Any problems with the R9?

[harrydog]

SB:


I own the 32nd of those few R9s with the original finish, having taking delivery of it in May 2004. This is a photograph of it, with its Hedley holster and some new olive drab aluminum grips, taken in May 2008 after four years of daily carry. The finish shows no wear, and the pistol has shown no vices. It originally came with blue carbon fiber grips. Those are stored in my safe with spares in black carbon fiber, G10, and clear aluminum. (The Hedley holster, of course, has worn as well as the pistol.)

As Jack noted, good luck!

Richard, how many rounds through this gun so far?

[theirishguard]

now things are moving in the right direction.  Tom

[Richard S]

Harry:

I've not kept an exact count of rounds fired, but I try to change recoil springs every 100-200 rounds or so, and I think I'm now working on spring number four. The pistol is carried every day, is shot sparingly just to retain familiarity, and is stripped down and cleaned at least once a month whether it has been shot or not. I also rotate magazines twice a year -- when I change the clocks.

(Did I mention that I'm a bit obsessive/compulsive with this R9 of mine?   )

[Sonny_Boy]

To All Forum Friends,

I am doing a PPT on a Rohrbaugh R-9, serial number below 500, with about 300 rounds down the pipe + or -, box, papers and two holsters.

Due to gun laws in CA there is a 10 day wait before I pick it up.  Looks like I need to buy some extra recoil springs for sure.

Thanks for all your posts and recommendations.

A happy and one of the few in CA with a legal Rohrbaugh!

[Richard S]

SB:

And the best of luck to you with your early-edition R9! I hope it gives you the same flawless service which my No. 132 has given me.

I stocked up on the original recoil springs shortly after I acquired my R9 in 2004 (purchasing some from a former member here on the Forum). As a result, I still have a couple of unused original springs left in my safe. Since I rotate my magazines regularly, I'm still using the original magazine springs as well. If and when I go to the new recoil springs, I'll probably also want to replace the original magazine springs, since I've read reports on the Forum that the new sets work well together.

Again, good luck, and please give us a range report.

[Sonny_Boy]

Went and did the PPT and she is sweet.  Two questions:

1) The slide does not stay locked open on an empty magazine is this correct, the seller said that is the way it fuctions?
2) One spare magazine does not slide into the pistol without having to push (which I did not do) and looks like the magazine foot and magazine base are ill fitted (swollen).  Can this be sent back to Rohrbaugh?

Other than that is is a very nice pistol.  Cannot take it home though for 10 days.

[Jack Foulard]

Went and did the PPT and she is sweet.  

Cannot take it home though for 10 days.

Congratulations!

Where the heck do you live?

[Sonny_Boy]

Ventura, Ca.

Did you by chance see my question about the slide not locking open with an empty magazine?

Finding this in Ca was like looking for hen's teeth.

[CaptBW]

The slide does not lock open.

[Sonny_Boy]

Thanks for the reply.

[Richard S]

SB:

As the Captain noted, the slide of the R9 does not lock open after the last round in a magazine is fired. I believe the concept of a slide lock was tested during early development of the pistol but was discarded as impractical in a pistol which was pushing the envelope for its caliber.  In that regard, I like the following paragraph from the R9 Owner' Manual:

[size=10]That brought us to the reliability issue. Regardless of advances in technology, the common denominator of reliability remains simplicity. The fewer things there are that can go wrong, the fewer there are that may go wrong at the worst possible moment. By adapting the time-tested locked breech mechanism to a design utilizing state of the art materials for strength and weight, and by eliminating the frills and “gizmos” of many current semi-automatic pistols, we have tried to create as completely a reliable weapon as possible. [/size]

[Sonny_Boy]

Richard and Captain,

Not sure I like the idea of not locking open on an empty chamber as all my other autos do lock open.  I understand it will not cause Rohrbaugh to modify their design but... seems odd to me.

Well, nonetheless I look forward to shooting it and have ordered several springs and an extra magazine due to the one being faulty.

[Richard S]

SB:

I'm just back from 10 days in the mountains and am catching up on my reading.

I seem to recall a conversation with Eric Rohrbaugh some time ago in which he mentioned that he and Karl had experimented with the installation of a slide lock on an early prototype of the R9 and had found it to be an unnecessary complication on a pistol which was literally redefining the size envelope for a full-power 9mm.