Got a 10mm jones

[jlwatts3]

I want a 10mm handgun and the Smiths are on the list. Can anyone tell me the difference between the various models ie the 1066, 1076, 1046, 1086? Or is there a website that deals with these?

What are the pluses/ minuses of these compared to the other 10mm autos ie the Colt Delta Elite, the EAA Witness, and the Glock (any others I'm missing)? How would you rank these?

 

[Infidel]

There's quite a bit of information at http://www.home.earthlink.net/~gnappi/ and at http://marina.fortunecity.com/harbour/347/10mm.html

The Smith & Wesson pistols are generally on the heavy side, and pretty much indestructible, pretty much never failing. I, myself, have a thing for the 1006. The other models are interesting for collecting, but the 1006 is just The Thing.

 

[Shootcraps]

The Glock is a workhorse.

I have a Compact Witness (not for much longer) and it's a piece of crap (just like EAA's customer service).

I have a Dan Wesson Pointman 10MM and it's gorgeous.

I want a Delta Elite.

The Smith 10's are great, I just don't care for the style.

Lots of 10MM info at www.10mmtalk.com.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I have the full size S&W 1006 and shoot the crap out of it. Its my carry piece when I'm out in the bush.

I would love to have a 10MM in a 1911 platform but cant seem to afford one with my pay.

On the low end you have the Witness line. Quality is hit and miss. Most folks have a good shooter and others a lemon.

Glock models 20 and 29 are available as well. Its a Glock, what can you expect. Shoots forever.

S&W no longer produces the 10 series line of autoloaders. You have to shop around for them. Some have decockers on the frame, others on the slide. All come with the plastic grip panels which I personally do not like. Hogue has rubbers available and they work fine for me. Smith still has a revolver in 10MM available. The 610.

On the high end are the 1911 model 10MM's. Expect to pay over $600 for most of them.

If you buy a 10MM then think seriously about reloading. You cannot get the full potential out of the 10MM anymore with factory ammo. Winchester Silvertips are the closest to full power loads. By all means visit www.doubletapammo.com for real 10MM loads.

 

[medmo]

I love my S&W 1076. It was the FBI gun before they got scared of the 10mm and adopted the 40 Short&Weak. You can check out a pic of it here:

http://www.kyimports.com/

It has the deckocker only (ala Sig). I have run quite a few rounds through it and it is still tight and accurate. I have owned the glock and colt versions of 10mm and the smith feels better to me with this round.

 

[PO2Hammer]

The S&W's rate very highly from what I researched when looking for a 10mm. I ended up buying a Glock 20 and have been very happy with it. It is more accurate than any pistol I've shot other than my Sig P226.
My .40s&w conversion has been flawless and accurate as well.

 

[TexasRifleman]

If you really want Smith and 10mm, try a model 610... That's a cool piece

Personally I'd stick with a 1911 model but you've made a great choice in caliber regardless of where you end up.

 

[NordicG3K]

There were six models in the S&W 10xx series. These are:

1006 - 5" standard SA/DA trigger with slide mounted decocker/safety.
1066 - 4.25" standard SA/DA trigger with slide mounted decocker/safety.
1026 - 5" standard SA/DA trigger with frame mounted Sig-style decocker.
1076 - 4.25" standard SA/DA trigger with frame mounted Sig-style decocker.
1046 - 5" DAO trigger with no decocker/safety.
1086 - 4.25" DAO trigger with no decocker/safety.

The S&W 10xx series are well built guns and have proven to be very durable. They're a good alternative for those who find the Glock grip too large and don't want a 1911 style gun. 1006s and 1076s can still be had at reasonable prices, but the other models are a bit harder to find and are priced accordingly. The 1046 is extremely rare and usually can't be found at any price.

When it comes to the 10mm your most common choices are the Glock 20/29, S&W 10xx series, EAA Witness and the various 1911s (Colt, Dan Wesson, Kimber, etc.). For a first time 10mm shooter I would recommend either the Glock 20 or a S&W 10xx series simply because they're both relatively easy to find at reasonable prices and tend to be totally reliable right out of the box. The 1911s can be a bit more finiky out of the box and tend to cost more as well. The EAA is a good gun as long as you get a good one, but quality control appears to be a bit sporadic and their customer service is not known for their helpfulness. Another plus for the Glock is that you can also get barrels chambered in .357 Sig, .40 S&W or 9x25mm Dillon making it a true multi-caliber gun with a simple barrel swap. You can of course do the same with any 10mm gun, but barrels are much more common (and therefore cheaper) for the Glock. If you decide to go with a 1911 there are three modifications that will increase the lifespan of your gun. You should upgrade the recoil spring to a 20 to 24lb unit and put in a buffer, have the slide stop notch cut out (if it hasn't already been done), and have an EGW oversized firing pin stop installed. Also, don't forget the S&W 610 N-frame revolver. Current production is a 4" version and it's an excellent choice if wheelguns appeal to you. Be warned though... 10mms are addictive!

 

[GreenFurniture]

I've been a "10mm snob" for a few years now, and if I were getting into it all over again I would hold out and get a Delta Elite off the bat. If I couldn't find one of those I would get the Kimber 10 II.

