Re “.410 Defense Guns: Bond Arms, Taylor’s, and HenryShoot It Out,”
September 2023
Hi Todd, I enjoy reading Gun Tests because it’s the unvarnished truth about guns and other things. I was sorry that there was no discussion or testing of the 2.5- or 3-inch .410 shotshell in 000 buck. I have a Taurus 454 Raging Magnum Judge with a 6.5-inch barrel. I’ve watched every YouTube video on 2.5- and 3-inch .410 loads. I believe that the 000 buck is the best defense load. Lots of power, pretty centralized impact, and less danger to neighbors with a miss. The 2.5-inch shell gives four 000 balls and the 3-inch shell gives five 000 balls. The Federal Premium seems to keep the tightest spread as you approach the 21-foot distance for defense.
Gel testing and penetration seems about perfect for home defense. The ammo is hard to come by. I’m considering using it instead of my 9mm pistol, even if the pistol holds more rounds. Can we have definitive testing of the 000 buck in .410 in another article? — Bill
Hey Bill: We covered several of the .410-bore loads in the September 2017 issue, which you can download as part of your subscription. One of the loads tested was the Federal Premium .410 Handgun Personal Defense 2.5-Inch PD412JGE 000 Buck shotshell, which got an A grade. In that review, we said, “This is a formidable loading. While the payload is smaller than 12- or 20-gauge buckshot, penetration is on the par with the larger shells. 000 isn’t as large as 00; however, it is well matched for the .410 shell. Results were very consistent at 18 inches of water penetration from the handgun [an S&W Governor revolver with a 2.5-inch barrel]. The load gained some 400 fps in velocity from the shotgun [a Mossberg Cruiser with 18.5-inch barrel] and 2 more inches in penetration. Penetration is ideal, and we feel that a well-centered pattern should prove effective. The copper-coated projectiles flattened to an extent in water. This is the recommended load for .410 defensive use in the home in both of the firearms.” Other test samples included Remington Game Load .410 Bore 2.5-Inch .5-oz. No. 6 GL4106 (Grade C), Winchester PDX1 Defender Ammunition .410 Bore 2.5-Inch S410PDX1 (Grade B in the handgun and Grade A in the shotgun), and Winchester Super-X .410 Bore 2.5-Inch 0.2-oz. Rifled Slug X41RS5 (Grade B).
In the August 2012 issue, we tested six .410-bore shotshells in 2.5- and 3-inch lengths. The two top-ranked Grade A shotshells in that review were the Winchester Super-X .410 Bore XB4133-inch 000 Buck and Winchester Supreme Elite PDX1 .410 Bore 2.5-inch S410PDX1.
— Todd Woodard
Re “SIG P320 X10 and Glock40: 10mms Tested Head to Head,”
January 2024
Hi Todd, I was very pleased to see this comparison because I just bought a SIG P320 X10 last summer. Because I am a snowbird from Idaho, with vacation travel and visitors, I have yet to be able to shoot it, but I plan on solving that issue soon. That said, I have a question about the SIG X10. The information I have on my pistol does not show that it has any safety. There is no trigger blade or other manual safety on the pistol. However, your specifications table lists that it has a firing pin block as a safety. Is that correct? If so, how does that work? — John
Hey John: There is an extra linkage in the X10 (on the next page, shown on the right in the accompanying image, and marked by the dental pick) that is supposed to serve as a half-cock notch, preventing the striker from completing its movement in the event of a drop. The fire-control unit from a P320 9mm (left) does not have this piece. Thus the X10 safety’s inclusion in the specs table in the article.
— Joe Woolley
Down the Rabbit Hole
Todd: I ran across a Gun Tests article on shotguns to buy and avoid from 2020, which lead me to other articles on the magazine’s Gun-Tests.com site. Eventually, I saw your online profile and history of collegiate shooting. Being a proud dad, I had to let you know I have a daughter, Nina, on the school’s rifle team at TCU in Fort Worth. Anyway, one would think the dad of a daughter shooting collegiately would be into guns, but that wasn’t the case for me. After moving to Montana 12 years ago, it was more of a “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Because firearms are a big part of the culture here, I needed to get my girls exposed to shooting, and look how things turned out for her. — Brian
Hey Brian: Congrats on your daughter attending and competing for TCU. I was beaten by their female shooters for many years. Their coach, Karen Monez, has been a good shooter herself for a few decades. Your daughter is lucky to train in such a good program. I hope Nina goes on to represent her family, school, and country for many years. — tw
Reader Arthur Says Buy Ammo Now
As we approach the November election, I think the ammo market will tighten once again, similar to the Covid/rioting/Hillary panics we’ve been through. I believe much of it will be caused by dealers and wholesalers within the trade, sorry to say, who will take advantage by locking their stock up in vaults until the next panic cycle begins. If the current president wins, his party will go after our hobby with a vengeance. Right now, I see cases and cases of nice-looking 9mm ammo from Turkey, Hungary, and other countries at very low prices. Stock up now! — Arthur
Hey Arthur: I agree that ammo supplies will tighten the closer we get to November, which will drive up prices. I don’t agree that the trade causes the shortages. Demand outstrips supply. — tw
