Cracked slide on a "veteran" R9S

[sslater]

My R9S, Serial # 3xx, is back at Rohrbaugh's facility.  I was at the range last Wednesday - just a few days after #3xx's 2nd birthday.  Fired a mag of Blazer Brass FMJ.  Changed mags & noticed a crack (typical of the ones shown in photos in other threads) on the right side of the slide.  Even though the crack is small, I could catch my thumbnail on it.

In spite of the low serial number, the slide has Deer Park markings.  When my R9S came in the plant was building units in the 9xx range.  

1070 rounds fired.  Practice stuff was mostly WWB, and Blazer Brass when I can find it.  Carry rounds fired - all standard pressure - were Speer GDHP 115 & 124-gr., and 115-gr Winchester Silver Tip.

Cleaned & re-lubed after every range session with the originally recommended Superlube grease & Mobil 1 oil.  Lately, I switched to Enos' Slide Glide grease because I've used it with great results on my heavier caliber pistols.

Recoil spring has been changed out frequently, and I put in the new mag springs about 150 rounds ago.

Since the mag spring change, and using the "intermediate" design recoil springs, the gun has been 100% reliable for function.

I sent the pup back Thursday via UPS and Maria received it Friday morning.  She said Service area turnaround time is pretty low, and promised to have Karl R. call me when they're finished with repairs.  
BTW: UPS required a copy of Rohrbaugh's FFL before they would ship the gun.  Luckily, I had Rohrbaugh's phone # handy.  Maria faxed the FFL info to the UPS lady and I was on my way with a delay of only a few minutes.



    

[Brenden]

Sorry to hear about your pup!!

The R Bros will take care of you for sure!!

Let us know what Karl has to say..

Brenden

[Richard S]

I'm sorry to hear about the "casualty" of your early edition R9, but I'm sure the factory will have it back ready for duty in a few days.

Your description of shipping your firearm with UPS reflects some of my own experience. I've found that the people in my local FedEx office are much more knowledgeable and helpful in such matters than those in the UPS facility. From what I read and hear, these things unfortunately seem to vary from location to location depending on the training of facility personnel.   :-/

[sslater]

Well, my R9s came home on 10-Aug-07 and I got out to the range today.  Results: PERFECT.  I fired a mixture of GDHP, Winchester SilverTip, Blazer Brass FMJ, WWB FMJ.  The little fella went bang every time.  Color me  

Before it was returned, Karl Rohrbaugh called.  Basically, he replaced everything but the frame.  New slide assembly, new barrel, new everything-that-moves in the frame.
I didn't find out who is making the second generation recoil springs, but Karl did say that it was Paul Liebenberg, the famed 1911 pistolsmith, who put Rohrbaugh on to the new supplier.

One last bit of info from Karl:  My early serial number R9S (R3xx) is worth a lot more than I paid for it.  He suggested putting it in the safe.  I don't know if that was a bit of salesmanship, but it made me feel pretty good.  My experience buying and selling guns has always been, "Buy high, sell low".  Maybe a new Stealth for carry, and....
Nah.  I'll carry R3xx a lot and shoot it a little.      

[tracker]

I agree with Richard that that the confusion among shippers
is a local problem. There is no doubt about the rules as quoted
to me by UPS that an individual can ship a firearm to a manu-
facturer for repair. My UPS facility in Houston does this quite
frequently and there is no business about FFL requirements,
etc., as far the recipient is concerned.  

[sslater]

Tracker,
I think the problem was the UPS lady didn't recognize the  Rorrbaugh name as a manufacturer.  She said if I was sending a gun to Ruger, Colt, or S&W, for instance, there wouldn't have been any questions asked.  In this day and age, I'm glad to see the shipper asking questions rather than just taking my word for it.  Apparently Maria has been thru the drill because she faxed a copy of Rohrbaugh's FFL within 5 minutes.

Steve  

[riffraff]

sslater and all,

I am glad to hear about your excellent service.

I have been hesitant to type this but:  knowing the purpose of the gun and especially what has been relayed about the purpose and design of the R9 from Rohrbaugh,  after you printed your round count, I would not have warranteed the gun if I were Rohrbaugh.  They may be very sensitive to the slide crack issue though.

You just have to think that this might start a new item of interest.

HOW MANY ROUNDS DOES YOUR R9 have through it.  1075 is the most I have ever heard of so far.  sslater, since your gun has been totally rebuilt you are going to have to zero the counter.

Mike

[tracker]

Steve,
Someone at UPS suggested that I not seal the package
before taking it to UPS. The name "Rohrbaugh" being on
the gun is irrefutible prooof of their status as a manufacturer.
The UPS woman saw this, did not question it and was very
helpful in sealing the box for shipment. If FEDEX works
better, that should be the way to go if they are convenient.

[JohnBT]

"My early serial number R9S (R3xx) is worth a lot more than I paid for it."

But, but, but, the used one I just bought is a low 3xx gun. Do I have to stop shooting it and stash it in the safe next to the Python that's worth too much now to shoot?



John

P.S. - Okay, I get it. You bought it new and paid a lot less than they're going for now.  Then again, I only paid ~$850 for one with 200 rounds through it.

[st_albert]

OK, so how much would a Farmingdale s/n R4XX be worth?

(off topic, I know, but I couldn't help myself!)

Albert

[pistolnut]

Riffraff,

I just want to start saying that I am a proud owner of
one of these magnificent pistols.

