460 Rowland vs 10mm: Which Pistol Cartridge Is Superior?

The 460 Rowland (sometimes incorrectly spelled Roland) and 10mm Auto are specialty handgun cartridges that make solid wilderness protection rounds. When we compare the 460 Rowland vs. 10mm, which one comes out on top?

Let’s compare the recoil, accuracy, pricing, ballistics, and more to find out!

What’s the Difference Between 460 Rowland vs. 10mm?

Despite being powerful handgun cartridges, many differences make one better than the other in various instances.

Their visual and size differences aren’t that drastic, as we'll see shortly. However, these minute variations can have significant impacts on real-world performance.

Cartridge Specs

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of technical specifications for each cartridge.

The 460 Rowland is the larger cartridge overall, measuring 1.275 in compared to 1.25 in for the 10mm. It's not a major difference, but it's noticeable.

The 460 Rowland fires a bullet with a larger diameter (0.452 in) contrasted with the 10mm (0.4005 in).

The 460 Rowland's longer case (0.957 in) gives it a little more case capacity; roughly the same as the 45 ACP at about 26.7 grains H₂O. The 10mm has a case capacity of 24.1 grains H₂O.

SAAMI-approved maximum chamber pressure for the 10mm Auto is 37,000 psi. SAAMI has not adopted official specs for the 460 Rowland, although consensus holds that it has a maximum pressure of 40,000 psi.

Let’s see how their dimensions determine real-world performance, beginning with the amount of recoil each cartridge produces.

Recoil: 460 Rowland vs. 10mm

Recoil is a critical consideration for all pistol shooters. A round with heavy recoil (aka “kick”) will be more challenging to control and effectively slow the rate of follow-up shots.

Recoil is the product of propellant weight, muzzle velocity (fps), bullet weight, and firearm weight. Assuming all other variables remain constant, the faster a bullet exits the barrel, the harder it kicks back on the shooter. (That’s just physics, folks.)

A heavier bullet requires more energy to push it out of the barrel at the same velocity as a lighter bullet. The extra resulting recoil energy is returned to the shooter’s wrists (in the case of firing a handgun).

A 10mm firing a 180 grain bullet generally has about 11.4 ft-lbs of energy. While this doesn’t seem like much, it does translate to what most shooters consider to be a snappy pistol-firing experience. That’s why the FBI no longer issues it.

The .460 Rowland has slightly more recoil than the 10mm, although most shooters won’t notice much difference.

This section is a tie, as felt-recoil is extremely challenging to distinguish between the two rounds.

Accuracy: 10mm vs. 460 Rowland

A round’s accuracy is determined by many factors, including the shooter, bullet, firearm, and environmental conditions. Trajectory and recoil also play a role (it’s much easier to be accurate with a round that has low recoil and a flat trajectory).

The accuracy of a cartridge also depends on personal preference, ammo selection, and the firearm you’re firing it in. Ammo retailers love talking about “accuracy,” but at the end of the day, no round is accurate until its owner makes it so.

The slight difference in recoil shouldn’t cause a shooter to flinch more with one than the other, except that the 10mm is more snappy than the 460 Rowland, which can translate into less accurate follow-up shots.

This section is a tie. Both cartridges have a similar amount of recoil, and either can be very accurate by practicing sound fundamentals.

Stopping Power: 460 Rowland vs. 10mm

“Stopping power” is a phrase commonly tossed around campfires, gun forums, and gun store counters. It is entirely unquantifiable, as it is ultimately and solely determined by shot placement. A well-placed shot with a small cartridge will always be more effective at stopping a threat than a poorly placed shot with a larger cartridge.

We can argue about bullet hole size, penetration, and energy transfer capabilities until we’re blue in the face and still get nowhere.

The .460 Rowland has a slight edge because it launches a larger bullet of similar weight at higher velocities. This generates more muzzle energy, translating to more energy available to transfer to the target downrange. It also penetrates better than the 10mm (depending on your chosen bullet).

The 460 Rowland is the first to win a section and takes the early lead. But can it hold on?

Hunting

Both handgun cartridges are used in hunting situations. The .460 Rowland cartridge was specifically designed to mimic the ballistic capabilities of the 44 Mag, which is an excellent close-range big-game hunting cartridge.

The rounds truly shine in bear defense situations, as they are powerful and penetrate deep enough to stop a charging bear in its tracks. Many hunters in Alaska load their 10mm sidearms with hard cast bullets for bear defense. The 460 Rowland can also be paired with hard cast bullets to stop a charging brown bear, black bear, or hog.

