10mm Auto
| 10mm Auto | ||
|---|---|---|
 10mm Auto Full Metal Jacket Cartridge |
||
| Type | Pistol | |
| Place of origin |  Sweden United States |
|
| Production history | ||
| Designer | FFV Norma AB | |
| Designed | 1984 | |
| Produced | 1984–Present | |
| Variants | .40 S&W | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | .30 Remington[1][2] | |
| Case type | Rimless, Straight | |
| Bullet diameter | 10.16 mm (0.400 in) | |
| Neck diameter | 10.70 mm (0.421 in) | |
| Base diameter | 10.81 mm (0.426 in) | |
| Rim diameter | 10.85 mm (0.427 in) | |
| Rim thickness | 1.40 mm (0.055 in) | |
| Case length | 25.20 mm (0.992 in) | |
| Overall length | 32.00 mm (1.260 in) | |
| Case capacity | 1.53 cm³ (24 gr H2O) | |
| Rifling twist | 381 mm (1 in 15 inches) | |
| Primer type | Large Pistol | |
| Maximum pressure | 258.55 MPa (37,500 psi) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 150 gr (9.7 g) Nosler JHP | 1,475 ft/s (450 m/s) | 725 ft·lbf (983 J) |
| 165 gr (10.7 g) Gold Dot Bonded HP | 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) | 718 ft·lbf (973 J) |
| 180 gr (12 g) Hornady XTP | 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s) | 728 ft·lbf (987 J) |
| 200 gr (13 g) WFNGC HC | 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s) | 750 ft·lbf (1,020 J) |
| 230 gr (15 g) WFNGC HC | 1,120 ft/s (340 m/s) | 641 ft·lbf (869 J) |
| Test barrel length: 4.6 in. For 6 inch barrel, add ~100 ft/s (30 m/s)[3] Source(s): DoubleTap Ammunition C.I.P.[4] S.A.A.M.I.[5] |
||
The 10mm Auto (10×25mm, Official C.I.P. Nomenclature: 10mm Auto) is a semi-automatic pistol cartridge developed by Jeff Cooper and introduced in 1983 for the Bren Ten pistol. It was initially produced by ammunitions manufacturer FFV Norma AB of Åmotfors, Sweden.
Although it was selected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for use in the field following the 1986 F.B.I. Miami shootout, their Firearms Training Unit "concluded that its recoil was excessive in terms of training for average agent/police officer competency of use and qualification", and the pistols that chambered it were too large for some small-handed individuals.[6] These issues led to the creation and eventual adoption of a shortened version of the 10mm that would evolve into what is today the .40 S&W.
The 10mm never attained the mainstream success of its downgraded variant, the .40 Smith & Wesson, but there is still an enthusiastic group of supporters who often refer to the .40 S&W as the ".40 Short & Weak".[7]
Contents |
[edit] History
The 10mm Auto cartridge was championed by famous firearms expert Colonel Jeff Cooper. It was designed to be a medium-velocity pistol cartridge with better external ballistics (i.e., flatter trajectory, greater range) than the .45 ACP and greater stopping power than the 9×19mm Parabellum. When Norma designed the cartridge at the behest of Dornaus & Dixon for their Bren Ten pistol (a newly developed gun borrowing base design from the CZ 75), they decided to increase the power over Cooper's original concept. The resulting cartridge—which was introduced in 1983—is very powerful, packing the flat trajectory and high energy of a magnum revolver cartridge into a relatively short, rimless cartridge for a semi-automatic pistol.
The cartridge has failed to attain the same level of popularity as the 9×19mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, and the .40 S&W cartridges.[citation needed] This may be explained by the fact that full-powered 10mm Auto loads generate significantly more recoil and muzzle blast compared to most other common handgun cartridges.[citation needed] Additionally, the ballistics of milder 10mm Auto loads can be duplicated in smaller guns using the less expensive .40 S&W cartridge.[citation needed]
The 10mm Auto earned a reputation for battering guns early on, largely because manufacturers attempted to simply rechamber a .45 ACP design for the 10mm Auto.[citation needed] The .45 ACP works at a much lower pressure and velocity, and the frame and slide designed to handle the .45 ACP cannot handle the greatly increased forces of a 10mm Auto without substantial strengthening. Later guns, such as the Glock 20, Glock 29, and the Smith & Wesson Model 1006, were built around the cartridge to help increase durability and reliability.
