[markm]

So I bought a few cases of Critical Duty in 9, 40 and 45 a few years ago. I've tried them in several guns mostly with disappointing results. Wondering what these will be good for I tried a couple of boxes of the 9 in a new 365. Same result, at first I thought it was a magazine problem but when I looked closer they were catching on the bottom of the feed ramp and failing to feed.
To date I think the only gun they worked reliably in is my USP's in 40. I noticed they changed the bullet shape of one case of 40 I have, making it blunter/rounder but both types of this 40 work in my USP's.
I don't know how they can sell that stuff with the luck I've had.

 

[dsk]

I'm not sure what your issue is, but in my experience Critical Duty and Critical Defense are some of the smoothest-feeding JHP ammo I've ever tried. It runs 100% in both of my P365s for example. Also the .380 Critical Defense is my go-to ammo for small pistols like the Ruger LCP and Kahr P380. I can't explain why you're having issues with it, but without being there to see what's going on there's no way I'd be able to.

One thing to mention though, is that in 9mm the 135gr Critical Duty is fine for duty-length defense guns but it won't expand worth a damn out of short-barreled pistols, not even +P. The 115gr Critical Defense is much better for 3.5" barrels.

 

[Autonomous]

dsk makes a valid point about choosing a cartridge designed for or compatible with the lower velocity of a short barrel.

 

[markm]

I don't know dsk, it's failed in my Sig's (226/229/239/227) and in various 9 & 45 1911's with ramped barrels. When it functioned it show really well though.
I haven't tried it in my M&Ps or Q5s yet but those aren't for defense, but with the problems I've had so far I wouldn't trust my defense to it.

 

[gumbee]

My department tried the Hornady rounds but decided on Federal HST.

 

[Nitro.45]

I don't know dsk, it's failed in my Sig's (226/229/239/227) and in various 9 & 45 1911's with ramped barrels. When it functioned it show really well though.
I haven't tried it in my M&Ps or Q5s yet but those aren't for defense, but with the problems I've had so far I wouldn't trust my defense to it.

Wow, that’s really strange that you have rotten luck in all of those. They have to be working for a bunch of people or they would make a drastic change. Oh well, HST’s and Saber’s for you then! No loss!!

 

[NRAJIM]

I would give the manufacturer a call and explain the problem you're having and mention the different firearms also, you never know they may help you out. I personally have no experience with this ammo as all I have ever used is Speer GoldDot and it has fed into everything I own without fail.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[TRSOtto]

I'm going to suggest the title of your thread is misleading and false.

It's not the Critical Duty ammo that's failing. It's your guns that are failing.

 

[flechero]

I would give the manufacturer a call and explain the problem you're having and mention the different firearms also, you never know they may help you out.

I agree..... sounds like he got a few cases made on a monday morning when they were resetting the machinery!

Age may be an issue though.... since they are from a few years back

 

[Striker2237]

I'm going to suggest the title of your thread is misleading and false.

It's not the Critical Duty ammo that's failing. It's your guns that are failing.

Yup. I've not had an issue with the stuff, though I've never fired enough to really say it works or not.

 

[KCJeep]

I have a few guns with steep feed ramps or other designs that allow the rubber tip to touch enough they will hang up. My Kahr .380 and Kimber Evo exhibit this tendency.

On the other hand it has worked exceedingly well in Glocks and I have a P365XL that feeds it fine too.

It is high quality ammo, I am personally not a fan of minimal expansion but it just shows you should always test carry ammo in your weapon for reliability.

There are so many good options available if Hornady doesn't work well in your gun oh well.

 

[markm]

Ok, I looked through my mail, I'd bought these in 2012/2013. I wont say they failed in all of my guns but I will say every time I've made a range trip (4-5 guns) with this ammo I've had a problem. Yesterday with the 365 I shot two boxes (100 rounds) and had 6 of these jambs.
I will say that I've never had this failure with any other ammo, Federal, Ranger or reloads using Winchester, HAP, Zero or Precision Delta bullets and that's probably with a few hundreds of thousands of rounds fired.
Picts: Couple of boxes I haven't opened yet and some bullets, the two in the middle are the change I found in the 40 bullets. Needless to say I haven't bought any more and I don't know what the bullets look like but it's my opinion that it's that straight(ish) ogee that's the problem. Or maybe the rubbery tip slows the feeding down and allows them to catch on the bottom of the feed ramp.

 

[PolymerMan]

I don't know dsk, it's failed in my Sig's (226/229/239/227) and in various 9 & 45 1911's with ramped barrels. When it functioned it show really well though.
I haven't tried it in my M&Ps or Q5s yet but those aren't for defense, but with the problems I've had so far I wouldn't trust my defense to it.

I had the same issue. I have pistols that would eat just about anything I could feed it, and I got at least one jam with Critical Duty. In some other forums, some have suggested taking a sharp razor and cutting off any of the silicone rubber that protrudes out of the cavity.

