|
10 Talk
The 10mm HISTORY
Welcome to the FIRST
(As far as I know) 10mm information page on the WEB. It was the lack of useful
information on this dying caliber that started me thinking about a site where
info could be brought forward, with little or no bias. This I have been told has
been done in spades. Look around, and check into links scattered about the text,
some pics worth seeing are hidden there.
This page was started in June, 1997 with a skinny, single, L-O-N-G linear page
containing most of this opening page, and part of "The Guns" section. As "The Guns" page
grew, the site started an accordian like expansion that took lots of effort to contain,
as my ideas kept getting ahead of my writing on my outline sheets which I jotted
notes onto.
Some folks urged me to include things already in the plan, wanting a more complete reference
feel, and look. As I have done the bulk of authoring, graphic layout/creation, and additional research
in my spare time, it has matured well, despite my part-time ability to support it.
There have been some caliber suggestions I could not add like 10mm offshoots. There are MANY 10mm permutations,
like the 10mm Mag, .400 Cor-Bon, 9x25, 9x30, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, and .40 G&A, not to mention Rifles as launching
platforms.
The intent of the 10mm Info Pages is to provide as much data as is possible, hopefully
to de-bunk some of the silliness, untruths, and disinformation out there in an honest, truthful, and
sensible manner as is possible on the ONE 10mm that performs as well as any non-magnum semi-automatic
cartridge in firearms history. One I might also add that is a PERFECT Post-Brady bill option to a 10
round 9 millimeter.
If you DO disagree with my points about a particular firearm, remember that there
were many makers of 10mm's as there are/were because individual preferences do exist.
Also OWNERSHIP can cloud objectivity. This is particularly hard to overcome if Brand X is the only
one that you own, or have owned. I am NOT a 10mm "EXPERT" just an owner who has had many 10's
looking for a carry, target, match, and perhaps hunting gun, and the blessing of patience
to wait for a chance to own as many 10mm's as I have which are:
These are not by any stretch ALL of the 10's that are or were made,
but they are all the ones I WANTED to own, that had prices attached
to them that I could justify "playing" with for my own curiousity
and info to present here. Most of my 10's were bought before the site went
up. The Witness, and G-20 were my "post 10 page" purchases, of all those
above, I still own the 610, 1076, Colt, and Witness.
I hope you enjoy the site, and if I disagree with your personal experiences,
read the ENTIRE story, I really tried to be frank in my objectiveness to give POTENTIAL
10mm owners a realistic perspective from a 10mm owner, who has used the 10 for a LONG time.
In 1983 the 10mm automatic cartridge made its' debut in the new Bren Ten. The gun and ammo were
designed to launch a 200 grain bullet in excess of 1200 feet per second, to nearly duplicate the .41 magnum in some loadings.
The purportedly throttled back 200 grain Norma ammo I have in my hand states they were chronographing 1200 FPS in this box. I have tested
it, and it does meet this spec.
Ed note:For those of you wanting some REALLY good reading on the 10 see the June 1990
edition of the American Rifleman (link to cover pic 170kb) and the Vol 42 1991 Annual
issue of Amerinan Handgunner (link to that cover pic 146kb) These mags are worth calling the
publisher for to see if they have any old copies lying about or, failing that, perhaps
a QUEST to find them on gunshow tables? As usual, I'm Sorry about long Download times.
The Bren Ten never really made it into large scale production, and while it was dying, Colt decided to
produce a 10mm variant of the 1911 as a new product. Initially it was released with a wonder material
guide rod, and the guns met with premature failures. This in addition to the vigorous recoil,
the gun/cartridge began feeling the heat from everyone saying I told you so... the 1911 was MADE for the .45 leave it at that.
The spring of 1986 saw the gunfight in Miami, (SEE LINKS page for complete details)
where several FBI agents were killed, and after the analysis was complete, the
fact that one of the robbers sustained a potentially lethal hit
early in the shootout came to light. The ammunition was considered a failure, and a major fault in the events as they
took place.
In 1990 after exhaustive testing, (SEE The FBI AMMO test page for details) The FBI adopted the S&W 1076.
A large frame, stainless steel semi-automatic, that was designed similar to a SIG, with a frame mounted decocker. The ammo,
(Federal XM1001 180gr@924 fps) was considered to have ALL of the best defensive characteristics, which met very
vigorous requirements to defeat auto steel, glass, wood, drywall, AND still have enough energy to penetrate 12" of ballistic
gelatin.
Also the down powered ammo served as a starting point where it easily equalled the .45 in penetration
on obstacles, if the need arose, the thought was you could STILL juice up the ammo comfortably.