Another issue with early acceptance was the result of manufacturing problems with the Bren Ten. The contractor who was to manufacture the magazines was unable to deliver them on time, and as such, many early Bren Tens were shipped to dealers and customers without magazines. The relatively high price of the Bren Ten compared to other pistols (MSRP in 1986 was U.S. $500) also contributed, and the company ceased operations in 1986, after only three years of manufacture. Had not Colt made the rather surprising decision in 1987 to bring out their Delta Elite pistol, a 10mm Auto version of the Government Model, the cartridge might have sunk into obsolescence, becoming an obscure footnote in firearms history.
Thanks to media exposure (primarily in the television series Miami Vice), demand for the Bren Ten increased after production ceased. In the five years after production ceased, prices on the standard model rose to in excess of U.S. $1,400, and original magazines were selling for over U.S. $150.[8]
The F.B.I. briefly field-tested the 10mm Auto in a 1911-frame platform as well as a M1928 Thompson-type submachine gun before adopting the 10mm Auto round in the late 1980s along with the Smith & Wesson Model 1076 (a short barreled version of the 1026 with a frame-mounted decocker). During testing of a new service caliber, the F.B.I. concluded that the full power of the load would result in undesirable recoil. The F.B.I. then submitted a requirement for a reduced-recoil loading. This later became known as the "10mm Lite", or "10mm F.B.I." load. Pistol reliability problems increased with this lighter load and Smith & Wesson saw this as an invitation to create something new: a shortened version of the 10mm. This new round was called the .40 Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W would function in a 9mm sized pistol; the advantage was that smaller-handed shooters could now have a 9mm sized gun with near 10mm performance. The .40 S&W has since become a popular handgun caliber among law enforcement agencies in the U.S., while the popularity of the 10mm Auto has diminished. Colt, Dan Wesson Firearms, Glock, Kimber Manufacturing, Nighthawk Custom, Smith & Wesson, STI International and Tanfoglio are some of the few manufacturers that offer handguns in 10mm Auto.
The 10mm outperforms the .40 S&W by 200–250 ft/s (61–76 m/s) for similar bullet weights when using available full power loads,[9] as opposed to the "10mm F.B.I." level loads still found in some ammunition catalogs.[10][11] This is due to the 10mm Auto's higher S.A.A.M.I. pressure rating of 37,500 psi (259,000 kPa),[5] as opposed to 35,000 psi (240,000 kPa) for the .40 S&W,[5] and the larger case capacity, which allows the use of heavier bullets and more smokeless powder.
[edit] Cartridge dimensions
The 10mm Auto has 1.56 ml (24 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.
10mm Auto maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions.[4] All sizes in millimeters (mm).
The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 381 mm (1 in 15 inches), 5 grooves, Ø lands = 9.91 mm, Ø grooves = 10.16 mm, and land width = 4.47 mm. A large pistol primer is used.
C.I.P. guidelines indicate a maximum pressure of 230 MPa (33,000 psi). In C.I.P. regulated countries, every pistol/cartridge combo is required to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The S.A.A.M.I. pressure limit for the 10mm Auto is set at 258.55 MPa (37,500 psi).[12]
[edit] Performance
At full potential, the 10mm Auto produces energy a bit higher than an average .357 Magnum load and below standard .41 Magnum rounds. The cartridge is considered to be high-velocity, giving it a less-curved flight path ("flat-shooting") relative to other handgun cartridges. In its lighter loadings, the 10mm Auto is an exact duplicate of the .40 S&W cartridge. More powerful loadings can equal or exceed the performance of the .357 Magnum, and retain more kinetic energy at 100 yards than the .45 ACP has at the muzzle.[13]
Some commercial loadings are as follows:
- .357 Magnum: 676 ft·lbf (917 J) for 180 gr (12 g) @ 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s)[14]
- 10mm Auto: 750 ft·lbf (1,020 J) for 200 gr (13 g) @ 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s)[15]
- .41 Magnum: 938 ft·lbf (1,272 J) for 250 gr (16 g) @ 1,300 ft/s (400 m/s)[16]
The loads listed above are from a boutique manufacturer of high performance ammunition and are about maximum for S.A.A.M.I. established pressure levels in each cartridge. Free recoil energy of the full-power loads listed are 10.1, 12.1, and 22.9 ft·lbf (13.7 J, 16.4 J, and 31.0 J) respectively for these cartridges, computed assuming a 40 ounce (2.5 lb, 1.15 kg) handgun.
Most major ammunition manufacturers offer 10mm load closer in performance to the "F.B.I. Load" than the full power 10mm; these still contain sufficient power for defense applications, but their recoil is more comparable to the .45 ACP in similar guns. A few smaller companies offer full-power ammunition for this chambering. With the appropriate load, the 10mm is a capable medium game hunting cartridge at moderate handgun ranges.
