When you need more power in an autoloader, nothing else can substitute. The 10mm pistol is my go to, and I’m here to tell you why.

Maybe you’re looking to go in the woods with the big bad wolf, maybe you just need more kick and fireball than what 9mm gives you — but either way, you need some more power from your autoloader.

No matter what your application, we got the best 10mm Auto pistols.

Where Did 10mm Auto Come From?

One of the men that really propelled firearms design and ideas forward was Jeff Cooper.

Something you’ll learn about him quickly is that he never met a honker of a cartridge that he didn’t like.

The 1970s and 80s saw a lot of rapid changes in policing in America, due to a wide range of events. Something that was seen by Thomas Dornaus and Michael Dixon was that police used a weird mix of guns, many of them revolvers.

They decided that the world needed a semi-auto pistol that was as good in defense as it was in offense and that it should have the power exceeding both .45 ACP and .357 Magnum.

The pair went to the big name in the firearms world at the time for help and as it would turn out, Cooper was already working on such a project. Not long after, their combined efforts resulted in the Bren Ten.

Bren Ten

It wasn’t sunshine and roses after that though, their newly formed company faced a lot of manufacturing and design issues that lead to their bankruptcy in 1986, just 3 years of (crappy) production later and the Bren Ten was dead.

This should have been the end of 10mm Auto but surprisingly Colt released the Delta Elite in 1987 and the FBI adopted the 10mm Auto in 1989 as their standard issue cartridge.

While many in law enforcement embraced the 10mm Auto, it quickly showed that it has problems. Mainly, the recoil and the size of the guns.

Qualification scores dropped across the board, most notably for women.

This combined with durability issues lead the FBI to request a lighter load for the 10mm and not long after in 1990 this resulted in the .40 Smith & Wesson.

.40 S&W quickly replaced the 10mm Auto as the new LEO golden child until 9mm once again came back in vogue in the mid-2010s.

Best 10mm Guns

Glock G20

Glock is a solid choice for a lot of reasons, durability, reliability, common parts, the list goes on.

Something that Glock gets a little overlooked for is the fact that Glocks are all basically the same. If you’ve shot one Glock, you’ve kind of shot them all. That’s a good thing and a bad thing, depending on how you liked it.

If you’re looking for an “in the woods” pistol, hands down I recommend the Glock 20 over anything else — and I’m not even a fan of Glocks.

The fact is that the G20 is one of the most durable and reliable 10mm guns ever made. And it carries 15+1 rounds of 10mm, that’s a lot of 4-legged deterent in a small package.

Designed with all of the great things that makes Glock a Glock like 3 internal safeies, unbeatable reliability, and annoyingly plastic sights, this is exactly what you expect it to be.

If you’ve ever handled a Glock, it’s like that — but spicy.

The only downside is that the G20 is locked into the Gen 4 configuration. Glock has said multiple times that they have no plans to update the G20 (or any of the magnum Glocks) to the newer Gen 5 pattern.

There is still huge aftermarket support for the Gen 4, but it would be nice to see those baseline Gen 5 upgrades. Maybe someday.

A Glock 20 isn’t fancy and it sure isn’t pretty, but this is a workhorse. A real mean beast.

If I had a bear charging at me, I’d rather have a shotgun loaded with a full tube of 3″ magnum slugs — but a Glock 20 would be my #1 choice of pistol and my pick for the best 10mm pistol in general.

Check out our full Glock 20 Review.

Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911

The Springfield Armory (SA) TRP Operator is one heck of a gun. I picked it up and it almost felt like I was hoisting my S&W 8 3/8″-barrel .44 Magnum.

What a solid platform!

The Operator is one (or two, if you count the 5-inch version) of a series of 1911s that Springfield Armory produces. All of their 1911s are built to close tolerances from the best materials available.

10mm shines in this gun, and SA takes full advantage of its capabilities. We are in the middle of my state’s firearms deer season and I would love to take one of these with me in the field.

The 6-inch barrel not only provides ballistic advantages but it yields a longer sight radius. (This particular model is also available with a standard-length 5-inch barrel, if desired, see specs above).

Something that really sets it apart from other options is the adjustable target sights. These aren’t amazing for something like self-defense, but they are perfect for handgun hunting.

Normally, pistol iron sights are “close enough” since they aren’t shooting far and your sights cover up enough of the target that it’s hard to get high precision anyway.

