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Practically Shooting

Should I buy this?


Pablo

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I'd like to have a 10mm carbine and I don't really like pistol caliber carbines that much.

There are two things that strike me first about it. Maybe thrre.

First, i think Oly can be hit or miss. I might be more likely to risk trying a conversion upper than jump into a complete Olympic rifle.

Next, I bave never seen a 10mm one. No 10mm ARs at all. I hear people saying they would like to try a 10mm carbine, so I think they would sell. Where are they?

And finally, I'd have to learrn more about the magazine. The link says its a polymer magaxine but that doesn't tell much. Is it a good polymer mag ora bad one? They used to adapt M3 Grease Gun mags for the 10mm I thought. Why quit? Is it going to change again? If so, will that hurt me if I have one before?

I bet one of the MG boards, like www.subguns.com might have some info stuck away somewhere. Surely with all the AR/M16 tinkering, someone must have had one.

I have a SWAT magazine where they test two Oly pistol caliber ARs (9mm and 45 maybe?) but it would be around ten years okd and they might have changed it three times since.

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Olympic Arms is local to me. It'd be a little drive, but not so many gun manufacturers around here (but there is some storied history even closer, but that's another topic). Read their warranty and guaranty. Very strong.

http://olyarms.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=17:warranties&Itemid=3&layout=default

Frankly the risk of hassle of doing just the upper seems more risky than buying a fully functioning gun.

I did a search for other 10mm carbines/rifles. There were a couple in the past, none presently. I think it's just lack of popularity not technical issues. Although Oly's first versions were fully gas actuated and now they are blow-back. Just as interesting if you look around on their site they make a separate carbine line in 9mm and and .45ACP with Glock lowers. I asked them if they made a 10mm with a Glock lower and no response yet.

As for magazines, I read somewhere the blocks with grease mags had issues. Not sure what. Oly makes the specific purpose mag now. Interesting that MidwayUSA and others sells the Oly mags.

Frankly the ONLY thing that slows me down is comparing the ballistics. I mean why not just get a 5.56? Save $100 or so:

http://olyarms.net/index.php?option=com_...=7&Itemid=5

Heck get a 7.62x39 variant.

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Well if you want to get all practical and all smile few, if any, pistol calibers make sense in carbines. Most are ballistically inferior to even lower-end rifle cartridges internally (energy, etc) and externally (trajectory). Plus, reliability is often compromised by using a cartridge half the length and larger diameter than the rifle was originally designed for, and in this case a different operating system (blowback) and magazine.

But...

On paper, ballistics might not compare well, it might not be so bad in the real world. Compared to the 7.62x39, the 10mm would be shooting a larger diameter bullet (1.256 sq in of frontal area vs .973), heavier weight in all commonly available types, and still going roughly 75% of the 7.62x39's velocity. The 10mm might even be better for some things.

And it can be a little easier to reload than .223 or 7.62 due to carbide dies, it uses around half the powder, can be loaded slow enough to take good advantage of a suppressor (and is a little quieter without one). I've been to some indoor ranges that would have allowed pistol caliber carbines but not rifle calibers.

And it has to be fun.

If I didn't have a rifle in a rifle caliber, I sure wouldn't get a 10mm or any other pistol caliber. But I do, so what would it hurt?

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On paper, ballistics might not compare well, it might not be so bad in the real world. Compared to the 7.62x39, the 10mm would be shooting a larger diameter bullet (1.256 sq in of frontal area vs .973), heavier weight in all commonly available types, and still going roughly 75% of the 7.62x39's velocity. The 10mm might even be better for some things.

A hot 10mm in a 16"-18" barrel is nothing to sneeze at.

I ordered the gun.

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Excellent! Finally, someone can test one out for me.

I think it would be great for maybe hogs. I wouldn't hesitate to go after deer with one, except for the pesky IN regs that say the 10mm case is a hair too short. Yet I could use a .38-40 shooting the same diameter and weight bullet...except slower. Sigh.

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  • 1 month later...

I'd wonder about the vel at the muzzle.

When I researched the factory "long" barrel for my Glk 20, there was very little reported improvement in vel contrasting the "std" and "long" bbls. There isn't much accuracy gain, either. (Probably is some, but none that I'd capitalize on anyway when shooting off-hand).

Therefore, I'd have to wonder if the 10mm round would really "gain" much energy out of a carbine over standard handgun? While I agree that every bit helps, you have to ask yourself where the cost/benefit ratio lays. There is a major convenience factor having a sidearm and long-gun chambered for the same round, but there's not even magazine compatibilty to assist with the choice.

A bit off topic (caliber wise) but on topic weapon wise, I've considered the Oly K9-GL, a carbine chambered for 9mm and specifically set up for Glock mags. There would be direct ammo interchangeability there. But the cost (around $1000+) is high considering I'll not net much energy gain, if any.

Pablo - do you have a chronograph where you could test the Vel from your Glock versus the carbine?

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Interesting data; thanks. Looks much more impressive that I had initially thought.

Do you have a chronograph to validate your actual stuff?

My neighbor and I handload a lot and we're just about going to have to get one because we're trying to tune sub-sonic stuff for use with suppressors.

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I bought my M1941 Johnson from a friend in another state. Similar deal: He took it to his favorite gun shop to send to me, and they all went on vacation for three weeks. And there it sat until they returned and got caught up with their regular business. It took a while. I could have driven over and got it.

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