October 19th, 2023
8minute read
Which is better: the 9mm or the 10mm?
Which would you select?
Thats because the question being asked is somewhat of a trick one.
Which would you carry for self defense? Shown are aSpringfield Armory Ronin 10mm handgun(left) and a Garrison 9mm pistol along with Federal HST ammo.
I dont expect most of you to realize that.
Since that time, 9mm handguns have become nearly ubiquitous in the firearms world.
The cartridges stopping power and ballistics have been much debated.
Shown side by side, the size difference between 9mm (left) and 10mm ammo is obvious.
By comparison, the 10mm round is a newcomer when matched up against the 9mm Parabellum.
[Looking for another good caliber debate?
Check out our10mm vs. .40 article.]
Shown is a Federal 9mm cartridge with an expanded HST hollowpoint bullet that was recovered during testing.
The 10mm Auto was the result, and was introduced in 1983.
But the history of the 10mm is loaded with fits and starts.
People dont want expensive handguns that dont come with a magazine.
With a muzzle velocity of more than 1,400 fps, this 155-gr. 10mm Hornady load generates close to 700 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. Image: Hornady
The 10mm Auto went essentially nowhere at its launch.
10mm Auto Now
These days, the 10mm has been seeing quite the renaissance.
Many other manufacturers also have relatively new offerings in that caliber available as well.
Compared to many 9mm loads, standard 10mm ammo tends to generate more energy and corresponding damage in ballistic testing media.
That Trick Question…
The 10mm Auto is quite the powerhouse.
The 10mm is an extremely capable and accurate round.
Federal’s 200-gr. HST load is an impressive 10mm round. Image: Federal Ammunition
In fact, the Springfield XD-M Elite OSP 4.5 10mm boasts a 16+1 capacity.
Cost per round is the second area where the 9mm has the edge over the 10mm.
For example, the 200-gr.
The author tested 10mm ammo on the range. In this image, he is shooting a Federal HST load — one of the best 10mm bullet designs according to the author — into a block of clay.
Federal HST Ammo used for testing for this report has an MSRP of $50.99 for 20 rounds.
The Federal HST 124-gr.
9mm has an MSRP of $37.99 for 20 rounds.
Compared to an average 9mm round, 10mm loads often use heavier bullets. Damage in testing media often reflects this difference.
Lower recoil is another area where the 9mm bests the 10mm.
Looking at a handgun cartridge recoil chart courtesy ofwww.ammoforsale.comfor comparison, the energy of a 124-gr.
9mm cartridge is calculated at 4.5 FPE, while the recoil energy of a 165-gr.
The author also tested 9mm ammo. The Federal HST load uses a lighter 9mm bullet — when compared to the 10mm load — and has less recoil.
10mm is calculated at 8.7 FPE.
As you’re free to see, the 10mms recoil is significantly greater than the 9mms.
Winchester Silvertip (one of my all-time favorites) or 180-gr.
I also used that 10mm to demonstrate 100-yard handgun shooting to my academy cadets.
I would be testing the 9mm using the stainless Garrison 1911 from Springfield, using Federals 124-gr.
9mm HST load, with a listed muzzle velocity of 1,150 FPS, and 364 FPE at the muzzle.
For the 10mm, I would be usingFederals HST 10mm loadwith 200-gr.
bullet traveling at 1,130 FPS with a much more significant 567 FPE, fired from Springfields Ronin 1911.
However, for the average shooter, the increased effort to manipulate the slide should pose no problem.
We did the clay block test at my friend Brets house.
The results were quite surprising, yet explainable.
We shot the first clay block with the 9mm Garrison and the 124-gr.
There was no sectioning needed.
You are seeing the block exactly as it appeared after impact.
The entire cavity was unlike anything I had ever seen.
That spiraling also looks a bit like rifling in a pistol bore.
That funnel-shaped cavity measured 7 (!)
in diameter at the widest point.
This is absolutely amazing performance!
I later recovered the perfectly expanded slug, whose diameter had increased to 1 at the widest point.
The next round was the 10mm 200-gr.
The hit surprised me a bit.
It entered in the center and greatly expanded the top of the block into a curve.
It also expanded the right side of the block into the same curve.
Clay from the front was sucked into the block instead of blown outward.
The interior cavity measured only 5 at its widest point, and the 10mm slug exited the rear.
If there was a 124-grain HST, or even a 135-gr.
Further, part of the 10mms energy was used up outside the block rather than in it.
In truth, both cartridges have their own respective niche.
I personally think the 10mm is the more versatile.
But the 9mm might be a better fit for you.
And, isnt it great we have the option of both?
