A 10mm is large enough to kill a polar bear, maybe not the best or optimum choice but it could, I guess a 22 can’t kill a person either?

Very interesting thread -- I went to the Wikipedia link and dug up a few others. I was surprised that the whole unit is only 12 men -- six two-man teams. Six months of training before they go into the field, covering a lot of stuff. From the Wiki:

• Survival course in Greenland (five weeks)
  
• Shooting course
  
• Demolition course
  
• Engine and mechanics course
  
• Reconnaissance course
  
• Firefighter course
  
• Radio and communications course
  
• First aid course
  
• Extended first aid course
  
• Sewing course
  
• Truck course
  

I'd also like to find out more about their activities in WWII. The article mentions encounters with the Germans and calling in American airstrikes on the German sub bases. But my understanding is that the Germans conquered and occupied Denmark during the war. Maybe the Greenland territory was autonomous? Maybe these units became resistance fighters? And, to keep it firearms related, have they been using the same Enfields all along?

quote:

Originally posted by toivo:
But my understanding is that the Germans conquered and occupied Denmark during the war. Maybe the Greenland territory was autonomous?

When Denmark fell to Germany in 1940, Greenland began acting autonomously, and requested the protection of the United States. The US adopted Greeenland as a protectorate for the remainder of the war, which was formalized in a treaty in April 1941, and began providing naval protection for Greenland and stationing soldiers there.

We had a similar arrangement with Iceland starting in July 1941, which had also begun acting autonomously after the occupation of Denmark, and was initially occupied by the British in 1940 before the US took over its protection the following year.

Even before the US formally entered the war in December 1941, the US viewed protecting Iceland and Greenland as vital to safeguarding the US sphere of influence from German interference and protecting the shipping and air lanes through the area. And after declaring war on Germany, they became even more important.

quote:

Originally posted by toivo:
And, to keep it firearms related, have they been using the same Enfields all along?

The Sled Patrol was initially provided 50 M1917s by the US Coast Guard early in the war. After the war, the US and Canada provided Denmark with additional M1917s and other small arms to help them rebuild their military. The M1917 was adopted as the Gevær M/53, and even though it was phased out for the regular Danish military in favor of the Garand and later HK G3, has remained in service with the Sled Patrol.

So while they may not all be the exact 50 rifles they were originally given, having potentially been swapped out for other M1917s over the decades as needed, that model has remained in use by the Sled Patrol since 1941.

Mag dump of 15+1 hard-cast 10mm into a rather ornery and pissed off polar bear? Sounds like a reasonable course of action to me. But what do I know? I'm not the one there in the moment, nor do I particularly want to be.

Recently there have been a few documented incidents of grizzly take-downs with G20s and 10mm loads; seems that most if not all required many of those projectiles to be "inserted" in critical torso locations; no one-shot-and-done scenario this. I can't think of any 'hand cannon'-ish caliber that would be so capable as 10mm. Still controllable enough for accurate rapid fire and powerful enough with the right loading to provide enough penetration to get into the vitals. Helpful however that said grouchy bear is charging someone else in your party (hopefully there IS a party) in order to get a clear profile silhouette targeting on its upper body. No counting on head shots either...unless praying for that rare snout or eye socket score on that most inconveniently bobbing noggin. Yelling "STAY STILL DAMMIT" will probably not work; how rude. Their frontal skull plates are 'annoyingly' thick and sloped and the stories about bullets ricocheting off to destinations unhelpful are widely told around these parts.

Also keep in mind that the 10mm Glock is secondary/backup to their primary .30-06 rifle.

It may not be the perfect polar bear stopper, but it's better than just about any other handgun option as a backup.

Firefighting course?

Now that takes some thinking.... I presume it is for what ever machine they are patrolling in...

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I'd love to know what ammuition they're using.

According to an Article in the American Rifleman,
dated July, 18, 2018:

"The Glock 20 was adopted by the Sirius Patrol around 2000 as a replacement for the 9 mm Luger m/49, the Danish designation for the country’s SIG P210 service pistol, after it experienced problems using the 9 mm Luger cartridge against large mammals. Although 10 mm Auto is not a common chambering in Europe, ammunition is sourced from Serbian manufacturer Prvi Partizan. Issued ammunition features a jacketed flat-point bullet."

quote:

Originally posted by xtrtsqrt11:
Issued ammunition features a jacketed flat-point bullet."

