Hornady Critical Duty fails to feed property in LC9S& others

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CoyoteHunter_

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 31, 2015
Messages
85
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Indiana
http://www.xdtalk.com/threads/failure-to-feed-hornady-critical-duty.229391/

This is exactly what I found happening in my Ruger LC9S Pro semi auto pistol. The rubber coated tips in these bullets nose dives in the magazine and the nose of the bullet hit the bottom of the feed ramp and jams up there. This happens when I release the slide with the slide release and not just when I hold onto the slide to release it and not let it slam home. It will jam when I do that too. But I should be able to have the magazine loaded fully and the gun chamber empty, put the magazine in the gun and hit the slide release to make the slide go forward picking up the top round and putting it up the feed ramp into the chamber. But this does not always happen properly with this Hornady Critical Duty ammo. I suspect that the Hornady Critical Defense ammo will do the same thing. Which is why I removed this ammo from my Ruger and started to use it in my Walther's PPQ M2 4" semi auto pistol instead. It seems to feed ok in the Walthers pistol as the feed ramp in the Walters is not as steep and it's much smoother and longer.

I blame the design of the nose of the Hornady Critical Duty and Critical Defense for this problem not the gun. As the Blazer Brass FMJ 115 gr ammo feeds perfectly in my Ruger and Walthers Guns.
 

James

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
21
Seems to me like blaming the ammo that works in other guns is a little out of line maybe. For example i use the Honady critical duty ammo in my 38spl, in my Ruger SR40, In My Ruger SR1911, and in my Ruger American 45 and have never had any jam-ups or failure to fires in any of those guns so saying it is the ammo's fault for not working for you in your LC9s to me sounds more like a problem with that particular gun instead of the ammo. Not all ammo works best in all guns, some hate hollow points, some love em just sounds to me like the LC9 just doesn't like that particular ammo which is not all that unusual. Had a H&R 45ACP once that hated Wolf primers...
 

GunnyGene

Hawkeye
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
9,284
Location
Monroe County, MS
James said:
Seems to me like blaming the ammo that works in other guns is a little out of line maybe. For example i use the Honady critical duty ammo in my 38spl, in my Ruger SR40, In My Ruger SR1911, and in my Ruger American 45 and have never had any jam-ups or failure to fires in any of those guns so saying it is the ammo's fault for not working for you in your LC9s to me sounds more like a problem with that particular gun instead of the ammo. Not all ammo works best in all guns, some hate hollow points, some love em just sounds to me like the LC9 just doesn't like that particular ammo which is not all that unusual. Had a H&R 45ACP once that hated Wolf primers...

I agree. I use the CD in my SR9E almost exclusively and never had a problem with feeding or chambering, or anything else for that matter.

A little research shows that the LC9S has a known issue with feeding, but there is a fix for it. Be sure to watch the installation video at the link!!

From Galloway Precision:

https://gallowayprecision.com/ruger/lc9s/captured-sure-feed-guide-rod-assembly-for-Ruger-lc9s/

With the release of the LC9s we saw a new version of the LC9, with new problems. The biggest single problem is the poor feeding and failure to battery due to the bad design of the recoil assembly. We have fixed this giving 100% feeding with quality ammo use. This is our new Captured Sure Feed guide rod assembly for the LC9s. This is a refined version of our Gen 2 Sure feed assembly. This assembly includes a 22lb recoil spring, slide opening reducer, balance striker spring for correct ignition and steel rod. This patent pending system is only available from us, get yours to insure correct function of your LC9s.
 

Rei40c

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
976
I love these rounds and have carried them in years past. One thing to note about them though at least on the batches that came out in 2014-2015. The material that fills the hollow cavity that would typically be left open, but in the Critical Duty it's filled with a material that feels similar to a pencil eraser to the touch.

If you take all of them out of the box and look at them from a side view you will sometimes find that the filler material has protruded too far upwards extending the overall length of the bullet ever so slightly. Causing the exact malfunction mentioned.

