10mm Vs. .45ACP

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I was wondering which would be better for a home protection weapon, a 10mm or a .45?
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The 10mm wins ballistically speaking, any way you look at it. It is an amazing threat stopper (for a hand gun). However, if over-penetration is a concern, the 45 is a great alternative... that fat, slow, heavy bullet hardly penetrates a foot in soft tissue and bone, and the result is that all energy is absorbed by the target.

I went with the 10mm since I spend a lot of time in the wilderness, but for human-only duty, the 45 is more than enough. The nice thing about my G20 is that a simple barrel swap, and I have a 40 S&W to practice with... cheaper and more available.

The 10mm is very powerful but does not feed well in all regular pistols
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Nothing feeds well in "all regular pistols"... whatever that means. There are also "regular pistols" that don't feed 9mm and 45 varieties sometimes.
It does feed perfectly in my Glock... which I think could qualify as being a "regular pistol".
 
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I personally like the 10mm more, i think it might be because of my dislike of 1911s...? Better external ballistics (something important to me, because i can't get a lot of guns, pick the ones i do get carefully) and slightly higher capacity.
 
I like the 10mm better because it is powerful enough and accurate enough to work like a weak rifle if you are protecting a spread from coyotes or the like.

For around the city I would go 45 acp and have less worry about penetration or over-penetration that is.
 
10mm is far better for being in the woods IMO. Much more powerful, and great penetration for larger predators.
 
So why doesn't anybody bring up the .45 gap? High capacity with good knock down power.

Bit less recoil than my kimber even with the 230 grain "cheap round".
 
For what the OP's wanting then it's .45acp easily. More than enough for general purpose, two-legged threat encounters, etc. If you want a semiauto cartridge that is reasonable against some, some four-legged critters then 10mm is the way to go. I own both and love both. Two great cartridges!:D
 
So why doesn't anybody bring up the .45 gap?
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Why would we suggest a nearly obsolete cartridge that offers no real benefit and is only chambered by one manufacturer, when it wasn't even listed by the OP? This is not a Glock love thread.

I personally like the 10mm more, i think it might be because of my dislike of 1911s...?
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Huh? The 1911 is by far the most common 10mm platform. There are exactly two production non-1911 auto's in 10mm at present; Glock and Tanfoglio.

Now, to the OP. With a good load chosen, it's going to make very little difference. Both are in the upper echelon for defensive handgun cartridges, and both have more than enough wounding potential with proper shot placement. I own and carry handguns in 10mm and .45, and really feel that it's six of one, a half dozen of the other for defense against two legged threats. When I'm in the woods, I carry 10mm loaded with the heavily constructed 200 grain Hornady XTP. But that round has excessive penetration for targets of human dimensions and density. On that note, I have .45 +P+ loads for use in my S&W 4506/4516 that will nearly equal 10mm, pushing 240 grain Sierra JHC's at 1,115 FPS for 660 ft/lbs; My top 10mm loads launch 180 grain Golden Sabre's at 1400 FPS for 780 ft/lbs.
 
10mm is a great round for hunting. It is faster than the .45acp. The .45 acp is considered by many to be the best round for defensive situations ( stopping humans)
 
So is everyone from Colorado a smart !@#? I just asked a simple question, btw most of the GHP carry the 45 gap and ammo, at least in my state, is very easy to find. I also noticed that you mentioned the "nasty" word glock in your post....
 
slammy - the GAP is not high capacity when compared to the 10mm, 40 and 9mm. In fact, the ACP Glocks have a much higher capacity than the GAP's in Glocks at least. The GAP really is almost dead. If you shoot it www.natchezss.com has 25 rds. of 230 gr. golden saber bonded for $11 and change. The other calibers are twice or more than that. The price has dropped over $2 in the last few fliers I've seen. It's a great deal, I carry golden saber bonded in 40 and 357sig and it costs much more than that per rd.

