45 vs 10mm

[sharp tooth]

Starting to save up for my next hand gun I feel I really need a 1911 in the collection so I’ve been between the 45 acp and the 10mm. With the plethora of guns I already own I wouldn’t be using for hunting mainly personal protection when camping off grid or at home.
I can’t carry at my current job so the 6inch barrel won’t be a problem for conceal carry plus I have that covered too….
I found a few kimber 10mm, and the ronin 10mm I like but I’ve also been eyeing the s&w performance center 45acp. I have plenty of big boom sticks already that don’t get shot enough is there a huge difference in recoil for say my wife or kids down the road?

 

[TTv2]

I like 10mm more than .45, but not in a 1911. If it's a 1911 you want, there isn't a reason to choose 10mm over a .45 for it.

 

[LeftyRed]

38 Super, but from the choices you asked I would go with 45ACP in a 1911.

 

[mljdeckard]

So I have heard, and there may be many opinions to the contrary,

10mm in a 1911 is a bit picky. There are two main flavors of 10mm. Full-house and 10mm 'lite'. Most of the ammo on the shelf is 'lite'. (Basically the same load as a .40.) 10mm 1911s like to be tuned to take one or the other. Most people who are running 10mm these days do it because they like the full power loads, that's the point. If you are handloading or seeking out the full-power stuff, there will likely be a stiffer recoil than a .45. (That's how I have felt when I shot one, it's been years,) But there are a lot of things that can mitigate this, gun weight, which load of each bullet, etc.

For this reason, I have been wanting to build a Glock 10mm, apparently they are more forgiving for load variance.

 

[Cump]

It seems 10mm ammo is also harder to find and more expensive, at least in my neck of the woods.

Even in good times, I think there were fewer options in most stores.

And 45 acp in a 1911 is one of life's great pleasures.

 

[LoonWulf]

The only 1911 is a double stack 10mm with a 6" barrel.....things a brick, but fits my hand far better than single stack guns do. I prefer the 10mm round to the .45 especially when it comes to shooting at longer ranges. I also handload, and rarely shoot factory ammo

 

[sparkyv]

I'm another with the opinion that the 1911 platform is not well-suited for the 10mm cartridge. Here's why: SR1911-10 barrel lower lug is cracked
Go with the venerable 45ACP.

 

[jmr40]

If you're looking for your 1st 1911 get it in 45 ACP. They just go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you want to add more 1911's to the collection later then you could consider other cartridges.

I like 10mm, but it is a niche cartridge that isn't for everyone. For range plinking 9mm is a lot cheaper and easier to find. For personal protection from 2 legged predators the better 9mm, 40 S&W, or 45 loads have you covered.

My 10mm is my hiking/camping pistol for those times I'm in bear country. With the better loads is effective against large predators yet is still versatile enough to handle predators with 2 legs as well as 4 legs. It really has more power than necessary for most situations and is expensive to shoot.

When I'm miles from civilization I don't want the weight of a steel 1911 and want more ammo than you can get in a 1911. For years I carried either a Glock 20 or 29 but have recently bought one of the Smith M&P 10mm pistols.

 

[stanley_white]

I like to stick with the Primary Purpose Test i.e. the 1911 was primarily designed for the 45 ACP so stick with that.

If you want a 10mm, I would find a pistol designed for it from the ground up.

-Stan

 

[Targa]

I would go with the .45acp as well.

 

[CDW4ME]

1911 in the collection so I’ve been between the 45 acp and the 10mm.
is there a huge difference in recoil for say my wife or kids down the road?

I used a recoil calculator to get recoil energy.

2.5# firearm weight for 1911
Actual power charge for 10mm handloads; 45 acp estimated from AA manual, not exact but allow for numeric comparison.
Actual chrono data, at least 5 shot average.
10mm Handload 180 Nosler @ 1,228 fps / 603# KE - recoil energy 9.2 - PF 221
10mm Handload Nosler 150 JHP @ 1,402 fps / 655# KE - recoil energy 9.4 - PF 210
10mm Handload Hornady 155 XTP @ 1,400 fps / 675# KE - recoil energy 9.6 - PF 217
45 acp Federal 230 HST @ 891 fps / 406# KE - recoil energy 7.8 - PF 205
45 acp Winchester 230 Ranger T @ 915 fps / 428# KE - recoil energy 8.2 - PF 210
45 acp Remington Golden Saber 185 +P @ 1,157 fps / 550# KE - recoil energy 9.0 - PF 214

My 180 handload @ 1,228 fps is close to Underwood 1,250 with the same bullet:
https://www.underwoodammo.com/10mm-auto-180-grain-jacketed-hollow-point.html

Subjectively, recoil from 10mm is about (generalization) like 45 acp +P

 

[TarDevil]

mainly personal protection when camping off grid or at home.

