Continuation of FRUSTRATED

[riffraff]

I wanted to ask a question but thought it best to get the thread in a subheading where it belongs.
On the frame cracking issue:  has anyone fired one of these guns to failure or do the cracks appear and go no further?
Has anyone noticed that their gun was working fine and then started acting up and upon disassembly discovered the cracks?  In other words, will the cracks cause functioning problems immediately?

Mike

[harrydog]

Just to clarify, you mean slide cracks, not frame cracks, right?

[riffraff]

harrydog,

Yes of course you are right.  I totally typed the worng thing.   I definately ment slide cracks.  I hate it when I make  major mistakes like that!

Mike

[S.F._Phantom]

Harrydog,

Not sure as to when they have been cracking, however my partner at work has just found out that his slide is cracked.  He has stated that he has only put 200  rounds through his and he was not sure at what point it cracked.

Due to the fact that I carry mine everyday at work for 10-12 hours and then I carry it when off duty, I am getting a little concerned as to safety issues.  

Are these cracks large enough that the slide could potentially come apart when fired?
Has anyone Magnafluxed the cracked slides to find out how deep these cracks have gone?  
Are they surface fractures or are they truely cracking?

I have heard nothing but good things about Rohrbaugh so don't take my concerns as negative.  I would just like to see a little more proactive information being supplied.

[riffraff]

Phantom,

I am not sure if you have read all the threads and are aware of what little is known about the slide cracking issue.

The problem supposidly has been traced to a bad batch of barstock but the slides are not marked in any way so it is impossible to tell what frame serial # range that these slide cracks occour.  However the factory must have records of the lowest serial # and highest serial # guns that have gone back to the shed for repair.  Would somebody who is connected please call and get this information and post.  If someone calls and Rohrbaugh will not give this information then please post that also.

In the mean time I am going to start a new thread and ask members who have had this problem or know of someone who has had this problem to post serial #'s so we can get an idea of the size of this problem.

Mike

[PursuitSS]

i don't think the serial #'s are going to tell you ANYTHING! We ordered a reconditioned R9S a couple of months ago, the serial number was low 400's. A week later we received a NEW R9S and the the serial number was LOWER YET in the 400's!!!!

PursuitSS

[riffraff]

Pursuit SS,

Well It might tell us something.  If the slide cracking problem is spread out over the entire production run then we have big problems.  But  what I am trying to do is pin the problem down, clarify, get some solid info.  If this problem is not addressed, pined down,  clarified then it will only be another blotch on Rohrbaugh's name just like the jam problems have become widely known.

I am not trying to stir the pot or raise a rouchous but I will tell you that away from this forum I have heard some not so good things about the R9.  Maybe Rohrbaugh is happy with the demand for their product so far but if the bad reports about the gun grow further and with the very high price tag of the R9, Rohrbaugh might find their backlog shrinking fast.

Do not misenterpret this post, I own 2 R9S's.

Mike

[S.F._Phantom]

In the past I have attempted to narrow it down as well, however I was also told that is was a bad batch of barstock.  I maybe wrong, but I would think that serial numbers would be in an order and not random.  
An investigation into the repaired weapons/serial numbers, should supply a rough time period for that production.  If that proves to indicate a wide spread of serial numbers, then I would think that it was either not one order or it was a very large order of steel.  If that was the case, I would think that Rohrbaugh would contact the steel company and demand a replacement batch for their entire inventory.  

If this flaw goes past one order of barstock, maybe a recall would be in order???

Again guys, this is not to flame Rohrbaugh, this problem could become a liability issue for both the carrier and Rohrbaugh should an accident happen.  

[MountainMan]

I understand your concerns.  This has been discussed in detail in past threads.  I remember the cracks were spread out over the serial numbers with 500s, 600s, 700s, 900s, and I remember seeing one over 1000.  

The first slide crack reported on the forum was 53#.  That person has deleted all of his posts so it may be hard to follow that thread if you found it.  The way Rohrbaugh does serial number though you have no idea what guns have the bad steel batch- assuming that is the cause.

