Best 10mm Handgun

The 10mm is a highly versatile cartridge that, despite decades of near-obsolescence, simply refuses to die and has been showing signs of a steady resurgence. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The original design makes it so that the round can generate energy levels surpassing those of the hottest .357 Magnum loads and even nipping at the heels of some lighter .41 Magnum loads while being small enough to fit in a double-stack semi-auto pistol magazine.

But with all its versatility, choosing the best 10mm handgun for yourself can get a little confusing. Hopefully, with this article, we can help you make an informed decision. To kick things off, we’d like to ask a few questions.

What do you need this handgun for? Will you use it for hunting? Are you in the backcountry and you need protection against some big, furry two-legged critters? Could you be looking for a good self-defense CCW piece? Are you worried about a possible home invasion and you want something to protect yourself and your family with?

If you want a 10mm handgun for hunting, then you should get one with a long barrel to maximize the cartridge’s potential, preferably one that readily accepts an optic. The best handgun that fits the bill is the Glock 40 Gen 4 MOS which has a 6.02-inch barrel and Glock’s Modular Optic System built in. A close second is the EAA Witness Hunter with a 6-inch barrel and the frame drilled and tapped to accept a scope mount.

For protection in the backcountry,  barrel length isn't nearly as important as magazine capacity. Any 10mm with a double-stack magazine will give you peace of mind. Some models we can suggest are the EAA Tanfoglio Witness 999220 with a 14-round mag capacity and the EAA Tanfoglio Witness Compact 999063 with a 12-round mag capacity.

Models that hold even more bullets in the magazine are the Glock 40, the Glock 20, the Springfield XD-M, and the S&W M&P 2.0 10mm. These all come with a 15-round mag capacity. And if 15 rounds of 10mm in the mag still isn’t enough for you for some reason, you can look at the Rock Island Armory Ultra FSHC 10mm which can hold 16 rounds in the mag.

We'd recommend staying away from 10mm revolvers like the S&W Model 610 or the Ruger GP100 (yes, they do make ones chambered in 10mm) unless you find the 10mm cartridge appealing but lack the necessary grip strength to rack the slide on a semi-auto. Why, you may ask?

Because the 10mm was built around semi-autos which allow for higher bullet capacities. If you prefer using revolvers over semi-autos, you will very likely only have 6 shots in the cylinder. You really ought to get one chambered in one of the more powerful big-bore revolver offerings on the market. 

Some of the best production revolvers for hunting are the Ruger Redhawk in .44 Special/.44 Magnum, the Ruger Super Redhawk in .45 Long Colt/.454 Casull, the Smith & Wesson Model 460 XVR in .45 Long Colt/.454 Casull/.460 S&W Magnum, and the Smith & Wesson Model 500 in .500 S&W Special/.500 S&W Magnum.

If you're an outdoorsman and you always find yourself walking around in inclement weather conditions, you might want a 10mm handgun in stainless steel so it has better rust protection. Some great options include the Colt Delta Elite, the Kimber Stainless Target 10mm, the 

Ruger SR1911 10mm Target, and The EAA Tanfoglio Witness Steel Compact 999230.

If you want a 10mm handgun as a CCW for self-defense, you'll want the smallest sub-compact you can find. Models with available leather-Kydex hybrid holsters are more preferable. Sure you can have someone make a custom all-Kydex holster for you, but you'll want a leather-Kydex hybrid holster which has the durability and tight fit Kydex holsters are known for and the comfort that leather holsters provide.

Another consideration for a CCW piece is the gun's weight. It has to be lightweight so you won't get sore if you ever have to lug it around all day. Three of your best lightweight options are the Glock 29, the Springfield XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10mm, and the EAA Witness Polymer Compact 10mm.

Finally, if you want a 10mm handgun for home security, you'd want one that has at least a Picatinny rail. Most of the aforementioned 10mm handguns come with an integral Picatinny rail which comes in handy for mounting attachments like a Streamlight 69120 TLR-2 flashlight-laser combo or even something unconventional yet somewhat practical like Laserlyte's Pistol Knife Bayonet.

If you scroll down, you can find the best deals GunCritic has found online for the best 10mm gun's we've mentioned in this article. You'll also see real reviews from real people that own the gun!