R-9 in American Handgunner Again

[DDGator]

As a follow up to last month's article, the R-9 is mentioned again in the "SpeakOut" letters to the editor section.  Someone wrote in to ask why they didn't mention the Kel-Tec P-11 in the article, and he was told that was like comparing a Yugo to a Mercedes Benz.

 

[9mil.mouse]

Like Duane and several of us here, I have owned both, although the Kel-Tec(s) have been sold since the R9 arrived, and the Rohrbaugh is definitely a keeper. Just when I had gotten the KTs to work well too. Honestly, nothing against the KTs but I sort of agree with the editor, or maybe it's more like comparing an air-cooled VW bug to a Rolls Royce. One's a good little knock-around piece, nothing to cry about if you drop it off the garage roof when you're up there. The other is something to treasure, but they both "run" although the KT often needs a bit of work to make it reliable. Almost all of the R9s I've heard about including my own DEFINE reliability.    

[TW]

>>Hi Mouse...

What kind of issues have you had with your Kel-Tec(s), and what did you do to make them more reliable...?

I own a KT .380 and like it a lot for what it is.  My buddy at the gun shop has one and told me you have to put about ~150 rounds through them...after which they run smooth and without any failures.  I trusted him and went ahead and bought it.  Took it to the range and it functioned precisely as he said it would.  Ever since then it has eaten silver tips reliably.

I've thought about getting the KT 9mm for fun, but have been too tied up with my R9 to move on it...TW<<  

[9mil.mouse]

Hi TW,

The problems I experienced were failures to eject. I did some fluff and buff, and the Kel-Tecs went back to the manufacturer for work before they were reliable. I'm not throwing rocks at them, a lot of shooters have good luck with K-Ts and even those with problems can be made into good little guns if you want to put a little effort into them.  

[Mr_Jody_Hudson]

I have 11 Keltecs now; I sold 4 of them to my son, 3 in .32. and 3, that is all but one in .380 I have another Keltec, a carbine in .223 on order.

=================

Currently, in Keltec

I have one pistol in .380 now as I sold the rest.  This one is nearly identical to the Rohrbaugh in size and in fact some of the holsters are interchangable or nearly so.

I have 5 Keltec pistols in 9mm

2  in .40

2  in 357 SIG

1  9mm Carbine

========

Here follows my Keltec Owners Formula!

Buy Keltec

Shoot 300 to 500 rounds and log the problems and number and type of each.  Take digital pictures as needed.

Send gun back to Keltec with letter of explanation and pictures, if appropriate.

Get gun back from the great folks at Keltec.

Shoot at least 200 more rounds in the gun, keep records of any difficulties, take pictures if needed and if not perfect, send gun back again, with note and pictures.  Maintain a polite and loving relationtionship with Keltec and the people there.  Call them after they receive the gun and discuss with them and ask them to do what they think is needed. Offer to purchase parts or pay for the work they do.

Get gun back and shoot at least another 300 rounds.

By this time the gun is perfect according to my experience and the total cost is about $150 or so more than original cost.  In my case that takes the total cost of the gun up to about full retail price.  AND I then have a small, reliable, accurate, light, gun that has few peers and perhaps none in the price range!!!

Buy another Keltec or two and repeat the above steps!  

Once a year, or so, take out the duplicates and do a good, long, extensive, accuracy and reliability test with them - one against the other - and decide on the best gun of the group and the best ammo.  Make a record of best gun and ammo combinations.  Sell a few of them early in December, along with all records, at a little above full retail, face to face, to police mostly!

Add money received to gun purchasing account!!!!!  

Congratulate myself on all the fun I've had, and that I've gotten back most or all of the money spent on ammo as well as gun and that I've provided a great little gun, well tested, to a policeman that may well give him longevity!  Probably at a small profit to me.

[Mr_Jody_Hudson]

Back to Rohrbaugh.  I got my copy of the magazine and plan to read article tonight.

I have ONE Rohrbaugh for sale!  Price; $12,000 - well tested and found accurate as well as fully reliable.  Purchaser must pass my personal likeability test or price is double.

I have several Keltec pistols for sale - well tested, factory refurbished a time or three, proven reliable and accurate - at $350 each, face to face transactions to police officers!  

[BillinPittsburgh]

The guy who thinks a Kel-Tec P-11 is comparable to a Rohrbaugh has clearly never carried a gun in a pocket.

I am very happy with my Kel-Tec P-32.  It is much more comfortable to shoot than the equivalent North American
Arms product.  However, when I first bought it:

1)  It shot about 5" to the right at 30 feet.

2)  It would jam about 1/2 the time on the first shot when loaded 7+1, with the rim of the top cartridge caught in the groove of the cartridge below it.  How many people never test their gun loaded this way but then carry it this way?

Problem #2 was solved by going from the factory 9 lb. recoil springs to Wolff 11 lb. recoil springs.  Wolff +10% extra power magazine springs also helped.

Problem #1 was solved when David Clay moved the muzzle of the gun over about 0.010", by removing material from one side of the hole in the slide the receives the muzzle, and welding material to the other side of this same hole.  He did this when he installed his tritium channel sight on the gun.

Rimlock (rim of one cartridge stuck behind the rim of the cartridge below it) seems to be a much more common problem in Kel-Tec .32's than in North American Arms .32's.  In fact, I am not aware of a single instance of rimlock occurring in NAA .32's.

A lot of the problems with Kel-Tec guns are self-induced by those who "fluff and buff" a gun that was fine when it left the factory.  They end up removing too much material from various places and taking the dimensions out of specification.  A gunsmith employed by Kel-Tec tells me that they repair a lot of guns that were ruined by this procedure.