On life expectancy...
There is no "official" life expectancy on the gun.
Karl is on record numerous times saying this is a "carry a lot, shoot a little" type gun. I don't think he anticipated that people would be putting thousands of rounds through the gun. However, absent some signs of abuse (like running +P ammo), I don't anticipate customers having any warranty coverage problems.
The slide cracking issues, of course, relate to some isolated materials issues and don't seem to be a problem on any of the newer production.
I don't think you have to shoot your R-9 50 rounds per month to maintain proficiency -- but that is an individual call.
