10mm or 40 S&W ?

[Eagle00]

Doc KGR,

I am interested in getting a .400 cal auto. I am intrigued by the 10mm. However, realistically, I will not be using it for hunting, nor for LE, nor for a woods gun. I will be using it for a range gun and having "fun" and perhaps CCW. Understanding that the 10mm's best performance is with a full load 200gr round, what would I (for my purposes) be getting with a 10mm that a .40S&W would not give me, other than the "novelty" of having a 10mm? Cost of 10mm ammunition is not really a hindrance. However, if I will basically be using 10mm loads which are comparable to .40S&W loads, there is no point in a 10mm for my purposes, right? Thank you for your input.

[DocGKR]

Acquire a good 9 mm, take some training classes--if you just want to have fun plinking at the range, use a .22LR...

[vicious_cb]

Doc KGR,

I am interested in getting a .400 cal auto. I am intrigued by the 10mm. However, realistically, I will not be using it for hunting, nor for LE, nor for a woods gun. I will be using it for a range gun and having "fun" and perhaps CCW. Understanding that the 10mm's best performance is with a full load 200gr round, what would I (for my purposes) be getting with a 10mm that a .40S&W would not give me, other than the "novelty" of having a 10mm? Cost of 10mm ammunition is not really a hindrance. However, if I will basically be using 10mm loads which are comparable to .40S&W loads, there is no point in a 10mm for my purposes, right? Thank you for your input.

Have you shot a handgun before?

[Eagle00]

Yes, I've shot handguns. Have 9mm's, 45ACP, .357 Mag + rifle.

[BullittBoy]

There are quite a few good 10mm pistols out ther right now. Glock 20, 29 will always be popular, the EAA Witness has mixed results but makes a lot of options, but I love the 1911 guns in this caliber. You have Kimber offering 2 models (target and Eclipse) and Dan Wesson and Colt making guns. Smith still has used ones in the 10-series that are tanks.

I like several 10mm loads that are fun to shoot, extremely accurate and shoot very flat.
For plinking you have the Blazer 200 grain and the UMC 180 grain factory loads. I also really like Georgia Arms 180 FMJ and it is economical, along with Underwood (a new company) making practice loads.
Hornady has a 155,180,and 200 XTP and Winchester still has 175 Silvertips.
I like the Double Tap and Underwood loads of the 135 grain HP at blazing speeds for home defense
the 155 Gold Dot from Georgia Arms and Underwood at blazing speeds are bonded hunting and defense loads
and the heavier HP's from Hornady and Double Tap are nice hunting loads

The 10mm is a very accurate versatile round-you can use it for what ever you want

[Sensei]

People who purchase a 10mm pistol need to understand that they are buying a compromise gun. While it is capable of duty performance, hunting small to medium game, target shooting, etc., there are much better choices to accomplish each of these individual tasks. For example, the 40SW in factory loading accomplishes everything the 10mm does for duty uses in a more compact package. On the other hand, I'd much rather have a 44 mag if facing a mountain lion, bear, or even a pissed-off buck.

Furthermore, those who purchase full-power 10mm ammo using bullets designed for 40SW velocities from companies like DoubleTab are buying ballistic snake oil. There are zero independent tests to validate the duty performance of these rounds, and there will probably never be any since no major LE agency is interested in boutique ammo companies. I'd love a 200 grain projectile driven at a modest 1100 fps, that reliably expands beyond .70", and penetrates 16-20" after all common barriers. Alas, that round has not been invented and I don't think that any existing .40 caliber bullet will do that - no matter what velocity is used.

Thus, I use my Glock 20 under the specific situation where I'm backpacking on the East Coast or Pacific NW and the predators are generally medium sized (and just as likely to be 2 legged). I choose this weapon due to training consistency with my G19 that is used for daily carry around town. I would take a much more substantial caliber when in Alaska, Africa, or any situation where the predator spectrum shifts towards larger animals. Furthermore, I stick to factory ammunition in 10mm like the Hornady 180 or 200 grain XTP that favors a hunting application but still offers marginal defensive performance (~25" penetration / .55" expansion in denim covered gel). While this round may slightly over-penetrate / under-expand, this tradeoff is acceptable in a woodland environment where downrange hazards are uncommon.

[Japeatr]

Buffalo bore 220gr is a very hot 10mm load

[tpd223]

Buffalo bore 220gr is a very hot 10mm load

It is, and many of these very hot 10mm loads can induce fails-to-feed issues in the 10 due to excessive slide velocity, very similar to what one can commonly see in the .40s when a light is attached.

[Microalign]

You will get a little bit better penetration ability with the 10mm over the .40S&W, but not a huge difference. Expansion will be pretty much identical between the two. The only reason I would use 10mm would be for better animal protection, but as a defensive cartridge it is slower in follow up shots.

Given the calibers that you already have, I don't see much reason to venture into the .40/10mm caliber. I use primarily .40 since I'm in Federal service and I shoot what I train with, but if the option were there for me I'd probably go back to 9mm. It's cheaper to train with in large volumes, and easier to shoot. The 9mm also allows for smaller, lighter, and easier to operate pistols than the .40 with better long term durability.

[sgtjosh]

I have always thought the concept of using 10mm as a submachine gun cartridge was viable. I know that HK made an MP-5 variant with a straight magazine.

I come by this premise from no particular expertise, just the reasoning that the elongated SMG barrel might provide the opportunity to wring out some pretty impressive velocities and increase the likelihood of reliable expansion.

Then again with modern ammo advances, 9mm is certainly an improved performer that provides negligible recoil in a SMG.