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10mm vs. 327 magnum which is better for home defense

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11K views 37 replies 27 participants last post by  Cold Shot  
#1 ·
I was pondering this thought the other night, which round would you consider being the better of the two for home defense. I realize caliber size and bullet weight alone will put the 10mm in the lead on this one. My question is which would be the "lesser" of the two evils if it had to be fired inside your home, do you think the 10mm would be as bad or worse than firing the 327magnum? The 10mm ( 165gr JHP) would come out of a full size 1911 & the 327 ( 75gr DPX) would come from a SP101 with a 3" barrel. I was just looking for some insight, I was debating the differences between the two for a " night stand" gun. I currently now use my 10mm, keep in mind I am NOT worried about over penatration more about the after effects of firing a weapon in my home and what it will do to my hearing... like I said any insight would be great
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#2 ·
If someone is in your home illegally, then your hearing will have to be put on the back burner. The goal at that point is to be alive the next day. Hearing loss is a serious issue if you shoot a lot, and proper hearing protection is essential, but if you really have to shoot somebody in self defense, putting rounds com is the only thing that matters.

The 10mm is a nasty round by all accounts. You've made the right choice.

The .327 is probably sufficient as well.
 
#3 ·
I do believe that you would not be able to tell a difference between the two just by listening to them.

Stick with the 10mm
 
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#4 ·
Hearing damages is well within the capabilities of either I'm sure, and hearing damage is the least of your concerns if things have deteriorated to the point of actually shooting an assailant inside your home.

Between the two I'd happily choose the 10mm.
 
#6 ·
If I had an open choice I’d say neither, both are too big, but being made to choose, I’d go with the 10mm only because in the future, you’re more likely, to find ammo for it.

Temporary hearing loss like others have said is insignificant, and irrelevant, in a home defense situation.

Your exposure to a psychologically distressing event like your home being invaded will send you adrenaline runnining wild, and you won’t even notice the blast or the flash. Most people who are untrained will go in to fight or flight response, and for that reason, I prefer a smaller caliber handgun for home defense.
 
#8 ·
Hmm.

Seven shot GP100. 115gr Gold Dots @ 1300fps.

Sixteen shot Glock 20. 180gr Gold Dots @ 1300fps (Underwood ammo)

Was there a serious question there?
 
#9 ·
I'll go with the 10mm as it's a auto loader and holds more rounds, not to mention the horse power factor... Either or is fine in the role, but just to answer the question honestly, there you have it.:bier:
 
#10 ·
Are you willing to lose your life to save your hearing? Just shoot--with anything.

I don't know about the 10mm, but the one .357 I owned (Ruger BH) was, shall we say, an ear-splitter!
 
#17 ·
10mm all the way! Not just because thats what I carry but between the two you do have more rounds if multiple BGs. My Delta is the go to gun for everything within 25 yards. Now if you can't handle the full power loads then yes you are better off with the 327 mag but if you can't handle it for the full 7 rounds find something else that you can be good with. Missing 7 or more times does you no good, so make sure you are comfortable with what ever you choose to bet your families life with.
 
#18 ·
The average house has enough carpet and upholstery that the decibels won't be as bad as you might expect, granted it will be loud and I wouldn't do it on a regular basis. See pic below; a revolver will guide sound waves in a "more" direct pattern to your ears (via gas escaping out the sides of the cylinder to barrel gap) than a semi-auto (all gas forward). Will it make that much difference inside a house? I don't know, I haven't tested it. And I'm not going to. That said, lately I've been keeping a 2½ inch barreled Dan Wesson revolver and a speed loader at bedside, though with 38Sp +P’s in it.

 
#20 ·
That's a rough decision. But my opinion, if considering revolvers, stick with the classics. Get a .357mag and load it with .38s if you want something of a bit of a lighter load. Both are tried and true calibers.
 
#21 ·
"The average house has enough carpet and upholstery that the decibels won't be as bad as you might expect,..."

Carpet and upholstery will have no effect on the decibel level.
 
#23 ·
Fired indoors, any handgun is going to hurt your ears... and is probably just as likely to damage your hearing. Don't sacrifice power for your hearing, as there's no point anyway.
 
#25 ·
Why would you use either of these rounds for home defense? Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they both have great terminal ballistics. However, consider their "post-terminal" ballistics. You are surely going to over-penetrate with either of these rounds.
 
#33 ·
I'd go with the 10mm for home defense/self defense. No particular reason other than I think the 10mm will take someone out a lot better which in itself is reason enough.