[edit] Usage
The 10mm Auto is suitable for hunting medium-sized game at moderate ranges, is certainly more than adequate for defensive or tactical use, and is one of the few true semi-automatic, rimless cartridges that is legal for hunting white-tailed deer in many U.S. states.[17][18] Author Chuck Hawks stated:
- "The most commonly available, reasonably portable, autoloader that might serve our purpose is the Glock Model G20, chambered for the 10mm Auto (.40 caliber) cartridge. The G-20 is as reliable as a powerful auto gets and relatively compact. This pistol comes with a 4.6" barrel, is 7.59" in overall length and weighs only 26.28 ounces. In recent years Glock has promoted the G20 as a hunting pistol. The EAA Witness DA autoloader is also offered in 10mm Auto and the Colt Delta Elite version of the 1911 Government Model used to be. There are probably others of which I am unaware."[19]
Today, the 10mm Auto cartridge is generally used to fend off medium-sized dangerous animals, as a high-powered defense caliber, and for hunting, especially by those who prefer the flatter carry profile and higher cartridge capacity of an automatic pistol versus a magnum revolver.[17] It makes Major ranking in I.P.S.C., even in lighter loadings.[20]
Despite the F.B.I. switching to the .40 S&W, there are still a number of law enforcement agencies that continue to issue the 10mm including the Albuquerque J.P.D. and the Anniston P.D.
The Government of Denmark has issued the Glock 20 pistol chambered for the 10mm Auto cartridge to members of the Sirius Patrols in Greenland.[21] The pistols were issued as a defense against polar bears which the patrols encounter.
[edit] Synonyms
- 10mm Bren Ten
- 10mm Norma
- 10mm F.B.I.
- 10×25mm
- The Centimeter (This name is also used to refer to a wildcat cartridge based on the 10mm Auto, which is trademarked by Pistol Dynamics.)[22]
[edit] Gallery
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Donnelly, John J. (1987). The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions. Stoeger Publishing. p. 941. ISBN 978-0-88317-269-8.
- ^ Howell, Ken (1995). Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges. Precision Shooting. p. 546. ISBN 0-9643623-0-9.
- ^ "Review at DoubleTap". Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=105&reviews_id=23&osCsid=85a4e5c3adb438701474652c625e564b. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
- ^ a b "C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables - free current C.I.P. CD-ROM version download (ZIP and RAR format)". Archived from the original on 29 September 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080929160149/http://www.cip-bp.org/index.php?id=tdcc-telechargement. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ^ a b c S.A.A.M.I. pressure specs.
- ^ The 10mm Auto Cartridge, quoting Shooting Times, "The Rise & Fall of the 10mm," by Dick Metcalf, November 1999.
- ^ Ayoob, Massad (2007). The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery. Gun Digest Books. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-89689-525-6.
- ^ Blue Book of Gun Values, S. P. Fjestad, 13th edition, 1992
- ^ Ballistics information on DoubleTap Ammo's full-power 180 gr (12 g). 10mm load.
- ^ Ballistics information on Federal's "10mm Lite" style American Eagle 180 gr (12 g). 10mm load.
- ^ Ballistics information on Federal's American Eagle 180 gr (12 g). .40 S&W load.
- ^ "S.A.A.M.I. Pressures". http://www.leverguns.com/articles/saami_pressures.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ Bren-Ten Website History and various specs on the 10mm Auto.
- ^ Doubletapammo .357 Magnum
- ^ Doubletapammo 10mm Auto
- ^ Doubletapammo .41 Magnum
- ^ a b Chuck Hawks (2002). "Handgun Hunting". chuckhawks.com. Archived from the original on 01 May 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110501015713/http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_hunting.htm. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Jeff Quinn (26 October 2005). "Model 20 10mm Auto Pistol". gunblast.com. http://www.gunblast.com/Glock20.htm. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Hawks, Chuck. "Handgun for Protection in the Field". chuckhawks.com. Archived from the original on 01 May 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110501015540/http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Petty, Charles E. (November 2001). "Less is More: The I.P.S.C. Power Factor". American Handgunner. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_154_25/ai_78870840/?tag=mantle_skin;content. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Dianne DeMille & Stephen Priestley (December 2005). "Permanent Presence: Recruiting, Training, & Equipping Rangers in the Arctic". Canadian American Stratigic Review. http://www.casr.ca/ft-harper1-6.htm. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ Welcome to Pistol Dynamics.
