What a first day...

[Howdah460]

Hi all,

Well I’ve been waiting to get everything together for my new R9S before giving it a go and today was the day!

My two Meco holsters arrived this morning from Robert so those were the last things to come. First, I pulled out my grip extensions from John to switch out on a couple of magazines and right off the bat I dinged myself in the face (twice!) with the base plates as they and the springs shot out into my face and across the room while trying to catch and seat the plunger button (one ricocheted so far off my glasses that it’s still lost somewhere in the shop!). Fortunately I’d ordered additional magazines so I got that step knocked out to have a couple ready to roll.

I slid on the Pachmayr #5 slip-on pistol grip that was recommended by another owner and, well, let’s just say it didn’t fit near as snug as OJ’s glove did in the courtroom that day. It was so loosey-goosey I fitted a rubber spacer at the rear of the grip underneath it to see if that would work. It looks good, feels great, but I’ll know more after I shoot it.

I slipped in a snap-cap to dry fire it a few times, and just as I thought, “Now we’re getting there!” I noticed the end of the recoil assembly pin dangling almost a half an inch outside the front of the frame and jiggling all around!    I knew that couldn’t be right!  Upon disassembly, I found the recoil spring was turned the wrong way and was snaked around the lower spring on the recoil assembly, binding the whole works (just to mention, the gun was sold as new in the box and unfired). I corrected all that and after the brief wrestling match you’re all familiar with, and with no luck in getting it back together, I pulled out the Busse fuse puller I’d bought, stuck it in the Bridgeport vice and milled out the ends to turn it into a Rohrbaugh assembly tool as discussed here earlier on the forum. That worked like a charm.

With everything back in place with the slide ready to go on, I pulled out John’s assembly tool to put the barrel pin back in and during the alignment, the gun snapped like it was firing and a black rubber part appeared on the bench from somewhere. I stopped to check and that part didn’t appear to match anything in either the exploded view in the manual or in Rich_G’s full disassembly photos he posted. After several attempts, I got the barrel pin back in and the gun appeared to function fine, but what is that rubber pin that appeared? It’s flexible black rubber, .6330” long, with a head that’s .1885” in diameter and .1830” long, with the rest of its length being a tapered cone going down to .1190” at the end.

Even though the slide cycles fine, right now I’m leery of taking it out and firing it until I know what this part is. Any help with this would be most appreciated.

Geeez, what a first day!  

Jim

[tracker]

Whew! That must be an R9 prior to the spring change. I can't help you on the stray part but I can certainly feel some of your frustration.

[tracker]

There are several pins in the R9 but it appears a possibility that it could be an extractor roll pin but that is only a guess.



http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/pdf/owners_manual.pdf

[ccoorreeyy]

No rubber parts in any of my Rohrbaugh guns (that I can think of right now anyway) and I have taken quite a few all the way down.  Maybe your snap-cap came apart or somthing? ? ? ?

I agree on the recoil spring.  It's been a long time since any guns were shipped with the old style spring that has to be put in a certian direction.   Maybe your gun had been sitting on the shelf for a while.  What serial number range gun is it?

Sounds like your having fun with it anyway.  Watch out for those flying parts!    Im glad it hit your glasses and not your eyes.

O-yea,  welcome to the forum!!!

[tracker]

There is a good lesson here to wear eye and glasses protection when working with springs under pressure. That is a note to self, also.

[kanuist]

I feel your pain.  The first few times I stripped the R9 it took forever.  Thankfully those days are over.

I had a similar problem with flying parts the first few times I cleaned my Kimber 1911.  I had the bushing come of three times and it pinged all around my shop.  First two times I found it, third I didn't and still haven't.  

I have no idea what the rubber pin/part is and can't see how it could have come from the R9 when you were just trying to reinsert the barrel pin.

[kjtrains]

I have no clue what the rubber pin could be.  I surely don't recall seeing anything like that either.  I use snap caps but have never had one come apart.  Hope you figure out what it is.

[tracker]

If it were me I would just load the mag with two or three rounds and try firing it rather than send it back to the factory but you might ask them first if there is such a part onboard; doesn't seem likely.

[Richard S]

Jim:

First, if I haven't welcomed you to the Forum yet, I do so now.

Second, I agree with Tracker's suggestion.

If I were to guess, I would say you purchased one of the earlier R9s issued before the change in recoil springs and sold "as new" because the original owner fieldstripped it, reassembled it with the old-style spring reversed, and gave up when it wouldn't function properly. One thing of which I am certain, however, is that the rubber pin you describe is not a part from the R9. If it did fall out of your R9, I would guess that it may have been put there by the previous owner who reassembled it improperly as a "shim" of some kind to hold things in place long enough to sell the piece "as new."

Whatever, if the pistol appears to be dry firing properly using snap caps, I would simply lubricate the area around the slide/frame interface, load it with two or three rounds, and give it a trial run. There is nothing wrong with the original style recoil springs. I stocked up with so many of them when I purchased my R9 six years ago that I'm still using one with three left in my safe.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Dino]

Jim,

Welcome to the Forum, as you can see there are a lot of great members who are always willing to help.

I did completely dissasemble my R9 last week thanks to Rich_G's great instructions.  (Thanks Rich!)

No rubber in my gun, do you think it could have come off of your homemade fusepuller/dissasembly tool or the pachmayr grips?

If not, I agree with all above, fire the thing and see how it does.

Good Luck and keep us posted please.

[Howdah460]

Hi all,

I really appreciate all the comments regarding the odd pin that showed up and the confirmation that whatever it was, it wasn't part of the firearm.

Anyway, I went out this morning and ran 6 rounds of Silvertips through it and it functioned perfectly.

FYI, the gun is engraved 'Deer Park R9', serial #R811 with black carbon fiber grips (I also have the G10 set as a spare). It's actually a R9S with sights but the "S" isn't marked on it anywhere. Didn't know if this was odd or not.

Anyway, it's look good to go so thanks again for all your feedback on this.

Jim

[tracker]

Great to hear the good news, Jim. Your gun's markings are normal. The "S" was dropped some time ago and only existed on a few Farmingdales before the standardization of R9.

[theirishguard]

Jim, welcome to the forum, isn't it great when you need help. Wow, what a first day, good thing you were wearing glasses. Finally you and your new pup got it together and you learned alot.  Tom

[yankee2500]

Jim,
   , glad it all worked out, you had some of our best minds lending there expertise.

John

[Prescottian]

Can't offer any help on the other issues, but I do have a tip for taming those flying magazine base plates and springs. I find a piece of material-in one case the handle of a rat-tail needle file, in another a bamboo skewer- and pass it completely through the lowest witness hole in the mag before disassembling it. That way you are only dealing with a fraction of the coils' spring pressure and the base plate is easier to control and the new one easier to put in place.