Cracked R-9S Slide

[tracker]

Great idea; that is what I alluded to earlier. It would not
be an easy change but would be necessary if that is indeed
the problem---then we have the problem of 700+ guns
in circulation. No doubt the Rohrbaughs will do the right thing.

[R9SCarry]

This is indeed a thin area but - when we consider the immense development time for the gun, long before we had a chance to buy, then it is logical that in the process of design and development this area probably received much stress analysis and torture testing - only logical.

Nice tho it might be to see an increase in thickness - the slide ultimately as I see it had a design width limit - increase that thin rail section and slide width altogether goes up, albeit quite marginally but also too - small weight increase.  Anyways too - with the fine tolerancing on the gun - and the longitudinal motion of the slide - the stresses at this point should not be major - rail stresses being for most part linearly distributed.  There would almost have to be a material problem to bring out this phenomenon we are seeing.

So I see this as a metallurgical problem from as has been said - imperfect bar stock.  May have been a small irregularity of heat treatment - a small alloying error etc.  Hopefully, raw materials are logged against gun's made and their numbers - that would mean an ability to trace back in batch terms and track down any errant components.

[jarcher]

Mine is R5xx.  I sure hope it is not next.  As for the gun not being designed to fire thousands of rounds, I really hope that is not the case.  Seeing a catostropic failure after 500 rounds is not the mark of a quality pistol.

Still, Rohrbaugh will survive this and get it fixed.  If Karl knows which pistols might have this issue I wish he would tell us, so we can keep an eye open...

[tracker]

The cracks are also linear.

[R9SCarry]

Sure - cracks are indeed linear but force needed to instigate, promote or encourage those would need be 90º to that linear direction. In theory at least!
 
I'd expect only the smallest vector deviating from the linear travel regarding stress but linear crack appearance is still logical if we consider the thin-walled nature of that area - crack propagation will always want to follow the weakest region.  

The puzzle is the actual crack beginning - which to me has to be a very spurious metallurgical failing, best explained right now by inferior bar stock - which no doubt appeared perfectly normal when machined.

[tracker]

It could be a combination of metallurgical failure and
thin slide at that point but if it were only the
thin slide there may have been more occurrences.

[R9SCarry]

Agreed tracker - that is why I follow the ''bad batch'' route for raw materials.  

Plus as said also - all the vast time of R&D on this gun - it would have shown long ago that greater thickness was needed - if with A1 materials it had failed.

[MountainMan]

Read on the Seecamp forum where someone in the past said they returned a Seecamp for repair because of a hairline slide crack by the extractor.  There may be more cracked slides out there from different brands but you never hear of them since most guns don't have a forum dedicated to one pistol.

[Skyhook]

Read on the Seecamp forum where someone in the past said they returned a Seecamp for repair because of a hairline slide crack by the extractor.  There may be more cracked slides out there from different brands but you never hear of them since most guns don't have a forum dedicated to one pistol.

I agree entirely. There is a temptation to forget that the instant contact age and the gun problems could easily produce an out-of-proportion negativity.

I'm sitting here wondering about those 1911 jammatics I owned (Two were Gold Cups!) that needed work. What would that have looked like on a site like this!?!

I am hoping what we're seeing are 'teething problems' and the manufacturer will be resourceful enough to work around those problems.

 Our roles are ones of patience and vigilance, IMHO.

[theirishguard]

Skyhook, thanks for your last post, yes I agree with you. It must be tough to be in the middle of problem like that.
Tom

[harrydog]

So I see this as a metallurgical problem from as has been said - imperfect bar stock.  May have been a small irregularity of heat treatment - a small alloying error etc.  Hopefully, raw materials are logged against gun's made and their numbers - that would mean an ability to trace back in batch terms and track down any errant components.

Are all of the known cracked slides in the R5xx range? Were all of them received around the same time?
Since slides do not carry serial numbers, how could it be known which guns have the "bad batch" of steel? I thought slides and frames were machined in batches and then later randomly matched and fitted together, hence the illogical sequence of serial numbers. If that's the case, serial numbers are meaningless in determining who has the suspect slides on their guns.  Am I completely off base on this?

[Erich]

Beats me.

At least 2 of the 4 slide cracks I know about were in the high 500 SN range. Mine is R 584 and another was R 59X.

[sslater]

harrydog,
I'm pretty sure you are right.  Serial number only indicates when the frame got to the "serial number puttin' on stage".
My R9S was delivered in mid July, a week after it was built.  It has a serial number in the mid -300's, but I was assured the frame has the latest anodizing & machining details, barrel machining, etc.  And my slide is marked "Deer Park".  I watched my dealer unpack the box of 18 R9's.  Mine was at the top of the shipping box.  The ones on the bottom  could have been in the 7xx range, or anywhere in between.  You might say my pup was the pick of the litter, because I got to the shop first.  

BTW: My Simichrome polish and dental floss trick won't work.  I forgot the frame grooves in the slide don't run all the way to the front of the slide.  I modified a brass drift to get into those corners and kinda "boned" the metal along with a bit of polish.  The metal finish is very smooth to begin with.  Didn't feel any machining marks.

[Michigunner]

That's a good point, Skyhook, about the way information is flashed around so easily.

It's very difficult to conceal product defects these days.

Again, I'm pleased with the way Mr. Rohrbaugh is responding directly to the customer.

[Brenden]

harrydog,
I'm pretty sure you are right.  Serial number only indicates when the frame got to the "serial number puttin' on stage".
My R9S was delivered in mid July, a week after it was built.  It has a serial number in the mid -300's, but I was assured the frame has the latest anodizing & machining details, barrel machining, etc.  And my slide is marked "Deer Park".  I watched my dealer unpack the box of 18 R9's.  Mine was at the top of the shipping box.  The ones on the bottom  could have been in the 7xx range, or anywhere in between.  You might say my pup was the pick of the litter, because I got to the shop first.  
End Quote...


I do know that a batch received by a dealer has a wide variance in Serial #s..Could be a R300 or an R600,in the same shipment..

I bought one Deer Park from one dealer from one part of the country,and another one from another dealer and they were consecutive..

And lo and behold they are in the area or Serial #s that are showing this abnormality..

I carry one, and have not shot the other..

I will not fret about it, but have confidence that if something does go wrong that it will be taken care of..

Brenden