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After reading Anthony’s post, I’d have to say I agree with about 95% of what he said, and the other 5% is likely simply a difference of experiences. I thought I’d pass on some of my experiences to you. Please excuse me if much of this is prior knowledge, but since I do not know your level of experience with the 10mm, I thought I’d say it all instead of making assumptions.
I currently have five 10mms that Dave Sams built for me, two in line to be built in his shop now, and six that I have sold or traded off in the past. I have never had a major problem with any of them, but have had some difficulties finding working combinations of mags, ammo, and parts. I shoot A LOT of 10mm (the large majority of my shooting), and most of it is full-power handloaded ammo.
Government/5†guns are far and away the most commonly seen 10mms or 1911s of all, and for good reason. The balance of a 5†gun is about as good as it gets and it is easy to shoot, and shoot well. The original 1911 10mm, the Colt Delta Elite, was a 5†gun. Most of the horror stories surrounding the 10mm in a 1911 came from the Delta Elite, and it wasn’t all the cartridges’ fault. The guns were very poorly made/fit (I know this from much experience, and the ‘smith here on LTW would agree), and they were a bit over sprung. The chambers were often oversized and the ramps over cut, which causes problems with case swelling/rupture when using high pressure/full-power loads. The guns would eventually beat themselves to pieces if shot often, and the slide/frame battering was caused by many things found in Colt’s 10mm guns. First, the fit between slide/frame and slide/barrel was horrible, which allowed the guns to unlock and recoil erratically and the impact of the barrel and slide on the frame was very spotty and inconsistent (not distributed over a larger area). The 23 pound recoil spring over a 10 pound secondary spring on a plastic “guide†threw the slide forward so hard the slide stop would slowly peen out the hole in the frame, destroy the barrel feet, and batter the hammer/sear engagement surfaces in the process. The combination of these many things is what gave the 10mm its bad reputation. Loose guns in .45ACP and .38 Super aren’t as problematic simply because the pressures of the cartridges are much lower and the spring weights are all lighter. The battering isn’t nearly the issue it is in guns set up for the 10mm. All that being said, here is what you can expect and/or wish to consider in having a reputable gunsmith build you a gun:
The biggest factor in the durability of any gun is properly fit parts. A properly built gun will give maximum bearing surfaces between moving parts, and maximum distribution of pressure in impacting parts. The slide to frame fit being “tight†and even allows the gun to unlock, go out of battery, and return to battery the same way every time. This gives the small parts less room to move around, makes recoil smooth, and creates a “bank vault†feel to the gun in your hand. The barrel fit in the slide and frame is the most critical aspect in longevity in a 10mm. The barrel fit in the slide gives the gun only one place to go when returning to battery, and the fit of the barrel to the frame and slide stop create a very even, well-distributed impact surface for the absorption of recoil, both forward and rearward. I will not go into detail about the fire control system and other small components, but just know that they are critical as well in the longevity of a built 10mm.
Now for the biggest issue in a 10mm… MAINTENANCE. The killer of all guns, regardless of caliber, is usually improper maintenance or lack thereof. Dirty guns don’t work well and tired springs don’t do the job they are supposed to. To most people, cleaning a gun is a pain. But, it is very necessary in order to ensure reliability, accuracy, and longevity. You don’t have to detail strip a gun every time you shoot, but ensuring the barrel/chamber is clean and the moving parts well-lubricated will go a long way toward keeping you and the gun happy. The high pressures of the 10mm only amplify problems due to poor maintenance. My recommendation to anyone who regularly shoots and hates to clean… GET A SOLVENT TANK! They are inexpensive, the solvent reusable, and it takes the pain out of scrubbing guns. Tractor Supply has 5 gallon small tanks with pump and solvent hose for under $100, and a 5 gallon bucket of solvent is between $12 and 40, depending on what you get. With a tank there is no need to remove a well fit barrel bushing and debris just washes away.
After cleaning and lubing the gun, spring maintenance is the next on the list. Using good springs of proper weight/rate and KEEPING THEM FRESH is the cheapest insurance you can have in making the gun last and function well. I change my recoil spring and firing pin spring every 1000 rounds, and I do not keep old springs. I use only Wolff springs, but I have heard very good things about all ISMI springs. For my standard 5†guns I use a 22# recoil and 21# mainspring. For 6†guns I use a 20# recoil spring and a 20# mainspring. For my commander 10mm I use a 24# recoil spring and a 23# (factory standard) mainspring. For my heavy slide/bull barrel 5†10mm I use an 18# recoil spring and a 17# mainspring. Regulate the gun for whatever load you are going to use most and note what weight spring you have in it when it is stored. The best advice I can give is to find the springs for your gun and get about ten at a time. This way you always have them on hand and don’t have to worry about finding them when you need them. They are also cheaper in bulk.
