Opinions on 10mm choices

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mountainclmbr

New member
I have handled, but not shot EAA Witness and Dan Wesson 10mm pistols lately. I handled the Colt Delta Elite a long time ago and don't remember enough to compare. Does anyone have experience with any of these for reliability and also price. I am not really interested in the Glock offerings at this time, but if anyone has experience I am willing to listen too.

Edit to add: I also forgot about the S&W semi autos and would like to know more. Not many of these showing up at gun shows.
 
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gmarr

New member
The 10mm is an excellent caliber. I'm glad to see it's getting popular again. Double Tap and Corbon make excellent ammo for it, I especially like the DT 180 grain GDHP.

I have both a EAA full-size Witness and a Dan Wesson Razorback. The Witness can be described as a 'scaled-up' CZ-75. Tough as nails, reliable with everything made in 10mm, and accurate to boot. I had custom 3-dot sights put on, it has the 'Wonder' finish with blacked out controls, and the factory wood grips. Get lots of attention at the range.

The Razorback is a high-end 1911. Quality all the way. After some initial break-in hiccups, had to change the recoil spring and add a shok-buff, it runs great. I have three 1911's and this will out shoot them all. Use the factory mags and the Chip McCormick 9 round magazines.

Don't ask me to pick, they're both excellent.
 
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mountainclmbr

New member
I did a search on Gunbroker to get previous prices. It seems the DW Diamondback stainless I looked at in Co Spgs was probably $100 to $200 too expensive. They were asking something like $979.

Any Colt Delta Elite owners out there who can report on reliability? I really like the looks of the Delta Elites.

Leaning toward stainless for a carry gun.
 
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The Tourist

Moderator
I owned a 10mm in the Colt Delta Elite, and I owned one each of the Colt Double Eagle, on in .45 ACP and the other in 10mm Auto.

I never had one lick of problems with any of the three.

My 10mm Delta Elite had a polymer guide rod and buffer for the recoil assembly spring. I had been told by the experts that this plastic appliance was going to batter itself to death and the pummeled pieces were going to fall out of the pistol like snowflakes.

I shot Norma rounds, reloads made from 200 grain lino and Hercules (now Alliant) Blue-Dot and Alcan AL-8 and my Elite ran like a top. When I sold it it looked and functioned like it had never been fired at all.

I will offer this proviso. My model was one of the very early ones, and I had vertical and eliptical stringing until I found the right handload. Once I discovered the correct load (almost by accident) I could easily dust golf balls at 60 yards.

I also believe I might have been able to tighten that down a bit with more research. My Bren Ten could hit golf balls at 80 yards with a rather mundane reload. Having said that, Boots Obermayer builds custom barrels, and his addition to the Bren Ten project might be the reason.
 
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Ocraknife

New member
I will offer this proviso. My model was one of the very early ones, and I had vertical and eliptical stringing until I found the right handload. Once I discovered the correct load (almost by accident) I could easily dust golf balls at 60 yards.
Click to expand...

Wow! I'd have a hard time dusting golf balls at 6 yards!
 
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The Tourist

Moderator
Wow! I'd have a hard time dusting golf balls at 6 yards!
Click to expand...

Not as odd as you might think.

Early on in development, I spoke with Harlene, the customer service person at Dornaus and Dixon. She suggested that 'speed' was not the issue, rather, she stated that I should take it down a notch or two.

She was right. I doubt my 200 grain lino slugs went faster than 1,000 FPS, and probably slower. Accuracy tightened up immediately.

That same concept works in my varmint rifles. If I have a load that is 'hit or miss,' (no pun intended) I go back to the bench, check the powder setting, and drop it a full grain. The accuracy is usually improved.

There are other factors. I use a Modified Weaver, and at that time I had large Millett sights, red over white. I still have that same sight on my Tussey .45 ACP.
 
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HorseSoldier

New member
My 10mm Dan Wesson CBOB has, so far, run very well (though I haven't run a huge amount of rounds through it yet due to $$$ of ammo) -- hiccupped once (FTF) in the first hundred rounds. No issues at all from #101-300. I'm quite impressed with the workmanship and price tag.

It seems the DW Diamondback stainless I looked at in Co Spgs was probably $100 to $200 too expensive. They were asking something like $979.
Click to expand...

Bud's Gun Shop stocks them pretty regularly, and has both the 10mm version of the Pointman and the Bobtail for somewhere in the mid-800s. They haven't stocked the Razorback whenever I've checked, though.
 