While neither is the most popular hunting cartridge, the 460 Rowland has a slight advantage. It was designed to perform similarly to the .44 Magnum and is chambered in some semi-auto rifles.

The 460 Rowland wins this section and extends its lead.

Self-Defense

Many characteristics make up a quality self-defense cartridge. High magazine capacity (this typically depends on the firearm you purchase), accuracy, quick reload time, and lower likelihood of overpenetration are a few that I always consider.

We know neither of these rounds lacks stopping power. They're both comparably accurate in the hands of a competent shooter.

The 10mm was initially intended to replace the 9mm and 45 ACP for law enforcement officers and military personnel. Self-defense enthusiasts also realized the 10mm's benefits, but it didn’t outperform the 9mm or 45 ACP enough to make these cartridges obsolete. It has a broader self-defense ammo selection and costs less to train with than the .460 Rowland cartridge as well.

Since the 460 Rowland is ballistically similar to the 44 Rem Mag, it’s not the best choice for human-sized threats because it’s more likely to over-penetrate and endanger innocent bystanders. However, JHPs and Glock conversion kits are available to turn your 45 ACP pistol into a .460 Rowland conversion, giving some CCWers all the reason they need to choose 460 Rowland for home and self-defense.

The 10mm is the better option for self-defense and wins this section.

Cost & Availability: 10mm vs. 460 Rowland

The 10mm significantly outshines the 460 Rowland in this section. Ammo costs are substantially less, and availability is considerably higher. If you want to do some plinking, even occasionally, the 10mm is the way to go.

Few factory firearms are chambered in 460 Rowland, which means you’ll need to purchase the FNX, Glock 21, Glock 30, Glock 41, or 1911 conversion kit, which includes the conversion barrel, recoil spring, compensator, and everything else you’ll need to switch your pistol to the 460 Rowland. If you’re uncomfortable doing the gunsmithing yourself after purchasing the kit from 460Rowland.com, be sure to find a reputable gunsmith in your area to do the conversion.

The 10mm Auto wins this section and ties up the overall comparison.

Reloading

Reloading is an excellent long-term option for saving money on ammo. However, handloading takes a significant initial investment in money and time.

Since 10mm and 460 Rowland ammunition are expensive, it’s well worth investing in a reloading press and supplies, no matter which one you purchase.

Both cartridges have plenty of load data and materials, so this section is a tie.

Ballistics: 460 Rowland vs. 10mm

Alrighty, all you number crunchers, this is the section you’ve been asking for: the ballistics of each cartridge. Which one is better on paper?

Well, the team at Ammo.com has compiled the ballistics of each one for you to compare and make a decision quickly.

460 Rowland Ballistics

10mm Ballistics

If you just can’t get enough numbers, feel free to take a deep dive into our 10mm ballistics article!

460 Rowland Brief History

Johnny Rowland and Clark Custom Guns designed the 460 Rowland in 1997 using the .45 ACP as the parent case. They aimed to produce a cartridge that could achieve actual .44 Magnum ballistic performance and be fired from a semi-automatic platform. Despite its name, the Rowland is an actual .45 caliber cartridge, like the 45 ACP.

While the 460 Rowland is lesser known than the 45 ACP or 44 Rem Mag, it still has a place among North American handgun hunters.

10mm Brief History

Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, Whit Collins, and Irving Stone created the 10 mm Auto to have a flatter trajectory, stop threats at longer ranges than the beloved 45 ACP, and have a higher magazine capacity.

It didn’t take off initially, but Colt provided some help when it made the 1911 Delta Elite chambered in 10mm. The FBI eventually adopted the 10mm for a short time but ultimately determined that it had too much recoil for field agents to train with and accurately fire.

Today, like the 460 Rowland, the 10mm is a niche cartridge, most often used for bear defense and by a few self-defense enthusiasts who don’t mind carrying a hand cannon as their EDC.

Parting Shots: 460 Rowland vs. 10mm Auto

By now, you’ve learned that the 460 Rowland and 10mm aren’t that different, but their minor differences make each one better in specific instances.

When we compared the 460 Rowland vs. 10mm Auto, the 460 Rowland won two sections (stopping power and hunting). The 10mm Auto won two sections (self-defense and overall cost). Three sections were a draw.

The 460 Rowland is better for big game hunters. The 10mm auto is better for CCWers and target shooters.

Don’t forget to check out our large ammo selection at excellent prices at Ammo.com!