One thing I use that Dave Sams has gotten me hooked on is shock buffers for the 10mm. The best kind are made by CP Tuff-Buff, and I try to stick with them. The Wilson buffs are soft and have a tendency to get chewed up in the gun. Shock buffs have a few advantages. First of all, they create a soft impact area for the slide and frame in recoil so there isn’t metal to metal contact, which greatly reduces battering of the slide and frame. Also, and this is a very big issue in 10mm guns, they allow for use of a slightly lighter recoil spring (26# to 24#, 24# to 22#, 22# to 20#, etc..). A lighter recoil spring means less battering of the barrel feet/slide stop when the slide returns to battery and softer feeling recoil/faster recovery to the shooter. One thing I have found is that buffs often cause reliability/cycling problems in commander sized or smaller guns due to the shorter recoil stroke. I do not use buffs in my commanders any more and this has not proven to be an issue with my commander sized 10mm.
My 10mm commander actually happened out of dumb luck. I had Dave build me a .357Sig commander and good quality magazines for the .40, while available, do not work consistently well with the .357 Sig round. Instead of having Dave tune 10 magazines specifically for my commander, I opted to have him re-barrel it to 10mm, as I already shot the 10mm extensively and had both the ammo and magazines available. I had originally decided to shoot reduced power loads of .40S&W equivalence in it, but curiosity got the best of me and I started shooting full-tilt 10mm loads through the compact gun. I now have between 7000 and 8000 rounds through the 10mm commander (not shot much lately). I have shot two 1000rnd cases of Federal 180gr Hydra-Shoks, a 1000rd case (or two 500rd cases – can’t remember) of the old Norma 170gr load (very hot), 1000rds of Winchester 175gr Silvertips (also quite hot), 500rds of the old Federal FBI load (very mild), and the rest my own full-power handloads using AA#9 and 135gr Nosler HPs. The gun has almost no finish left on the trigger guard and grip safety, but other than that, it is just like the first day it was finished. The gun does have its drawbacks, but also a few positive aspects. The pros are that a 10mm commander is far from a commonly seen gun, and you will own something very unique. They are fun to shoot for short periods of time and draw lots of attention at the range. For the size/practicality, you will not find a more powerful semi-auto. But… the recoil of the commander using full-power 10mm is VERY sharp. Because of the heavy springs being used, any “limp wristing†of the gun during shooting will likely cause cycling problems. You have to hold on tight, simply put. Muzzle blast is ridiculous, and when shooting in low light it’s like watching a flamethrower at work. Definitely NOT something you want for a carry gun at night. Last but most certainly not least, NOTHING IS FREE! What I mean by that is getting a more powerful, smaller, and lighter gun is nice, but what you trade off is controllability, durability, muzzle velocity/energy (which is the biggest selling point of the 10mm in the first place), and diversity. Because the mass of the slide is lighter, you have to use heavier springs. The energy has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is your barrel feet, slide stop, and action components. Not being able to use a shock buff just makes things worse. Now, Dave’s fitting of the gun and the quality of parts will make the Caspian commander last a lot longer than most any other 5†factory gun, but it is still something to take into consideration. Chances are you won’t shoot it loose or wear it out, but I like to compare the 10mm/.45ACP debate to a drag racer/family sedan. While drag racing can be done safely and great speed/power can be achieved on a regular basis, every once in a while something goes awry, and when it does, failure can be catastrophic.
I am a huge 10mm fan, and it is far and away my favorite caliber in the 1911. I think it’s the most diverse round existent for the 1911, and can do almost any job expected of such a gun very well. Problems only arise when you try to push the envelope of velocity/power. This is why I recommend a 10mm only if the shooter is meticulous in the maintenance of their gun and very observant in handloading and/or ammo selection. If you are this way or wouldn’t mind a little extra work in your shooting habits, I say go for it. Beware… it can get addicting.
Respectfully,
~Jim Keeney
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"I'd rather die on my feet than keep living on my knees." - Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Revolutionary
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Simply put, the gun was a real PIG! It had a horrible trigger, tiny sights and was a brute with full power ammo. I handloaded several different weights at full power and they were just not fun. I also got a new 5" 610 that was a very good shooter. The DE mostly laid in the safe but over the years I picked up a lot of custom parts off prize tables including a Clark full-ramped 10mm barrel. Then Heinie started the Single Stack Classic and it all came together. A local smith built me a full-house Delta Elite with that ramped barrel and we hard chromed the entire gun.
). Once I found the right spring weight, it runs fine. The gun is semi-retired since Heinie decided on the 8-round limit. I figure I'm better off with the bigger bullet if I can only have 8. The 10mm is much easier to run in a single stack than the .40 ever was.......it's purely a matter of C.O.L.