(Photo provided by author.)
October 28, 2025
By Brad Miller, PHD
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Hornady has one entire line of jacketed semiautomatic handgun bullets designed for competitive shooting. They call them Hornady Action Pistol (HAP) bullets. These bullets come in three calibers: 9mm, .40/10mm, and .45. As the name implies, they are designed for competitive shooters in action pistol sports like USPSA, IPSC, and IDPA. HAP bullets are designed for reliable feeding in semiautomatic pistols and have a gilding metal copper jacket that extends the full length of the nose up to a hollowpoint so that no lead is exposed that might hang up on the feedramp. They have a pure lead swaged core for consistency to maintain balance and stability in flight.
Hornady HAP bullets share the characteristic shape of a truncated cone, the exception being the 180-grain .40-caliber bullet that has a slightly curved ogive. (From left: 125-grain 9mm, 180-grain .40, and 230-grain .45.) (Photo provided by author.) At present, Hornady offers seven HAP bullets: a 9mm 0.355-inch 115-grain bullet and a 0.356-inch 125-grain bullet; 0.400-inch 180- and 200-grain bullets for the .40 S&W and 10mm Auto; 0.451-inch 185-, 200-, and 230-grain bullets for the .45 ACP. The 115-grain and 125-grain HAPs can be used in either the 9mm Luger or the .38 Super because those calibers share the same SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) barrel groove diameter specification of 0.355 + 0.004-inch.
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HAPs have the same shape as Hornady’s well-known XTP bullet line but lack the cuts in the jacket nose that promote expansion. Target bullets don’t need to expand. The HAPs are less costly than the XTPs, a big plus when you shoot large volumes of ammo, as many competitors do.
The author has fired a lot of HAP bullets in various pistols, including this 9mm Model 1911 with a Para Ordnance wide-body frame, a Caspian slide, and a Kart 5.0-inch barrel. The bullets are some of the most accurate he has shot. (Photo provided by author.) Wilson Combat uses HAP bullets in their Signature Match ammunition, and they claim they are guaranteed to shoot under 0.5 inch for 10 shots at 25 yards from a barrel fixture. Their Signature Match line includes loads in 9mm Luger, .38 Super, and .45 ACP. HAPs are some of the most accurate bullets I’ve fired in my guns, and some good loads are listed in the accompanying chart. You don’t need to be a competitive shooter to use them. They’re available to anyone who wants a high-quality, accurate bullet at a modest price.
(Data provided by author.)
