reloading: best millimeter

excuses, excuses

I really don’t have a reason to load 10mm Auto. But…

• it was 3am and I was watching this epic Ian McCollum video using six (6) Hi-Point JXP 10mm at a BUG match. It’s a 10mm blowback, fer Pete’s sake.
• I didn’t have anything that would shoot 10mm. Bass Pro had JXP for $170.
• I didn’t own 10mm Auto dies dangit, it uses the .40 S&W dies which I do have
• I didn’t have any 10mm brass and it was expensive I found this Raven Rocks combo with 500 new cases and 1000 180gr thick plate bullets for $160.
• and I’ve got 5# of MP 132 that’s working well enough with fawty.
• I already owned XTP, Nosler JHP, and Gold Dot projectiles for the .40; these are the same as used in 10mm.

So I was running out of excuses. The only really annoying bee in my bonnet is 10mm is the only cartridge I’ll be reloading that uses LPP. So I bought a couple boxes to get my feet wet. Then I found a guy who collects and sells 10mm SPP cases. There’s little functional difference between 10mm SPP/LPP and I’ve got a few thousand SPP so I’d rather use those. I’ll keep a couple hundred LPP cases on hand in case of SPP shortages but otherwise will happily trade new LPP for fired SPP.

Note: in case anyone’s wondering, 10mm SPP brass is used by Federal, Hornady, and Blazer.

the JXP

This thing is heavy, literally 3lbs. Cheapness requires blowback, and blowback requires a heavy slide. In this case the slide itself could be a battle hammer.

ladder testing

• 180gr plated TC over MP 132 starting at estimated .40 S&W velocities (~1,000fps)¹ and working toward ~1,150fps if everything behaves. (bottom cartridge in inset pic)
• 180gr plated TC over Longshot starting at ~1,200fps and working toward ~1,300fps if everything behaves.

If the Longshot loading works I’ll make more with the plated TC and with XTP for zombie and anti-materiel purposes.

what to do with it

I think it will be a dedicated

1. 180gr @ 1,000fps is roughly the “FBI .40 load” or “FBI Lite” load. ↩