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Officer's Match

New member
My Delta Elite is my favorite 1911 to shoot (although the 45acp Combat Elite is right there too) and has been very reliable. The only issues I've ever had were a couple of failures to chamber using very angular, conical shaped JHP's, and those were first round from a fully loaded magazine and the DE very dirty at the time. Never had a problem once a initial round was chambered and/or the pistol was half way reasonably clean.
 
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pogo2

New member
Colt works well

I bought a slightly used Colt Delta Gold Cup about 8 years ago for $800, and only shot it occasionally because of the cost of ammo, preferring to use .45s in other 1911s. But I recently found a good source of 10mm ammo at reasonable prices from Georgia Arms, and have been shooting the Colt Delta more lately.

I like the gun, and it seems perfectly reliable and quite accurate. It has a different feel during firing than a similar .45 - a little faster and sharper on the recoil - but it is not unpleasant to shoot. So I would recommend a Colt Delta if you can find one. I recently saw a blued model (not the Gold Cup version) sell for $800 at a store I frequent.

ColtDeltaGoldCup15.jpg
 
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cdsdss

New member
The EAA Witness is a fine choice for a 10mm. Mine was sturdy and reliable and accurate. It was also inexpensive at under $400.00. A great all-around budget pistol.

That said, my S&W 1076 is my preferred choice for 10mm. It's incredibly accurate and built like a tank. Also, it has the frame-mounted decocker which I prefer over external safeties.

Of course, my favorite 10mm will always be my Bren Ten Standard Model. Probably because I'm still paying it off...
 
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Mortech

New member
S&W 10MMs are definitely the best IMHO , built like tanks and from the beginning to handle full power ammo . Great deals are still to be found on them , a 1076 went for $450 a couple of days ago on the S&W forum boards . Of the 2 I own I prefer the 1066 over my 1006 , I'm just more accurate with it for some reason despite the shorter sight radius .

triplets.jpg
 
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Shoot10

New member
EAA 10 mm Witness Compact

I have a relatively new Witness Compact with about 400 rds through it. I replaced the spring with a 20# wolff. It still does not like the hotter Cor-bon loads. It will stovepipe or fail to feed about once per mag. Also, it throws the brass about 15 yards, but well to the rear. With Federal or Blazer, no problems. Feels very good to shot though, and very accurate though a little low. Thinking about a adjustable sight. If I can get the feed problems corrected it would be my favorite pistol. Also have a S&W 1006, and this just feels better. Feels about as good as the Delta 10 I had, but more compact.
 
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easyG

Moderator
Once I discovered the correct load (almost by accident) I could easily dust golf balls at 60 yards.
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A golf ball at 60 yards with a 10mm handgun?
"Easily"?:rolleyes:

To say that I'm skeptical is a vast understatement.
 
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MedicatedOne

New member
I have a stainless Delta Gold Cup and a stainless Delta Elite, both are perfect and function flawlessly.
The 1076 I have also functions flawlessly. I prefer the Delta's, but the Smith is a great gun also.

I have had bad luck with Witness products, but that's probably just me. I like the Witness line, just haven't had good luck with them.
 
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Webleymkv

New member
I've been quite happy with my S&W 1076. A set of the FBI style grips rather than the straight backed ones helps the feel of the pistol dramatically.
 
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Logs

New member
Smith 10mm's

I use to own the Smith & Wesson 1076 and 1026. They were Virginia State Police guns(Trade ins) and they came with Gun, Leather and 3 mags. Dealer cost was $300 through Davidsons about 15 years ago.

Guns were bulky IMO, but were pretty accurate. The only reason I sold mine was of ammo cost and I didn't reload.

There were several agency's at the time jumping on the 10mm. You should be able to still find police trade-ins since several agency's probably moved to Sig or Glocks in .40 cal.

It was fun shooting milk jugs of water with the 10mm. :)
 
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Richard

New member
I have both a Dan Wesson and a Glock 21 with 10mm conversion barrel. I guess my DW Commander sized/flat main spring housing is a rarity. Both of my 10mms have worked well for me and lastly, I have heard nothing but good about the EAA 10mms. Regards, Richard:D

My DW 10mm:
ebccd3eb.jpg
 
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ActivShootr

New member
The Glocks have rather large grips. Unless you have large to apelike hands, the model 20 will be a handful. A PD in my area issues them and a friend of mine let me shoot his. Recoil was not bad at all. It seems to kick straight back instead of up and back unlike other pistols I have fired. I'm thinking of buying the model 29 in the near future.
 
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