When hunting, you need something better. Zeroing your sights perfectly for your load helps a lot, but so does just having finer sights so you can aim better.

This can be the difference between wounding an animal and dropping it where it stood.

For hunting, I’d give this my first choice as the best 10mm pistol.

Colt Delta Elite

Colt’s Delta Elite (named after a Special Forces unit) was the second pistol in production chambered in 10mm, with the Bren Ten being the first. The gun was introduced in 1987 and enjoyed some success. However, due to so-so sales and the availability of the .40 S&W, production was dropped in 1996.

At the SHOT show of 2008, Colt displayed a reincarnated Delta Elite. The pistol had gone back into production, in no small part because of the rising popularity of the 10mm cartridge.

These guns are legendary for their build quality and their iconic history. Colt has flubbed a lot of things over the years, but the Delta Elite has been one of the best wins.

The only thing is that the 1911 platform isn’t really a great gun to convert into a magnum caliber simply from a fundamental durability standpoint. Even Delta Elites are known to beat themselves to death if you run really hot 10mm loads.

Save the hot stuff for hunting, and use some lighter loads for everything else.

Sig Sauer P220 Legion

One of the best firearms ever designed, the P220 has enjoyed success in every possible way.

Almost adopted as the US standard issued sidearm in 1985, the P220 in 9mm barely lost to the Beretta 92FS. Despite that, it still saw extensive service with SF units like the Navy SEALs.

This version is chambered in 10mm and is the “Legion” version, basically a P220 but upgraded and given a cosmetic makeover to make it really pop.

Giving you the legendary durability and reliability of a Sig P220 but upping the power factor to 10mm makes for a rock-solid handcannon.

If you’re looking for a wild animal gun, this would be my alternative to the Glock 20.

Ruger SR1911

Ruger has a long history of giving the people want they want. And what they want is a 1911 in 10mm that isn’t going to cost you your firstborn.

Again though, don’t forget that the 1911 is a little limited in regards to magnums.

That said, Ruger makes a great option that is more budget-friendly than a Colt Delta Elite.

The trigger is outstanding, night sights are standard, and the fit and finish is stellar even for Ruger.

Great for hunting or as a range queen, the Ruger SR1911 10mm pistol is a fantastic option for everyone wanting that big 1911 feeling without entirely emptying your wallet.

Concealed Carry, Ammo Choices And The 10mm

There are those out there who carry a 10mm but they usually tend to use slightly lower-powered ammo.

There’s no need for Underwood, Double Tap or Buffalo Bore full-tilt loads for most personal-protection scenarios, unless you need to stop a charging Chevrolet (Impala, of course).

Federal and Hornady make loads that go around 1030-1050 feet per second and use good XTP or Hydro-Shok bullets. These are only two examples of personal defense 10mm ammo; there are other fine defensive loads out there that are a bit north of .40 S&W velocities but not quite in the rhino-stopping neighborhood.

In terms of versatility, the nice thing about the 10mm is that if you want 1500+ feet per second, that is easily obtained by looking at top-end loads made by the some of the companies listed above.

The range of velocities is great in factory 10mm ammo. You can extend that range even more if you reload. You can make buffalo-stompers, and then turn around and make a squirrel load that won’t vaporize it when you shoot it.

The point is that sometimes we just don’t need ammo that creates a great big boom when fired when something lighter would do.

Hence the Federal – Hornady – etc. lighter loads.

Some of those lighter loads will also drastically increase the longevity of your gun. Even the best 10mm autos can work themselves into the grave if you feed them hot enough ammo for long enough.

Wrapping Up

Why buy a 10? Why not! If you are any kind of experienced pistol shooter and you have “outgrown” the 9mm, .40, .357 Sig or the .45, give the 10mm a try.

There are guns out there from a street price of around $400 if your budget is tight, up to mid-four-figure prices for semi-custom guns. It’s a versatile round, as stated above.

The 10mm’s popularity continues to grow as more and more shooters discover it. From being all but dead in the 1980s it is stronger than ever today.

This time around, the 10mm is here to stay.

You might also like to read

• 9mm vs 10mm – Cartridge Comparison
• 10mm vs .45 ACP – Cartridge Comparison
• Glock 40 MOS Review – A 10mm Hand Cannon