The 10mm Auto cartridge has had its ups and downs, as I detailed in The 10mm: Thor’s Hammer for Semi-Auto Pistols a few months ago. In its original incarnation, as loaded by Norma, this hot round propelled a 200 grain bullet at a nominal 1200 feet per second which generated 640 foot-pounds. A .41 Remington Magnum for auto pistols, so to speak.
The “Ten” has been on a downhill slide ever since, driven in the main by the FBI’s efforts in the late 1980s to tame this beast so their agents’ pistol qualification scores wouldn’t suffer. Today, although the 10mm has seen a rebirth, most major ammo companies still down-load it when it comes to their 200 grain selections (if they offer one at all), for reasons not well explained. Some boutique companies, such as Underwood, offer original spec loads, though.
The good news for rabid 10mm fans is Speer, a Vista Outdoors (formerly under ATK) brand, heard your lamentations and has decided to bring your favorite hammer back up to speed. Marketed under Speer’s Personal Protection label, their load drives a 200 grain Gold Dot hollow-point at a respectable 1100 fps from a 5-inch barrel, which is 100 fps faster than Jeff Cooper envisioned when he collaborated on the original 10mm’s design. This means 537 ft-lbs at the muzzle–.357 Magnum territory. While it’s not everything the 10mm lovers (myself included) hoped for, it is both a step in the right direction and a round which should offer good recoil control in a full-sized, steel framed pistol. Most gun stores should also stock it, unlike the boutique brands.
For more info, visit Speer at: https://www.speer-ammo.com/ammunition/gold-dot-handgun-personal-protection/10mm-auto/10mm-200gr-gold-dot-hp
Other helpful stories you’ll like:
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LocaCarnivore Expert: .41 Remington Magnum (The Perfect Revolver Cartridge?)
.45 Colt, .44 Special, .38 Super (Old-School Hunters and Gunfighters)
