Hi, All:
Took my new R9s to the range today for the first time.
Like others, I was apprehensive at first, having read about wicked recoil, misfeeds/misfires, grip screws working loose and guns failing to fire. So, my first shot was more like an "OMG, what's going to happen next..." sort of deal.
Gun was not stripped and cleaned first. It was fired straight out of the factory new box.
Using CCI Blazer 115gn. FMJ the first shot at 25 yds. was in the red. Second and third weren't far off. The fourth was a jam, the cartridge failed to feed, it was lying horizontal and looked like it had failed to be pushed up by the magazine spring so it could feed up the feed ramp. The action was stuck open. The only way to free it was to push the bullet back down through the ejector port into the magazine with my car key. Once back into the mag the slide returned, I racked the shell back into the gun, and went back to shooting. I only ran 12 rounds of CCI through the gun.
Next, I tried the old standby, WWB 115gn. FMJ. Shot 12 rounds, had two misfeeds, each one cleared by re-racking the slide.
The gun shoots remarkably accurately for such a short barreled piece. I was very surprised at this. I remember seeing the video of an R brother plinking steel at 25 yards and thinking he must be a skilled marksman to do that. Maybe he is, but I was on target with the pup, too, and I'm not. Recoil was definitely brisk, with "fierce" being a better descriptor for the last few rounds. This isn't a gun I'd take to the range and shoot for fun, like my 9mm Sig 226R. It seems to me that the R9 is a last ditch gun, something I drag out when the chips are down and the BG is right up close and personal.
My R9s doesn't seem to like WWB ammo much and maybe not CCI Blazer, either. I'll feed it some different recommended ammo next range trip. For now, I'll strip it (using Steve Bedair's tools, thanks Steve) and lube it up, enjoying that new experience with the pup, too. Until I break it in and it finds ammo it likes all the time, it's in my safe and my PP/K is in my pocket. When my pup proves it's 100% reliable then it'll take the Walther's place. My primary carry gun will still be my Sig 239 in .357Sig.
Thanks for your time.
