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10mm or .45?

19K views 58 replies 46 participants last post by  madscotsman26 
#1 ·
I've been shooting for quite sometime, and my personal handguns have all been .45's.
However, now I find myself taking a closer look at the 10mm. The glock 20 holds that round, which is a plus cause I like glocks...

I'm thinking this only because of the fact that the 10 may be better for bear defense (of which we have lots of at our bol), people wearing heavy winter clothing, hunting hog or deer, etc...
my reloading bench is set up for .45 though, and I own two .45's...so I would have to buy two glock 20's and get the toolhead for the press, etc...(two is one, one is none)

I guess I have to wonder if the difference between the two is significant enough for the investment?

Recoil isnt a problem, as I am a big guy with big hands and while I hate the recoil of my shotguns (damn stock slams my cheek everytime), handgun recoil doesnt bother me.

anybody else ever think about this? what conclusions did you make?
 
#4 ·
I dont think there is enought of a differnce to change over to a calibur that is so hard to find ammo for if things go sideways. I would stick with the 45 and be more then happy. But then again. I have seen how fast a 45 dropped a bear. Problem is bears varry is size so much thats not totally 100% The bear I saw dropped was only 320# but he dropped fast and hard to it. But myfirst choice would of been a 12 gauge with slugs for me.
 
#7 ·
Hey, that is good to know! :thumb:

we have lots of black bear up in the mountains of western NC. When we used a bobcat to clear a road up our property, we came back a couple of days later and found LOTS of bear track's.
I have a wife and two yr old, and worry about bear attacks.

Now, I wonder where that bear was hit? In the computer, or in the chest, lung, heart?
Thanks for the vote of confidence for the good ole .45 round :thumb:
 
#8 ·
yeah, that seems to be the consensus...stick with a common caliber.

Now, if I DID tool up for the 10mm, I would have thousands of bullets (I buy in bulk), cases, powder etc...for reloading. And since it would be mainly used as a self defense round, those thousands of rounds would last me quite a while.

however, I agree that maybe when trading after TSHTF, more people would want/need .45 than 10mm...
 
#13 ·
#12 ·
I used to CC a Springfield Ultra Compact .45. It said right on the manual not to fire +P ammo. I switched to a Colt New Agent. No problems with that anymore. You should fire a 10mm gun. The blast and kick are crazy-pants. Same reason my snubbie revolver is a .38+P and not a .357 mag, the blast and kick are not conducive to follow-up shots in a timely, accurate manner.
 
#14 ·
Its 5:30AM here.

9mm-45acp =11-13" penetration with good JHP/HP rounds. Diameter and wound characteristics of the wound are nearly identical, and people will claim there is a hug difference to make themselves feel better without really having any proof. Feckler, Brass Fetcher, etc all prove this go look it up.

10mm = 12-14.5" penetration with a good JHP/HP round.

Not enough difference to worry about, and frankly if you already own a 45 and can handle the shooting cost stick with it.
 
#16 ·
10mm is a good cartridge. The .45ACP is a good cartridge. Both are pistol cartridges. If I were to choose either of these for my pistol it would be the .45ACP. Both can put down men and game at short range. The .45ACP has the advantage of of being far more popular than the 10mm. Unless you foresee yourself getting in a protracted firefight in which more rounds are required, even the few more rounds in your 10mm pistol won't be of that much help. A rifle is what you would need!
You already made an excellent choice in the .45ACP. Don't second guess yourself!
 
#17 ·
Okay I'll play devils advocate, sort of.

The 10mm is a great round.
I have three and have used them for everything from hunting, duty carry, defense and plinking/training. Flat shooting, little holdover is needed compared to the .45 at extended ranges.
Fed decent factory ammo, it's expensive like all factory ammo lately, but the Dillon is set up for it and it ends up costing just as much as a .45 round, not much.
The rack grade guns for the 10mm generally seem more accurate than comparable .45's over the years. Some headway in the .45's has been seen in the last decade but overall, the 10mm is a very accurate cartridge unlike it's .40 S&W spawn.

The downside of the 10mm?
Same as any magnum cartridge, muzzle blast is greater than a standard velocity (subsonic) round such as the .45 ACP.

I have both rounds and in several pistol platforms, Glock 20/21, Colt 1911 and Delta, Smith 4566/1076 and all have been great and are excellent choices.

In the hunting field, using proper bullets, the .45 is an excellent choice. It has more bullet selections available and can be set up to do anything.

In the end, in the real world, either is a great choice. In the good defensive loadings, both are effective and good to ride the river with.

In the hunting fields, the 10mm is great, I've shot hogs, deer and finished off a number of elk with it as well as numerous small critters and with proper bullet selection it has few real rivals in autoloaders that are packable, the .45 being the only serious contender.

I've also shot the same with the .45 and have no complaints about it either with appropriate loads.

If you want the 10mm, get them.
You'll like them, but then the real dilemma occurs......