Mach IV - there are other 10mm auto's in production than the ones you listed.
 
Walking in the woods, whistling in the air, enjoying nature in all it's splendor....

.45 on the Hip and a 870 slung to the shoulder with 3 inch mags loaded.

Should be able to handle anything in the forest. Except maybe Green Giant.
 
.45 on the Hip and a 870 slung to the shoulder with 3 inch mags loaded
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Lucky for you that yo ucan carry guns on your shoulders. The liberal losers in these neck of the woods have made it illegal to open carry guns on most nature trails. You are forced to conceal carry any weapon you choose to protect yourself, which usually means you have to carry a handgun.

Has anyone heard of the Glock 20 Slim frames? I hear they have the same magazine capacity as the regular sized Glock 20s. The one thing that turn me off to the Glock 10mm was that super bulky grip, that makes me thinik I am holding a boxy chunk of plastic. I like the thought of a glock slim frame. I am thinking it would be a good outdoor gun. The only other alternatie to the Glock 10mm I have seen are the 8 round .357 S&W revolvers. However, using speed loaders instead of mags is one disadvantage of the a revolver, especially if yo uare being charged by some angry animal in the woods.

Anyone know if it is safe to shoot +P+ 45 ammo in S&W M&P 45 gun, or in most 45 semi-autos for that matter?
 
Since 10mm and .45 ACP are pretty closely matched you'll find that there aren't a lot of arguments making one "better" than the other for self defense.
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What? In what regard are they closely matched? That they both have barrels, triggers, and grips?
 
I dont know about the open carry laws yet in my state. But I can field strip the said weapon to gun parts and store it in ruck sack.
 
A bullseye with a .22 means a lot more than a near miss with a .500 S&W.
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Oh, I don't know. The muzzle blast from the .500 will reach out as far as many self-defense shootings. I'd like to know how many people could stand their ground after a near miss from a .500 within twenty feet.
 
Wyocarp, Maybe so. But ye with long rifles way up yonder without forests can see me coming a few miles out.

Arkansas isnt the only state I think that is pretty gun friendly.
 
although a .500 S&W goes off any where near me I'm hitting the floor they are loud as hell.
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While that is true, I've gone through ten .500 rounds when I surprised four mountains lions on a trail without hearing protection and the adrenaline essentially worked as ear plugs until the last round or two.
 
But ye with long rifles way up yonder without forests can see me coming a few miles out.
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Unless antelope hunting, I am constantly wishing I could see more open ground and it is rarely several miles. The problem isn't when in the open tundra, although I have encountered mountain lions in the wide open seemingly vastness antelope areas, the problem areas are when hunting in areas that are more dense.

There are areas in Wyoming that it isn't a good idea to go back after meat that you aren't able to get out on the first trip because within an hour or two there are going to be a grizzly(s) on it.
 
Mm. Didnt think of that about the Grizzlys.

I used to take cover whenever I hear a rifle in a forest while growing up. My small patch was enough to hide a deer once in a while.

But the true futility of taking cover from rifles is the speed of bullet. it gets to you before you hear it. St. Peter will be greeting me at the gates.
 
Why would we suggest a nearly obsolete cartridge that offers no real benefit and is only chambered by one manufacturer, when it wasn't even listed by the OP? This is not a Glock love thread.
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I dont like the gap cartridge but it has nothing to do with glock love, there are a couple other manufacturers who chamber in 45gap.
 
Mach IV - there are other 10mm auto's in production than the ones you listed.
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And those would be what?

All of the 10mm's currently available as new guns are some type of 1911, a variant of the Tanfoglio Witness (compact, FS, P-carry, Match, Stock, Hunter, Limited) or the G20/29.

The S&W 10XX series, Star Megastar, LAR Grizzly, Colt double eagle, etc. are out of production.

Of course there is the S&W 610, but we have both stated auto pistol.

I'm all ears if you know of another platform that I can add to my collection, though.
 
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