Hornady Critical defense bullet rubber insert sticking?

[Lokdog]

I know this sounds crazy but I've noticed that with these rounds, they seem to grab the inside wall of the magazine when feeding causing the cartridge to pivot upwards a bit. Cycling them through by hand doesn't seem to interfere but I know I can't duplicate the speed of a real world cycling through firing. Has anyone else noticed this or am I losing my mind?

 

[rocket500]

It's certainly possible, what kind of firearm?

 

[Glockster30]

I know this sounds crazy but I've noticed that with these rounds, they seem to grab the inside wall of the magazine when feeding causing the cartridge to pivot upwards a bit. Cycling them through by hand doesn't seem to interfere but I know I can't duplicate the speed of a real world cycling through firing. Has anyone else noticed this or am I losing my mind?

No, you're not losing your mind. I've read about this happening with the polymer tips in some mags, so I avoid them. I'll see if I can find one of the articles that I read about this.

 

[Lokdog]

It's the S&W sw99 (Walther clone) in .40. I have 6 Mec-Gar magazines & it seems to be happening in all of them. I noticed it unloading the mags by hand & then loaded them with Federal HST & those cycled through like butter. Definitely would be cautious w/ the Hornady now

 

[Sawicki1991]

Iv ran them in a m&p 45c, keltec p11, Glock 42, and a p64 makarov and have had no issues at all cycling them. Maybe they just don't agree with the mag design of your gun.

 

[Lokdog]

I actually have shot about 10 through at the range a while ago & didn't seem to have an issue but that was slow fire. I'm just thinking about if I had to use them for real I feel I would be firing faster. Guess I'm gonna use the rest @ the range rapid fire (range rapid fire I should say) & see how it handles. Might be staying w/ the HST now seeing it's in my head now & that's all I would be thinking about if I was carrying the critical defense.

 

[Glockster30]

This isn't one of the complaints/reviews that I read, but the polymer tip appears to be an issue in some guns (as noted by this guy in his sig. I also came across another complaint that the polymer tip was getting stuck under the feed ramp, so the guy used clear nail polish to coat the polymer making it hard so that it would feed better. Next time you do your nails, try it.

Posted 23 March 2014 - 05:05 PMYesterday I picked up a few (8) boxes of Hornady Critical Defense 9mm because I got tired of not being able to find any Speer Gold Dot anywhere. What a waste of money it turned out to be.

I wanted to test it today mainly on my carry gun (Sig P239) but also put around 10 or so rounds through my Glock 19 gen 3. My Glock seemed to eat it up with no problems. So far so good.

Then it was time to feed my Sig with it for about 100 rounds or so. I wanted to put this many through it so I could be certain that it would be reliable as my carry ammo. First magazine loaded up, and go to chamber the first round (using slingshot method...not using the slide release) and the slide stays mostly locked back. I look down in the chamber and see that the round is stuck. So I lock the slide back again and release the mag, at this point the stuck bullet flies out like it was just fired. Great...wasted a round right there. So I inserted the magazine again and released the slide. Chambered just fine and I started shooting. Same magazine but 3rd bullet the slide is partially locked back again. Followed the same routine as before. Then continued on to finish out that magazine.

This all happens several more times with different magazines. It happened with each magazine I own (6 total). What happens is when I insert the magazine for some reason that bullet moves forward sometimes up to 1-2 mm and that's where the problem starts. I noticed that if I had another bullet catch up again all I had to do is lock the slide back and then push the bullet to the rear again and then it would feed just fine.

So with all this said, I simply cannot trust this ammo (it's the one with the red plug or whatever in the tip) with my life. So it's just going to be range ammo the next time I go shooting. After coming home and doing a bit of google I've found this is actually a common complaint with this ammo. I wish I would have known this before I dropped almost $200 on what was supposed to be my new carry ammo. Oh well, live and learn. So before I left the range I asked what they had available for self defense ammo and ended up picking up some Winchester PDX1 and will put some of that through my Sig the next time I go to the range. It seems to have a good reputation so I'm fairly confident it will work for me. Cycled some through my gun at home and didn't have any of the feeding problems the Hornady did.

