The Rohrbaugh Forum

Rohrbaugh Products and Accessories => Rohrbaugh R9 (all variations) => Topic started by: Aglifter on August 07, 2005, 06:21:48 PM

Title: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Aglifter on August 07, 2005, 06:21:48 PM
The case of the top round in the magazine seems to develop a sharp "ding" in it after being carried for a day or two -- I haven't been able to get to the range since I got my gold dots, but I am a little concerned about it -- the hydrashocks that I carried previously did fine.  It's a rather sharp crease -- I can post a photo, but I need to figure out how to shrink it first -- I don't think anyone wants a several MB pic of the round.

Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: R9SCarry on August 08, 2005, 12:17:03 PM
Strange Ag - very strange.  I just checked my mags - and these have been full for some while - no apparent distortion of top case - GDJHP 124's.

Re a pic - always useful.  Go to http://www.irfanview.com/ and download the small image viewer which IIRC is still a freebie.  You might even consider downloadfing the plug-ins too - as they can be useful.

Anyways - study the application a bit and you should find you can set ot up to save your file as a JPG, with a qual;ity factor of your choosing - and - reduce size.

Aim if you can for something like 640 x 480 for size and compression to achieve a file size of sub 100k.

Also if useful to you - take a peek HERE (http://www.alumbankweb.com/img_matters/) which is a small site I have up for reference - with a bias toward the High Road site regarding posting.  Your pic will need hosted somewhere, like Photobucket.com or your own server if you have one.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Aglifter on August 08, 2005, 06:14:49 PM
http://homepage.mac.com/aglifter/PhotoAlbum1.html

In theory, this is a link to the two pics of the cartidges.


Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: sslater on August 08, 2005, 06:28:32 PM
I'm seeing the same kind of dings as your lefthand picture (ding1).  The rounds I'm carrying are 124 gr. Gold Dots.

Expect to be going to the range tomorrow and will report it those rounds cause any problems.  I don't anticipate any.

Dings are probably due to strong magazine spring pushing up on the chambered (unfired) round as you unload the weapon before putting it away at night.

We all DO unload before putting our R9S's away don't we.  Sure..... ;)

Steve S.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: R9SCarry on August 08, 2005, 09:38:18 PM
Thx for pics link Ag - I am still puzzled!!!  Brass cases are not that tough but - even if I try and force a round up at the tip so lips bear on case - I can't make a significant mark, let alone a dent.

The only situation where I could envisage this is if I accelerated a single round in an empty mag - from bottom to top under spring tension - but that would be difficult!

I daresay there is some logical explanation but it escapes me thus far.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Aglifter on August 09, 2005, 03:02:45 AM
I unload the mag. outside of the pistol -- I looked inside the mag well, and I can't find anything to cause that ding -- only thing I could think of is that, on rare occasions, when the pistol gets bumped in my pocket, it's somehow bumps the rounds into the slide???  Doesn't really make sense how that would happen though
Title: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: TW on August 09, 2005, 04:55:25 AM
>>I've experienced these same dings in my .115g GDHP coming out of both my R9s.  Go figure...TW<<
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: sslater on August 09, 2005, 07:19:36 AM
I've thought about it some more, and see that the magazine doesn't have anything to do with it.  But I still say the ding is caused by the top edge of the chamber as you cycle the action to unload an unfired round:
-The slide has the case gripped by the extractor groove.  
-As you manually cycle the action, the slide and barrel travel back locked together for a short distance.
-The barrel unlocks from the slide and begins to pivot downward.
-The slide still has the case held tight by the extractor groove, but the case still has the unfired bullet in, so the whole assembly has to travel back more than it would to eject a spent case only.
-So the modified Browning tilting barrel mechanism is trying to bend the round as it extracts / ejects it.  A tight chamber, max diameter brass would be worst case in this respect.

These forums are really great for bouncing ideas back and forth.  It makes me think about the basic mechanical principles of the mechanism, increasing my understanding of firearm function.  And John Moses Browing had this stuff all worked out a hundred years ago..... :o

sslater
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Rocnerd on August 09, 2005, 08:48:24 AM
Thank-you Mr. Browning!
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: BlueGrips on August 09, 2005, 10:08:35 AM
I experienced the exact same thing. It is caused when you are loading the magazine. Notice how the top bullet's base is pressed down on the bottom's case during the insertion. The only way to get around this is using a magazine loader.

Cheers!
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Aglifter on August 09, 2005, 11:29:08 AM
I don't think it's caused while loading -- I thought that originally, but I removed the rounds again immediately after loading, and there weren't any dings, nor were there any dings on my 147 gr. hydrashocks that I carried previously.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: R9SCarry on August 09, 2005, 12:12:25 PM
Steve - good rationale - and I had been considering this too.  I just inspected by last chambered round and found a very very small ''ding'' almost hard to see.

I again am convinced the mag per se and loading of same will NOT produce this.  It has to be caused as round leaves mag on chambering - and I and most I expect do a vigorous ''sling shot'' to ensure round goes fully in to battery.

