Concealed Carry Handguns – August 2019

Kimberofersthor-

oughlymodern 1911

handguns.Kimber

photo

the 10mm. With modern loads this

isn’t necessarily true.

Another advantage is that the 10mm

begins with a .400-inch bullet.

Whether it expands or not, the frontal

diameter of the 10mm is greater than

the .357 Magnum. Top end loads

such as the .357 Magnum Buffalo

Bore 180-grain hard cast will beat the

10mm for pure energy and penetra-

tion when fi red in like barrel lengths.

Barring the Coonan, however, the .357

Magnum is a revolver cartridge. This

makes the 10mm a very interesting

cartridge for those who prefer the

self-loader for personal defense. But it

isn’t all automatics anymore.

THE REVOLVER

OPTION

The story of revolvers chambered for

self-loading cartridges is a long one.

Revolvers have been chambered in

.38 Super, 9mm, .40, 10mm and .45

ACP and even the .380 ACP. Because

self-loading pistol cartridges do

not have a cartridge case rims, the

extractor stars on most double-action

revolvers won’t eject the cases. Moon

clips that hold the cartridges in place

are necessary with these revolvers.

Charter Arms revolvers in .380, 9mm

and .45ACP are the exception.

Ruger’s GP100 is a rugged, reliable

and accurate revolver that is a natural

for the 10mm. While the piece may

appeal to those who own a 10mm

self-loader, this revolver is a good

option for anyone wanting a powerful

and reliable handgun.

The Match Champion version of the

GP100 features a fi ber optic front sight

and well-designed grips. These wood

grips appear larger than the usual

rubber factory grips at fi rst glance, but

the cross section is actually smaller

than standard GP100 grips and fi ts my

average-sized hands well. They are

long, which makes for a good fi t for

larger hands, but they are not thick.

The combination of a high visibility

fi ber optic front sight and fully adjust-

able rear sight make for excellent hit

probability.

The stainless-steel revolver features

a 4-inch barrel. The barrel profi le

differs from the .357 Magnum and is

pleasing in appearance. The action is

smooth in double-action fi re and the

single-action trigger is crisp enough

for good accuracy. Due to the larger

bore and chambers, the Ruger GP100

Match Champion 10mm is lighter

than the .357 Magnum version at

37 ounces. The revolver is wider and

bulkier to conceal than a 1911, but the

proper holster goes a long way toward

addressing this. Mine often rides in a

pancake style from DM Bullard.

The question might be why the 10mm

revolver? Due to the popularity of

the 10mm, ammunition is readily

available, more so than the .41

Magnum as an example. Recoil is less

than most magnum cartridges and

the 10mm offers good performance at

long range. It isn’t a magnum, but the

10mm is a respectable number.

Animal attacks in the fi eld often

demand that the handgun be pressed

into the animal’s body and fi red

repeatedly. A semi-auto would jam

after the fi rst shot if this is done. The

revolver will keep fi ring. And the

10mm is much easier to master than

the .41 Magnum for fi eld use.

SHOOT FOR THE MOON

An advantage of moon clips in

loading and unloading is that spent

cartridge cases are easily ejected

whether the barrel is pointed upward

or downward. You need not be

concerned with a cartridge case rim

becoming trapped under the extractor

star when the cases are attached to

a thin steel moon clip. When using

a revolver with moon clips, loading

66 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS  FALL 2019

“THE 10MM MAY

BE THE BEST

CHOICE FOR

HEAVY DEFENSE

USE AMONG

MODERN

HANDGUN

CARTRIDGES.”