Blimey.

As the bear suggests, if your empties are giving you a stiff bolt lift, on something as small as a Hornet, well, its a classic sign of over pressure (quite bad overpressure as it goes, usual early signs are flattened or cratered primers and the case being burnished by the opening bolt rubbing on the case head).

Your cases are not able to spring back and eject which means the poor little things are not well.