I did describe the whole cycle in a thread recently - forget which one but Steve has reiterated some of that and this so far for me is the reason.

Makes one realize here that constant reloading (re-chambering) of one same round always is not a good idea.  Best to rotate ammo and then use up at a practice shoot periodically.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: sslater on August 09, 2005, 05:32:14 PM
R9SCarry, cuteo100, et al:
I do use a mag loader to take the pressure off my sore thumb, so R9SCarry and I are pretty much on the same page.  Use up those carry rounds when you go to the range and reload with fresh ammo.  Lots of gun 'experts' recommend that your carry ammo be replaced at least every six months.  

At my range session today I fired 68 rounds for a cumulative total of 157.  No functional problems at all, other than one of those UMC rounds I'm using up needed two hits to fire.
Four of the 124 gr. Gold Dots I fired had dings like Aglifter's.  No problems feeding or extracting.

I did notice those areas on the frame that are rubbed by the barrel (another thread) are looking a bit rough.  I was liberal with Super Lube grease last time I assembled it, too.

One other observation:  Recoil spring started out at 42 mm free length.  After 157 rounds fired, that spring is 33.75 mm.  It looks like it's relaxed a full coil.  That seems a lot for less than 200 rounds.  I'm shooting only Gold Dots and FMJ practice stuff.  No +P's.  Unless the relaxation reaches a plateau soon, I won't make 500 rounds before the first spring replacement...
Has anyone else measured their recoil spring 'shrinkage'?
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: R9SCarry on August 09, 2005, 05:48:41 PM
Haven't actually measured ''shrinkage'' - something I must get round to.

On a theoretical basis tho - I would expect a newly installed spring to take somewhat of a ''set'' after being in the gun a while - fired or not.  Then actual cycling will probably add to that set a bit, after which a near plateau should be reached.

Over time tho and probably way beyond the 500 round mark, I'd expect spring to become a tad ''fatigued'' such that probably a measurable decrease in its rate could be seen.  The recommended replacement point is probably for most part to reduce ''beating up'' the gun as it weakens a bit and avoid too much unwanted ''slide slam'' effects when fully rearward.

I really must do some comparisons.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: EdMan on November 05, 2005, 04:40:14 PM
Aglifter,
I've used Speer 115gr GDHPs in my R-9 and Kahr PM9s for a while. I've never had this problem.

Ed
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: CAB on November 05, 2005, 04:58:41 PM
To chime in here, I noticed the same problem with "dings" in 115 gr. Gold Dot.  If someone figures our the definitive answer, I would like to know.  

Brian
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Michigunner on November 05, 2005, 05:05:26 PM
Steve,

I was thinking of what you said regarding unloading.

I put my R9S in the night stand, so it is always loaded and ready to go.

My plan was to leave it completely alone for several months, and then put in fresh rounds.  Well, I might clean it.

I hope others have had satisfactory experience carrying the same ammo for an extended period.

Thanks again for the abrasive tape.  That stuff is terrific.

Bill
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: LCP on November 07, 2005, 06:50:51 PM
As was previously mentioned one of the great things about this forum and some others is the information that is obtained because there are a number of people dealing with the same tool (guns etc), also with the same interest.
I noticed about a week ago a ding in my GD 115 gr round that was in my R9 mag. It was the top round on the magazine. The crease is right where the bottom of the bullet sits in the case. I removed it and gave it some thought, then put it in my desk drawer.  As I was sitting at my desk reviewing some posts I noticed that others have encountered the same crease in the case.  There does not appear to be a definitive answer to the issue.
Lyle
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: R9SCarry on November 07, 2005, 09:51:32 PM
In any given semi gun (potentially) IMO, the ''trauma'' imposed on a round during loading is or can be significant.

The short journey from mag to full battery is involving quite a change of direction, under considerable pressure as the slide slams the round.  On bigger guns like a 1911 I think everything ''has room'' - but once guns get real small then some of the concessions made to achieve smallness do i think lead at times to this trauma.

For that reason I do not load the same round more than twice as the ''first off the stack'' and try and rotate the rounds, and inspect.  Eventually shooting this carry ammo off and reloading with fresh.

A small perceptible ding does not bother me if case is still easy to chamber - I am more concerned about bullet set-back.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: bigyimmy on November 07, 2005, 09:58:49 PM
Ditto for me and dings on GDHP 115 gr.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: Aglifter on November 07, 2005, 11:33:36 PM
I mentioned this in another thread -- I haven't had a ding since I started putting only one round in a magazine, chambering that round, then proceeding to eject and load the magazine fully -- admittedly, I only carried gold dots for a couple months after I saw the ding -- I now carry silver tips, but the pup's been able to shoot everything so far.
Title: Re: "dings" in GDHP 115 gr.
Post by: bigyimmy on November 08, 2005, 03:33:05 PM
I will try loading the first round that way.  Thanks!