I followed the 10mm from the get go, as I was interested in a hunting/IPSC/carry gun. My first 10mm is LONG
gone. ALL the BEST attributes of the 10 are still there, and the drawbacks are minimal, to my way of thinking. The main one
being the limited number of suitable production guns available.
Soon after the field agents started using the 10mm, complaints from agents about recoil and alleged
breakage began to surface, and the stage was set for the end of the cartridge. I owned a 10mm and was
surprised at how many people and gunwriters were jumping up and down about what a mistake the caliber is to buy
and sell.
S&W however had begun experimenting with a 40 caliber "short" version of the 10mm, and they found that
they could easily duplicate the 10mm "FED LITE" ballistics, AND deliver it in a 11+1 round gun, with
the SAME circumference grip as a 9 round 10mm. This was a leap toward the end of the 10 millimeter cartridge.
This new high capacity .40 caliber is the success story of the last 50 years, and rightfully
so. However, in the post Brady Bill era, I truthfully expected to see a HUGE resurgence
in 10mm popularity, but to date, I was wrong. Why? Would I rather have 10+1 rounds of 10mm than
10+1 rounds of .40 S&W? SURE. Even with a 100-150 FPS advantage over the .40 with a 20 grain heavier
bullet, I'd feel better prepared for that big dog.
All of the 10mm load development after the initial early stages, revolved around
getting lighter bullets to either go faster, or provide less recoil than the .45.
There seemed to be a 9mm camp, and .45 camp, where bullet weights, and velocities were picked to
not offend anyone, and to make both camps feel like NEITHER lost if the 10 were adopted
for LEO street use. All this became more important than looking at the potential of the LARGE
case.
I have been involved in competitive shooting (Bullseye, IPSC, Tactical, Pins) since the
70's and have been a reloader during all that time. I have been involved with the gamut of handguns from
from Contenders to XP 100's and almost everything in between, excluding military arms. Case reforming, bullet making,
are all performed in my air conditioned garage, (a South Florida necessary evil). Currently I use three progressive
presses, to reload 20 or so calibers, and have loaded over 30 calibers total in the past. I'm
a Life Member in the NRA, and an NRA Certified instructor, and give defense/safety classes to women at no charge.
Hopefully I can pass on this tradition of SAFE, RESPONSIBLE, firearm ownership to my Son, Victor, as it was given to me. However
too many people want to question the Wisdom of the folks who founded our country, and would see a change. I find this
bickering about the Constitution plain stupid.
Look, the Constitution was written a long time ago for a people who were at the time
barbarians by todays standards. Suggesting that the writers "meant" one thing or another is IMO ludicrous. All this took place in a time
when MANY people signed their name with an X, and relied on the spoken or read word to bear the Truth, and Common sense. Well today we have
sophisticated legal counsel who ADMIT they don't understand this document AND the ammendments... how tragic.
Quoting a long time friend... "It don't look good" The 10mm has become a cartridge many do not know the real ballistic potential of.
and with the few anemic factory loads out there, (See Factory Ammo section) they are
understandably ignorant. The caliber is still chambered in a few factory guns,
but it would seem as if it is dying a SLOW death.
I have seen an interest in the 10mm however small that is promising. If you have a 10mm, take a fellow shooter to the
range with it, and let them have a go. They might enjoy the challenge of hitting a target with an adrenlin rush at the same time.
Perhaps we can turn the 10mm's slow demise around like the .38 super was.
I wanted to get an informational page for my friends, associates and Newbies to get some details
that are well known to the shooting community but keeps getting asked.
This site has matured nicely, and it is just about everything I set out to get up for viewing.
I wouldn't call it writers block, but I cannot see much expansion from where it is. I AM very open to ideas though,
so Email me with your thoughts.
Where I will not take the page though, is offshoots like the .40 SW, the 9x25, or LEO
specific info.
Glock is selling a 6" barrel for the G-20. I never got to chronograph some of my
loads in a Glock long barrel, and I'd like to. Perhaps I'll spring for yet another 10mm thing I
REALLY do not need. I'd REALLY like to see Glock bring out a L-O-N-G-S-L-I-D-E for the 20,
because exposed extended barrels look like so many anteaters :-)
Tanfoglio brought out their 10mm, but availability as of April 99 is STILL
sketchy.
Call EAA at 407-639-4842 to say thanks, AND order one.
S&W re-released the 610 in a 6.5 incl Classic un-fluted version.
Colts 10mm's and .38 Supers are dead. I heard that they are now resurrecting the Colt 2000 as a SAFE gun in 9mm. Hmmm...
|
|
Electronic mail address:
visit my guitar site
Florida Firearm Training
S. Florida Ranges