I bought it in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The 9mm jammed in my P938, one of the only ammo type to ever fail in that pistol which is my favorite pocket gun. The .40 S&W worked well in everything including my Kahr PM40 which is a pistol similar to the PM9 on the finicky side.

But... the .45 ACP failed in almost every pistol at least once, including my Dan Wesson ECO... just like you described where just enough of the rubber tip protrudes and slows the feeding enough to jam with a nose dive straight into the ramp.

So my solution to the remaining .45 ACP Critical Duty I bought is to load in my Charter Arms PitBull revolver with it. No feeding issues in a revolver...

I won't buy anymore of the Critical Duty.

It's why I like revolvers chambered in semi-auto rounds. They are good to shoot ammo that fail to feed elsewhere.

 

[Striker2237]

Gold dot G2 reject surplus ammo is another that has the elastomer fill, nasty stuff and stops some of my guns but the good ones truck though it. I have like 4000 rounds of the stuff lol!

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

I can't speak for Critical Duty, but Critical Defense rounds work w/o a problem in my BHP 40.

 

[KCJeep]

Or maybe the rubbery tip slows the feeding down and allows them to catch on the bottom of the feed ramp.

The most current 9mm Critical Duty look like the one you have on the far left.

In my guns it is the rubbery tip that is the culprit. If the ramp allows enough contact of the tip it can "grap" and cause a malfunction.

Notice the newest CD has a smaller tip.

 

[Rock185]

Within my humble experience, IF a semi-auto pistol suffers feedway malfunctions with any particular jacketed bullet shape, the truncated cone profile is more likely than a more rounded profile to be an issue. This, whether factory or reloaded. The rubbery tip of the Hornady ammo may not help the situation. I was surprised Hornady decided on the bullet shape they used rather than a more rounded profile as used by most other manufacturers of duty/SD type ammo. I realize Hornady must have tested this ammo extensively in a variety of pistols before initial production, and it's going to work reliably for the vast majority of their customers. That being said, I can often find some ammo or bullet shape that is incompatible with this or that pistol, even though ammo and pistol are both quality products...ymmv

 

[pocketshaver]

Within my humble experience, IF a semi-auto pistol suffers feedway malfunctions with any particular jacketed bullet shape, the truncated cone profile is more likely than a more rounded profile to be an issue. This, whether factory or reloaded. The rubbery tip of the Hornady ammo may not help the situation. I was surprised Hornady decided on the bullet shape they used rather than a more rounded profile as used by most other manufacturers of duty/SD type ammo. I realize Hornady must have tested this ammo extensively in a variety of pistols before initial production, and it's going to work reliably for the vast majority of their customers. That being said, I can often find some ammo or bullet shape that is incompatible with this or that pistol, even though ammo and pistol are both quality products...ymmv

That merely reinforces the main issue with semi automatic weapons. Its all about bullet shape. Hence the man with a revolver doesn't give a rats bottom about bullet profile.

 

[Striker2237]

Within my humble experience, IF a semi-auto pistol suffers feedway malfunctions with any particular jacketed bullet shape, the truncated cone profile is more likely than a more rounded profile to be an issue. This, whether factory or reloaded. The rubbery tip of the Hornady ammo may not help the situation. I was surprised Hornady decided on the bullet shape they used rather than a more rounded profile as used by most other manufacturers of duty/SD type ammo. I realize Hornady must have tested this ammo extensively in a variety of pistols before initial production, and it's going to work reliably for the vast majority of their customers. That being said, I can often find some ammo or bullet shape that is incompatible with this or that pistol, even though ammo and pistol are both quality products...ymmv

That merely reinforces the main issue with semi automatic weapons. Its all about bullet shape. Hence the man with a revolver doesn't give a rats bottom about bullet profile.

Until the rounds unseat and lock the whole gun up, or a primer is slightly too tall and locks the gun up, or anything gets in the way of the dozens of parts and locks the gun up.......

Semi autos are more reliable and more importantly simpler than a revolver and I would argue less ammo sensitive in my experience.

 

[Rifter]

So I bought a few cases of Critical Duty in 9, 40 and 45 a few years ago. I've tried them in several guns mostly with disappointing results. Wondering what these will be good for I tried a couple of boxes of the 9 in a new 365. Same result, at first I thought it was a magazine problem but when I looked closer they were catching on the bottom of the feed ramp and failing to feed.
To date I think the only gun they worked reliably in is my USP's in 40. I noticed they changed the bullet shape of one case of 40 I have, making it blunter/rounder but both types of this 40 work in my USP's.
I don't know how they can sell that stuff with the luck I've had.

I use the .45 CDuty 220 in my 1911 carry gun. It has never been anything but flawless. That load has worked in every 1911 I've seen or heard about. I would bet that the problem is your gun, and not the ammo. My past experience is that if something is catching on the feed ramp transition it is almost always a mismatch between the body of the receiver and the ramp. Polish the hell out of the transition area, contour it more if needed.