When I carried this round I'd say 1 or out of every 20 or so in a box demonstrated this. Note this did not automatically translate into malfunctions. Only 1 of the 1000'ish I fired ever produced this malfunction in my sr40c. I believe this can be %100 remedied by a close inspection of the Critical Duty ammo prior to loading. I personally set the ones that seemed to have the filler extending too high to the side for practice. Even then it was still %99 reliable. I can understand how in a smaller pistol this goes from being a little thing to a big thing. But I suspect that even in the case of the smaller pistols such as the LC9 looking for this condition will reduce your stoppages to nearly zero. I say nearly because I don't believe anything with ammo can ever truly be %100.

Inspect you ammo, not only in the case of the Critical Duty but all ammo types. And before anyone thinks the Critical Duty is a bad round because of this I can't tell you the amount of Gold Dot and Federal HST I've had to set to the side due to the obviously deformed serrations on the jacket tip around the edge of the hollow point. In all of the major brands there's at least 1 or 2 per box of 20 I set aside and reject for being out of spec for one reason or another.
 

CoyoteHunter_

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 31, 2015
Messages
85
Location
Indiana
Rei40c said:
I love these rounds and have carried them in years past. One thing to note about them though at least on the batches that came out in 2014-2015. The material that fills the hollow cavity that would typically be left open, but in the Critical Duty it's filled with a material that feels similar to a pencil eraser to the touch.

If you take all of them out of the box and look at them from a side view you will sometimes find that the filler material has protruded too far upwards extending the overall length of the bullet ever so slightly. Causing the exact malfunction mentioned.

When I carried this round I'd say 1 or out of every 20 or so in a box demonstrated this. Note this did not automatically translate into malfunctions. Only 1 of the 1000'ish I fired ever produced this malfunction in my sr40c. I believe this can be %100 remedied by a close inspection of the Critical Duty ammo prior to loading. I personally set the ones that seemed to have the filler extending too high to the side for practice. Even then it was still %99 reliable. I can understand how in a smaller pistol this goes from being a little thing to a big thing. But I suspect that even in the case of the smaller pistols such as the LC9 looking for this condition will reduce your stoppages to nearly zero. I say nearly because I don't believe anything with ammo can ever truly be %100.

Inspect you ammo, not only in the case of the Critical Duty but all ammo types. And before anyone thinks the Critical Duty is a bad round because of this I can't tell you the amount of Gold Dot and Federal HST I've had to set to the side due to the obviously deformed serrations on the jacket tip around the edge of the hollow point. In all of the major brands there's at least 1 or 2 per box of 20 I set aside and reject for being out of spec for one reason or another.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check the ammo and see what I find. Right now I'm just using the Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ in the little Ruger. I still am using the Hornady Critical Duty in my Walther's PPQ M2 as it's my new carry gun with the Stealthgear OWB Flex holster. I've been also carrying the little Ruger LC9S Pro in a inside the pocket holster and inside my 5.11 tactical vest that I wear under my fishing shirts. The little 5.11 shirt is very comfortable. I'm a XXL guy these days and the XXL shirt size fits me tight and there is plenty of room in the two under the arm pockets for my pistol on one side and the smart phone on the other. The gun is visible inside the 5.11 vest thing but it's completely hidden by the cover shirt. I wear a 3XL magillian type fishing shirt unbuttoned and untucked to conceal both guns if I'm out and about and carrying them both. But most of the time I leave the little Ruger back home. I do wear the vest while at home so that I can have my gun on me at all times. Funny thing is that I didn't like the vest at first and let is sit in the chest for almost a year before finally deciding to wear it. Now I can't take it off. I hand wash it in the sink and let it air dry in the laundry room where it's nice an warm. The 5.11 vest is made out of synthetic fibers and dries fast and wicks water away. I wear it over a regular Hanes or Jockey Crew Neck White T shirt.
 
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