Mine Too!

[Les]

I thought I was safe, the "pup" shooting good and handling about any ammo I tried. I cleaned it Thursday after shooting it earlier in the week. Where did that come from? A crack in the slide, on the rear left hand side. Wow. I took it to my gun shop Thursday afternoon, and they said "Yes, that's a crack, do you want us to send it back to the shop for you"? I told them yes and returned home. Then I read the forum about dealing personally with the Brothers and it seemed a good idea. I tried to call them Friday and the recorded message said that they were closed until Oct. 2nd. So I'll call tomorrow and let them know the shop is sending mine back for me.

I thought after reading all the posts about cracked slides and bad batch of bar stock that mine was safe. My serial is R113x
and that all the other cracked slides were much lower numbers.

Several thoughts: I don't understand how a company can't have a way of keeping track of something like that and culling out the bad stuff? Secondly, I've looked at the back of that slide and thought that the left side of the slide was machined thinner than the right side of the slide? Maybe it's just my glasses? I wonder if all of the cracks have been in this location, or have they been on the right side too?

I AM really disappointed! And I don't know what to say to the Brothers? I know that they will fix it, but if it is bad material or even a design flaw, how do I know that the next slide won't do the same thing in another couple of hundred shots?

I love the pup, but  I don't love what all has been wrong with it. That post also said to talk to the company before you post on the forum about it. I guess I blew that! Why don't they still have an e-mail for the company? Les

[MountainMan]

Les,

Sorry about the cracked slide.  Cracks have developed on both sides - saw one with both sides at once.

Don't know how many there have been.  Counting yours I have heard of six.

As you said it will be taken care of - even if you are not the original owner.

I have two R9s.  One still NIB and one shot.  I was concerned because someone had one that cracked only two SS#s from the one I use.  I really don't put alot of rounds through the gun at one time - two to three mags  - don't know if I will have a future poblem or not.  I don't think of it much anymore.

Don't know of another one gun that has it's own forum, so you don't hear all of the problems other guns have discussed as much.

I know you are disappointed.  Some have posted who have had a cracked slide being satisfied when the gun came back.

Don't know what is the true cause of those pistols that have developed cracks.  They say a bad batch of slide stock.  The slide thickness at the rail slot is pushing the limit on thinness in my belief.  So something as simple as a variation in heat treatment could possibly cause a problem - just my thoughts.

My thoughts are if for some reason my slide cracks while I'm shooting a bad guy I feel confident I'll be able to finish the job.

Doesn't make you any happier I realize.

[Brenden]

Les,
Sorry to here of your crack..
I do have every confidence that the R Bros will take care of your problem..
It would not please me though to have to send it out and be without my companion..

You have a couple of hundred rounds thru the pup?

Please keep us updated on the progress of your pup..

Brenden

[PursuitSS]

Les, do you have any idea how many rounds have been through your R9?

Also I wonder if it's time for Rohrbaugh to try another alloy like S7. It may not be stainless but it sure as hell won't crack!

PursuitSS

[TXAGGIECHL]

One thing that keeps me on the sidelines is their lack of batching/ability to track the slides and frames.  I've heard that a rather small number of slides were affected by the bad bar stock, yet, we've seen guns from the low #400's to upper #1100's have cracked slides.  This just seems irresponsible.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like they just dump the slides in a huge bin as they get more in from the manufacturer, and just randomly pull one out and assemble an R9, with a randomly plucked frame.  

In my experience, sequentially batching frames and slides makes trouble-shooting much easier.  If you get a bad group of slides, no big deal.  Just pull the records e.g. "let's see, that bad batch of slides went on #1000-#1050."  Then it's simple to both 1) do a recall if necessary, and 2) determine if more than one batch was bad. "Humm, we've had cracks on #800-#850, maybe there's a problem with that batch as well."

With the recent R9 slide cracks, what's to say there haven't been multiple bad batches?  You'd never know since everything is willy-nilly & co-mingled regarding assembly.

[Les]

That's about the way I see it too. I just think that there is a better way than what apparently is happening. I know that suppliers sometimes mess up, but you ought to be able to know which orders were messed up and cull the bad ones out of your inventory. For someone thinking about buying a pup news like this can't be postive for sales. I've only put about 200 rounds+ through the gun! I spoke to Maria this AM and she assured me that they would take care of it, which I knew and believed they would. I didn't fuss, I just wanted them to know rhat the gun store was sending my pup in for repair. Les

[RA_Bakken]

Les,

That IS a bummer.  Sorry to hear about it.  I feel your pain brother!

Professionally, I'm in Robotics, and have spent so much time around heavy ISO documentation standards, that I agree with you personally.  Manufacturers in my world can trace the COLOR they use in various components for resale to large manufacturers.  For a small startup, though, this level of ISO control and documentation must truly be mind-boggling.  Not to mention expensive.

We can always dream though.  I'm a huge fan of "bar code and ID everything in your process."  Keep us posted on your progress.

[S.F._Phantom]

Just wondering, has anyone heard of a replacement slide cracking?

[RA_Bakken]

Not yet.  Mine has been fine, but only about 70 rounds through it.  something like that....:-)

[TXAGGIECHL]

I find it hard to believe that merely keeping a list of frame serial numbers, along with which batches of components went into that gun to be a "mind boggling" experience.  

This type of slight control is essential when dealing with various subcontractors who make your components; especially when you’re dealing with something as precise as the R9.  It’s not an AR after all!

Heck, maybe a lot of the random FTF issues could be traced to one out of spec component?  
Who knows, but you'd never know if parts were mixed & co-mingled when received.

I’m not trying to be critical; just making observations that could reduce the number of variables present when attempting to isolate an issue.  

I think the scientific method of variable isolation is particularly applicable for trouble-shooting precise tools like the R9.

[los]

Wondering if the Factory has a daily assembly Audit and if so, is it a random assembly audit or do all firearms receive a final inspection before shipping.

Also, what is the protocol for defective slide inspection, if any?

[Brenden]

Wondering if the Factory has a daily assembly Audit and if so, is it a random assembly audit or do all firearms receive a final inspection before shipping.

Also, what is the protocol for defective slide inspection, if any?

I am going to assume that each gun get's a final inspection..
As to the "defective slide inspection"  I would not know..

Brenden

[Les]

My pup came back today, new slide and recoil spring. Rohrbaugh does great warranty work, and I really appreciate that! I hope that it still shoots as good as it did before it was sent back! If you have had, or know of others who experienced, a cracked slide, how did it shoot when you got it back? Is it like breaking it in all over again? I won't get to shoot mine until next week. Thanks, Les

[RA_Bakken]

When I shot mine w/ the new slide, it was great.  No problems at all.  Shot it again after that, and ditto.  So far, very happy w/ the results.  Usually, I shoot three mags through it.

Eager to hear your results.  Update when possible.

[Les]

Just an update on my R9: I did get to shoot it last week and the first three mags had five, maybe six FTF's. Tried it again later in the day, another three mags and only two FTF's. The next day experienced no failures at all. Before we left the farm a total of six more mags with no failures. I feel better! I only used win. 115 gr silvertips. The pup still likes them. I've cleaned it good, still using Superlube, but going to try Mil-Comm's TW 25B that folks have been talking about on the forum. Anyone know a good internet source?

I love the pup! The way it points and shoots, the power and concealability. I've looked for something like it for many years!
While I don't like having to send it back to the Brothers ( this is the second time), I know that it will be fixed because they stand behind the product!

I wonder if the progressive reliability of my gun last week had anything to do with breaking in the new recoil spring rather than the new slide? What has been your experience when you have replaced the spring after 200 rounds?  Les