occasions seen shotguns leaning against trees while the owner was fishing several yards away. And there have been more than a few guys found themselves looking longingly at their shotgun leaning up against a tree. On the other side of the bear.



Long guns just are not handy when one is fishing or working around camp. And bears have a way of showing up unexpectedly regardless of one's level of situational awareness. A handgun on one's body is far better than a shotgun leaning against a tree. And it needs to be one the owner can use with the confidence they can deliver the shot when needed. Power is good, accuracy is better.

 

[Rock185]

Plink, While I am a very long time fan of the 10MM, and have owned a variety of 10MM pistols and revolvers, it is not "better"/ballistically superior to your .41 Magnum at all. I've loaded and shot my share of Magnum cartridges, .357, .41, .44, .454 Casull, etc. I consider the 10 to approximate .357 ballistics. I still shoot 10MMs, but .41 Magnums, they ain't...

Classic12, Looks like you are cornering the Swiss 10MM market

 

[k22fan]

I'm going to drift the thread further off track and ask what's the attraction to shotgun slugs for Sasquatch, oops, I mean bears? A typical 1 ounce 12 gauge slug is only about 435 grains. Many rifles fire heavier bullets and they give you the option of aiming for the nostrils. Is it just that shotguns are presumed to swing into action faster?

 

[medezyner]

I have an opportunity to purchase a model 610, 6 inch. I have never fired a 10 mm round. I own 2, 41 magnum Revolvers.
I can't really imagine the 10 mm being that much better. Is it?

I liked my 10MM, but I felt it came up a bit short for hunting. When I got into handgun hunting, my 29-2 was the "go-to", but what really fit the bill was my 6" 1911 converted to 460R. Load it with underwood hardcast and let the party begin. It has been 100% reliable and not much more recoil then the 10MM...just need to get into reloading!

 

[mtgianni]

The 10mm exceeds the 38-40 by at least 10% and the cartridges are easier to come by.

 

[Univibe]

I think this is the bottom line:

IN REVOLVERS: 10mm is not worth the trouble. It does nothing that .357 magnum won't do. If you want .357 magnum power in a revolver, skip 10mm and go .357 magnum. If you want a forty-caliber bullet in a revolver, step up and get a .41 Magnum.


IN SEMI-AUTOS: here's where 10mm shines. If you want a pistol that carries the equivalent of 16 .357 magnum cartridges, and shoots softer than the revolver, get a 10mm (Glock or XDM).

 

[DR505]

I like 10mm. I was issued an MP-5/10 in 10mm and loved that little sub-gun.

I also have a .40 S&W Vaquero that Alan Harton worked on and re-chambered to 10mm...now it is a real revolver.

I had so much 10mm ammo stored away, and the Vaquero takes a while to shoot any amount of volume, that I bought a Dan Wesson Razorback to help shoot it up!

 

[Racer X]

If I were to own just 2 fully automatic firearms, they would be a MP-5/10 and a GI issue BAR in .30-'06. Still waiting on my RIA 1911a2 in 10mm. Damn 10 day waiting period even with a CWP.

 

[cladd1]

I really like my new Glock 20 - that being said if I need to go heavier I can use my SW 44 magnum or 460V.

 

[Marty Weatherup]

I'm going to drift the thread further off track and ask what's the attraction to shotgun slugs for Sasquatch, oops, I mean bears? A typical 1 ounce 12 gauge slug is only about 435 grains. Many rifles fire heavier bullets and they give you the option of aiming for the nostrils. Is it just that shotguns are presumed to swing into action faster?

Here's my take for what it's worth. I have lived up here for 18 years and have been a firearms instructor for 15 of those years and have been a wildlife intervention trainer for the past 7 years.


In wildlife intervention scenarios, where a person is assigned the job of providing bear coverage for a work crew, they are required to have, by USFW regulations, force options other than lethal. I don't know of any rifles that can make the change from lethal, to less lethal to pyrotechnic deterrence with the ease and speed of a pump shotgun. In fact I have never seen less lethal or pyrotechnic rounds for rifles.


Stepping out of the professional world and into the civilian world one is certainly free to carry what ever they like . A 12 gauge slug is a formidable tool, but then so is a large bore rifle. You may however, find high power optics to be more of a hindrance than help when trying to find a bear's nostrils at 10 yards on 14 power. I have more than once reminded hunting partners to turn their mega scopes down to the lowest setting as we entered into thick stuff. Most set their scopes as high as they can and never change the setting. I would rather have an open sighted, large bore weapon, be it shotgun or rifle, were I to face down a charging bear. I've had a fair number of close encounters with bears, but fortunately all have ended amicably with neither of us leaking bodily fluids.


