Breakin procedures

[RickP]

I am brand new to shooting. Well, the last time I shot a gun was a WW I 30'06 back in 1971. A few situations over the last few years have brought me to the conclusion that I need to carry something for self defense. A visit to the local gun store resulted in me picking up my R9 Stealth on Friday.

My first question is for advice on breakin procedures.

Secondly, I have read posts on the 9mm cartridge being hard on the gun, as well as the shooter. Then I read about R9s with 5000 rounds through them. I assume that using lighter bullets, 115gr instead of 147gr, might help a bit with the wear and tear as well as the recoil. Opinions?

Lastly, any good advise is appreciated. I am happy to have found this forum. There is a lot of good information here. Thanks for your help.

Rick

[harrydog]

My only thought is that thr R9 may not be the ideal pistol for a brand new shooter. But having said that, you may have no problems with it at all. Just keep in mind that recoil will be sharp and you'll need to have a proper and secure grip on it.
As to break-in, I'd personally just start shooting 115gr or 124gr Gold Dots (although some like 147gr and I don't think bullet weight really matters in terms of wear on the gun). If you get through 40 or 50 rounds (over 2 or 3 range sessions) with no failures you're good to go.

[DTM_39]

Rick, Welcome to the forum and good luck with your new Stealth.  Use quality ammo and keep a good solid grip . Your R-9 will serve you well. Dan

[Richard S]

Rick:

Welcome to the Forum, and congratulations on selecting what I consider to be the finest 9mm pocket pistol ever produced. For someone who is new to shooting, you certainly are off to an impressive start.

Take a look at the FAQ sheet compiled by R9SCarry --

http://www.acbsystems.com/boards/rohrbaugh/   --

and follow the maintenance procedures set forth there. After that, just keep the pistol clean and well lubricated, and give it a little time to cool down after extended strings of fire at the range. I trust that your R9 will serve you as well as mine has done since I took delivery of it in May 2004.

[UpOn2Wheels]

I bought my R9 (my third handgun) in December, and here's what I've learned:

1) Use quality ammo ONLY.  After a bad experience with cheap ammo, I now only shoot Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points (115 grain).  Bad ammo will give you lots of problems, so just avoid the temptation to save money.

2) Check your grip screws after every trip to the range.  If the right grip works loose, the trigger spring can come unseated.  Use a new 1/16" allen key to tighten the grip screws, and blue Loc-Tite if they keep working loose.

3) Change your recoil spring after every 100 rounds (the factory interval).  When I changed mine, the replacement was about 1/8" longer than the worn out spring.

The R9 can be a punishing gun to shoot.  I would STRONGLY recommend the purchase of another gun to get proficient with shooting a handgun (can't go wrong with a 9mm Glock, for example).  I put about 4x or 5x the ammo through my Glock 36 (.45 cal) than I do through my R9.  I now shoot my R9 just enough to stay proficient.

Congratulations on your new purchase, shoot safe and welcome to the board!

[RickP]

Thanks to all for the kind welcomes, and the good suggestions. That link to acbsystems.com is a great resource.

After reading some of the threads on the forum I too was questioning if I had bought the right gun, but remembering why I bought the gun in the first place, I think it is the right choice. I ordered a pocket holster from Rohrbaugh yesterday and Maria told me a R9 was her first gun too, so I feel in good company.

If I get hooked on range shooting I probably will get something more suited to that kind of work. The Glocks would be a great choice, but I kind of like the classic style of the Kimber 1911. Opinions?

Gonna leave work early Friday to pickup my R9 and am heading straight to the range. Thanks again to all.

Rick

[Richard S]

Thanks to all for the kind welcomes, and the good suggestions. That link to acbsystems.com is a great resource.

After reading some of the threads on the forum I too was questioning if I had bought the right gun, but remembering why I bought the gun in the first place, I think it is the right choice. I ordered a pocket holster from Rohrbaugh yesterday and Maria told me a R9 was her first gun too, so I feel in good company.

If I get hooked on range shooting I probably will get something more suited to that kind of work. The Glocks would be a great choice, but I kind of like the classic style of the Kimber 1911. Opinions?

Gonna leave work early Friday to pickup my R9 and am heading straight to the range. Thanks again to all.

Rick

Rick:

Depending on how long it has been since your new R9 left the factory, if you're going to take the pistol directly from the dealer's shop to the range you might want to place a little lubricant (I use Ballistol) along the slide/frame interface before shooting it for the first time. These little masterpieces are built to minimal tolerances and don't like to be run too dry.

As for the question of Glock vs. Kimber 1911, you can usually ignite a brush fire with that subject. Personally, I'm a die-hard 1911 advocate, and Kimber is making some of the best 1911s now on the market. But then, don't rely on my opinion. Ask LAPD SWAT and the Marine Detachment assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command.  )

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[grayfeathers]

I would suggest that you take a good shooting glove on your trip to the range. It will make things a little more comfortable when shooting the R-9.

[UpOn2Wheels]

If I get hooked on range shooting I probably will get something more suited to that kind of work. The Glocks would be a great choice, but I kind of like the classic style of the Kimber 1911. Opinions?

I'm also a big fan of the 1911 (and Kimber makes some fine guns), but I bought a Glock G36 as a carry gun because of its "point and shoot" nature.  No manual safeties to think about, and no concerns about carrying a round in the pipe with the hammer back ("Now let me see, did I put the safety on or not?").  I know it's what you get used to, but I wanted a simple carry gun.

One of these days I'll buy a 1911 (quite possibly a Kimber) as a range gun, but I've got to say I love my Glock 36.  I didn't expect to enjoy shooting it as much as I do.

[tracker]

And I was very surprised by the Glock 36 accuracy, also.

[UpOn2Wheels]

And I was very surprised by the Glock 36 accuracy, also.

Ditto here.  I used to "babysit" a Glock 19 for a buddy who had young kids, and I could never shoot a tight group with that gun.  I also didn't like the shock transmitted through the frame, especially since it was "only" a 9mm.

The 36 is a whole new animal - surprisingly accurate, easy to shoot and not at all punishing.

[Novanglus]

While I've never been a fan of Glock triggers (even with the 3.5# connector), there's no question that for (relatively) small pistols in full-house .45acp, the G36 and G30 are undeniably sweet shooters.

[Brenden]

RickP,
      Welcome to the forum!!

       The pup will treat you right, if you do your part!!
 
        Please keep us updated on your first shooting experience with it..

        Once again,welcome..

        Brenden

[tracker]

Novanglus,
A good action job by a master gunsmith on the Glocks,
without the 3.5# connector, makes a world of difference.

[RickP]

Just back from the range. WHAT A HOOT!!! Put 50 holes in three targets at seven yards. Shot 60 rounds total. 19 holes inside the solid orange ring. Used 115gr Gold Dots for the first six shots, the rest were 115gr WWB. The R9 worked perfectly.

Thought about a shooting glove but decided that my hands were just going to have to learn to do this on their own. After getting over the shock of the gun going off in my hands and realizing that the gun was not going to jump out of my hands I was pleased to note that the recoil didn't bother me at all. I kept remembering your admonitions to keep a good grip, and that kept me from getting too relaxed. The only thing that hurt were the tips of my thumbs from getting the sixth bullet  into the magazine.

There was a guy about six stalls down shooting what I thought sounded like a cannon. The first shot with the R9 I realized that I was shooting a cannon too as my shots were just as loud as his. Thank God for hearing protection!

I want to thank each of you again for the warm welcomes, and for the great advice.

Rick