OK Guys - my adventures with the R9 Continue.
Had to make another trip to So. FL and returned home late last night. Because we could, I met up with Socialwork911 and he had an opportunity to shoot my R9. Between this range trip and the last, I did clean and lube the pistol, as was recommended, so that didn't seem to be an issue this trip. I wanted to try different rounds, to find out how they behaved. Here's what we put through it on this trip: 1 mag worth of Hornady Critical Defense, 1 box (25 rounds) Remington 147 gr Golden Saber, 1 box (20 rounds) Speer 124 gr Gold Dot, 1 box (50 rounds) Speer Lawman 115 gr practice ammo.
There is another post asking if anyone uses the Critical Defense, (I no longer use it but still have some hanging around). Based upon the 1 mag, I wouldn't recommend it. Out of 6, I had 2 failure to feeds. I'm not experienced in these matters, but I'd guess the reason would be the conical shape of the bullet.
The Golden Sabers also had several failures to feed, of the ones I shot, I think I had 3. This jams the gun. Each time I saw it, the bullet had not entered the chamber, but the slide was pressing against the case, so that the slide remained open, with the nose of the bullet pressed towards the front of the gun. Each time, it required holding the pressure off the mag release and removing the pressure being applied by the slide; the first time also required a little blood and blood blister when part of my finger was caught by the slide when the mag eventually came free. If this were to happen in a situation that was different than range shooting, my recommendation would be to throw the gun at his head and run, because it won't be cleared quickly. The other issue I had with a couple of these rounds was they did not light off with the first hammer strike. On each one that failed to fire with the first strike, with a second trigger pull they did go bang.
I do not recall any trouble with the 124 gr Gold Dots, and although I was not watching, Socialwork911 also said he had no trouble with them.
With the 115 gr Lawman, I would have to say I didn't really have any trouble. Out of the 50, there were maybe 5 or 6, that the slide did not completely close, which I helped along with a whack to the back of the slide. At which time they fired normally. By the time I began using these (I hadn't kept an accurate count), it was approaching 200 rounds, so I'm sure the spring was weak. I can confidently say, by the end of the box of 50, the 200 round spring count had been exceeded.
On a side note, on this trip I've also exceeded 225 rounds through a new XDm-45 compact (UMC & WWB target 230 gr, along with a box of Winchester 230 gr PDX), without any problem whatsoever. My Gal Pal and Socialwork911 also ran quite a few assorted 115 gr target rounds and some Critical Defense (I wasn't keeping count, but I know I trashed 3 empty 50 round boxes, not counting the Hornady) through the Beretta 92-FS Inox.
The blood sacrifice (do the Rohrbaugh gods require one?), is the only ritual I hope is not necessary to repeat.
(When I got home, David S' slideblock was in the mailbox. I'll give another cleaning and reassembly report later.)
