10mm Pistols

The 10 mm pistol was a latecomer to the firearms market, but quickly made up for lost time, becoming a sworn-by favorite with a cult status for its big-bore stopping power. In 1979, Thomas Dornaus and Michael Dixon began developing a new semi-automatic pistol to fill the gap between revolvers and automatics, providing higher ammunition capacity and faster reloads while delivering power exceeding .45-caliber rounds and the storied .357 Magnum. They hoped the new design would become as popular as the then-aged Colt 1911.

The result was the 1983 introduction of the first 10 mm pistol, the Bren Ten, a stronger variant based on the Czech CZ-75 pistol's design manufactured by Dornaus & Dixon. The semi automatic was introduced with companion cartridges developed by firearms instructor Jeff Cooper and later produced by Swedish ammo maker FFV Norma AB and others.

Chosen for service by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1989 in the aftermath of the fateful 1986 FBI Miami shootout, 10 mm weapons were later decommissioned when their Firearms Training Unit concluded the cartridge’s recoil was excessive for typical agent and police officer use. Even so, the 10 mm pistol has enjoyed a surge in popularity thanks to advances in metallurgy and CNC manufacturing that have helped created 10 mm handguns better able to withstand the ammunition's power than their predecessors. Today, there is a dedicated following for 10 mm pistols from the Smith & Wesson 1076 initially embraced by the FBI to Glock Model 40s and Sig Sauer's 220 series.

Quick Facts

• In a 2015 Lock, Stock & Barrel auction, a rare Dornaus & Dixon Standard Bren Ten 10 mm semi-automatic pistol sold for $3,199
• A 1927A1 Thompson semi-automatic 10 mm, one of less than 200 produced, sold in a private online auction for $2,500
• In 2013, a rate Venditti Italian copy of a Volcanic level-action centerfire 10 mm pistol sold at a James D. Julia auction for $7,000