I do not reload as most of you know but am curious. what is the hottest 10mm load that the components and gun can handle. I know that a custom made revolver will handle more than a Stock Glock so lets assume a big well made revolver. What speed,energy and pressures could it possibly handle. I assume you will run out of case space before you would blow up the gun. so whats the max numbers for the case? Lets use a 135-165gr bullet for this experiment. Like I said just trying to see what is possible for you munitions scientist.

Not sure I get it.

You most certainly can blow up a gun, and tear up some body parts pretty bad, with a 10mm case.  A case full of Red Dot, for instance, would probably work very well to rapidly detail strip a gun, and maybe part of your hand.

As far as hottest "reasonably safe" loads, check out the underwood pulldowns.  Those are really about as hot as you are going to want to go.

The Hottest loading has to do with two things, bullet weight being used with a particular powder.

Foe instance SwampFox used to load 10.0 grains of LongShot powder over 200 grain XTP for a yield of 1325 fps, yes in some chambers there were case blowouts...   There was a warning for this loading for ONLY used in guns with full chamber support. 

Then they offered a 9.4 grain loading of LongShot for a 1240 fps

SQB: That is what I am asking. I know nothing about different powders or pressures. I am asking so if I ever need to know I do. I know you can blow up anything thats common sense so lets ease on by the obvious my question is what Shadow answered. I also know that no large ammo factory is even going to come close to blow up pressures in any of their ammo. That is called corporate lawyers. Yes Common sense.So you get to the reloaders like you guys who know what will and will not blow your gun and you up. so let me ask this one. With a lighter bullet or you more or less likely to exceed your limits? Or would it be with the heavier bullets. My physics tells me more weight more pressure all things being equal but in reloading they are no equal.That is why I ask. If you think the questions are dumb or do not deserve an answer just ignore the post and save yourself some time.And thanks guys for the answers as I really do not know anything about reloading except the terms and the definitions but I am learning by reading ,asking and listening to guys that do know.

    Not a public load but if it really is true the 1900 FPS 165gr the owner of Elite Ammo claims to have shot from his Witness... on a regular basis.


The Underwood 155's I had that did over 1600 FPS are the hottest I shot!

SwampFox used to also load to these values for the 4.6" barrels...
135gr @ 1700 fps (Nosler)
155gr @ 1525 fps (XTP)
180gr @ 1400 fps (XTP)
200gr @ 1240 fps (XTP & FMJ)
200gr @ 1325 fps (XTP & FMJ) FULLY SUPPORTED AFTERMARKET BARREL ONLY

Underwood loads to these values for the 4.6" barrels...Some of these may have changed...
Nosler 135gr JHP            1600 fps
Hornady 155gr XTP    1500 fps
Hornady 165gr JHP    1400 fps
Hornady 180gr JHP    1300 fps
Hornady 200gr JHP    1250 fps
Hard Cast 220gr HCFN    1200 fps

I have and have shot most of the hottest Underwood loads in a couple of Glocks and not had any problems. i expect them to also shoot well in the Ruger.

  If those SwampFox numbers are accurate a 135 gr @ 1700 fps out of a Glock (4.6") would be 1800+ out of a 6" LS barrel.
Now I see why we hear of blown cases almost every week. When some ammo companies are pushing the limits of pressure/performance ,if the loads are just a couple grains off on the high side you get extemely high pressure and blown cases/guns.
When hog hunting my standard load for my G20SF is a 215gr hard cast at 1220 fps, it does 1300 out of my LWD 5.46" barrel.


Sean

Why this fascination by a LOT of people about how fast they can push a bullet and get away with it? RRM is FAR from the first person I have heasrd ask this question. I have yet to find the most accurate loading is anywhere even NEAR a recipe maximum. My normal recipe is a 185 grain bullet probably around 1100. To me ACCURACY is all. Plus even if your gun can take a max, you are STILL battering it pretty good with the uberloads. I would expect parts to wear out way faster. Just for an example of what I mean by accurate, here is a target at 21 feet using my pet 185 grain reloads around 1100 fps and a Dan Wesson Razorback 10mm.



Now I could push the velocity WAY over this, but this was the most accurate velocity for these bullets.

   I'm with you gandog56 , although the op was about max velocity. It's all about ACCURACY to me (and most).

And by the way that is some nice shooting.

Why?  Because we can.  Been doing it for near 40 years, in search of maximum energy on target.  The objective: reduced package size (the very reason the Alaskan ever existed). Big power can be had, up to and including the likes of .50 BMG or .600 Nitro. The search is for the most effective power that can be reliably placed on target, in the smallest package as practical. Your comfort zone, skill level (shooting and/or cartridge engineering), and available equipment/resources are limiting factors. Settling for less than optimal (according to MY interpretation of optimal) is a personal choice, and there's nothing wrong with that. Less than 1% of all the cartridges I produce venture outside the "factory" offerings. But WOW, what a 1%!

In years past I didn't limit myself to short distance shooting with handguns but challenged myself to longer shots...100 yards and even more.  I use to get great groups at 130 yards from my S&W1006 and even made a friend mad by taking his targets for his 30'06 out before he could get setup...I will say coordination, eye sight and strength were much better 23 years ago.
BTW he was shooting 30'06's I loaded for him and he was very impressed with there performance from them.

The loads were with Blue Dot...with my 44mag which took a deer at 180 yards thru the heart. 

Yes many have chased the higher velocities over the years, why?  Because the extra velocity equals extra bullet energy, less drift and less drop at distance.  It does nothing if you can hit the target!   This is where handloading my own has paid dividends, better performance ammunition, at reasonable prices, while utilizing premium components or even cast bullet for even cheaper produced ammo.  Mild to wild it's all good!

Quote from: The_Shadow on May 30 2013 10:12:07 AM MDT
In years past I didn't limit myself to short distance shooting with handguns but challenged myself to longer shots...100 yards and even more.  I use to get great groups at 130 yards from my S&W1006 and even made a friend mad by taking his targets for his 30'06 out before he could get setup...I will say coordination, eye sight and strength were much better 23 years ago.
BTW he was shooting 30'06's I loaded for him and he was very impressed with there performance from them.

The loads were with Blue Dot...with my 44mag which took a deer at 180 yards thru the heart. 

Yes many have chased the higher velocities over the years, why?  Because the extra velocity equals extra bullet energy, less drift and less drop at distance.  It does nothing if you can hit the target!   This is where handloading my own has paid dividends, better performance ammunition, at reasonable prices, while utilizing premium components or even cast bullet for even cheaper produced ammo.  Mild to wild it's all good!

This.  Well said.

There is pinpoint accuracy and then there is adequate accuracy.  I will take adequate accuracy with as much power as I can realistically get over pinpoint accuracy in a lesser or mouse fart load. 

For me it is not about putting ten bullets through the same hole on a flat dry sheet of wood pulp based medium in the least amount of time galactically possible.  I want greatest terminal upset possible whether I'm shooing water jugs or hunting or defending myself from adversaries, with accuracy that's good enough.

Some argue that by going with a more powerful load, even if accuracy is fine, that it only slows follow up shots.  I argue;  1)  IMO no 10mm load ever reaches that boundary at any power level from a full sized platform,  2)  IMO I have a fair chance of needing less good hits to get the job done with a ~750 ft-lb over a ~500 ft-lb load assuming you're using the energy available wisely in the first place, and  3)  I'm not interested in the bullet going through the same hole more than once.

But, different folks, different strokes.