Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns FINALLY got me a Delta Elite!

I have wanted one of these forever. Ran across a guy who had one today and who did not like it. Too heavy, no ammo at Wal Mart, etc. etc. and he traded me for my Taurus 357! I cannot believe my good fortune. Now I need some ammo (no, not available at Wally mart) and a good holster. Probably gonna PM Greg in Tn. This one is Stainless Steel, already has a semi beavertail grip safety and pachmeyer grips, but the trigger leaves some to be desired. What do ya'll reccomend for a good "no fitting required, duffer like me can install" trigger?

Pretty excited about this one!

Anyone out there have some exta full power 10mm ammo they can sell or trade to me? Seems like a lot of factory stuff lately is just long 40S&W ammo.

Some dude traded you a Delta Elite, straight-up, for some Taurus .357? Wow.

Any holster that fits a standard 1911 will work. My favorite from the three or four I've got is a Galco, forward-raked thumb-break. Personally, I would stay with factory-spec ammo until I saw how my Delta was going to shoot. I expect that with the right recoil spring, it will be about as strong as any, but amongst the probably dozen or so different 10's I've owned, I'd have to say the Delta as originally produced, was the weak sister.

I've got some original Norma ammo somewhere in the basement, IIRC. I don't have plans to get rid of it though.

learn to reload, seriously. It will allow you to reload from mild to wild. I personally used Longshot powder, 180 grain Hornady XTP's, CCI primers, and Winchester Brass. You can google Double Tap which manufactures 10mm ammo, or Ammoman.com.

ESOX357 I have been reloading since 1972. Shot my first deer with ammo I loaded myself, albeit at that time with close supervision from an older and experienced mentor. Of the Myriads of big game animals I have shot over the years from very small African Antelopes up to and including Elephant only one of them was killed using any kind of factory made fodder. I simply choose - most of the time - to run some kind of factory stuff through my pistols as I have been able to find ammo cheap enough and such that the economy of loading was not worth the time and effort to me. This probably just changed, however, with the aquisition of this new toy. Point taken and a set of 10mm dies is likely in my very near future.

In your experience, is the ammoman or Double tap 10mm stuff more up to original and intended 10mm specs than most of the anemic stuff now out there?

Cole Younger,

So, is it your reccomendation that when I buy my trigger, that I buy a stiffer recoil spring at the same time? What poundage would you suggest? I don't mind a stiffer slide movement at all, I have really huge and still pretty strong hands. Wifey has no interest in shooting this either one as she has her own handguns that suit her well. Her hands are quite slender and she held this one for about 1/2 second to 'admire' it before handing it back

And yep, that was about the deal. I bought two other rifles from him to re-sell (listed here in classifieds) at the same time for cash so maybe that plus the fact that he really never warmed up to this gun all played a part. He is quite a long time gun, hunting and reloading enthusiast with all mental faculties in good working order. Still, maybe my best trade deal ever. He is, addmittedly, not much of a pistol guy. The easy to use and feed 357 was a better fit for him overall and the one I traded him WAS a really pretty brushed stainless steel gun with extra nice wood. In like new condition, as well. Quite pretty, even though a Taurus.

You kinda sorta stole that Delta

I only own three 10mm's. Great cartridge, and combo for the 1911.

Cor-Bon and Hornady are fairly easy to find, and they hit full power easily. Never have tried the Double Tap or Buff Bore ammo.

I'd work up carefully on loads. Accurate #7 works well, but older lots can be inconsistent in burn rate, so start about 15% off max listed loads if you use it - especially if still has the original barrel.

Hornady at one time listed 13.7gr of AA#7 under 155 bullets; 13 grains bulged the cases over the feedramp of a Bar-sto barrel, and gave 1425 fps. 12 grains gave 1325 fps and excellent groups.

If it still has the dual recoil springs, and plastic guide rod, I'd set them aside and get a standard rod and 22-24lb recoil spring.

And if you want to experiment, you can have a 10mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, or 9x25 Dillon in the same gun, just changing out barrels.

lol You cleaned up. The bestest Taurus 3-5-7 made is about a $300 gun used. NOTHING wrong with them, just not an expensive gun. Whereas, you're looking at close to a grand for about any Delta Elite.

