10mm or .45cal. What's the difference?

[willseeker]

They aren't making any classic commander bobtails or 10mms this year

I though they were making the commander in the Valor line for 2010?

The VBOB.




Will

 

[MDH]

All cartridges have a range of power from their weakest loading to their hottest.
I've seen .45 from about 315ftlb up to about 600ftlb in the most extreme lightweight hyper velocity loads. 10mm generally about 450 up tp nearly 800. There is quite a bit of overlap.
I own guns in both calibers, and I generally carry .45 around town and 10mm in the woods. The 10mm gives me the option of REALLY heavy hitting loads in an auto pistol with 15 round capacity (tells you which pistol I'm talking about). More importantly, the 10mm, at its top end, is using solid core jacketed bullets, not pre frgmented or frangible bullets. This means MUCH better penetration. As in, can lay down a black bear if you have to, penetration.
In personal defense loads, there really isn't all that much difference between the two. Most defensive loads (IE; Hydra Shok, DPX, Gold Dot, TAP, etc.), in both calibers, are solidly between 400-500ftlb and about a tenth of an inch final expanded diameter.
When it comes to these two calibers, how much you train, and the durablility of your pistol is more important than the caliber choice. Both provide you with plenty of power and accuracy as a defensive load.
As a woods gun the 10mm wins hands down.
So like all things, what you want it for is the determining factor.

 

[Collateral]

 

[captqc]

Love the graphic but it needs some commentary.
9mm - okay, Your hit but now you're mad about it!
.45ACP - My buddies and I experimented with long range shots last summer and we were hitting stumps at 165 yards with 230g factory ammo. That big slug still took chunks of bark off and hit with a "thump". Gotta love the .45ACP.
40 S&W - must be a Glock!
10mm- Oh yea! And that's why I carry one too!

 

[Collateral]

Yeah. That looks like the infamous Glock KB.
However, when a Glock comes in 40 S&W, the 'Professionals' refer to it as a 'Fo Dee':

<broken link removed>

 

[Aquadoc]

LOL I have to add though I was hitting a FlipFlop at 85m with my buddies XD.45. shooting clay pidgs at 25 with my .40 What was really funny that day was when we put the .45 rounds into a Pen flare and shot it ffwall: it dented plywood at 10m

 

[alg]

Regarding penetration, newer technology such as the Winchester PDX1 bonded bullets are designed to penetrate through multiple barriers (glass, car doors, etc). Technology keeps improving which makes it harder to generalize.

Go to YouTube and watch the videos by HickOk45 from Tennessee. He is a kick, sense of humour and clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the different Glocks shooting targets up to 100 yards away. He has a very good one showing the recoil differences between the different calibers. Highly recommend his videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/hickok45?feature=chclk

 

[ch139]

...a 10mm thread and this has not been posted?

 

[G20-IWB24/7]

<-----------------I didn't get that screen-name for no reason. Get a good holster, buy a real belt and enjoy packing a Glock in 10mm. Doubletap ammo makes 180gr JHP ammo @ 1300fps, 165gr @ 1400fps, and a 135gr load that does 1600fps out of a stock G20. And you can repeat it 16 times in a gun smaller than a USP9f, and about the size of a 92FS.

 

[Left Coast Avenger1]

10mm is one of my favorites also, but I have yet to hear of anyone laughing when shot with a 9mm.

 

[MDH]

My general answer to the question of which caliber I'd like to be shot by is, "None, thanks for asking."