What’s not to love about the 10mm Automatic cartridge?
Jeff Cooper dreamed it up, and Norma produced it for the Bren Ten. The FBI popularized it when they adopted the 10mm Auto as a service round.
It didn’t last long as a service cartridge due to its snappy recoil, but it developed a strong following. The 10mm still kicks around these days, and it seems like a new gun hits the market every year.
While the 10mm was made for handguns, it is also a solid choice for rifles and subguns. Subguns are those large format pistols that are technically handguns, but they look like submachine guns.
Today is all about those long barrel options. We’ve covered handguns before, but rifles and subguns are uniquely suited to the 10mm cartridge. The longer barrel offers more velocity, making these larger platforms easier to shoot at longer distances.
The 10mm offers impressive ballistics out to 100 yards and is relatively flat shooting. At least as far as pistol cartridges go. The powerful little round is great for home defense and even survival situations in a pinch.
Let’s dive into the long guns of the 10mm world.
THE QUICK LIST
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Editor’s Pick
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Best High End Roller Delayed
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Best for Hunting & Survival
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Best High-End Straight Blowback
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Most Affordable
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Best Conversion System
Table of Contents
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How We Chose the Best 10mm Rifles & Subguns
I’ve spent a lifetime shooting that started in a family that hunted every season they legally could. From there, I joined the United States Marine Corps and spent five years as an infantryman.
In the middle of my Marine Corps career, I began writing and have never stopped. I soon earned my NRA instructor certification.
I love shooting, and I love guns — weird guns, old guns, new guns, tactical guns, and especially shotguns. I’m a continual student of firearms, and I strive to educate myself to provide the best information possible to the readers of Pew Pew Tactical.
We constantly test gear and regularly update articles as new models become available, so if you’re favorite isn’t here, check back soon!
Best 10mm Rifles and Subguns
1. Editor’s Pick – CMMG MK10 Banshee
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Radial delayed blowback system reduces recoil and increases reliability.
- Lightweight and well-balanced design
- Compatible with Glock magazines
Cons
- Expensive, though not the most expensive in its category
The Banshee series might be my favorite series of PCCs and subguns. This radial delayed system is neat, simple, and effective.
The 10mm works great with the CMMG Radial delayed technology. Straight blowback is fine, but radial delayed cuts recoil while increasing reliability. You get to ditch the heavy buffer and bolt and get a much better-balanced gun.
This results in the MK10 Banshee being super easy to shoot, highly reliable, and lightweight. The MK10 makes excellent use of the 10mm cartridge and allows you to take advantage of those full-powered 10mm loads without excessive recoil or reliability issues. It’s perfect for self-defense against everything from two-legged to large four-legged vermin.
An 8-inch barrel offers a nice velocity boost to an already fast-moving round. More velocity means better penetration and expansion. With this flat shooting cartridge, you can even shoot a little further with greater accuracy.
CMMG packs the MK10 series with all the modern features you expect from an AR. It’s optics-ready and has a nice M-LOK rail for accessories. A brake at the end of the barrel will even cut some recoil down for a more comfortable experience.
Price-wise, it’s expensive but is far from the most expensive 10mm subgun or rifle. To me, the price is well worth it. The Banshee series are excellent subguns, and I can happily say it takes Glock mags.
Want to learn more? Read our CMMG Banshee 10mm Review!
2. Best High End Roller Delayed – Dakota Tactical D54/10
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Known for high-quality construction and quality control
- Lightweight and maintains the iconic MP5 design
- Features a Picatinny rail for optics and a sling swivel for support
Cons
- Very expensive
- Limited production runs
Dakota Tactical is the secret of roller-delayed fans everywhere, and I have to spoil it.
Dakota Tactical makes MP5-type rifles and subguns in various configurations, as well as HK G33-type rifles. When the 10mm landed on the FBI’s doorstep, they also wanted an SMG to match.
This led to the MP5/10, a 10mm MP5. Dakota Tactical carries on that tradition with its own semi-auto MP5/10 pistol series. These subguns give you all the roller-delayed love you could ever want.