The 1006 S&W and Glock 20 are sweet as well, but are much less fun to tinker with.

 

[TonyRumore]

10mm

I bought a Delta Elite when they first came out in the '80's and then bought a 1006 when they first came out. The 1006 worked perfectly and shot 25 yard groups near 1". The Delta Elite always functioned fine, but it was by far the most inaccurate handgun I have ever owned. 25 yard groups ran about 6". It was horrid.

Tony Rumore

 

[GreenFurniture]

Must have gotten hold of a bad one Tony. I've got several and they're all shooters. The 1006 is a shooter as well, as you've noticed.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

(any others I'm missing)?

Yeah, Kimber Eclipse. I just picked one up today. Didn't really mean to, but the gun was priced right and it had all the features I like (nightsights, front strap checkering, wood grips) and a one I didn't like: Kimber mags . The finish is gorgeous.

Ranking is extremely subjective and particularly hard with talking different platforms. I'd probably go Glock, 1911s (Deltas, Kimber, DW, etc.), S&W Autos, CZ75 derivatives (EAA Witness), S&W revolvers.

Another might be the Dan Wesson Patriot in 10mm or the DW Razorback. Kimber Target 10s are out there, but supposedly no longer in production (but I keep seeing them new on dealers shelves, so they may be back). The DWs are available with adj sights.

If you go S&W, I like the plain vanilla 1006 or 1066.

 

[Shootcraps]

Here's what you need to satisfy that jones:

 

[emc]

From what was recently mentioned on another forum, the word is that S&W is going to discontinue the 610. Shame, since it's a great revolver. Mine is quite accurate, and the best shooter of my various revolvers.

FWIW,

emc

 

[jlwatts3]

Thanks everyone for all the great info fellas. Now I have some shopping to do.

 

[jeff-10]

the word is that S&W is going to discontinue the 610

Haven't they done that before just to release a new version?

 

[shooter94]

I love my Colt Delta Elite 10mm

Bought it back in the '80s, its one of the most accurate 1911s I have. The only bitch I have is ammo is getting hard to find anymore. I'm now using Winchester silver tips as a member just stated they are the closest to original specs.

I used to work for B&B wholesale (Orange Co) CA, and depleted their entire stock of Norma ammo.

As I recall, AMT had a 1911 longslide 10mm...never seen a used one for sale. EVER!

 

[agtman]

"I'm now using Winchester silver tips as a member just stated they are the closest to original specs."

Actually, as Winchester currently loads them, the 175gn STHP barely qualifies as a mid-range 10mm load.

MCNETT, among several other 10mm users who've posted chronograph results for the STHP, recently registered only 1165fps from a stock G20 (with 4.6" barrel). I believe this was the "grey box" STHPs he tested. (The older "white box" stuff was somewhat hotter, but often demonstrated inconsistent velocities among lots).

Winchester claims the 10mm STs does 1290fps/647fpe, and that's as measured from a 5.5" factory test barrel. So over the years they've clearly been downloading this ammo. Even adding 100fps to 1165fps for the extra inch of Winchester's test barrel (i.e., from G20 4.6 tube to 5.5 test barrel), that's still only 1265fps. And I don't know of any 10mm pistols having (stock) 5.5" barrels.

Original Norma 10mm specs were:

* 200gn FMJ-FP @ 1200fps/640fpe;

* 170gn JHP @ 1400fps/740fpe (later reduced to
1300fps/638fpe).

Yeah, IF Win really loaded the STHP to 1290fps-1300fps, it could then be considered in the same energy range as the early Norma stuff (mid-600 fpe).

No need to fret, though. There are quite a few ammo companies around (more so than in past years) that produce 10mm loads approaching, meeting or exceeding original Norma ballistics - and they do it with better bullets.

Check out:

* Double Tap Ammo www.doubletapammo.com

* Texas Ammo www.texas-ammo.com

* Corbon www.corbon.com

* ProLoad www.proload.com

* Georgia Arms www.georgia-arms.com

* Reed Ammo & Research www.reedsammo.com

* Buffalo Bore www.buffalobore.com

* Power Strike Ammo www.powerstrikeammo.com

 

[macavada]

Thanks for that post agtman. That answers a question I'd had about what constituted the "old" velocities when compared to current ammo.

 

[patentnonsense]

Lotsa good info on 10mmtalk.com.
The Smiths are pretty solid, but don't "feel" right to me - YMMV, and lots of people do like them. The only piece which seems even more durable than the Smith is a Megastar, and those are very rare (in 10).

I think that 10mm really cries out for double-stack - that means Glock, Megastar, EAA (Tanfoglio) I think, or one of the conversions.

 

[NordicG3K]

Here are a few different 1911s chambered in 10mm. So far the Colt Delta Gold Cup and the Dan Wesson 5" Patriot have been the best shooters. The Paraordnance P16 conversion is a nice gun, but it's heavy when fully loaded. The Dan Wesson bobtail Commander is proving to be a nice gun as well, but with the shorter barrel it jumps more than the others.