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=47202

 

[Lokdog]

Lol. Thanks. Funny about the nail polish because I was thinking of rubbing a pencil over them a few times to coat them in graphite.

 

[amm5061]

I've actually never had any trouble with them in my VP9. I cycled a box of them through it several months ago (an expensive proposition given the cost of a 25 round box) and had no failures. I also make sure to tap my rounds back to the rear of the magazine, so the polymer tips usually don't come into contact with the front of the magazine. There's about a 1/8" gap between the tip and the front of the mag.

 

[Sniper (+)]

Got them in my lc9s. No issues.

 

[Caveman]

Had Hornady defense jam up on feed ramp of Glock 23. After that switched to PDX-1, HST, and GD. Havent looked back and haven't had a failure since. Defense ammo shouldn't have to be tweaked to work.

 

[StevieP]

I tend to "thump" all my loaded gun mags against the palm of my other hand to get all the cartridges sitting as far back in the mag as possible & leaving as much space as possible in front of the tip. Just seemed common sense to me they'll feed better.

 

[Lokdog]

Absolutely. But as the next round gets pulled out of the magazine by the slide it shifts the round beneath it forward slightly just enough to put the tip against the front of the magazine. So the first round of the mag, no problem, but after that, your at the mercy at how stiff your mag spring is I guess

 

[Wrench75]

It's the S&W sw99 (Walther clone) in .40. I have 6 Mec-Gar magazines & it seems to be happening in all of them. I noticed it unloading the mags by hand & then loaded them with Federal HST & those cycled through like butter. Definitely would be cautious w/ the Hornady now

I think I found your problems.

 

[rocket500]

Some guns prefer different ammo. If yours doesn't like the polymer tip stuff there is no shortage of good quality hollow points from other brands. I'd advise switching ammo vs. taking chances with your defensive piece.

 

[spcantwell]

They're Critical Defense and critical duty are the only ones I carry in my Sigma bodyguard and 1911. Plan on carrying them in my G22 cologne as well but haven't gotten to the range yet. Never had any problems with failure to feed or eject. I even got if you mags worth through my high points with no issues

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[whalerman69]

I know this sounds crazy but I've noticed that with these rounds, they seem to grab the inside wall of the magazine when feeding causing the cartridge to pivot upwards a bit. Cycling them through by hand doesn't seem to interfere but I know I can't duplicate the speed of a real world cycling through firing. Has anyone else noticed this or am I losing my mind?

I thought it was just me also. Noticed the same thing in my Sig 229 .40 while pushing rounds out of mag with thumb. I thought at first maybe it was worn mag springs as I bought gun 1995 but pretty much a safe queen. Run them through my g27 no problems.

 

[thesyguy]

I had lots of problems with the polymer tip either causing issues in the magazine or even catching the bottom edge of the feed ramp and jamming my M&P 9C. No longer have any of these as they cause my EDC to be unreliable.

 

[GeorgeMason]

I use these for carry ammo. Never have had an issue. Hundreds through my bodyguard and G19, all flawless. Another 75-100 in both mine and the wife's G26, all flawless as well.

 

[bfm]

Some guns prefer different ammo. If yours doesn't like the polymer tip stuff there is no shortage of good quality hollow points from other brands. I'd advise switching ammo vs. taking chances with your defensive piece.

Yup. I always try to shoot at least 100 rounds of anything I might carry to see how it runs. Any problem and I try something else.

 

[M&P]

I always tap my magazine so all of the rounds are flush against the rear of the magazine. I've ever had any problems cycling critics defense. I've maybe shot off 300-500 rounds of it. I will also usually draw and run drills with a weapon from concealment when I first get to the range - even if that weapon has been loaded for months on end. And even then I've not had problems. I say this because one might make the assumption that aligning the rounds in a range situation isn't the same as the firearm being carried and jostled. But I've done it both ways and had no issues.


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