There is nowhere mentioned that I know of, how many
rounds you can put through one of these pistols.
I strongly believe that if a "slide cracks" it should be
repaired by the manufacturer regardless how many rounds
you put through your pistol as long as the person has
done proper maintenance and nothing improper.  
Also shouldn't matter 1st, 2nd, or 3rd owner if it was
purchased legally.

I also would like to say that the Rohrbaugh brothers
should chime here once in awhile, giving there suggestions,
recommendations and input.


One of the best venues to spread the word of how good
or bad a product is, is through word of mouth.
Everytime I go to the gun range I let some people who are
interested explain to them about the gun and let them shoot
it.  Some have purchased it and some are going to in the near
future.  

I think we deserve for some one from the factory to
come here for few minutes and give their .02 cents of thoughts.

[riffraff]

pistolnut,

I understand what you are saying but people just don't seem to realize that the R9 is not a range/plinking gun.  Look at the gun carefully.  Feel the weight.  It is a 9mm, not a 380.  This gun can not be compared to any other handgun except the other pocket guns.  The thing about the other pocket guns is:  no one wants to put 1Krds through any of them, they ain't as fun to shoot as the R9.

My opinions only, Mike

[45ACP2GO]

Tracker,
I think the problem was the UPS lady didn't recognize the  Rorrbaugh name as a manufacturer.  She said if I was sending a gun to Ruger, Colt, or S&W, for instance, there wouldn't have been any questions asked.  In this day and age, I'm glad to see the shipper asking questions rather than just taking my word for it.  Apparently Maria has been thru the drill because she faxed a copy of Rohrbaugh's FFL within 5 minutes.

Steve  

I have sent my pup back twice this year and a S & W to Smith. My local UPS wanted to hassel me on the first one I shipped so I went to FedEx and didn't have the first problem.
They didn't even ask what I was shipping when I insured it for a grand.

[sslater]

Riffraff & Pistolnut:
I have to respond to both of your posts on this thread.
First, I don't consider myself an expert on firearms.  But I am an expert mechanical engineer (retired) with extensive experience in machine design and manufacturing.

1070 rounds in 24 months works out to an average of 44+ rounds per month.  That is not enough shooting to maintain proficiency, so I usually take three guns to a range session.  One of them is always my Ruger Mk II.  Cheap to shoot, counteracts the flinch that I develop after shooting a lot of high power stuff.
I would estimate my R9S would have had less than 500 rounds thru it after 24 months in service if it had been 99% reliable.  It wasn't, so carrying it was a stretch for my own "carry piece rules".

Other shooters probably would make a change (ammo type, recoil spring, mag spring, etc.) shoot a mag or two successfully, and put the pup back in their pocket.
But not me.  I'm cursed with a life's experience of validating  engine designs and changes before approving them for volume production.  I got pretty good at statistically evaluating processes and parts. You have to get proficient when you're making tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of engines per year.  
But - statistics mean nothing when it comes to your own INDIVIDUAL experience.  Either the gadget works or it doesn't.  If the gadget is a car, maybe you have to call AAA.  If the gadget is your gun (or, even worse, your backup gun) a failure to go bang could mean your life.  

So a failure to feed, failure to eject, stovepipe, or double-feed mean I'm back to square one in trusting a carry piece.  Some of the gun writers claim you have to run a minimum of 200 rounds of your carry ammo thru a gun with zero failures.  Any bobble means you start over again. That's time consuming, expensive, and unrealistic.
I settle for four mags of a given type of ammo (I have 4 mags) thru the gun without a failure as good enough to carry.  My "new" old R9S did that easily.  It has the newest springs and parts.  I'm satisfied.  

Karl R. didn't say anything about my gun's history of less than 50 rounds per month being excessive. He did say his personal early serial number gun has about 200 rounds on it.  Then he laughed and admitted as to how he gets to shoot a lot of R9 pistols a lot of rounds every day.  
He also said he doesn't visit this forum, "My computer is a #2 pencil."  A lot of the good manufacturing guys I worked with were like that.  Better to be out on the floor with the machines and making parts than to be sitting in front of a computer "wasting time"!  

Sorry for the long post but that's the way I see the role and duty cycle of any carry gun.

Steve

[DDGator]

On the R-Brothers...

First, Karl doesn't do computers.  He doesn't browse the forum and doesn't do e-mail.  

That is not to say he doesn't know what is going on.  Eric Rohrbaugh does read the forum on a regular basis and relates anything important.

You aren't going to see Eric or Karl on the forum, I don't think.  First thing is they don't have the time.  These guys are working very hard to get guns out the door every day.  However, they also have liability issues to worry about.  Posting on a forum makes a permanent record of anything they say, no matter how trivial -- and that can come back to haunt them.  Especially when you are a gun company, since they all seem to have giant lawsuit targets on their backs.

Rest assured they hear what goes on here.  When burning questions are asked that need to be answered -- the info is usually relayed to the forum through me or others.

Understand that while some manufacturers have a "web presence," most don't.  I don't see Gaston Glock on Glocktak, do you?  Larry Seecamp may be an exception, and I guess it works for him.

The good news is that Rohrbaugh is very accessible.  Karl does call repair customers on a regular basis.  How often do you get to talk to the guy whose name is on your gun?

If you have questions, post them here or call the company.  You will get answers.