suggestions on buying a 45

[CCFan]

Problem is that most 10mm Auto loads are not much more than .40S&W (there are some hunting loads though). The 10mm would be awesome if there widespread availability of real 10mm SD ammo, not a wimpy 40S&W like cartridge.

I believe it's more popular now than 5 years ago... maybe it's just me. I use Remington practice ammo - 180 gr @ 1250/fps... not 180's @ 950/fps like most .40 Short & Wimpy. I actually carry Double Tap ammo in it, 180 gr hollow points @ 1350/fps - so I don't shoot anything that's not pretty much full power 10mm. Hopefully will be loading for it soon enough.

I still think it's just bad form for a .45 to come in anything other than a 1911.... but that's just me. I'm saving my pennies (and the occasional nickel) for a classic .45 - still debating the make/model.

[gunderwood]

Problem is that most 10mm Auto loads are not much more than .40S&W (there are some hunting loads though). The 10mm would be awesome if there widespread availability of real 10mm SD ammo, not a wimpy 40S&W like cartridge.

I believe it's more popular now than 5 years ago... maybe it's just me. I use Remington practice ammo - 180 gr @ 1250/fps... not 180's @ 950/fps like most .40 Short & Wimpy. I actually carry Double Tap ammo in it, 180 gr hollow points @ 1350/fps - so I don't shoot anything that's not pretty much full power 10mm. Hopefully will be loading for it soon enough.

Yes, there are some full power loads and in that case the 10mm is awesome...but they are mostly practice and hunting rounds. Case in point:

Speer GDs: Don't make 10mm http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/ammo.aspx
Remington Golden Saber: Don't make 10mm http://www.remington.com/products/ammun ... r-hpj.aspx
Federal HST: Don't make 10mm http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... alhst.aspx
Federal Tactical Hydra-Shock: Make a wimpy 10mm(180gr@1030fps vs. 1000fps in the .40S&W) http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... -shok.aspx
Federal Tactical Bonded: Don't make 10mm http://le.atk.com/general/federalproduc ... onded.aspx
Winchester Ranger-T: Don't make 10mm http://www.winchester.com/Products/le/h ... fault.aspx
Hornady Critical Defense: Don't make 10mm http://www.hornady.com/store/critical_defense/

On and on. None of the major LE/SD manufacturers make a real 10mm load AFAIK. The only one Federal makes is a wimpy load on an old bullet design. Sure, DT loads a hunting 10mm bullet (Nosler 180gr), but hunting bullets typically give less than stellar results for SD. They tend to penetrate too deep before expanding, don't expand as much, etc. Hornady's XTPs were great hunting bullets but gel tests indicated that they were not ideal SD HPs. Doesn't mean they could work, but so does FMJ.

I wish the 10mm had stayed around, but unless LE picks it back up I doubt we will ever see real 10mm loadings from the major LE/SD brands...we'll be stuck with hunting bullets loaded by small loaders.

[CCFan]

Warning - thread hi-jack...

You didn't look very hard...
Hornady: Cabelas has it here, Sportsmans Guide has it here, Ammo Bank has Cor-Bon here, Cor-Bon at Sportsmans Guide here, Buffalo Bore makes a full power hollow-point available at Midway USA here....

I personally really like DT's 135 gr Nosler JHP screaming @ 1600 fps - you can find it here... I don't worry about over-penetration with that.

The argument that brand X doesn't make bullet Q for load Z doesn't mean there aren't good loadings out there.

[gunderwood]

Warning - thread hi-jack...

You didn't look very hard...

Hornady: I used their website which didn't list it. Either it is new or they are discontinuing it soon. Hornady is hardly a 800lb gorilla in the SD ammo market either.

Cor-Bon: Makes good ammo, but they do not have their own bullet design like Hornady...in effect they are loading hunting rounds usually from Nosler or Barnes. Their loadings of say Sierra JHPs are criticized because of over-fragmentation/no-penetration since Sierra never designed those bullets to be loaded to that spec (across calibers). They sell a small amount of ammo compared to the brands I listed.

Buffalo Bore: Is a tiny manufacturer of specialty loads.

DT's: Again, tiny specialty loader. Has Nosler ever designed anything besides a hunting and competition bullet?

None of the major manufacturers (except Horandy which didn't list it on their website when I checked, for whatever reason) make a real 10mm SD bullet/load. I didn't say no one made a load, I said:

None of the major LE/SD manufacturers make a real 10mm load AFAIK.

Hornady would be the first, but they are new and hardly a big player in that market.