Years ago when I as working in a sporting goods/gunshop we had a magazine that had been carefully set up. It wasn't one of the new "super-magazines" but a rather ordinary standard Colt Government Model one - or at least it started life that way.
When we were trying to sell a 1911 style pistol - anything from a Gold Cup to an unmodified surplus USGI pistol with a standard "hardball throat" we would insert this magazine and proceed to hand-cycle empty cases through whatever gun we were showing. As brass flew through the air the bug-eyed customer would usually grab for his wallet.
Now one might ask, "what was he practical aspect of all of this?" And the answer would be, "well it sold a lot of guns ... "
But anyway, regardless of what they might say, the frames and barrels that Dan Wesson and other makers are using today come from they're sub-contractors with reasonably polished ramps and fully throated barrels. What may be lacking is careful fitting of these and other parts when the pistol is (or was) assembled. Two things we didn't have to worry about in days gone past was MIM parts and sub-standard workmanship. This is part of the reason that the numerous complaints about feeding problems with 1911 style pistols usually involve current or recent production guns rather then those made during the 1980's and earlier. (Especially earlier).
The other part of the issue is that most hollow-point ammunition have shorter overall lengths then 230-grain ball. As a consequence the magazine lips hold on the the cartridge too long and don't let the base come up under the extractor soon enough. If the lips are still holding the cartridge's base when the nose hits the feed ramp the round will be kicked upward into a classic stovepipe jam. A week magazine spring - especially in an 8-round magazine - can also contribute toward, or cause the same condition.
I suggest that you spend the greater part of that $40.00 on a book - "The Colt .45 Automatic - A Shop Manual" by Jerry Kuhnhausen (available from
www.gunbooks.com) and learn exactly how your gun works (or doesn't as the case may be) and why. Also use the search function on this forum to find the many detailed discussions on this forum covering the problem you are having. That at least is free.