A roller delayed 10mm is surprisingly light recoiling, and it seems like the roller-delayed system was made for the 10mm round. Dakota Tactical excels at quality control and putting out all-around excellent firearms. They are relentless in their construction and ensuring their customers get the best roller-delayed firearms.
In 10mm, it maintains a lightweight and lithe design that the MP5 world is known for. The straight magazines were a sign of the original MP5 mags and a necessity for the 10mm design. It gives it a unique look.
Don’t worry about claw mounts. You get a Picatinny rail across the top, perfect for a red dot. At the back, we don’t have a stock, but instead, a sling swivel just begging you to play SAS commando with some sling tension.
It’s as MP5 as it gets. Sadly, it’s also very expensive, and Dakota Tactical isn’t mass-producing anything. The runs of these guns are short and not often, so grab one when you can.
Want more MP5-like guns that aren’t tied to 10mm? Check out our guide to the Best MP5 Clones!
3. Best for Hunting & Survival – TNW Aero Survival Rifle
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Offers a good balance of features, design, and price
- Breaks down easily
- Suitable for hunting and self-defense, with Glock mag compatibility
Cons
- Straight blowback system doesn't help with recoil reduction as much as other systems
The TNW Aero Survival Rifle series is probably the best-value 10mm rifle on the market. That doesn’t mean it’s the cheapest, but it offers the best combinations of features, design, and price. This series offers super slick designs that are very AR-like but aren’t quite ARs.
They use the AR layout with some design cues. Like the safety position, receiver extension, pistol grip, and magwell placement. However, it differs in the charging handle location, the operating system, the receiver design, and, of course, the barrel design.
The barrel on these platforms is easily removable, making it an excellent take-down rifle and allowing you to swap calibers fairly easily. It’s a great survival rifle option, which is why it made this list.
The 10mm is powerful enough to be a competent defensive cartridge but is also an excellent pistol caliber for hunting medium game, including deer. You even have an excellent bear defense gun with the right projectiles and cartridges. It’s semi-auto, easily breaks down, and even takes Glock mags.
The gun uses a standard blowback operating system with a one-pound bolt to ensure it operates safely. Straight blowback doesn’t do wonders for recoil reduction, but it’s still a pistol cartridge through a rifle, so your shoulder isn’t going to be bruised and beaten.
The 10mm variant can be converted to 45 ACP fairly easily and fairly cheaply. The Aero Survival Rifle series also comes in subgun pistol varieties if you want something smaller than the rifle.
It’s the best 10mm option for less than $1,000.
4. Best High-End Straight Blowback – B&T APC10
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Integral buffer reduces recoil in the straight blowback system
- Takes Glock 20 magazines
- High-quality, crisp trigger
Cons
- Stiff integral spring makes it hard to rack
- Expensive
B&T recently received the first Army contract for a submachine gun since World War II for the APC9K series. The APC9 is fairly well known, but believe it or not, they upped the cartridge by one millimeter and embraced the centimeter. This resulted in the oh-so-cool APC10.
This gun uses the same straight blowback system as the APC9, including the integral buffer that takes all the sting out of direct blowback operation.
The buffer built into the weapon’s design takes a lot of sting from the gun’s recoil and helps tame the 10mm.
This is a subgun, a.k.a. a large-format pistol. The gun takes Glock 20 magazines, which are plentiful and easy to find — definitely toss on some magazine extensions to get that SMG-like capacity.
B&T does this crazy thing where they embrace modern ergonomics, and many companies could take a page out of their book. The B&T APC10 features ambidextrous everything. This includes dual, non-reciprocating, folding charging handles and basic lower receiver controls. It’s all ambi and fantastic.
The trigger is an awesome addition to the gun. It’s light and crisp, making it easy to shoot accurately. Toss an optic across the top, and you have a handy, uber-powerful weapon for home defense or just larping as a 1980s European bad guy.
B&T’s APC10 is one of the most modern options in the 10mm market. It’s designed extremely well and does command that high price point B&T is known for. My only complaint is the gun’s stiff integral spring, which makes it hard to rack.
