| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Delta Elite | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Design Date: | 1987 |
| Designer: | Colt's Manufacturing Company based on a John Browning design |
| Production Date: | First Generation: 1987–1996; Second Generation: 2009-Present |
| Service: | Various Sheriffs and Law Enforcement on the United States border |
| Cartridge: | 10mm Auto |
| Action: | Single action, Short recoil operated |
| Rate: | Semi-automatic |
| Velocity: | 1329 ft/s (405 m/s) |
| Range: | 109 yd (100 m) |
| Weight: | 2.4 lb (1,105 g) empty, w/ magazine |
| Length: | 8.25 in (210 mm) |
| Part Length: | 5.03 in (127 mm) |
| Sights: | Fixed iron |
| Feed: | 8+1 detachable-box magazine |
| Variants: | Blued, Stainless, Enhanced, 10/40, Bright Stainless |
| Number: | Unknown |
The Colt Delta Elite is a modified series 80 M1911 pistol chambered for the 10mm Auto cartridge. It was first introduced in 1987 by the Colt's Manufacturing Company.[1]
The Delta Elite is credited as being the first firearm produced by a major manufacturer to chamber the 10mm.[2]
The 10mm round was introduced in 1983 along with the first pistol in 10mm, the Bren Ten, which came from smaller manufacturer Dornaus & Dixon, who only manufactured 1,500 pistols from 1983 to 1986 when the company went bankrupt. The Colt Delta Elite was released in 1987 and was the second commercial pistol, and the first from a major manufacturer, chambered in the 10mm cartridge. After Dornaus & Dixon bankruptcy, the Colt Delta Elite was the only commercially available 10mm pistol until the Smith & Wesson 1006 was release in 1990. Due to the 1986 FBI Miami Shootout and the 1984-1990 television series Miami Vice, where one of the lead protagonists had used a 10mm pistol as his primary signature weapon, demand for the caliber, especially with outdoorsmen and as a defense round, increased.[3] Had it not been for Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company making the unexpected decision in 1987 to bring out their Delta Elite pistol, the 10mm Auto might have sunk into obsolescence, becoming an obscure footnote in firearms history.[4]
The Delta Elite is a standard M1911 design, with a few minor differences from the latest Series 80 derivative of that pistol. It carried the rowel "Commander" type hammer of that pistol and the same overall features of the 1911 that have made it so popular with users. However, the Delta Elite carries a stiffer double recoil spring to handle the increased recoil of the 10mm round. Unlike the .400 Corbon, the 10mm can easily exceed the pressure levels of the .357 Magnum, thus stressing the original design's limitations, unless care is given. Many gunsmiths have their own modifications which they feel adjust the level of felt recoil of the Delta Elite. Some of the early 1987-era Delta Elites had a tendency to suffer flex-induced slide rail stress cracks and this was quickly addressed by removing the section of the rail above the slide-stop cutout.
The 10mm Auto round is a longer round, resulting in a larger frame and not being very compatible for smaller hands, key issue for the FBI's switch from 10mm to 40S&W. The FBI, not requiring the full load of 10mm ammunition, found that a downsized 10mm would meet their FBI velocity specification and could fit into a medium frame handgun. Notably, the Unit Chief of the FBI Firearms Training Unit, John Hall, supplied his own Colt Delta Elite and personally hand-loaded ammunition for the tests that highlighted there was a lot of air space in the 10mm round when not fully loaded with gunpowder (meaning the case could be shortened). The 40 S&W debuted in 1990 and uses the same bore diameter and case head as the 10mm Auto, but uses a shorter case to be more compatible to weapons built for the 9x19 Parabellum (9mm) frames. The popularity of the 40 S&W accelerated after the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban prohibited ammunition magazines in excess of 10 rounds (consumers then chose more powerful 40S&W over the 9mm since they were not limited to 10 rounds) and with the FBI adopting the 40S&W in 1997. This demand for a shortened 10mm Auto round, the 40 S&W, removed a lot of demand and attention from the 10mm Auto.[5] The pistol was dropped from production in 1996 due to lackluster sales and the availability of similar powered pistols in smaller framed pistols chambered in .40 S&W.[6]
Colt announced the reintroduction of the Delta Elite at the 2008 SHOT Show. The 2009-version is generally similar to the 1987-version, except for the use of carbon steel versus stainless and the use of heavier recoil springs. The 2009-version Delta Elites were manufactured with the traditional barrel/bushing arrangement, consistent with the 1987-version, even though they were initially announced at the 2008 SHOT show to have the
"bull" bushingless barrel setup. Colt Customer Service stated they had a lack of acceptable accuracy problem with the announced barrel setup and that was the cause of the delay in the Delta Elite's production schedule. The new Delta Elite pistol was released March 31, 2009.[7]
Colt introduced upgrades at the 2016 NRA Show to the 2009-era Delta Elite product line, including; Novak sights, undercut trigger guard, dual spring recoil spring assembly, high ride upswept full-width beavertail grip safety with palm swell, composite stocks (compared to the wrap around rubber grips dating back to the original 1980s version), lightened three-hole aluminum trigger, speed skeletonized hammer, extended thumb safety, tighter tolerances, no full-length recoil spring guide so it breaks down without tools, Delta triangle does not have "10mm" marking inside (nor does it have "10mm" anywhere on the slide), and new angled cocking serrations on the rear on the slide only. The Colt Delta Elite O2020 model stopped production and it is now sold as the O2020XE to distinguish the post-2016 upgraded model.
Original release of Colt Delta Elite featuring pebbled texture wrap-around rubber grips and a solid silver aluminum trigger.[2]
In 2009, Colt re-released the Colt Delta Elite with diamond texture wrap-around grips, updated recoil spring and guide rod.[2]
In 2016, the Delta Elite was upgraded with Novak sights, composite non-wrap-around grips, extended thumb safety, beavertail grip safety, enhanced hammer, flared ejector port, Gold Cup serrations, and 3 hole trigger.
. Dan Shideler. Gun Digest Book of Semi-Auto Pistols. KP Books. Iola, Wisconsin. 0-89689-174-7. 96.
. Massad Ayoob. Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. 26 June 2012. Gun Digest Books. Iola, Wisconsin. 1-4402-2869-8. 90.