Can you shoot 9mm in the Rohrbaugh 380?

[Lancesnarr]

Hello everyone.  I purchased an R9 about 8 months ago.  Love it.  Added John's mag extensions and love it even more.  Very impressed with accuracy.  Quality is second to none.

So, I bought my wife the .380 version for Christmas.  I don't like that round, but I was concerned the recoil in the 9mm would be a bit much for her as she tends to flinch.  

I have compared these two guns carefully and, it appears anyway, that the only difference is the internals of the magazines.  I am wondering if this is true?  And if so, can I use my 9mm mag from my R9 and shoot 9mm through the .380?  

Anybody ever researched this or shot 9mm through the .380?

Thanks,  Lancesnarr

[tracker]

No.

[Richard S]

What Tracker said.

[kjtrains]

No!    

[dano]

What they all said..... [glb]Don't Do It![/glb]

[RickP]

Lancesnarr,

Welcome to the forum!!!

I don't think the factory even approves 380+P, but after the SHOT show I would call the factory to be sure.

Rick

[yankee2500]

Lance, a welcome from me as well.

    Although it is referred to as a 9mm short it also has a smaller diameter and a 9mm will not chamber in a 380 pistol enough to allow it to go into battery and fire.
  So no need to worry about mixing up mags or ever trying to shoot a 9mm in a 380 it won't go.

John

[kjtrains]

Lance.  Welcome to the Forum and congrats on the R9 and your wife's .380.  John explained it very well on what won't go where.  Again, welcome.    

[Lancesnarr]

Thanks for the feedback.  I won't do it!!!!  I also appreciate learning that the .380 is a different diameter than the 9mm, as I have always assumed it to be the same due to the .380 often being referred to as 9mm short.  

Well, I'll be the first to admit that there's a lot I don't know!  But I do place an emphasis on safety and would not have tried to shoot 9mm through the .380 without solid verification.  Thanks again for the feedback and education.

Lancesnarr

[Richard S]

Lancesnarr:

I neglected to welcome you to the Forum in my earlier post. I so do now. And that was an elegant touch to give you wife the Rohrbaugh .380.

[Alphonso]

How about a barrel swap?  Would the R380 fit/handle 9mm with a factory 9mm barrel in it?  

[tracker]

No.

[Lancesnarr]

Again, thanks for all the feedback.  I looked through a bunch of old posts under the R380 category and discovered that this topic had come up before.  From what I've read, although the R9 and R380 look very similar, there are a number of differences that not only make it impossible to shoot 9mm through the R380, but also make a conversion of the R380 to an R9 impracticle.  

I am not a gunsmith and do not know anymore than what I have read on this forum.  But, since I posed the question, I thought I should pass on what I have learned.  

Out of sheer curiosity, I would like to know what the various differences are.  But only out of curiosity.  My wife loves the R380 and it was a good choice for her.  After shooting her R380, she shot my R9 and the recoil was definately more than she was comfortable with. As she put it, "your gun hurts@!".

Regards to all,

Lancesnarr

[Richard S]

* * * Out of sheer curiosity, I would like to know what the various differences are. * * *

This article written by Dick Metcalf and published in the June 2000 edition of Shooting Times may be of interest:

http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aast9mmv380a.htm

And here is a link to another discussion, some of which speaks to specific dimensional differences in the two rounds:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080127072915AALxQBt

Edit: Don't get me started on this stuff.  

[MRC]

I agree with everything that has been said so far, but why couldn't a Rohrbaugh factory conversion be produced consisting of a barrel and recoil spring assembly?

I really doubt that Rohrbaugh is doing anything different to the frames of the two calibers, but that is possible.