Just a thought. Since you changed the firing pin spring and had the same results could the firing pin itself be a tiny bit short? If your firing pin is the correct length then just accept the fact that that ammo is not reliable in your gun. Long story short just don't use it, period. There are too many other good brands of ammo out there. But I do want to commend you for bringing it to our attention. I would think that if Hornady knows it has a problem with light primer strikes, then they should get a new primer supplier. The fact that other brands of ammo works in your gun means Hornady is using very tempermental primers that do not allow for any variance from "standard". That is simply not acceptable in a product marketed as Critical Defense ammo. Critical Defense should imply that it would work in a zip gun with a firing pin powered by a rubber band.
Problem with Hornady Critical Defense
I bought 4 boxes of the new Hornady Critical Defense ammo in 9mm. Yesterday I got a chance to try it out and what a disappointment!! One out of every 3 rounds was a misfire. The hammer left pronounced indentations on the primers but the rounds were duds. Some I even put back in and tried again with the same result. Now I had two hammer indentations on the primer but no fire! :barf:
Today I went to the range and with the same gun (Kahr CW9) I fired my normal carry round, Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. with not a single misfire. Then I ran 50 rounds of Federal American Eagle hard ball with again, not a single misfire.
I'm going to contact Hornady for a refund but needless to say, I would never carry their Critical Defense round.
Today I went to the range and with the same gun (Kahr CW9) I fired my normal carry round, Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. with not a single misfire. Then I ran 50 rounds of Federal American Eagle hard ball with again, not a single misfire.
I'm going to contact Hornady for a refund but needless to say, I would never carry their Critical Defense round.
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Holy zombie threads.......clothes for the clerical undead?Holy zombie thread, batman!
While I don't always agree with DK he is very knowledgable regarding pistol bullet performance. He bases his comments on data from respected industry researchers. This data comes from laboratory testing and medical reports of actual shooting incidents. If you want to know what brand or brands of ammunition is best for a particular caliber DK will give you a list of brands based on their performance using FBI protocol. I do not always agree with the notion that civilian SD ammo must meet all of the FBI's requirements. Hence the statement by the Hornady Marketing Director. They didn't design the ammo to fulfill all of the FBI's criteria. They designed it for what Hornady perceives the need of civilian SD shooters to be. They don't see the need for their bullets to be shot through auto glass, auto sheetmetal, etc. It is good to have a choice if you worry about over penetration. What DK is showing is despite the snappy marketing name for the ammo, it may not be what the end user wants in the way of performance. I don't think being able to pass all of the FBI's requirements makes it the best ammo for each and every person. But if you are going to buy ammo that fits a certain performance niche then it would be best to know the ammo's limitations. It is also vital to know if there are any ignition problems with SD ammo, especially if he ammo is advertised with the name Critical Defense. I think it is critical that ammo goes bang when you pull the trigger.That is a good indirect point (linking to outside source) and one that should be brought front and center...Don't take any one source, from the Intranut, as fact or fiction, and base your intellegence and your life on.
Everybody thats been to different ammo & gun websites should know and see the trends that evolve when you get popular posters that go from contributing to discussions to taking the topic over and taking it upon themselves to try and edjucate the masses to "their line of thinking". Learning from history, why we study it, tells me not to believe everything I read on the internet and have an open mind studying from multiple sources to base my own conclusions on. If I don't, just like in past history, I'm no safer or smarter than than the guys that stood in line for koolaide down in Guyana.
Does DK share his voluminous information? Yup. Is he passionate about bullet performance and ballistics? Yup. Is he a Koolaide drinker? Only if Drs. Fackler and Roberts make the Koolaide. Are his answers repetitive? Yes, but that is only because the same "What is the best ammo for my (insert gun name)?" questions appear weekly, if not daily. Don't get me wrong. DK and I have butted heads over hardcast WFN bullet performance and the anecdotal evidence for the basis of my opinions. HOWEVER, because of his research info (which I respect) I have switched from 230 gr truncated cone ammo to Barnes 185 gr TAC-X bulleted ammo (Corbon) for SD use against 2 legged varmints. I still like wide meplat cast bullets for big 4 legged varmints.
There is a lot of disinformation on the internet. A lot of gunshop legends continue to make their rounds here and on other gun forums. The one I like the best for the 45 is "If 45 ACP ball ammo was good enough for 2 world wars then it is good enough for me!" Fmj ball ammo was used in 2 world wars because it was all soldiers were allowed to use. Not only that but hollowpoints have really just reached their present state of technology in the last few years. It took 2 FBI agents getting killed and 5 agents wounded in 1986 to stimulate the research for the best bullet for law enforcement use. Fortunately, the ammo developed for LE use is also available to the public. Many civilians assume that the best ammo for LE use is also the best for their needs. With that in mind DK uses the FBI criteria and the data of Drs. Roberts and Fackler as the basis for his opinions. I will state without reservation that DK has been very helpful to many newbie 1911 owners by providing useful ballistic data regarding SD ammo.
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