I've been shooting 45 ACP 1911's for 40 pretty active years.

Kind of interested in a 10mm 1911, but not sure how well that cartridge performs from the 1911 platform. A decent improvement over the 45 ACP for bears and such?

Thanks for any input.

Regards, Guy

Never shot a bear with one but they work well on deer and pigs. I have only had trouble with two 1921 10mms, a RIA and a Kimber and they both didn’t want to feed with any magazine I tried. I would look hard at the Springfield Ronin, Fusion Freedom Series, Sig 1911s and while I haven’t had experience with them I hear good things about the Rugers. I have had several Dan Wesson’s and they are fantastic guns also but are more expensive

I, too, am on the 10mm fence. There’s nothing in WA I couldn’t solve with a 45. I currently have two Colts and a DW and they all run great. But, a 10mm would be cool.

I've owned quite a few 10's including two 1911 platform 10mm's. In regards to the cartridge, IMO the 10 doesn't offer anything over a hot-loaded 45 ACP. If you don't like shooting +P's in your 45 auto though, the 10 offers some advantages without hot-rodding.

I'm quite a 10mm fan, I don't own one in a 1911 although I want to. I have a gen 4 Glock 20, a friend of mine has one of the Ruger 1911's in 10mm and I love shooting it. Hard to find but if you run across one I'd recommend buying it

I bought a new RIA 10mm a iittle more then a month ago. I don't like the 8+1 factory magazine so I purchased 2 WC 9+1 magazines and had no issues . It is an Ultra FS. Very Accurate and no issues with it .

It is a significant improvement over the 45acp. Using energy as the first measurement, a 45 will get somewhere between 350-450 ft.-lbs. A 10mm with the watered down factory loads starts at 500ft-lbs. Moving up to a midrange 10mm, that increases to 600ft-lbs. and putting some boutique or handholds in the mag, and 700ft-lbs. out of a 5" barrel is possible. If momentum or power factor is used, a 230gr. 45acp at 900 is 207,000. A 200gr. 10mm at 1200 is 240,000. Any way you look at it, 10mm beats a 45. In terms of guns, I'd put the starting point, price wise, at the Colt's Delta Elite - it's been around longer than every other 10mm 1911 that I know of. There's value in experience. I have a Kimber and I don't recommend it in 10mm. Magazines and extractors are the bane of 10mm 1911 headaches. The only magazines that I've had luck with are the Tripp Research Cobra mags, and they are not cheap. About $40/mag right now. With the higher end 1911's the extractors are tuned before you buy them, which is just slightly nice. Go cheap on the gun and you're gambling.

Adjustable sights are 100% necessary. The 10mm ranges from 165gr to 220 gr. with velocities from 950 to 1350. The point of impact will change with the load. Do NOT get fixed sights. Personally I like ambi-safeties as well. I'm a lefty so it's required, but at the same time, a gun that can only be shot from one hand is pretty stupid. The ambi-safety is easier to add aftermarket than that sights. Finding a 10mm with adjustable sights and ambi-safety is not easy; it's hard enough to find one with adjustable sights these days unless it's a six inch model.

Good info guys - thank you all!

Guy

I've got one of these things a couple of months ago. The only thing I dislike about it is the rail under the frame, I don't much like a rail on a 1911. I did buy several Metalform magazines (they were making Colt magazines last time I checked, some years ago), as the factory magazine did not inspire confidence, but I can honestly say I haven't had any troubles with the factory magazine, I just don't like it much. When I had my old Delta Elite, I used CMC Shooting Star magazines with no issues, but I thought I'd try the Metalforms this time.

https://www.armscor.com/firearms/ria/pro-series/pro-match-ultra-6-10mm/

It's butt-ugly, but it sure is a smooth-shooting rascal. I had an early Delta Elite, and I can't remember it ever being this smooth in operation. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

I have had two Delta Elites, one Kimber, and now a Dan Wesson Silverback (now discontinued). The DW is head and shoulders above the rest here - more accurate, more reliable and better finishes by a wide margin.

The DW also has a ramped barrel for more case support, and I suspect Is one of the reasons this pistol has never had a malfunction of any kind. I regularly shoot JHPs and lead SWCs, never a hitch.

I will also second the words above about adjustable sights, though I prefer a single safety.

While I have never hot rodded a 1911 .45, I strongly suspect the 10mm will pretty easily over power it. I especially like 200 gr loads.

Honestly, I've never filled either case with some substance, to see which holds more. I strongly suspect the 45 ACP holds more powder than the 10mm. I strongly suspect loaded to max levels the 45 would outperform the 10. Lots of variables to compensate for, but there it is.

The SAAMI spec on 45+P is 23,000psi. 10mm spec is 37,500psi. Good luck with your experiment. Let us know how it turns out...

A hot rodded 45 ACP is basically a 45 super which energy wise pretty close to 10mm.

There is always the .460 Rowland

Yeah, and I've flirted with buying a conversion kit from Clark's on more than a couple of occasions, but I just haven't found the need to take it up to that next notch above 45 Auto.

Yes.

Thank you for your participation.

I have a rock island ultra fs and have had zero problems with it . I bought several metal form magazines for it and all have worked flawless. I’m shooting 180 grain handloads over power pistol .

I have the DW Bruin, but agree on the DW concept. It's a work of art and belongs in the Louvre.

I'm no .45 ACP expert, but you mentioned KE. Can you get 868 ft-lbs out of a 6" 45 ACP or 700 ft-lbs out of a 3.8" 45 ACP? Underwood does that with the 10mm. See above.

I have had the Clark conversion on a Springfield frame and it was great fun but I also had a S&W Model 25 .45 Colt to take moon clips so I could shoot the .45 Colt, .45 ACP and .460 Rowland now that was a fun gun