Which do I carry today?
 
#20 ·
I have always like the ballistics of the 10mm. I have had my Glock 20 for years and love it. But like everyone else has said its easier to find ammo in .45 vs 10mm. I'm lucky there is a gun shop by my house the sell reloaded 10mm for 20.00, so i stock up on it.
 
#21 ·
I chose .45 ACP, not because I think it's some uber manstopper (no pistol round is), but because it's the most effective *low pressure* cartridge. Anyone who has ever touched off a round in an enclosed area understands my reasoning. The 10mm makes for a great outdoors gun.
 
#23 ·
"10mm or .45?"
For hunting or self defense against bears I'd go with the 10mm, it's a much better cartridge.
For basic prepping and storage, I'd go with the .45, since ammo is much more available and cheaper. Also there are more guns around that shoot it so the probability of getting a "pick up" are higher.
If you reload your own ammo, and maintain a stockpile of components, it won't matter. I'd go with the 10mm.
Your choice.
 
#24 ·
You can go on youtube & see a guy drop a running hog with a single shot from his Glock 20. There's also a video of a guy chasing a hog with his 1911 emptying the magazine, reloading, then firing more. Maybe he was missing a lot. :rolleyes:

I had a Glock 20sf & Glock 36. I had the 20 when I was living in Washington, but I have since moved back south. I traded the 36 for a 19, and sold the 20. I liked the 20, but decided it's just not all that practical when you look at cost/availability of ammo & my actual need for it down here. I bought it for backcountry defense (in Washington) & never hunted with it. So I put it up on Glocktalk classifieds & sold it within a day. That said, I wouldn't have sold it had I still been in Washington. I'm happy with my 19 down here though.

I'm sure if you bought one & changed your mind about it later you wouldn't have much trouble finding a buyer. Good luck w/whatever you decide.
 
#29 ·
Hi Matt,

Your choice of the Glock 20 is a wise one. Without a doubt, it is the softest shooting 10mm, while at the same time, it is the best designed and manufactured 10mm. All the pluses of the Glock 21 are in the Glock 20. You already know them, so I won't reiterate them.

The G20 ALMOST got me, instead of my two G21s and two G30s... Cost of ammo, and it's relative scarcity, plus I'm a died in the wool .45acp fan, wouldn't allow my pursuing the 10mm...

HOWEVER, the flat shooting, harder hitting 10mm IS superior to the .45acp, and is NOT a minus, when it comes to recoil. Add to this, the ability to use Arredondo's mag extension kits from Lone Wolf Distributing, and you have a wonderful, useful, and satisfactory magazine/chamber total of 21rds... Shucks, I get 18rds for my G21s/G30s, but oh, the luxury of those three more, harder hitting, flatter shooting 10mm rds...

http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=154&CAT=36

I just put tungsten guide rod and captured 17lb. recoil springs on both of my G21s. You might want to call LWD, and see if you can use the same guide rod w/higher poundage recoil springs...

Too, you might want to get Trijicon's tritium night sights. All are available from LWD... The only place I go to for all my Glock needs...

Hope this helps. If I had the extra cash, I'd definitely go with acquiring at least two G20s, with above mods... Taking on car windshields/penetrating barriers/greater range, and oh, hunting four footed critters, all are great reasons for going 10mm- ONLY IN THE GLOCK!!! Don't go anywhere else- the other guns out there are not as robust!

Good Luck,

OA, out...
 
#32 ·
I am at the very bottom of the list for gun knowledge, reloads, etc. I do, however, want to say that I love my S&W 10. I once left it on the tailgate of a truck and it was lost for a year. When I finally found it, it was in rough shape, had been plowed under by the farmer twice. After some TLC, it was as good as new and I carry it almost daily and it is a true shot. I'm hoping to take a hog with it one day.
 
#34 ·
I will also stick with my 10mm, My Glock 29 sub compact will throw a Winchester Silvertip 175gr about 1200 FPS. Plus its a dream to shoot and easy to maintain. Plus with a simple barrel change it becomes a 40S&W. I haven't had any problems finding ammo to shoot or stock up on, can I walk into walmart and buy a box? No, but I've never had problem getting it from a dealer. its just a matter of planning, which is the reason we are on this site in the first place. Can I melt tire weights to reload? No, but I gun Glocks, So I have to make sure I maintain enough jacketed bullets for reloading anyway. To me the better performance over the .45 is worth the bit of hassle.
 
#35 ·
Another vote for the 45 ACP from a practicality standpoint. The 10mm may give you a little more penetration or power but I dont think it will give you all that much more than a 45 ACP+P load to make it worth another gun and another stash of ammo. If your in Bear country and need something more than the 45 ACP can offer...then quit playing around and just get the 44 Mag in a Ruger and know your answer to the bear problem is solved! The 45 ACP and 44 Mag will most likely be available in almost any store you diddy bop into that sells ammunition and the prices are likely to be a bit more reasonable too.
 
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