Taurus TH10, Old-School 10mm Bear Medicine

Previous-school. 10mm Bear medication. These phrases don’t routinely go collectively, though many 10mm pistols are carried as safety towards bears and different toothy critters. The “old-school” half doesn’t match. What do I imply, old-school? If you happen to look intently on the beavertail within the photograph above, you will notice the nub of a hammer protruding of the rear of this gun simply above it. Hammer? Sure. Striker? No. The TH sequence of Taurus pistols function a DA/SA set off, full with a security that features as a decocker. Holy Eighties, Batman!

If you happen to suppose this 10mm DA/SA blaster is a one-off, you’re incorrect. Taurus desires to present shooters who favor that sort of pistol a alternative, so that they make 23 completely different DA/SA fashions. Select from 5 body finishes (black, tan, grey, cyan, and OD) and two gun sizes (full and compact). Calibers? We’ve obtained 9mm, 10mm, 40 S&W, and .45 ACP. You’ve a alternative and should not restricted to at least one or two calibers. The 10mm and .45 ACP calibers solely are available in full-size and black, whereas the opposite calibers provide the talked about shade and gun measurement variables. So, followers of DA/SA pistols are in luck. See the entire shebang right here.

Why DA/SA?

In case you aren’t accustomed to the time period “DA/SA”, you is probably not alone. What does DA/SA stand for? It’s the acronym for Double Motion/Single Motion. Isn’t it one or the opposite, you might surprise. I don’t imply to confuse you, so let me clarify…That sort of pistol motion obtained its begin earlier than WWII, nevertheless it was actually standard amongst American shooters within the Seventies-Eighties. It has, for probably the most half, given option to striker-fired pistols. One of many extra well-known examples of a DA/SA pistol from the sooner period is the German Walther P38. As with the P-08 Luger, collectors go ga-ga over the P38. It was the primary profitable DA/SA pistol to serve in a navy position, in 9mm. One other DA/SA pistol you might be accustomed to is the Beretta 92FS. This type of motion isn’t as standard because it as soon as was within the Seventies and Eighties, however some shooters love the DA/SA set off and the flexibility to hold the gun with the hammer down, or cocked and locked like a 1911.

Right here’s the way it works…

Pistols made to be DA/SA have set off mechanisms that permit for the gun to be carried with the hammer down, after which fired by pulling the set off by means of a protracted DA arc. That is precisely how a DA revolver works. That first set off pull is lengthy and pretty stiff. However, after the primary shot, the hammer stays cocked. The subsequent time you pull the set off, the pull is lighter… once more, simply as in case you’d thumb-cocked a DA revolver’s hammer to fireside in SA mode.

There’s one profit that DA/SA semiauto pistols have that revolvers don’t (except you take into account decreasing the hammer slowly along with your thumb to serve this perform): a decocker lever. When the pistol’s hammer is again, say, after loading a recent journal and racking the slide to load the chamber, you possibly can press the security lever down, and the hammer will safely fall ahead towards the body. That means, you gained’t be carrying a pistol round with a cocked hammer except you wish to, after all.

Right here’s one other benefit of the DA/SA system. Many shooters got here to DA/SA pistols after coaching with and utilizing 1911s. They had been used to carrying weapons cocked and locked. So, they continued to take action with their new Marvel Nines, as they had been referred to again within the day. That’s one more reason to contemplate going to a DA/SA pistol. That was one of many major causes that Jeff Cooper, a famous 1911 aficionado, sang the praises of the CZ75 when it got here out. You may carry it in Situation One, cocked and locked, with a spherical within the chamber. Excessive reward, certainly!

Report Card

Right here’s my report card for this explicit pistol earlier than going into extra element under.

RELIABILITY: A | No failures of any variety
BUILD QUALITY: B+ | (see under)
ACCESSORIES: A | A pleasant case, 3 backstraps, and a pair of magazines included
ACCURACY: B | It shot 5 inches excessive, however the teams had been acceptable for its goal
OVERALL VALUE: B+ | A few gadgets saved it from being an A (see under)

Observations

The pistol is available in a really good, onerous plastic case with the extras listed above. Taurus has upped their recreation in terms of pistol circumstances. The pistol fired every little thing I requested it to with no FTF or FTE issues, in order that was not a difficulty. The place I had an issue was with the journal launch. I might barely get the button pushed in far sufficient to launch the mags… I needed to flip the gun the wrong way up and do a gorilla grip on the discharge to let it work.

One other glitch was the sight association. The sights are well-made and are nice to make use of, besides that the regulation was off. The gun shot roughly 4 inches excessive. The 2 consultant goal pics under had been taken earlier than I pulled the sheets off the goal backer as a result of a few of the photographs had been off the paper. I used to be utilizing a middle maintain. Later, I went to a 6 o’clock maintain simply to maintain photographs on paper. I suppose that we might take into account that this pistol is zeroed for 75 yards, as that’s the vary that the bullet will drop round 4 inches. That vary is just not out of character for this caliber, for medium recreation comparable to deer.

Lastly, I seen that I wanted to tug the slide again very onerous after I was reassembling the pistol after cleansing. It didn’t wish to get previous the take-down lever except I actually cranked on it. It did work; it simply took some doing.

