R
ecently, the 10mm seems to
be the comeback handgun
cartridge, much to the de-
light of its diehard fans.More manufacturers than ever are
offering 10mm handguns. Some
of these guns, such as the Kimber
Custom II 10mm and Ruger SR1911,
are based on the 1911 platform. If
you do not prefer the 1911, there are
alternatives. The Springfield XD is now
available in 10mm. This is a modern
striker-fired polymer frame handgun
that will give the Glock 20 10mm a
run for its money. The single most
accurate 10mm self-loader I have
fired, bar none, is the SIG P220 Em-
peror Scorpion in 10mm. And Ruger
chambers its double-action GP100 and
single-action Blackhawk revolvers in
10mm too. Whatever action type you
prefer, a handgun in 10mm is readily
available.GOOD REASONS
There is much to like about the
10mm. It is a powerful but controlla-
ble cartridge with excellent accuracy
potential. The 10mm was designed
as a custom handgun cartridge to
shoe-horn a .400-inch projectile into
a 9mm platform. This didn’t work out
well and competitors such as the .41
Action Express did not prosper. Cutting
up then-rare (in the U.S.) CZ 75 pistols
and fabricating parts resulted in the
original Bren Ten pistol.Eventually the 10mm was shortened
to the .40 Smith & Wesson and the
original design envelope was realized
by placing the cartridge into 9mm
size frames. The .40 offers excellent
wound ballistics and penetration in its
size class. For general use and police
service it is a good cartridge, but falls
short of the expectations of many
hardcore handgunners. The 10mm
demands a .45 size frame. This is
ideal for many of us as the size and
weight of the heavier pistols offer
good control.THE FULL MONTE
There is a need among some shooters
for a cartridge more powerful than the
.45 ACP in the 1911 platform. The .45A wide assortment
of loads is available
in 10mm.The Federal 180
grain Hydra Shock
is a low recoil load
that was once the
standard of the FBI.64 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • FALL 2019