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Is the 10mm Round a Trend or Here to Stay?

Steinel Ammunition is betting on the enigmatic round with four variants, all premium performers without the big-ticket price tag.

Twinsburg, Ohio (August 2019) Steinel Ammunition, having distinguished themselves as the champions of forgotten military rounds and persuasive big bore calibers, put their confidence in a handgun round that although had a brief period of stardom some years back, is back with a vengeance: the 10mm round.

Developed in the early 1980s by the legendary Col. Jeff Cooper, along with Thomas Dornaus and Michael Dixon of Dornaus & Dixon Enterprises, Inc., the 10mm cartridge was what a 9mm cartridge wanted to be when it grew up. The threesome sought a more powerful round than the popular 9mm Parabellum, somewhere between a .45 and a .357 magnum, while maintaining a size similarity to the 9mm for greater magazine capacity. The result was a new, more powerful cartridge and a new heavy-duty combat pistol, the Bren Ten semi-auto pistol. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) made the round their official round in 1986, but the move was premature. The FBI’s S&W Model 1076 large framed pistols proved problematic and the FBI dropped the 10mm transitioning to another weapon and the soon to be newly minted .40 S&W round.

As a result, the 10mm never really got off the ground. It was expensive, had limited firearm platforms available and more recoil than most consumers wanted, but the idea of a more powerful round than the 9mm never really disappeared. It just went underground. Although many will argue the 10mm is too powerful for defensive use, there is a rising acceptance of the round for just that. Handgun hunters, for the most part, kept the round alive, as it was a proven performer in the field capable of dropping mid-sized whitetail and feral hogs.

As of recently, there were a few choices for 10mm pistols on the market but that has changed in the last few years, with all the big-name players now in the market. And many ammunition manufacturers are also rolling out 20-count boxes of their version of the 10mm round. Yet, ask the 10mm diehards and many of them find the off the shelf rounds lack the power and velocity which makes them less effective for ethical hunting practices. That’s where Steinel Ammunition comes in.

When Andy Steinel, president of Steinel Ammunition, and his team decide to develop a new load, resurrect a forgotten round or revamp an existing load, they do so because they’ve done their homework. Steinel utilizes his social media platforms and gun show experiences to ascertain what calibers people are talking about and asking for. The 10mm was one such caliber, but Steinel wanted to develop effective loads that gave the concealed carry person all the confidence they needed and the handgun hunter real put-down power without the high price.

Steinel Ammunition has four offerings in 10mm. For individuals that want a more powerful self-defense round, the 10mm Auto 140 gr. Solid Copper Hollow Point (SCHP) lead-free round meets the FBI standard and rocks out at 1,500 FPS. At only $22.99 a box of 20-count, you get a premium round at a price below the competition.

Putting rounds down range is great for muscle memory practice but hard on the wallet. With Steinel Ammunitions’ 10mm Auto 180 FMJ you get 50 rounds per box of highly accurate and clean shooting 10mm for any 10mm firearm. And 50-rounds of this 10mm will only set you back $27.99 per box.

Really looking for value in a 10mm round, the 10mm Auto 180 gr. JHP Golden Saber is a sure bet at only $19.99 a box of 20-count. This 10mm round has a 1,125 FPS with a 4.5” barrel.

Handgun hunters will appreciate Steinel Ammunitions’ 10mm Auto 200 gr. Hard cast round constructed of hard cast BNH22 and a truncated cone (TC).  This round excels in penetration and accuracy with a velocity of 1,200 FPS in a 5” barrel. Hard to beat at $19.99 a box of 20-count.

“You have choices with our 10mm line,” Steinel summed up. “We have a projectile for hunters, conceal carry and self-defense, and target shooters, all developed in-house to give the user superior results and accuracy. One recent customer experience says it all, “I actually reloaded for 10mm. I initially bought Steinel 10mm FMJ for the new Starline brass…and to get a benchmark for my [own] loads. Now, I don’t bother. Mine were a little more accurate, but it’s no longer worth [my time]’.’”

For more information on Steinel Ammunition Co., visit www.steinelammo.com or follow along on Facebook or Instagram.

About Steinel Ammunition Co.:

Steinel Ammunition Co. is a premium manufacturer of self-defense, hunting, and target ammunition. While other manufacturers may have a specific product line designated as “match” or “premium,” at Steinel—premium ammunition is all we do.

When you use Steinel pistol or rifle ammo, you can be sure that countless hours of research and testing have gone into every round. Each recipe, component, and assembly are designed to provide you with optimal performance.

Our passion for precision, repeatability, accuracy, and reliability drives our pursuit of perfection. Let our attention to every technical detail provide you with the ammunition you and your gun deserve.

We stand by our products 100 percent with a Satisfaction Guarantee policy.