HK45c Hammer Follow

[nwhpfan]

Don't worry about it.

If you sling shot a gun hard enough on an empty chamber sooner or later you'll get it to follow.

When you are firing a gun and it's striping off a new round it's not moving near as fast or stopping nearly as abrupt.

Try it on all your other hammer fired guns and see what they do. My guess is they will do it too.

If you are racking the slide to where it's stripping off a new round, chambering, etc. AND still hammer following, that is a problem. I'd video that and send it to HK. And post here too please.

[UpDok]

Personally, I would accept what HK says about it being a "Resonance Issue" and stop dropping the slide repeatedly on an empty chamber. it also sounds like maybe this pistol was purchased used and perhaps it was given a trigger-job by somebody where it was smoothed up a little too much, or maybe just a lot of wear on the parts of the trigger mechanism. Another possibly is that the mechanism is very dirty and could use a good cleaning and proper lubrication.

If you convert to LEM, be sure to change out the sear spring when you also change the sear and install the LEM hammer & cocking piece. The new sear & cocking piece will ensure you have fresh nonmonkeyed-with parts to interface with each other, and the new sear spring to make sure it has enough force on the parts that the designers intended.

As a side note for a similar HK pistol, I bought a used HKP30 in 9mm more than a year ago. When I took it home and completely disassembled it, I found it to be exceptionally dirty and some of the parts looked like someone had attempted a trigger job. There is probably a lot of that going around and it's something to be mindful of when buying a used gun. In my case I converted it to a "Todd Green LEM" and I couldn't be happier with it!

I'd say convert the pistol to LEM. It's a neat trigger mechanism.

[Jason M]

I just went through P series armorer school and was thinking the flat spring was the culprit or there could be something catching the strut that is the decocker. Can you have them changed out?

[Jason M]

Personally, I would accept what HK says about it being a "Resonance Issue" and stop dropping the slide repeatedly on an empty chamber. it also sounds like maybe this pistol was purchased used and perhaps it was given a trigger-job by somebody where it was smoothed up a little too much, or maybe just a lot of wear on the parts of the trigger mechanism. Another possibly is that the mechanism is very dirty and could use a good cleaning and proper lubrication.

If you convert to LEM, be sure to change out the sear spring when you also change the sear and install the LEM hammer & cocking piece. The new sear & cocking piece will ensure you have fresh nonmonkeyed-with parts to interface with each other, and the new sear spring to make sure it has enough force on the parts that the designers intended.

As a side note for a similar HK pistol, I bought a used HKP30 in 9mm more than a year ago. When I took it home and completely disassembled it, I found it to be exceptionally dirty and some of the parts looked like someone had attempted a trigger job. There is probably a lot of that going around and it's something to be mindful of when buying a used gun. In my case I converted it to a "Todd Green LEM" and I couldn't be happier with it!

I'd say convert the pistol to LEM. It's a neat trigger mechanism.

LEM is a great trigger. If you convert it don't forget the elbow spring that keeps the hammer shell forward. It is a pain the ass to seat correctly.

[Mitchell, Esq.]

I just went through P series armorer school and was thinking the flat spring was the culprit or there could be something catching the strut that is the decocker. Can you have them changed out?

Working on a Glock is the limit of my comfort zone for Guns.

Beyond that I go to professionals.

[Jason M]

I understand. What they are calling "resonance" issues could be in the same category as the auto forwarding experienced by some of the other maker's polymer pistols when a magazine is slammed home. The "decocking lever" on the HK 45c is, like the P series, a tail that is part of the sear and extends from the back of the slide. It ends in the little thumb pad that you press on to decock. There could be enough inertia imparted by the beefy HK slide that when it slams home could trip the sear due to the extra mass the tail adds to the sear. The hammer should still be intercepted by the drop safety and the firing pin safety should bot be disengaged as the trigger bar is not pulled to the rear. When you remove the slide you should feel spring tension on the trigger bar when you push it down toward the open end of the mag well. This is the spring/detent plunger that pushes the trigger bar/disconnector up. I'm guessing the weight of a magazine loaded with live rounds changes the ratio of weight between the frame and slide??? That could be the reason for the phenomenon when empty or when loaded with snap caps. Totally understand why it would be unnerving.

[UpDok]

LEM is a great trigger. If you convert it don't forget the elbow spring that keeps the hammer shell forward. It is a pain the ass to seat correctly.

Amen! Working on HK's requires at least three hands. When I converted my HC45C to LEM the trigger bar detent flew away and hid in a corner for a while to test my patience.

Playing with HKs can be a humbling experience, almost like a hazing or a running of the gauntlet.

[Jason M]

Thankfully HK provided a gun vise for every work station. Winding the elbow spring prior to inserting the sear was an exercise in tedium.

[Mitchell, Esq.]

Test results:

6 mags ball no hammer follow
15 rds hydrashock 230 gr no hammer follow
15 rds 185 gr golden saber bonded no hammer follow
24 rds HST 230 gr no hammer follow

Gun returning to service.