Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

I thought the 10mm and the .40 were the same thing. A friend told me they were different but not how. Can someone enlighten me, please?:confused_ma:

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

In addition to the physical differences the 10mm is considerably more expensive.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

Bullet diameter is the same, 10mm = .40 inches...The cartridges are NOT the same. The 10mm cartridge is longer and operates at higher pressures than the .40 S&W. Sorta like the relationship of the .357 magnum to the 38 special...except you should not shoot the 40 out of the 10mm pistol, although it has been done...but NOT recommended.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

I have 2 Colt Delta Elite 10mm autos, so I'll try.The main difference is in the powder charge, the 10mm cranks out some mean velocity. The 10mm was developed on the request of the FBI right after they got thier butts handed to them by a couple of well armed and determined bank robbers in Miami back in the late 80's.There was even a movie made about the robbery and shootout.If I remember correctly the bad guys hid behind thier disabled car and hosed the FBI agents down with mini-14's.
After that the agency wanted a handgun that would shoot through car doors and windshields without a problem, so the story go's.
The 10mm overpenetrates too much to be an on duty round, so they shortend it up and took away half the gas and wala, the .40 SW was born.
They were pretty popular when they first hit back in the early 90's, glock even made one.
I'm not sure how much of the FBI--bank robbers story is true but it was popular back then as we blazed away with our 10mm colts!
I do know the 155 grain hollow point Hornady 10mm round leaves the muzzle of a colt at 1410 FPS and shoots flat as a pancake for quite a distance then starts to rise after about 70 yards.
Ammo is getting tough to find nowdays, I'm glad I still have quite a few boxes stashed.:ok:

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

Good article, thanks!

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

I've got a Kimber 10mm. Love the gun and the cartridge. I reload for the 10mm and like to load them a little under full power. Makes the Kimber a pleasure to shoot and is easier on the gun. Even downloaded, its ballistics are close to that of a .41 magnum in an autoloader. Gotta love that.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

The 10mm Auto was chosen by the FBI for a replacement cartridge/weapon in the early 90's; but it was too hard on the hands of the of the women that they were forced to recruit, so they ended up with the .40 S&W.

The projectile is the same, but case length is longer. NEVER try to shoot this from a .40 S&W chambered pistol.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

:4_1_72:

Ok...how does it rise after 70 yards? How high does it get, and does it ever come back down?

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

I would guess they are all still up there.:RockOn:

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

http://www.10mmtalk.com/

http://glocktalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=38

http://www.bren-ten.com/website/

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/cat...hp?cPath=21_25


All great sites for info on the 10mm. The bren-ten site has historical/developmental info. Double Tap ammo has smoking velocities (in all calibers) and reasonable prices.

I would disagree about earlier posts that were made about the 10mm being too expensive, rare or too powerful. I have been carrying a 10mm as my CCW now for eight years and I can tell you that it fits every need I could expect from a pistol.

As already mentioned, Double Tap Ammo is priced good, available on line and in some local gun stores and I can choose from 135gr to 230gr bullets depending on the target. Whether it has two legs or four, from one yard to two hundred, the 10mm will fit the bill. Bx3

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

Cool, thanks for the tip on ammo! Its getting about impossible to find on the more common sites with any variety of bullet types. :coolbeer:

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

10mm is quite a bit more powerful.

On the low end 135 grain bullets blow away the .357 magnum at 1600 FPS, with 230 grain bullets it puts the .45 to shame.

Check out the Glock 20, holds 15 rounds + 1 with +2 mag extension available for a max of 17+1

You can convert to 40 s&w or .357sig for practice by buying a conversion barrel and dropping it in.

There is also a .22 conversion available.

I don't know of any other pistol that offers more firepower or versatility.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

Ditto..........I bought the .40 and more ammo for da Glock. :wink:

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

Quick summary of differences.

1) 10mm case is longer allowing more powder and faster velocities.

2) 10mm uses large pistol primers. .40 S&W uses small pistol primers. Theoretically, this means the .40 S&W case can operate at higher pressures. I have seen some 10mm brass setup for small rifle primers which really allows high pressures.

3) 10mm can duplicate any .40 S&W load. The converse is not true.

4) The shorter .40 S&W allows it to be chambered in most guns designed with 9x19 magazine lengths. The 10mm is usually chambered in guns designed for .45 ACP.

If you like the 10mm, take a look at the 9x23 Winchester. This round equals .357 Magnum performance with 125-grain and 158-grain projectiles and adds the bonuses of decent magazine capacity. Factory ammo is 125-grain at 1450 fps, and I like to load 158-grain pills at 1350-1425 fps. That is right in the upper performance window of .357 Magnum. The 1911 holds 9+1 rounds of 9x23 Winchester in a package easier to tote than an S&W M19 or M27. The length of the round is ideal for feeding in the 1911. Another barrel in 9x19 allows much less expensive shooting in the same pistol.

Re: Difference Between 10mm and .40?
 

To sum it all up for you, the differences are substantial. The 40 S&W is somewhat annemic comapred to the mighty 10mm. Superior in every way to the 40. You can get 10mm on the internet cheaper than you think. Plus, you can hunt deer with a 10mm in most states. Not true with the 40.