357 sig, 10mm, 40s&w

[Sniper338]

I got on a 10mm kick about 5 years ago. Major step up from 9mm and .40 cal with the right load. Owned quite a few including ALL the Glocks , Kimbers, Colt Delta Elite, Dan Wesson, old Smith & Wesson and a few others and shot a few deer in the process. Of all the 10’s I owned my favorite was the Glock 20SF primarily because of the grip on the 20SF and the polymer frames ability to soak up recoil relative to the 1911 type frames. There was an issue with Colt Delta Elites that may or not be remedied at this point as I haven’t looked into it in a few years but be aware that the Delta Elite didn’t provide full case support and some of the better ammo producers warned against shooting their full power loads in the Delta Elite as a result. Most people in gun stores I've spoken to are not even aware of this but it WAS an issue. Maybe they fixed it just not sure?

AND in terms of accuracy the Glocks were the best. I added KKM 6” barrels to the larger frame Glocks and the accuracy was amazing. Most people buy the Lone Wolf barrels just because they are easy to find but the KKM barrels are A MAJOR STEP UP from Lone Wolf. In terms of ammo stay away from most of the off shelf 10mm ammo as most are watered down closer to .40 cal. I would HIGHLY recommend that if you go the 10mm route stick to either Buffalo Bore or even better Underwood pills if you want to see what a 10mm can do. Underwood makes some seriously devastating loads. 10mm is a fun load to shoot, and is devastating on 4 legged critters with the right setup. I’d pick up a Glock with a KKM if you want the best overall package or my second choice would be either the Kimber or Dan Wesson. The Kimber and the Dan Wesson are great guns in all respects, a lot prettier to look and will impress your friends more but I just don't think you can beat the Glock. The Glock 40 10mm was uncomfortable to carry but I never found the Glock 20 variants uncomfortable and while you will lose some ballistic punch the Glock 29 is always an option and is easy to carry IWB or out!

The 10mm I'm really interested in following is the new Springfield XDM 10mm. Feels GREAT in the hand but its still a relatively new gun. Will be interesting to see how it pans out in the long run. Time will tell.

I was thinking the long slide glock 40 would be ideal. Did that long slide soak up any more recoil over the mid size? Or was the bid size smoother?

Also looking at the XDM...

 

[TomRC]

You will get better accuracy out of a G20SF or standard G20 with a 6” KKM barrel than you will with the long slide G40 / regular glock barrel and you will end up spending about the same. The KKM barrels are REALLY good. The other nice thing is unless you are hunting / target shooting you can take the 6” KKM out of the G20SF/G20, put the standard Glock barrel back in and you have a much........MUCH more comfortable carry gun. The G40 is a BIG gun. Now if you had no intention of carrying the gun get the G40 and stick the 6” KKM in it, but I like to carry so the G20’s just fit the bill much better. Its tempting to get the regular Gen 4 G20 but really try to get your hands on a G20SF. The grip on the SF version is slimmer for lack of a better description and feels much better in the hand. And…..don’t forget to stick on some talon grips and Trijicon HD’s Shoot some steel framed 10mm's or big bore wheel guns and the Glock 10's (any of them) relatively speaking just aren't that bad in terms of recoil per one of your questions. The G20's are easy to shoot!

The Springfield is really tempting because it feels REALLY GOOD in the hand and you could check with KKM to see if they are making barrels for it. I've owned so many handguns and even though Glocks aren't the prettiest.....you could say UGLY they are ROCK SOLID. My ex next door neighbor was REALLY.....I MEAN REALLY high up in special forces and he made a comment to me one time that a Glock was the only handgun he would trust his life with under any circumstances.....anywhere in the world. That comment left a lasting impression on me years ago and have been a Glock fanboy since and I can live with their ugliness My favorite holsters for the big glocks after trying almost everything are Cooks kydex holsters. They aren't that expensive and you can pay a slight upcharge for a thinner kydex that makes carrying even the big Glocks IWB manageable. REALLY nice holsters!

 

[anachronism]

The 357 SIG & 10mm share many similarities, they work best with the same powders for example, and the SIG is based off a shortened 10mm case, it is slightly longer than a 40 S&W case. You can take a 125 gr 357 SIG loading up to around 1400 fps, but velocities drop off quickly with heavier bullets. The SIG cannot match even a 357 magnum at 147 grains & above, it simply runs out of steam, the case is too small for the heavies. 10mm has much larger case capacity than the SIG, and it shows up in performance. It's not uncommon for 10mm fans to get 1500-1600 fps from a 135 gr bullet, and 200 gr bullets can run around 1200-1300 fps. Strangely, I've seen a number of gel tests that show the 357 SIG slightly edging out the 10mm in penetration, but penetration often starts to suffer as velocities increase. Bullet design & composition also play a major factor as well, so any two calibers tested against each other will have slightly skewed results unless they use the same exact bullet, which is rarely possible.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I searched high and low finally finding an old gen1 g20. Its the best of all the models imo. I have a hogue or pachmayer rubber sleeve over the grip and a pilot’s holster for it that holds an extra mag. I want a 460es smith to add to my bear spray alternatives but the g20 is my go to

 

[Sniper338]

Im digging the glocks and KKM barrels. Im gonna have to get one...

 

[284winner]

I was thinking the long slide glock 40 would be ideal. Did that long slide soak up any more recoil over the mid size? Or was the bid size smoother?

Also looking at the XDM...

