The 10mm Auto was introduced in 1983 as the cartridge for the Bren Ten semi-auto pistol, made by the now-defunct Dornaus & Dixon Enterprises, Inc., of Huntington Beach, Calif. According to data furnished by Norma, the ammunition is loaded to a mean working pressure of 37,000 psi, with a maximum pressure of 44,400 psi. This is near some rifle loads and makes this a rather hot handgun cartridge. Muzzle velocity is listed as 1200 fps, and energy at the muzzle as 635 ft.-lbs. Gun and cartridge are the creation of Jeff Cooper and associates, who were trying to develop the ideal combat weapon. The 10mm cartridge is a great combat round with good stopping power, particularly with an expanding-type bullet. However, recoil is quite heavy. In the late 1980s, the…
