10mm Ammunition Types & Overview

10mm Ammo rose to prominence among American gun owners in the late 1980’s when the Federal Bureau of Investigation adopted the caliber. At the time, the agency was looking for a stronger round for its agents to use in the field. While 10mm rounds never gained the traction of some other handgun calibers, there are still a number of American shooters who trust the cartridge with their lives today.

With bullet weights ranging from 135 grain all the way up to 200 grain, the 10mm round packs a larger punch than most 9mm and 40 S&W rounds, which is exactly why it was designed. Here at BulkAmmo.com, we work to keep a supply of full metal jacket rounds on-hand for range use as well as jacketed hollow point (expanding) bullet rounds in-stock for personal defense.

Who Uses 10mm Ammunition?

In 1990, the Federal Bureau of Investigation adopted the 10mm for a brief period of time. Extensive testing by the agency led them to believe that the full-power commercial 10mm ammo load would be best for law enforcement purposes relative to all other handgun calibers available. Using the Smith & Wesson Model 1076 pistols, the biggest drawback of 10mm ammo was that it was too powerful and provided what some considered “excessive” recoil. Shortly thereafter, the Federal Cartridge Corporation started producing a “10mm lite” load that didn’t pack quite as much recoil. This round would later rise to become one of the more popular rounds today, 40 Smith & Wesson.

Modern 10mm Shooters

The popularity of 10mm ammo diminished as law enforcement switched to other calibers and the American shooting population neglected to widely adopt the cartridge. Still, there are many gun owners who enjoy and rely upon the caliber today. A number of major firearms manufacturers still produce pistols chambered in 10mm:

• Glock
• Kimber
• Smith & Wesson
• Colt

You can also find hunters who are able to successful use the cartridge in the field. Also of note, the Danish government utilizes 10mm pistols for use against polar bears in the arctic regions of the country during their patrols.