10mm vs 44 Magnum

So, you need a do-it-all handgun cartridge, and you stumbled upon the 10mm and the 44 magnum? While they are both very versatile handgun cartridges, they offer very different capabilities and feature sets. In this article, we will cover those differences to help make your decision a little easier.

Physical Attributes

It’s no secret that the 44 magnum is a much larger cartridge than the 10mm. In fact, the 44 magnum has an empty case length of 1.285 inches, or just under 300 thousandths longer than the 10mm empty case length of 0.992 inches.

Not only is the 44 magnum a much longer cartridge than the 10mm, but it is also wider. The difference, however, might not be as large as you think. Although the 10mm has a metric name, it uses the same 0.400-inch diameter projectiles as the 40 S&W.

Despite what its name would have you believe; the 44 magnum uses 0.429-inch diameter projectiles. This puts the 44 magnum at a 7.25 percent increase in diameter over 0.400-inch diameter projectiles. Although small, this increase allows 0.429-inch diameter projectiles to be much heavier than 0.400-inch diameter projectiles.

In general, the 10mm uses bullet weights ranging from 120 grains up to 220 grains. The 44 magnum, on the other hand, is typically loaded with bullet weights ranging from 180 grains all the way up to 340 grains.

With its wider and taller case, it is not hard to guess that the 44 magnum has a much larger case capacity than the 10mm. In fact, the 44 magnum has a case capacity of approximately* 37.9 grains of H2O, which is a 57.3 percent increase over the 10mm approximate* case capacity of 24.1 grains of H2O.

It should also be noted that because the 10mm was designed to be fired out of semi-automatic handguns, it uses a rimless case design. While there are a few different 44 magnum chambered semi-automatics, its rimmed design is primarily chambered in revolvers (as well as lever actions).

Power

Although the 44 magnum may be substantially larger than the 10mm, its maximum pressure rating is not quite as high (at least with conventional loads). According to SAAMI, the 10mm has a maximum pressure rating of 37,500 psi compared to the 44 magnum’s maximum pressure rating of 36,000 psi.

Don’t be fooled, however, into thinking that this extra pressure translates to the 10mm having a higher muzzle energy than the 44 magnum. Looking at Hornady’s 155-grain XTP load offering in 10mm, we see that it produces 684 ft/lbs. of muzzle energy at a velocity of 1,410 feet per second.

While 684 ft/lbs. is substantial for a semi-auto handgun cartridge, it pales in comparison to the 971 ft/lbs. of muzzle energy that Hornady’s 240-grain XTP 44 magnum load offering produces. With these loads, the 44 magnum produces just under 42 percent more muzzle energy than the 10mm.

A 42 percent increase in muzzle energy may sound substantial, but the difference becomes even larger with handguns rated** for +P+ 44 magnum loads. In fact, Buffalo Bore’s 340-grain hard cast 44 magnum +P+ offering produces a monstrous 1,649 ft/lbs. of energy at a muzzle velocity of 1,478 feet per second.

Based on the nearly 1,650 ft/lbs. of muzzle energy the 44 magnum can produce, it is safe to say that no 10mm load will compete with this figure. Even some of the most powerful load offerings for the 10mm, such as Buffalo Bore’s 180-grain hollow point offering (728 ft/lbs. of energy at a muzzle velocity of 1350 feet per second), do not even approach half the muzzle energy of this 44 magnum load.

So, if power is at the top of your list, the 44 magnum is the clear winner.

Recoil

Perhaps the biggest downside of this immense amount of power is the amount of recoil that it produces. To gather some recoil figures, we will be using a 5.5-inch Ruger Redhawk chambered in 44 magnum and a Glock 40 chambered in 10mm.

According to Ruger, a 5.5-inch model Redhawk chambered in 44 magnum has an empty weight of 49 ounces (about 3.063 pounds). The Glock model 40, on the other hand, has an empty weight of only 35.45 ounces (about 2.216 pounds). Now that we know these weights let’s look at some recoil figures.

With Hornady’s 155-grain XTP load (referenced above), the 10mm produces approximately 10.13 ft/lbs. of felt recoil. With Hornady’s 240-grain XTP load (referenced above), the 44 magnum produces approximately 15.27 ft/lbs. of felt recoil. So, with this example, the 44 magnum produces just over 50 percent more recoil than the 10mm.

Fifty percent more recoil is certainly noticeable. However, the difference becomes much larger with even more powerful loads. With Buffalo Bore’s 180-grain hollow point load (referenced above), the 10mm produces approximately 12.29 ft/lbs. of felt recoil. This is just over 21 percent more recoil than the previous 10mm load.

With Buffalo Bore’s 340-grain hard cast offering (referenced above), the 44 magnum produces approximately 37.59 ft/lbs. You read that correctly: nearly 38 ft/lbs. of recoil, or just under 2.5 times more recoil than the previous 44 magnum load and just over three times the recoil of the Buffalo Bore 10mm load.

Keep in mind that the 44 magnum Redhawk referenced weighs just over 38 percent more than the Glock 40. So, if power is your goal, be prepared for an exceptional amount of recoil.

Capacity

If recoil does not bother you, however, perhaps the difference in capacity will. As mentioned previously, the 10mm was designed to be fired out of semi-automatic handguns, whereas the 44 magnum is primarily chambered in revolvers.

Because revolvers do not utilize a magazine, their design can only hold a certain number of rounds before they get unwieldy. In terms of 44 magnum revolvers, this number generally lands on 6. While six rounds of full-power 44 magnum may be all that your wrists want to handle, it is not a high capacity by any stretch of the imagination--especially when compared to many of the double stack 10mm offerings on the market today. The Glock 20 and the Glock 40 have a capacity of 15+1, almost three times the capacity of standard 44 magnum-chambered revolvers.

Even semi-automatic 44 magnum chambered handguns, such as the Desert Eagle XIX, only have a capacity of 8+1. While this is a step up from the capacity of any 44 magnum chambered revolver, it is only about half the capacity of a Glock 20/40 (and that is with a flush magazine).

So, if there is any possibility that you’ll need more than 6 to 9 rounds for your endeavors, the 10mm is certainly the better option (assuming you go with a double-stack platform).

Which One Should I Get?

So, the question becomes, should I get a 10mm or a 44 magnum? While it’s true that the 10mm and the 44 magnum are both very capable handgun cartridges, they are very different in most respects.

Perhaps the biggest question to ask yourself when deciding between a 10mm or a 44 magnum is whether you want power or capacity. Although the 10mm is no slouch when it comes to power, its top-end muzzle energies are dwarfed by many of the lightest 44 magnum loads.

Power isn’t everything, though, especially if you aren’t able to manage it. With the immense amount of recoil that top-end 44 magnum loads produce, it is certainly a lot to manage. If this recoil causes you to miss your target, keep in mind that you will have fewer follow-up shots than most 10mm platforms offer.

Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide whether you value power or capacity, but hopefully, this article helps make your decision a little easier.

*The case capacities listed represent the approximate amount of H2O that will fit inside an empty case. These values can vary based on the manufacturer, as different companies will typically result in slightly different case capacities.

**Not all 44 magnum-chambered firearms are rated for +P+ loading designations. Always verify that your firearm is rated for the ammo that you intend to use.

--Banana Ballistics