I have a R9 two serial numbers from a slide crack gun and it has been fine.

Rohrbaugh did take one on the early slide crack guns and put many rounds through it to see if it would fail with the crack getting worse and it did not.

[riffraff]

Thanks again MountainMan.  It is good to know that a torture test was performed.  I do feel better about the issue.

Mike

[theirishguard]

Mike, I also understand your concern. However, there where not that many slides/guns that had the cracking problem. It should be behind us now. All of those guns were returned and Rohrbaugh took care of all of them. If there is one still out there a call to Rohrbaugh should get it taken care of. I would carry, shoot and enjoy your pup and not worry about it.
Tom

[riffraff]

Tom,

I understand where you are comming from however in this thread S.F._Phanton posted that his partner just found slide cracks in his gun and the gun has less than 200 rds through it.  So what I am trying to say is with all the "very low round count" guns and with people owning more than one and haveing a "safe queen" or two and then selling one.  I don't think this issue is over yet.  My two guns are well above the serial # range that has been reported so apparantly I have nothing to worry about.  Just because I seem to be in the clear does not mean I don't want every other potential R9 owner to be aware of every possibility.  It would also be good PR for Rohrbaugh to warranty a slide crack no matter how many owners the gun has had IMO.  But then again who knows if the previous owners ran +P's through the gun so I can see where Rohrbaugh could be in a difficult position.

Mike

[theirishguard]

Mike, you don't know that they will not. I suggest you or others call Rohrbaugh and talk to them about this. Those with cracked slides in the past had no problems getting their guns taken care off. This is mole hill not a mountain. It is not necessary to go over this time and time again if there are not guns now with the problem. SF_ Phanton sure could have his partner call Rohrbaugh.
Tom

[RA_Bakken]

irishguard...I agree with you!  My slide cracked (#64*).  Instead of taking my concern to this forum first, I went immediately to the designer of the gun.  Karl and I (and Eric) spoke about it, they promptly and seriously dealt with the problem (a brand new slide, and a bunch of other stuff that all worked out in my favor!).

In normal life, if you have a problem, you always go the the person directly, not around their back, as it were.  This is a foundation of adult life, and variations on this ethic result in constant gossip and spreading of innuendo and ill-will.  

My recommendation?  Always, always contact the company before you contact this forum, if it's in relation to an R9 problem.  Other forum members can't come to your home to fix your pup (well maybe sometimes they can  :-))...they can give expert, relevant advice, yes...but they can't TRULY fix your problems with any specific gun.  Only the factory has the power to do that.

I've had two significant issues with various R9s, and both times, they have been dealt with in a superior fashion, with great courtesy and speed.  Each time, Eric, Karl and Maria exceeded my expectations.  As I've had some R9 problems, I'm certainly not a blind cheerleader...I'm very cognizant of the gun's potential problems (starting with the fact that some shooters just can't seem to shoot this gun very well, for whatever reason).  

Also, I would never shoot a gun to the point of failure.  Doing so is patently unwise.  This gun is not a military / large scale mass combat weapon.  As Karl has mentioned many times, this is the "derringer for the 21st Century."  Treating it to a Military torture test defies what it's intended purpose is...a last-ditch personal defense weapon that's designed to deliver it's projectiles up close and personal, then be reholstered after the (statistically few) shots have been fired.  Let's face it, this is an unusual, purpose-built tool.  As my firearms trainer says, "If 5 guys w/ MP5s jump out of a van and engage you, you're screwed anyways!"  This is a small self defense weapon, nothing more.

If someone wants a more "combat-ready" "sustained firefight" gun, for more serious missions, there is always the 1911, or the (gulp...) Glock.  :-)  Hehehe.....

Enjoy everyone'e comments here...and it's great to be a part of this forum.  Be safe!

- Spectro

[Brenden]

Spectro,

Very well said!!!

I am certain that the R Bros will take care of problems that may occur down the line,first,second,third owner-nonwithstanding...

I believe it enough, that I own 2 "second hand" pups,and have not a worry that the Company will stand by their product!!

Brenden