45 caliber HK pistols have a shorter "leade" (the portion of the barrel directly in front of the chamber where the rifling has beenMy handguns feed most all factory ammo.. they are not HK, tho
Their Hornady TAP 230 gr cartridges are seated too long for 45 caliber HK pistol barrels. The bullets touch or jam into the rifling upon chambering of the round. The lesser bullet weight Hornady cartridges don't seem to have this issue, but it is wise to chamber-check all ammo in whatever barrel it is intended to be fired from.. . . What issues does Hornady ammo have?
I use HST in my 45c and have not had any issues. I haven't tried the Gold Dot 230's but I did have some problems with gold dot 124grain JHP's through my P2000sk. Exactly the same issue as the OP had in his 45 with Hornady. I'll be sticking with the HST's for the time being but appreciate the barrel test info provided by orfeo and will definitely use it in the future. Thanks!Some people have reported issues with 230 gr Gold Dots in addition to the Hornady 230gr TAP. Winchester Ranger and Federal HST 230 gr usually both fit and function well in 45 caliber HK pistol barrels. . .
Marked ... great info!Some people have reported issues with 230 gr Gold Dots in addition to the Hornady 230gr TAP. Recommend you take your barrel, and chamber check different kinds of ammo before making a big purchase if possible. Generally speaking, it is primarily 230 gr ammo that is having a problem. Winchester Ranger and Federal HST 230 gr usually both fit and function well in 45 caliber HK pistol barrels. . . they also seem to have pretty damn good terminal ballistics as well (for a handgun).
If you can, take out your barrel and drop a 230 gr Federal HST or Winchester Ranger round into your chamber. Press it in towards the muzzle and try to turn (spin) it with your finger tips on the case rim as you press it in toward the muzzle. If your chamber is clean, it should be finger-tip-turnable with only the case mouth resting against the chamber step. In other words, it should feel the same as if you do it with an empty fired cartridge case with no bullet in it. If the cartridge is too long, then the bullet ogive will be engaging the rifled bore, making the cartridge very difficult or impossible to spin with your fingers while pressing the cartridge in towards the muzzle. If you have really strong fingers, and you do manage to spin an overlong cartridge by easing off a little on how hard you press it towards the muzzle, the rfling of the bore will leave a telltale scratch-ring around the ogive of the bullet when you remove the cartridge and examine it.
The point is that you should always chamber-check your ammo in whatever gun you plan to shoot it out of. Every barrel maker makes their leade a little different. 45 caliber Hornady 230 gr TAP has been an issue in HK pistols. Their other ammo, and everyone's ammo should always be chamber-checked in whatever gun you plan to use it. I would not buy a large amount of any ammo until I first chamber-checked a sample of it in the particular gun it is going to be shot out of.Is it only the 45 models that have issues with Hornady? I have several boxes (22 boxes) of Hornady ammo in .40 S&W and plan on getting a USP 40 Tactical soon, should I start gathering other types of ammunition?
correct.... hornady tap 230gr produced a nasty jam in my HK45. now i know better and make a quick drop-in-barrel test when i buy a new brand of ammo....Their Hornady TAP 230 gr cartridges are seated too long for 45 caliber HK pistol barrels. The bullets touch or jam into the rifling upon chambering of the round. The lesser bullet weight Hornady cartridges don't seem to have this issue, but it is wise to chamber-check all ammo in whatever barrel it is intended to be fired from.