These had been the few issues I had with this pistol… most likely, the following one down the manufacturing line wouldn’t have these points. If I wished a 10mm to hold on a deer or hog hunt, I’d not low cost this one – the issues talked about might be addressed simply sufficient.

Set off Time

The set off was first rate sufficient… you had the usual-for-DA/SA-pistols 1/2″ or so take-up for the SA pull, however then it broke cleanly at 4 3/4 kilos. The DA pull shocked me in a great way – I measured it at 8 1/2 kilos. Sometimes, weapons on this worth vary that use a DA pull have one which weighs round 10-12 kilos. Not this one. This set off ought to be capable to assist the gun ship small teams for higher shooters than me.

Specs

Right here’s what the web site and my observations say in regards to the TH10…

CALIBER: 10 MM AUTO
CAPACITY: 15 Rounds
FRONT SIGHT: Drift Adjustable
REAR SIGHT: Drift Adjustable
MAGAZINES INCLUDED: 2
ACTION TYPE: DA/SA
FRAME SIZE: Full
BARREL LENGTH: 4.25 In.
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.80 In.
OVERALL HEIGHT: 5.80 In.
OVERALL WIDTH: 1.43 In.
OVERALL WEIGHT: 28.50 Oz. (Unloaded)
TWIST RATE: 1:16 – in RH twist
GROOVES: 6
FRAME MATERIAL: Polymer
FRAME FINISH: Black
SLIDE MATERIAL: Alloy Metal
SLIDE FINISH: Matte Black
BARREL MATERIAL: Stainless Metal
BARREL FINISH: Matte Stainless
SAFETY: Firing Pin Block

Guide Security
Visible Loaded Chamber Indicator

SA TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT: 4 3/4 lbs.
DA TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT: 8 1/2 lbs. (weights measured with a Lyman digital gauge)

Cleansing The TH10

Disassembling the Taurus TH10 is straightforward. As all the time, begin by eradicating the journal and checking the chamber to ensure the gun is unloaded. Pull the slide again a half-inch or so whereas pulling the take-down tabs down. Launch the slide and pull the set off and the slide comes off… separate the barrel and spring from the slide. Clear away and reverse the method to re-assemble the gun. That’s all there may be to it. (You may wish to make certain the hammer is cocked when pulling the slide again – that means you don’t need to cock it with the slide. It makes it only a bit simpler to seat the slide).

Vary Time with the Taurus TH10

I went to my yard vary, arrange targets at 25 yards, and introduced what small quantity of 10mm I had readily available – I don’t personal a 10mm, so I don’t hold scads of ammo round – and arrange with my Garmin Xero C1 Professional chronograph. (Aspect word – the Garmin has gone to my capturing bench with me nearly each time I check a gun or shoot for enjoyable. It’s all the time enlightening to see what velocity a given load is doing, out of the barrel. This transportable, no-wires-or-sky screens radar unit makes that simple).

Anyway, I had two masses that I wished to strive… a 180-grain FMJ load from Magtech, and a 200-grain, hard-cast-bullet load from HSM that claims “Bear Load” on the field. Right here’s what occurred.

I informed you the gun shot excessive—right here’s proof. The group was centered properly and can be an excellent observe load. Discover they didn’t skimp on the speed—this isn’t a mid-range load. At 1140 fps and over 500 ft./lbs. of vitality, this might be efficient for a number of makes use of.

The “Bear Load”

Once more, off the paper, however as soon as that’s addressed, this load will likely be one to contemplate for looking. Penetration wouldn’t be a difficulty. These should not teams that you can cowl with a teacup, however they might work within the discipline for close- to medium-range recreation. I’d like to strive it in our deer woods later this fall.

Picture Time

Summing Up

Regardless that I had a number of points with this pistol, I prefer it. There’s nothing right here that may’t be mounted or accommodated. At a real-world worth of $429 (a number of shops have it at this worth), this gun can be onerous to beat. The set off was above expectations, and the grip was distinctive… simply sufficient texturing and really delicate finger grooves to maintain the gun in place. With two 15-round mags, you ought to be prepared for something within the woods you may run throughout, and the additional backstraps will will let you custom-fit it to your hand.

I prefer it, warts and all… as I stated above, the following one down the road most likely wouldn’t have these points. For a discount 10mm, it really works… I’ve seen worse. It’s a good way to get into the 10mm cartridge for these eager to develop their caliber selections.

About Mike Hardesty

With expertise spanning over 45 years, Mike Hardesty has lengthy loved capturing and reloading. An inveterate reloader, he casts bullets and reloads for a various array of firearms, every dealt with with long-practiced precision. Dwelling in rural Indiana, his homestead boasts a private 100-yard vary the place he shares his love for weapons to his 4 sons, their wives, and eleven grandchildren. As a acknowledged creator, his writings have been featured in notable platforms like Sniper Nation, Bear Creek Arsenal Weblog, Pew Pew Tactical, TTAG, Dillon Precision’s Blue Press, and Gun Made, revealing his ongoing ardour for firearms on the age of 72.