Home Forums General Discussion The Big 10 By Jace Bauserman Reply To: The Big 10 By Jace Bauserman

#1762
sqlbulletsqlbullet
Moderator

Not quite “everything he said is wrong” (star wars reference for the un-initiated) but pretty close.

The fact check:

Jeff Cooper wanted a 40 caliber power house? True. In fact before the 10mm Auto, there was a 40 G&A wildcat and Hi-Power based project gun that pretty much duplicated what became the 40 S&W.

Jeff Cooper wanted 200 grains at 1,200 fps? False. Cooper’s repeated statement was 200 grains at 1,000 fps. In fact, Cooper seemed to understand quite keenly that the improvement needed over 45 ACP was higher sectional density with similar or slightly more power. Norma decided on their own to punch it up to 1200 fps. The 40 G&A, based on the 30 Remington case, came up a bit short of that goal. The subsequent 40 G&A magnum based on a belted magnum case delivered.

Cooper was a sponsor of the Bren Ten? True. One of the few guns during Cooper’s life to be authorized to wear the Gunsite crest.

The Bren Ten failed due to mfg and supply problems? True. But, the biggest problem was lack of funding. D&D thought they had deep enough pockets to cover R&D on a new gun, but really didn’t. They keep spending their profits before they earned them and eventually that fell down. The lack of funds were what created the mfg and supply problems, and prevented fast solutions.

The Miami Shootout? True. This tragedy did motivate introspection about the modes of failure that lead to the deaths of FBI agents.

The aftermath made the FBI want a Magnum Semi-auto? False. In fact, no budget provision was made for testing the 10mm Auto in the ballistics lab tests. One of the lab technicians included it of their own initiative and using their own gun (Delta Elite) and handloads.

They wanted it for the more power? Half-credit. The 10mm Auto included in the tests out performed the other cartridges in all the newly developed protocols. Yes, power was a contributing factor to that performance. So was the higher sectional density, which may actually have been the most important factor. The protocols favor penetration first, and expansion second. Penetration is more a function of sectional density and momentum than energy.

Lawyers watered it down? False. Remember how I said the gun included in the test belonged to a tech on the test team, and that they loaded their own ammo. Yeah…They watered it down. See, the Delta Elite was newly released and reports of cracked frames were surfacing. Fearing for his new handgun, the technician loaded the ammo for the FBI tests down below even “Cooper” spec: 180gr @ 950-1000 fps. The FBI never officially entertained true 10mm level power. It is true that agents didn’t like the gun, and also didn’t shoot as well with it. But the main reason they didn’t like it was the 1076 was a LOT bigger and heavier than the guns it replaced. Size and weight that was not comfortable to have on you all the time. I don’t have facts for why they didn’t shoot it as well. But I do know that in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s a lot of noise was made about the need to train hard to shoot a DA/SA transition well. Lots of these agents were coming from revolvers and I suspect scores were impacted by them not actually having mastered the DA/SA transition. It can certainly mess with your ability to shoot fast and clean, especially in short strings. The longest string in an FBI qual is six shots. And of the ten different shooting scenarios, six include shooting four or less rounds from the “ready”, aka including a DA/SA transition. A final nail in the 1076 and 10mm coffin came from the FBI demand that S&W alter the trigger on the 1076 FBI models to be more “revolver” like. S&W expressed concern about the alterations having an impact on reliability, and indeed, the changes created the possibility of the lockwork in the gun completely locking up, turning your defensive tool into a brick that had to go the a S&W shot to be repaired.

Reduction in power…? Gonna go false in this one. It is true that FBI ammo was not full-power 10mm auto ammo. But is is false that the ammo was reduced in power from what they tested. The FBI used what would become 40 S&W level ammo from the first test shot clear to the end.

Too bad the author never considered a need to fact check. I am sure it never occurred to them that common knowledge is often wrong.