Rohrbaugh R9s versus Ruger LCP

[Skiprr]

No +P, huh? That appeases a bit my wanton desire. I like +P out of those tiny barrels...

[Hos]

Only dry fired it, but its reputation is superb. It feels good in the hand.

Just curious how the Rohr did on the range. Very interested in this little pocket rocket.

[magicglock]

Thanks for the info and increasing the wish list! I see a second job in my future to support my CHL budget.

[ELB]

I am disappointed to read that you cannot use +P or +P+. At the MSRP for this little pistol it should fire anything.

John Farnam sends emails to all his former students about various subjects, but most often on new equipment or new tactics he runs across. Right now he is at the SHOT show, and sending out emails on what he sees there. The following is from a past SHOT show, in 2007, regarding the R9 and +P ammo:

The Rohrbaugh R9 is the smallest 9mm autoloading pistol ever made, to the
best of my knowledge. It is a seven-shooter. In profile, it is no bigger
than
my Kel-Tec 380, albeit a little thicker. Kahr and some others also make
excellent backup 9mm pistols, and I have several, but the R9 holds the
small-size record.

We've had several R9s in class, and I have to say they've all run fine. The
pistol is self-decocking (DAO), has no manual slide-lock lever, and no
manual safety. The slide does not lock to the rear when the last round is
fired,
and the magazine release is in the butt, European style. And, I suspect the
pistol's useful life is well under ten thousand rounds.

So, the R9 is slick, thin, and small, and, in Comp-Tac's "Left-Hand Surprise
" holster, it makes a formidable back-up. Henk Iverson, at Strike
Tactical,
makes a similar left-hand, backup holster for the Kel-Tec 380.

The manual advises owners of the R9 not to shoot +P ammunition through it.

When I brought this issue up to Mr Rohrbaugh himself at the SHOT Show, he
indicated that the use of +P ammunition would not break the pistol but would
shorten its life. However, I don't think anyone (certainly not me!) is going to
shoot this little pistol enough for any of that to matter!
At $1,100.00 and change, the R9 is pricey, and it is assuredly NOT fun to
shoot. A dozen rounds at a sitting is plenty for me! However, as a backup, it
is hard to beat. I'm carrying my copy now, with Cor-Bon PowerBall
ammunition, in the LHS holster mentioned above. And, I'm practicing shooting it with
my left hand, unsupported, as that represents the scenario that is the most
likely.

John had this to say about the R9 in at the 2008 SHOT Show:

Eric Rohrbaugh, of Rohrbaugh Pistols, examined my copy of the R9 and found
it to be within factory specifications and eminently serviceable, after
digesting 250 rounds of +P 9mm ammunition, mostly DPX and PowerBall. Although
Rohrbaugh doesn't recommend +P ammunition for this pistol, I assured him that was
ALL I ever shot in it! I am not concerned about shooting +P ammunition
through my R9, not that I ever was! I consider it a very acceptable backup gun.

Also, carlson1, if you are considering ammo to use, John noted the following in a later email...

I was curious about the performance of my 45ACP carry-load, 185gr DPX,
launched from my Kahr PM45, Kahr's smallest 45ACP pistol. I fired six rounds in
rapid succession. All six penetrated four layers of denim, then thirteen
inches of gelatin, all stopping, fully expanded (to ninety-caliber) within
a inch
of each other. I was concerned about expansion of the DPX bullet through
such a short barrel. Not any more! Velocity was just over 1,000 f/s

Similar result with 9mm, 115 gr, DPX, launched from my Rohrbaugh R9 pistol.
Twelve inches of penetration, with full expansion. The R9's short barrel,
even when combined with denim, did not denigrate performance. Velocity was
just over 1,100 f/s

In yet another email from 2008, John noted that Corbon was starting to produce an 80gr, non+P 9mm DPX round with the R9 in mind..

[Hos]

...and the magazine release is in the butt, European style. And, I suspect the
pistol's useful life is well under ten thousand rounds.

Why wouldn't such a fine made gun with top of the line materials not last very long? Is that due to the assumption that it wouldn't be shot very much on the range since it kicks so much, as opposed to it not being able to handle it?

Also, What you guys and gals think about the European style mag release? How fast can someone reload one of those? At first I was against this but as a pocket gun I now understand the reasoning.

[CHLSteve]

I always thought this was a good video on the Rohrbaugh. These two guys are NOT having fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZQLo1Zb8ss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MrsFosforos]

In yet another email from 2008, John noted that Corbon was starting to produce an 80gr, non+P 9mm DPX round with the R9 in mind..

Rorhbaugh did work with Corbon and made it available from their website a month or so ago. Word is the first batch sold out quick.

I always thought this was a good video on the Rohrbaugh. These two guys are NOT having fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZQLo1Zb8ss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's not a plinker, but it's not the worst I've ever shot. A little Seecamp .32 is a true little beast. And loaded with Corbon it really bites!!! The R9 is tame compared to it!

[ELB]

...and the magazine release is in the butt, European style. And, I suspect the
pistol's useful life is well under ten thousand rounds.

Why wouldn't such a fine made gun with top of the line materials not last very long? Is that due to the assumption that it wouldn't be shot very much on the range since it kicks so much, as opposed to it not being able to handle it?

Also, What you guys and gals think about the European style mag release? How fast can someone reload one of those? At first I was against this but as a pocket gun I now understand the reasoning.

Not a gun designer or engineer, but total ignorance is never a reason to not have an opinion So, my guess is the smaller the gun, the less gun there is to absorb the stresses of being shot. The same amount of stress spread out over a smaller bit of real estate is most likely going to wear it down (either thru actual wear or cracks or ...) faster. I don't know if this is John's logic, but I suspect it runs along these lines. Plus experience with shooting lots of guns.

I suspect the magazine release position is also related to the small size -- there just isn't as much real estate around the upper frame to put a button or lever, plus drilling yet another hole thru a reduced frame size introduces yet another weak point for stresses to work on (see previous para). I don't see the position of the mag release being a big issue, because I do not see a gun such as a R9 -- a backup gun -- being reloaded under stress very often. It is kind of a last ditch defense, like a snubnose, and if you haven't solved the problem at hand by the time you empty the BUG, you are probably not going to be in a position to reload anyway... (altho I carry speed strip for my snub just because I can...)

Having said all that, I'd be tickled pink to have an R9. Just don't want the bill that comes with it.

[ELB]

Further Rohrbaugh and LCP news emailed from John Farnam at the SHOT Show:

First, the Rohrbaugh pistol:

Rohrbaugh is now producing the "ROBAR/Rohrbaugh" version of
their little 9mm pistol. The entire pistol is NP3'ed! My two-year-old copy of the
Rohrbaugh continues to run fine, and I carry it as a back-up gun regularly! Cor-Bon
now makes a standard-pressure 80gr DPX round, and that is what the Rohrbaugh
folks are now highly recommending for use in their little pistol.

As for the LCP:

One area of disappointment: at Ruger's booth there were six LCP 380Auto
pistols on display for physical examination by show-goers. Of course, at the
SHOT Show, all such guns on display are sterilized, usually by removing the
firing pin. The LCPs at Ruger's booth were thus rendered inert, per SHOT Show
rules, and I don't know if that was a factor. But, as I examined the same six
on display today, all of which had been dry-fired many times over the past
four days, the hammers on all six were broken! The LCP hammer consists of
a hub and a striker, and it is the striker that was broken off on all of them.
It is a MIM (Metal-Injection-Molding) part, and that may be the problem.