>>63817248
>and was too much for smaller starured and female officers to handle
I can't imagine uncritically repeating decade old boomer brain rot like it's the truth. 10mm sucked for everyone and the FBI never adopted the super hot loads. John Hall, who was running the Firearms Training Unit and the cartridge tests, was such a 10mm fanboy that he brought his own gun in to test and his custom handload. At the time, the FBI wanted a .45ACP with a 180gr bullet. Hall's handloads replicated that in the 10mm Auto with a bit less kick.

The FBI adopted that 10mm load and had S&W build a 4506 in it to equip everyone. But, the pistols had a bunch of problems and so the contract was cancelled. While they were looking around for a new gun, they realized there was a shit load of empty space in the FBI cartridge. They shortened the case to remove the space and allow the cartridge to fit in 9mm framed guns, which made it easier to find guns.

There was never a super hot 10mm load that was adopted. .40 wasn't a watered down cartridge, it was the same as the FBI always wanted. 10mm auto is a meme cartridge with a fake popular history.