Failure to Fire

[2slow]

 Just picked up my new R9 Stealth this week. Got to the range today and had multiple failure to fires.  The firing pin was just barely denting the primer. Ammo was Federal 115gr FMJ for practice and had Speer Gold Dot 115 gr for carry. Neither one worked very well. The first clip went off without a hitch. After that It would only fire about 3 out of 4 shots.  I'll be calling Rohrbaugh Monday. Just wondered if anyone else has  experienced this.

[backupr9]

The Gold Dots are the ammo of choice for many here because the pistol is ammo sensitive.  Some possible causes of your issue:
1.  Limp wristing the pistol...need a firm grip (start with two hand grip to be sure)
2.  Did you clean and lube the pistol before taking it to the range?  These pistols like to be clean and lubed (but don't overdo it!) and usually are not ready to fire "out of the box".
3.  Be sure the grip screws are tight, especially on the right side lest you have failures to feed/fire.  They can
     become loose easily (there are threads on this forum dealing with this.  I use locktite blue.
4.  Tolerances are very tight in this pistol, which issue lends itself to the following:
     a)  If the pistol becomes hot from heavy continuous use, it can have some issues.  That did not seem to be
          the problem in your case.
     b)  With initial firing, there is sometimes some wear on the rails with aluminum shavings getting into the
          works.  Take it down, clean and lube it, then try it again using the Gold Dots initially as the best choice
          for this particular weapon.
If that doesn't work, call Rohrbaugh and Maria will be very helpful.
Welcome to the forum...a great bunch of guys here with a wealth of knowledge.
John

[kjtrains]

2slow.  Welcome to the Forum; John has said it well; hope you get the problem resolved.  Again, welcome.

[BlueC2]

Welcome to the forum 2slow. BackupR9 has given you some good advice I hope you get everything figured out.
-Ryan

[Jack_F]

Break in problems are not uncommon.......ammo.....lube.....grip....screws.....shavings...it all works out fine

[tracker]

You're right, Jack; some issues appear to occur in the first 100-200 rounds and then things smooth out.

[Moonshine]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with backup9r.  The OP reports light primer strikes and numerous failures to fire.  Of the items mentioned by backup9r the only one of those that could cause light primer strikes is #3.  While limp wristing, improper lubrication, and break in will all cause malfunctions, none of those will result in primers that are barely dented.  It the right grip screws aren't tight the sear trigger bar can/will slip off the hammer before the hammer is fully retracted, and that will cause light primer strikes and ignition failures.  Other than that, the next most likely cause would be ammo, but the OP has already tried two different types of ammo, both of which many R9 owners have had good reliability with.  So, if tightening the right hand grip screws doesn't solve the problem then I'd suggest a return to the factory.

[deercop]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I have noticed bits and pieces of debris in the firing pin opening after firing.  This corresponds to noticing what appear to be flattened primers.  My theory is that softer primers may more easily flow into the firing pin opening when fired, and get partially trimmed during ejection. 

Federal ammunition is historically noted for "soft" primers.  Did you happen to fired the Federal prior to having these problems?

Take a look at your firing pin hole in the breechface.  Any debris there?  Take a punch and push forward on the rear of the firing pin (where the hammer strikes) and look at the now exposed portion of the firing pin.  Any debris there?

[backupr9]

Agree with moonshine...my post was more in the nature of general comments on problems that us newbies seem to encounter and potential causes.  Still would clean it, fire it again using previous ammo and perhaps a new box also.  If the problem persists send it back for repair.  The good news is:  Rohrbaugh takes care of its own...your pistol will get great care if you have to send it back and will work when it returns.

[2slow]

Thanks for the replies. I did clean it before I went to the range. The grip screws are tight.  Could find no problem during post range cleaning.  I've got a Sig 40 cal, a Sig 9mm, and a Bersa 380 and never had one single failure to fire with maybe 2000 rounds between them, so its frustrating when  I spent over a grand for this and it is unusable. I love the thing,  but if it is not 100% reliable it I have no use for it.  I'll be calling Rohrbaugh tomorow.

[Robar233]

2slow,

 I can sympathize with what you are saying. I had a PM40 I just sold because I had issues with it and I did not trust it. The R9 is not a typical production gun. I am sure that once you get it back from the factory you will become confident in its ability to function reliably.
 Hang in there you will find that you come to love it once your faith is restored.

 Robar233

[tracker]

Agree with Robar--you will love and trust it when your confidence is restored.

[kjtrains]

Keep the faith, 2slow!   

[JR956678]

I love the thing,  but if it is not 100% reliable it I have no use for it.  I'll be calling Rohrbaugh tomorrow.

Though not totally unheard of, light strikes (and failure to fire as a result) are relatively uncommon and when they do occur seem to be well resolved by a trip back to the mother ship; Rohrbaugh is nothing if not both willing and skillful at diagnosing and fixing problems such as this.

[MRC]

Having been a member here for two years, a frequent reader for six earlier months, and the owner of one such pistol I still think that R9's failing to function right out of the box is a far to common occurence.

Just my opinion.