Standing to the side of someone shooting 10mm, the percussion can be felt as well as heard. I don't think I'd ever want to turn that round loose inside a house.

 

[JTQ]

... I really need a 1911 in the collection so I’ve been between the 45 acp and the 10mm.

There are more options for good 1911 magazines in .45 Auto than there are for 10mm, and the .45 Auto mags are usually easier to find.

 

[Remington1911]

All I will say is when 10mm grows up it wants to be .45

 

[bigmike45]

I'm lucky enough to have two different brands of 1911 that are chambered in 10mm. They are both fantastic shooters with everything that I have stuffed in the magazines. I have even shot my hand loads that are on the level of the .40S&W loads. I had one of the hand loads that failed to load several times in my Colt Delta Elite Gold Cup. After measuring the OAL if the cartridge, I found it to be .010 longer that the maximum. That round did however load without any problems in my Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite. I also have two other 10mm's that will gobble up anything I load in the magazines. As far as finding 10mm factory ammo, I have been lucky enough to find it in all my LGS in the area. Though I really like my 10's my EDC is still my Wilson Combat Stainless Professional in .45acp. I have carried this gun for almost 30 years and have put over 12,000 rounds through it. Being a Commander sized gun makes it easier to carry IWB, for me anyway.

 

[Lennyjoe]

All I will say is when 10mm grows up it wants to be .45

Only in girth…..lol

For the OP, do you reload? If you want the full potential in 10MM reloading is the way to go. Underwood Ammo also has good full power 10MM offerings as well.

If your stuck on a 1911 then I’d stick with .45 ACP depending on where you camp. If there is a low probability of bears, the .45 in 1911 will suffice.

If your in black bear country I’d stick with another platform in 10MM. If in brown/grizzly bear, only a bazooka will do.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

My 1st 2 1911's were 45acp. 10mm was the 3rd one i bought. A tip on mags. 45 acp mags work for 10mm. And you can put 9 10mm rounds in a 8 round 45 mag.

If you plan to reload the 10mm. Come up with a brass stop. They fly pretty far.

 

[brmiller]

I have both 10mm and 45 ACP 1911s. Both work perfectly, but then I've been building 1911/2011s for decades so I have a bit of an advantage over the average user.

With a proper build/set up, the 10mm is not difficult to shoot at all. My 70 year old five foot nothing wife really likes shooting my compensated 2011 in 10mm. A 15+1 hand cannon.

You should see the looks on the old timers faces at the range when she's shooting that thing. She is also the most accurate with that 2011. Even compared to her little 9mm pea-shooters.

I'm a fan of configuring a 1911/2011 style pistol to the primary shooter and load. It extends the life of the pistol and makes it more comfortable to shoot. Unfortunately, most folks with 1911s have no idea what I'm talking about.

My tens:


To the OP: Both will work fine, it just depends on what you really want to do with the 1911 you pick. Have fun!

 

[Choctaw]

As you can tell my 10mm Ruger gets carried quite a bit. It will eat any load I feed it so I really have no need for a 45 ACP. This pistol takes deer and hogs with equal enthusiasm.

 

[sharp tooth]

I do reload several different calibers I actually have 45 acp dies given to me so it seems I should go that route for now and look for a 10mm maybe later.

then comes my next question what’s the main difference between say the $800-$900 1911s, to the $1500 because the ones I’ve been looking at seem to be at least $1500? Is it just a smoother machine job slightly better trigger??

 

[Hangingrock]

Past the mid point of my seventh decade I don't see a 10mm on my to do list. The 45ACP is adequate for my usage and needs.

 

[sharp tooth]

As you can tell my 10mm Ruger gets carried quite a bit. It will eat any load I feed it so I really have no need for a 45 ACP. This pistol takes deer and hogs with equal enthusiasm. View attachment 1084370

That’s beautiful I found a few with similar grips

 

[tommy.duncan]

I own 14 1911 pistols (7 45acp, 6 10mm, 1 38 super).

I am a huge 10mm fan (everyone on here should know that by now, LOL), but, I love 1911s in 45acp.
The 10mm doesn't really allow the 10mm to live to its full potential. Not all of the barrels are fully supported so you can't shoot the hot stuff (but they don't recommend shooting 45+p in 1911s either).
You can't go wrong with either but I would lean to the 45acp.

 

[Armored farmer]

Great thread.
I lean towards 45acp in 1911, but have been considering a railed 10mm 1911 as my outdoorsman gun.

 

[WVsig]