5. Most Affordable – Hi-Point 1095
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Affordable
- Simple functionality
- Includes adjustable sights and a rudimentary adjustable stock
Cons
- Limited features and refinement
- Uses single-stack magazines which might limit capacity
- Ergonomics are meh
The Hi-Point 1095 doesn’t exactly deliver a modern rifle with tons of features. What it does offer is a dirt cheap 10mm rifle option.
I won’t say it’s the best option, but most Hi-Point owners seem satisfied.
The 1095 doesn’t offer refinement but goes bang and can reliably handle the 10mm round. It’s optics and accessory-ready with rails and polymer rails…but rails nonetheless. We do get adjustable sights and even a rudimentary adjustable stock.
The gun is stuck with its single-stack mags, but they work. It uses a straight blowback design, which is no surprise. If you have $300 and need a 10mm carbine, this option will take you over the finish line.
The trigger isn’t impressive, but it’s workable, and honestly, that can be said about dang near everything with the Hi-Point carbine. The ergonomics are okay. They work but won’t blow your mind.
The Hi-Points’ biggest redeeming quality is providing a working, reliable carbine in the hard-hitting 10mm without breaking the bank.
What do you think of Hi-Point? Rate them below!
6. Best Conversion System – META Tactical Apex + Glock 20
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Converts a Glock 20 into a bullpup rifle
- Versatile
- Large amount of rail space for optics and accessories
Cons
- Not compatible with suppressors
- Bullpup design leads to slower reloads
The META Tactical Apex kit is a bullpup rifle conversion for Glock firearms.
They started with the basics in 9mm and 40 S&W but have since adopted the 10mm cartridge. This is a bit of a wildcard choice, but it’s a very functional, futuristic look and compact carbine kit.
The META Tactical Apex kit comes with a 16-inch barrel. You’ll provide the Glock 20, and the Apex Kit turns it into a rifle — a bullpup rifle that’s just a hair over 26 inches with the stock deployed.
This kit sees Glock’s reliability fused with the handling of a modern rifle.
This includes ambi, nonreciprocating charging handles, and options for lefties who reverse their Glock magazine release. Speaking of left-handed shooters, the ejection port has a massive shield to protect your face if you are a left-handed shooter.
It brings a super compact, lightweight firearm in the mighty 10mm. Since the Glock is a short recoil system, the Apex is also short recoil, which results in very little recoil. The combination of the two makes for a potent home defense weapon.
The Apex kit offers you tons of rail space for optics and accessories. You can depart from small-scale mini-red dots and embrace full-sized optics, including lower-powered prisms. Take advantage of that 10mm power and range with a magnified optic or magnifier behind your red dot.
There are some downsides. Suppressors won’t work with the system. It also has the same compromises any bullpup would have with slower reloads and a trigger best described as okay.
It’s a very fun system, and if you already have the Glock 20, it’s one of the cheapest ways to get into the world of 10mm carbines.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Final Thoughts
While the 10mm is a great handgun round, it’s also a great round in rifles and subguns.
It’s powerful and provides an excellent flat-shooting cartridge beyond most handgun rounds. 10mm is a great cartridge for various roles, so why limit it to handguns?
Do you have a favorite rifle or subgun that uses the mighty 10mm? If so, let us know below! Looking for 10mm pistols? Check out our guide to the Best 10mm Handguns!
3 Leave a Reply
You didn’t mention the Mech Tech conversion for the G20. From various online reviews it’s a winner. Cheaper than the Apex in certain configurations and many options.
What about the Kriss Vector in 10mm. AMAZING gun that eats the recoil and puts rounds down range reliably. Adamantly she is picky on mags and she does get dirty but wayyyyyy better than 2-3 firearms on the list
So, while the FBI 10mm pistol was discontinued for various reasons not the keast of which was the pistol itself was very problematic, the 10mm cartridge stayed in the Bureau's inventory for over 20 years in the HK MP5/10 format.