The Glock 20 with a 6" aftermarket barrel and a 22lb guide rod/spring is very comfortable to shoot. I shoot 220 hard cast BB ammo in mine in bear country and it's very manageable. Just shot 20 rounds last week and forgot again how easy it was to shoot. Purchased the gun ported and didn't like the added noise from the ports. Really didn't help decrease recoil as it's not that bad. I think the 357 is worse just because it's a revolver. More felt recoil. As far as which is best, just depends on it's use. I carry a .40 for personal defense most of the time. The 10mm is with me on wilderness hunts.

 

[Lannister]

Full-power 10 has always been a bad defense round, unless you're defending against four-legged critters.
People seem to forget, or never knew, that 10mm was intended to replace .45 as a duty cartridge, 200 grains at 1000fps, and it became a "magnum" due to confusion and misunderstanding during the development process.
"10mm light" loads are great for defense, but are probably also not much, if any better than modern, more highly developed 9mm.

 

[Shawnba67]

My Tanfoglio(CZ clone) in 10mm with a 5" tube was within 20fps of what underwood ammo claims. 108sat 1300 and 135s@ almost 1600 Once I fired a round of my buddies Police issue 40 over the chrono through my 10mm. The 10 had 300fps on it.
Mine would throw empies 55ft to my right.
First time shooting steel had guys ducking for cover, we thought the brass was richochet's.
Love my 10, outside of bears I usually carry a hot loaded 9.

 

[Road_Clam]

I have the Kimber Target II LS 10mm. My #2 most consistent precision handgun right behind my Ruger GP100 357 mag. My Kimber loaded with full house 180gr Berrys has some serious energy downrange. My Kimber is a bit heavy respectively for a 1911 platform from the 6" bbl, but I am fine with that because the added weight = lesser felt recoil. 10mm is making a new comeback, everyone seems to be bored with 9mm and 45acp, and looking for interesting options.

 

[Sniper338]

I donno how big of come back its making, but Ive seen people shot with 180gr 40 cal, and its not impressive. Not enough power behind it. Stops the threat, but the threat lives kinda deal. Thats what interest me in the 10mm, same bullet with alot more ass behind it. Tahys why I like the 357 sig, 9mm with a lot more ass behind it..

They say a regular ol 9mm has come a long ways and with the right ammo they are more impressive than other stuff... i havent seen the testing to confirm that claim.

 

[riflewoman]

Fact: 80% of pistol gunshot wounds are survivable. Bullet placement is key, expansion second, caliber 3rd.

 

[people]

Yup in handgun shooting shot placement is key. It is like the story of the cop who went from a glock 21 to a glock 17 so he could carry more rounds. His shooting was with just one person trying to kill him.

 

[pirate ammo]

Learn to shoot “Gangsta Style “

oh yea,,hold it sideways, push forward each time to make the bullet go faster,,empty's go straight up and come back and land on your head, make sure your wearing a bandanna,,

 

[JFrank]

And don’t forget the junk grab

 

[bluealtered]

There are times when you don't have to have the biggest or baddest pistol to stop what you are shooting at. (Yes i carry my Springfield 10mm when in bear country,) However one of our city policemen had to put down a mountain lion that had wandered into our train yard with his .357 from maybe twenty feet and of course it just passed through the cat and into the gravel behind it. That started the chase all over again, the cat finally bled out and ended the chase. A simple case of to much power at that range for that round stop in the cat.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

Rusty,

top choice, imho; is a 9x25 in a Glock...

 

[Cecil S.]

Glock 33 357 Sig. I want to play more with this round. I understand 10mm is good for reaching out there with a longer barrel.

 

[mousegunner]

I have .40, carried for many years on duty, but next carry will be a 9. There's seems to be people that have hate for the .40 claim it's not effective. If it's not that effective then they wouldn't mind being shot by one, would they? Same thing said over and over, it's just a light 10mm. No it's a .40 and a 10 is a 10 but that's one argument amongst many, 9 vs 45 vs 40 vs 10, ad nauseum. What's next? plasma rifle in 40 watt range vs the 30 or 50 watt range?

I'm going to 9mm only because of capacity. I can shoot the .40 fine and my mindset is shot placement with whatever I carry.

 

[Cecil S.]

if I shoot ya in your thumb with my 45 you’ll die of shock.
J

I heard that was documented. Is this fact?

 

[Clark]

I have overloaded until the brass fails or something else stops me in:
25acp
32acp
380acp
9x19
9x23
40sw
10mm
45acp
19 Badger
223
6mmBR
243
257RAI
260
270
7mmRM
300WM
308
30-06
32 sw
32 sw long
32-20
25-20
38sp
357mag
45 colt
And others and my wildcats.

Back in 2000 I tried every bullet and every powder combination work up to brass failure in 9x19. I learned that I don't want to go all the way to case head failure. Too many 9mm pistol parts to keep replacing. Just work up to the threshold of brass failure, and take further work up as read.

What did I learn?
Except for Norma brass, rimmed brass is stronger than the primer.
6mmBR brass is stronger than the primer.
223 brass is higher pressure than belted magnums.
Belted magnums are higher pressure than Mauser case heads.

The only really bad case heads are; 25acp, 30 carbine, and 10mm.
Their case heads are weak, due to extractor grooves too deep near the primer pockets.



That means more power can be had from 40sw handloads than is possible with 10mm handloads.

To avoid some of the slide hammering the frame, I build triple recoil spring assemblies. The middle spring is a left hand twist.
If there is too much feed ramp intrusion into the chamber, I TIG weld it and recut the chamber for better case support. I like up to the case web or close.