At any rate, recommendations? You've got me confused with an expert. What I would do is nothing, for now. It may not need anything. I'm sure some of the 1911 experts can tell you the exact poundage. I know that the Delta Elite was infamous for not being quite heavy enough and that most of the problem was attributed to the recoil spring. Latter guns may have had stiffer springs-I disremember. A friend of mine has one of the first with many rounds through it and IIRC, unmodified. Hence my saying to wait and see. I think this is a problem that develops rather than just hits all at once and it doesn't sound like this pistola has been shot a lot. My guess is that the standard spring is like 16 lbs. and you need something like an 18 lber. I've heard of 21 lbs...Dunno but I'm sure somebody here does. I know the 10 and the 45 ACP +P shooters like heavier ones. I never had problems with the one DE I owned, but I didn't own it long enough to shoot it a bunch.

Sounds like Tex knows his stuff. I was wondering as I typed if they had some sort of dual recoil spring setup, but I couldn't remember. There you go.

Too confusing. I might try to shoot a 38 WCF in it or some such.

Heavier springs (Wolff), recoil buffer.

A Milt Sparks IWB makes a WORLD of difference. Executive Companion, Summer Special II, or Versa-Max II.

Tritium sights.

Winchester 175 grain SilverTip JHPs cover all the bases.

If you want more than that, handload it. The DoubleTap stuff is PRICEY, and ask coyotewallace about their CS and quality control.... not good.

Seriously, if 175 grains at over 1200 fps doesn't get it done, you need a rifle. They chrono'd just under 1200 (average was about 1185, IIRC) in my G20, and about 1125 in my G29. In the DE, I've chrono'd them at pushing 1250. Deer HATE those bullets; they act like a bonded core HP, punch through from odd angles, and are plenty, plenty good for SD.

Of the loads available, in my experience and opinion, it's one of the very, very few out there that is powerful enough to take care of field use and STILL be soft enough and slow enough for self-defense use. Many of the field-only loads are far too powerful and hard for SD use (punch throughs, limited expansion, etc.). The SD loads are by and large too soft and slow for field use. The STHPs cover both bases.

I know you well enough to know that you will find the hottest load possible for it, just because. If so, go with the heaviest springs possible, and a recoil buffer. The gun will need it. You don't and won't need those loads, but you'll run them, and thus the gun will need those upgrades.

You know me too well!

Thanks to all for the tips, and info. Pistola has been fired, according to the original owner, only about 40 times total so I may run it as is for a while excepting a better trigger. Upgraded springs and buffer etc. when I have some spare cash. Right now I am going to have to raid the couch looking for loose change for ammo money!

Probably will have to run an inexpensive nylon holster for a little while but if a pancake style it will be OK for now.

Wow, what a trade!

Doubletap has your high-octane 10mm loads,

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_25&osCsid=cpe9rm0nk9n86s07fk66hmcbh6

MM, THANKS for the link and idea. Yep, high octane all right - especially that 230gr hardcastWFNGC load! But at about #1.00 per I am gonna miss my old 45 really quicklike! I think it is finally time to get some dies and components. Was not a good trade, time for dollars, to load pistol ammo at 45ACP, 9mm etc. ammo prices but the equation is now different.

If your google-fu is strong, you should be able to find a 40SW barrel for the Delta Elite too. That would open up your reasonably priced ammo options.

I think Numrich Arms is one vendor for the 40SW barrel.

I have a 40, (KAHR CW40) bought this one to be my BIG MEDICINE gun

Lookin at the data, this 10mm round properly loaded is not too far behind a 41 Magnum. Me likey that. Very much.....

Nice snag, I've always wanted one as well.

Thanks, the first day I saw these announced in a gun rag I wanted one. Near 41 Mag power in a thin 1911 package? Had to have it someday. Took me a while and an unusually good trade opportunity but I am sure excited about this one. Will do as my do it all handgun until better times come around again.

I want a Delta Elite...actually 2. One for each hand.