Handguns

In a commercial sense, the 10mm auto may be moribund, but if companies keep chambering pistols as nice as the Kimber Stainless Target II for it, a popularity resurgence may not be out of the question.

The Target II is a full-size, stainless steel 1911 featuring a match-grade chamber and bushing, black neoprene grips, skeletonized trigger, Commander-style hammer, extended beavertail and dovetail-mounted adjustable rear sight. The sample I evaluated recently shot very well, functioned flawlessly and appears to be the ideal platform for the load that paved the way for the shorter--and vastly more popular--.40 S&W.

The Stainless Target II 10mm represents Kimber's first attempt at a 10, and, unfortunately, it's a limited-run item--along with a 9mm and .38 Super. In terms of performance, the 10mm vs. .40 S&W sort of parallels the .30-06 vs. .308 situation. As great as the .308 is, the old '06 can handle heavier 7.62 projectiles, and it can drive them faster than the NATO load. And at the risk of stretching a comparison, for across-the-counter .40 loads, the top end weightwise is 180 grains. For a 10mm it's 200. And speedwise, the .40 S&W can't get near the original "high-test" 10mm loads, although it gets pretty close to the later loaded-down 10mm concoctions.

Yep, for those seeking a relatively flat-shooting, high-performance auto in a major caliber, the 10mm is still pretty much the top choice, particularly with ammo such as Pro Load's 135-grain JHP at 1,440 fps.

I shot a variety of 10mm loads through my test gun, including Winchester Supreme 200-grain SXT, CCI Blazer 200-grain TMJ, 135- and 180-grain Pro-Load JHP and Federal 180-grain Hydra-Shok.

At 25 yards the best results occurred with the 200-grain SXTs, which averaged 1 1/2-inch groups from a sandbagged rest. The very hot 135-grain Pro-Load JHPs grouped at 3 1/2 inches while everything else fell in between, with the CCI Blazers running at around two inches. The pistol functioned perfectly--no stovepipes or malfunctions of any type--for about 80 rounds. The crisp, 41⁄2-pound trigger and excellent adjustable sights were much appreciated.

By the time I got through shooting at 25 yards, I'd decided to try the Blazers at 50 because, to be honest, that's pretty much all I had left. After I moved the target frame out, I shot five groups. Fifty yards is a whole lot tougher for me than it used to be when my eyesight was a bit sharper, but I was able to get a couple of nice groups, the best one flirting with three inches.

Recoil with a 10mm 1911, obviously, is a bit sharper than with a .45 but not all that much heavier. The 135-grain Pro-Loads, however, did get my attention; their bark is every bit as impressive as their bite.

The Kimber Stainless Target II 10mm would make an excellent hunting handgun for javelina, small hogs or--in the right circumstances--deer. If Kimber sees a commercial future for this gun/load combo, maybe the company will expand the concept beyond a limited run.

I certainly hope that's the case.