So as to no get too far off track on the OP's thread, what is the 10mm good for? The 10mm is a viable option for bear protection. I was in a couple shops today and the only handgun ammo I found was Buffalo Bore 10mm, 480 Ruger and 475 Linebaugh. Lots of 10mm bear stuff. I might personally choose a bigger gun but that's because I have them. I certainly wouldn't be afraid to go afield here with a heavily stoked 10mm.

 

[ken158]

I'm going to drift the thread further off track and ask what's the attraction to shotgun slugs for Sasquatch, oops, I mean bears? A typical 1 ounce 12 gauge slug is only about 435 grains. Many rifles fire heavier bullets and they give you the option of aiming for the nostrils. Is it just that shotguns are presumed to swing into action faster?

A handy short barrel 12 ga with slugs that create 2300 + ft lbs of energy is 2 1/2 times the energy of a 44 mag and can be brought into action accurately and very quickly (as long as it isn't propped against a tree). Not a Glock guy but would take a Glock 20 10mm with 800 ft lbs of energy over anything else in bear country. Given the proper holster it would be very comforting and unobtrusive to carry.

 

[bigben55]

I agree about the 10mm vs .357mag ballistic equivalency. Look at Underwood and Buffalo Bore offerings....they are pretty much equal. The difference is 6rds in a revolver vs 15+1 in a Glock 20. I think 10mm is silly in a revolver, and the only reason I see for a 10mm revolver is, if you have 1 or more 10mm semi autos and want a revolver but don't want yet another caliber to stock up on.

 

[GaryHK]

Literally a 357 for the auto crowd w/o going to Coonan/Desert Eagle platform.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

You're not limited to one or the other

I think S&W missed the mark by chambering the 10mm Auto in a N-frame only.

IMO, it would have been better suited in a snubbie L-frame like the new 2-3/4" M69 that they recently beefed up. That would be a cool size.

But since they went the N-frame route go ahead & up the game by converting it to a 10mm Magnum. Shoot the 10AUTO & 40S&W in it too, if you like.

The 10MAG is a much better match for the 41MAG & there's way more variety in bullet weight/styles for .40/10mm if you handload, & you really need to handload for either.

I'm glad I converted mine to 10MAG but there's still room in the stable for my 41MAG revolvers & 10AUTO pistols.

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[challer61]

The 10mm is a great caliber for several purposes. It's a great hunter for deer and pigs. It's a great backup in bear country but certainly not the primary weapon. For these purposes get the full power loads from the likes of Underwood and Buffalo Bore. Range ammo in 10mm is not much more than .40SW. Bullet selection for bear is critical because you need penetration, not quick expansion. I have never understood the desire to put auto loads in a revolver for my purposes. The upcoming P320/10 will very likely continue the revival of the 10mm

 

[jughed440]

The 10mm is a great caliber for several purposes. It's a great hunter for deer and pigs. It's a great backup in bear country but certainly not the primary weapon. For these purposes get the full power loads from the likes of Underwood and Buffalo Bore. Range ammo in 10mm is not much more than .40SW. Bullet selection for bear is critical because you need penetration, not quick expansion. I have never understood the desire to put auto loads in a revolver for my purposes. The upcoming P320/10 will very likely continue the revival of the 10mm

Semi-auto rounds in a revolver isn't such a bad idea if you want to shoot full power factory loads, or hand loads. The 610-2 can easily handle them, while most semi-autos cannot take that abuse....but of course there are exceptions.
No bears around here. 10mm is a great choice for woods carry in this area. But so is .357, so I'll carry either a 627, or a G40 with a Burris FF3 mounted on it.

 

[jdh]

Well poo,

Winchester dropped the velocity of the 175 grain Silvertip from 1275 to 1200 FPS. It is no longer more potent than the 41 Magnum 175 grain Silvertip which is still shown at 1250 FPS, which is almost the perfect duty round for the 57/58.

 

[Laketime]

The 10mm coupled with the Bren Ten in 1983 was at its magical time. I bought into the whole craze back then but soon made my way back .45 acp. Not sure of the purpose of that round in a six gun, but never understood the need for a 9mm revolver either .