I kept wondering why a “hard cast” bullet would have been better than a jacketed bullet of proper shape.

If, however, the load is one of the two listed on the below site, it’s pretty wimpy for 10mm regardless of what bullet is used:

https://ppu-usa.com/ppu/10mm-auto/

quote:

Originally posted by xtrtsqrt11:
According to an Article in the American Rifleman, dated July, 18, 2018:

"Although 10 mm Auto is not a common chambering in Europe, ammunition is sourced from Serbian manufacturer Prvi Partizan. Issued ammunition features a jacketed flat-point bullet."

Well, this must be the load: Prvi Partizan 10mm Auto Ammo 170 Grain Jacketed Flat Point.

**edit**

Looking at Privi's site, they offer three jacketed flat points for the 10mm- this one in 170 grain and two others in 190 grain, one of them a +P style loading- A-195A is the load number. the hottest and heaviest of the three jacketed flat points- this is what I would choose from their lineup.

https://www.americanrifleman.o...s-of-the-10-mm-auto/


Here's the article, should have included it earlier...

My retirement puts me in Montana.

I purchased an 1895 in 45-70.

But also a 10mm 1911, P220, and CMMG Banshee.

I’d feel more than comfortable with 9-30 rounds of 10mm in semi auto.

Check the stats on bear defense and 97% are successful and about half of those are 9mm.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
My retirement puts me in Montana.

I purchased an 1895 in 45-70.

But also a 10mm 1911, P220, and CMMG Banshee.

I’d feel more than comfortable with 9-30 rounds of 10mm in semi auto.

Check the stats on bear defense and 97% are successful and about half of those are 9mm.

If You don't mind me asking, How is the CMMG Banshee?

quote:

Originally posted by o'sully:

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
My retirement puts me in Montana.

I purchased an 1895 in 45-70.

But also a 10mm 1911, P220, and CMMG Banshee.

I’d feel more than comfortable with 9-30 rounds of 10mm in semi auto.

Check the stats on bear defense and 97% are successful and about half of those are 9mm.

If You don't mind me asking, How is the CMMG Banshee?

Won’t know for another year. Stuck overseas so it’s sitting with family.

However my cousin who bought one at the same time can’t say enough good things about his. The mags seem to work fine, brass ejects well and uniformly. No deformed cases. Nothing to complain about yet.

What do you all think of G21 loaded with 45 Super ammo in hardcast or Xtreme Penetrator ammo if they even make any for this ?? God Bless

In case of a polar bear attack I would imagine considerable dancing around with snarling yapping sled dogs who don’t want to be on the snack menu. Perfect opportunity for the men to use the 30-06 rifle to terminate the encounter. The pistol would seem to best as “back up only”. The 180gr bullet at 1100fps could penetrate the bear’s skull, but seems a bit dodgy. The prudent person would never be far from his rifle.

I spent 6 weeks in the Wyoming “Wind River Range” in Mountain Survival training. During that time we encountered coyote and elk, but no bear. I think the arctic polar bear range is far more risky.

If I were to go out in the safe woods of America today, I think my G27 & 24 rounds would accompany me just in case.

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
What do you all think of G21 loaded with 45 Super ammo in hardcast or Xtreme Penetrator ammo if they even make any for this ?? God Bless

I got a G21 and .460 Rowland conversion. Sadly work keeps me too busy to give a range report. And I won’t really need it until I can escape my Marxist state to a place with real bears.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I'd love to know what ammuition they're using. If the Danes have no other 10x25mm firearms in their inventory, they would have to either develop their own load, or purchase ammunition on the market.

My choice for a G20 in bear country would be Double Tap's 200 grain hard cast solid. This a a gas-checked bullet at 1300 fps at the muzzle of a G20, for 750 foot pounds. Perhaps, do a candy cane loading of the magazines, alternating between DT's 200 grain solid and their 230 drain gas-checked solid. A couple of magazines so loaded, along with a couple of magazines of good hollowpoint ammo like Federal or Speer would make for good ju-ju when strolling through the deep wilderness. Hornady offers 10mm in their Critical Duty line- a 175 grain bullet at 1160 fps. Critical Duty is known for its substantial penetration, and when shooting a bear, penetration is critical.

Thanks for that info. I've been carrying Buffalo Bore Heavy Outdoorsman 220gn Hard Cast in bear country but have not known about the Double Tap until now. Looks very good with even higher fps and foot pounds.