Thread: .45 ACP vs. 10mm in Dan Wesson 1911 Commander?

So I've decided the Dan Wesson Commander Bobtail (CBOB) 1911 will be my next firearm acquisition. Since I love the low-and-slow feel of .45 caliber recoil, and the stopping power of the .45 round, I decided I would go with the .45 ACP version....until I started reading about the 10mm round. It seems that you can get the "!0mm Light" or "10mm FBI" rounds (not .40 s&w) that feel similar to the recoil PUNCH of a .45 ACP (as opposed to the CRACK! of a 9mm and full-load 10mm rounds)

In fact the only real downside of the 10mm round seems to be that the ammo is more expensive than .45 ACP....except that IT'S NOT!!! I just checked doubletap and cabela's and the price for 10mm ammo seems to be exactly the same as .45 ACP (am I missing something?!?!?!) btw, i refuse to shop @ walmart for any reason whatsoever, so their prices don't factor in.

Soooooooooooo....anyway, I know I should just go fire a 10mm with some different types of ammo and decide for myself....but I figured I'd ask the SRP fellas first, seeing as ya'll are good folks and seem to have great insight on gun related quandries.

BTW, my main purpose for this pistol will be concealed carry....with some occasional plinking and target practice a couple times a year.

So watcha think??? Go with the 10mm, or stick with the trusty .45 ACP?

I'm a 45 ACP fanboy but I've only heard good about the 10mm.

I'd still stick with the .45 though. You'll always be able to find parts/ammo etc' for it, and if you're slightly paranoid about a SHTF scenario that's always a plus.


But for those of us with half a dozen carry guns who needs parts?

If you already have a .45 acp, I'd say it's be way more convenient to get a .45 also.

I do some handgun hunting for coyotes and other game. I always seem to get better terminal results with a .45, over the .40 or any 10mm.

The .45 is also easier to get good handloads with, using cast bullets, IMO.

Edit: The .45 ACP also has the advantage of a much lower muzzle-flash in low light conditions.

I'd go .45 because of compatibility with my other 1911s. I buy ammunition 5,000 plus rounds at a time, so the savings of buying another caliber is largely lost on me.

I also know I guy that has bought and sold several 10mms. To my knowledge, he hasn't even considered selling any of his .45 1911s for at least as long as I've known him.

Forgot to mention, I did check one of those commander bobtails out when I was thinking about an Ed Brown bobtail. It was a nice piece. I was hesitant to consider a bobtail for a long time. In the end, I think they work out really well.

I have a friend who absolutely swears by his 10mm. I shot .45ACP during IPSC competitions some 15 years ago and love it. The 1911 platform is awesome, so you can't really go wrong either way.

I had a Colt Combat Elite gov model in 10mm and sold it because I read that they had a problem with slides cracking. I bought a Glock model 20 in 10mm and it is a great gun. For a concealed carry I think any 10mm would probably be too large to carry comfortably for any length of time.

If it was a size that was comfortable to carry I would suspect it wouldn't be comfortable to shoot. As far as comparing it to the 45ACP I think the 10mm is flatter shooting and probably has better stopping power.

I also have a few pistols in 40 and they are a compromise in portability and lower recoil while retaining substantial stopping power. To me it is sort of like someone asking if they should buy a Norton, a Naniwa or a Shapton, they are all good and will all get the job done equally well IMO. OTOH, an individual may like one better than the other.

Glad to hear you won't patronize wallmart. I won't either. If at all possible buy American. The job you save may be your own.

I remember when the 10mm was getting a lot of press and my first time getting to shoot one. Recoil, recoil, recoil, muzzle blast muzzle blast muzzle blast. My first impression was, why not just make it a .357 auto pistol? I didn't like it and didn't feel it was going to catch on very well because to my unscientific tests the .45 was going to knock down about as well without the muzzle blast and finicky way guns had with the round. But I also thought if I had to defend my self with a 10mm the bad guy on the other end was going to be very, very unhappy I had one in my possession.

Now with the lower power 10mm, it's a much tamer beast with similar philosophy to the .45. But again to my unscientific thinking on it, it's not enough to justify buying it over the .45. Even though I have to say I like

In my experience the guys who reload stick with the .45 and sell their 10mm's after having them a while. The guys who buy ammo in bulk tend to keep their 10mm's and will fight you if you say it's not the best caliber.

Either way you go I think the thing to remember in an SHTF situation, with any pistol caliber is shot placement.

It's a way too long answer to say I think you'd be happy with either. But in my mind the .45 has such a proven record of so called stopping power it's the surest bet. Now if the 10mm is a flatter shooting round like a 9mm I would consider it.

I love and recommend .45s , but my skinny butt cant hide one, one of these days I may have to break down and get something smaller. But with the versatility and parts availability of the 1911, theres nothing better!

As an old firearms instructor that have used and carried both 10mm and .45acp I would go with the .45acp. The 10mm wears out the gun faster, whit the reliability problems following from this. Also the 1911 was designed to handle the .45acp.

If I were to bet my life on one it would be the .45acp.


EDIT: ALSO remember to run about 500 rounds through the gun to test it before starting to carry. Reliability test.

I see that your location is Seattle. I lived there for about 10 years. I have a lot of friends in the "firearms training business" there. Feel free to PM me.