The Rohrbaugh Forum

Rohrbaugh Products and Accessories => Rohrbaugh Range Reports => Topic started by: alligosh on June 24, 2008, 12:46:14 AM

Title: Failure to fire
Post by: alligosh on June 24, 2008, 12:46:14 AM
So I bought my Rohrbaugh R9S today.  Very nice gun.

I took it into the range.  Very Excited.

I shot 50 rounds of Remington UMC through it, and by the end of it I was flinching at every shot because every third shot didn't fire (at all).  I would try a second pull of the trigger, and still nothing.  So I eject it and go on to the next, which may or may not fire.  The non-fired rounds had a small, but very light, mark where the firing pin hit them, but were obviously not fired.  I put them in my Glock, and every one of them fired fine.

The guys at the range tell me that the UMC is a very hard primer, so I shot 50 rounds of reloads they had, and most of them fired.  They keyholed very badly, but they fired.

Then I put 20 rounds of PMC Starfire HP through it, and every single one fired without a problem.

Question is: Is this normal?

Should I only ever put the $1 per round ammo through this gun?  Or is something wrong with it, and I should send it back to Rohrbaugh to have them adjust it?

-Steve
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: theirishguard on June 24, 2008, 12:27:25 PM
I would try shooting either Speer Gold Dot, Winchester silver tip or Federal ammo all 115 or 124 gr hollow points. Tom
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: tracker on June 24, 2008, 05:13:25 PM
All of what Tom said plus you might try Winchester White Box
at the range to keep down costs. I much prefer it over the
Remington, which I do not use any more.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: DTM_39 on June 24, 2008, 05:56:39 PM
I believe what Tom and Tracker said about sums it up. Feed your R-9 quality ammo and it will serve you well.   Dan
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: eddie_c-clamp on June 24, 2008, 08:56:10 PM
Steve- I had a similiar experience today at my qualifacation course of fire. Out of 50 mixed brand 9mm's I had about 7 failure to fire. All had light strikes on the primer that looked like half moons. This got me a bit worried since I shot 150 rds of 115 grain speer non-HP thru it two days ago.



I'm gonna stick w/gold dots from now on.........But should I be worried about these light firing pin strikes????


Does ammo make a difference on primer strikes???


Gents please chime in here....I'm getting paranoid :'(
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: tracker on June 24, 2008, 10:32:39 PM
It seems to me that it is important to eliminate the variables;
you said that you fired 50 rounds of mixed ammo on a
qualification? I learned a lesson the hard way on a CCW qual
using reloads--fortunately, it worked out but why mess with
it? Just stick with what works.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: eddie_c-clamp on June 24, 2008, 11:09:46 PM
You're right Tracker.......I'll just stick to the GD's...... :)
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: alligosh on June 25, 2008, 04:30:25 PM
Quote
Steve- I had a similiar experience today at my qualifacation course of fire. Out of 50 mixed brand 9mm's I had about 7 failure to fire. All had light strikes on the primer that looked like half moons. This got me a bit worried since I shot 150 rds of 115 grain speer non-HP thru it two days ago.

Does ammo make a difference on primer strikes???

Gents please chime in here....I'm getting paranoid :'(

From what I gather from talking to people about it (including calling Rohrbaugh) is that some ammo (read: cheap) has very hard primer.  The R9 has a hard time hitting it hard enough to get it to fire.  The good stuff, as in the major manufacturers good lines of ammo, shouldn't have a problem.  Speer Gold Dot and PMC Starfire both work, where the Remington UMC failed to fire every third round, and the magtech wouldn't even feed into the chamber.

As read elsewhere in these forums, every brand is slightly different in tolerances, and it seems that the R9 is tight enough on tolerances that it cares.  Which in my mind is a good thing, since it works with the defense rounds I want to use.

Thank you all for your responses.  When a firearm goes click rather than boom too many times, I start to get nervous.  You guys have helped me feel that the R9 is as good a weapon as I need it to be.

-Steve
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: dawkind on June 25, 2008, 05:16:31 PM
I had the same failure-to-fire problems using the UMC/Remington ammo with my R9S Stealth; never have I had one FTF using the Winchester white box ammo in the past 200rds.

I personally use Winchester Ranger bonded-core 147gr. HP LEO ammo in my Rohrbaugh and it has been flawless..... ;)
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: eddie_c-clamp on June 25, 2008, 10:33:53 PM
I had no probs w/recommended ammo (150 rds).......just when I fed the pup junk food.......

Moral of the story.......no more junk food 8)
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: tracker on June 26, 2008, 12:12:19 AM
Good on you, Eddie.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: theirishguard on June 26, 2008, 12:37:29 PM
eddie, the pup only likes good food.  Tom
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: Brenden on June 27, 2008, 02:08:51 AM
Feed the pup right...

It will bark when you want it!! ;)

Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: Richard S on June 27, 2008, 10:23:45 AM
Steve:

As noted by the gentlemen posting above, it is best to feed the R9 only the recommended high quality ammunition. The pistol is the smallest and lightest full-house 9mm handgun yet produced and is built to minimum tolerances. I liken an R9 to a Ferrari. If I were fortunate enough to own a Ferrari, I wouldn't fill its tank with off-brand, low-octane fuel.   8)

Good luck!
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: henryk on June 27, 2008, 03:06:25 PM
Quote
Steve:

As noted by the gentlemen posting above, it is best to feed the R9 only the recommended high quality ammunition. The pistol is the smallest and lightest full-house 9mm handgun yet produced and is built to minimum tolerances. I liken an R9 to a Ferrari. If I were fortunate enough to own a Ferrari, I wouldn't fill its tank with off-brand, low-octane fuel.   8)

Good luck!


You bet!  I can fullly relate to that.   8)
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: alligosh on June 29, 2008, 06:34:39 PM
OK, so second attempt at the range.

50 rounds of Winchester white box had only one round that required a second trigger pull, and all round shot.  Much better than the UMC.

Then I tried Speer gold dot, and I was completely dissappointed that every other round required a second trigger pull. Isn't that stuff on the recommended list?

I guess I'll have to try the silvertip next.

Is this really an r9 pickiness?  I have had multiple people tell me to send it back to Rohrbaugh to have the hammer spring checked.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: tracker on June 29, 2008, 06:53:35 PM
This problem definitely sounds equipment and not ammo
related.
You shouldn't be required to make second trigger pulls on any-
thing. I would call Rohrbaugh or just send it back.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: theirishguard on June 30, 2008, 10:14:32 AM
call Rohrbaugh first and go over the problem.  Tom
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: Richard S on June 30, 2008, 10:46:58 AM
I'm not sure whether this R9 was purchased new or used, but before doing anything else I would field strip it, give it a thorough clean and lube, and flush out the firing pin assembly area with a light lubricant such as Ballistol dispensed from an aerosol can using a precision applicator tube. There may be some "dreck" which has accumulated there.
Title: Re: Failure to feed
Post by: M14-68 on August 14, 2008, 07:48:45 PM
Quote
So I bought my Rohrbaugh R9S today.  Very nice gun.

I took it into the range.  Very Excited.

I shot 50 rounds of Remington UMC through it, and by the end of it I was flinching at every shot because every third shot didn't fire (at all).  I would try a second pull of the trigger, and still nothing.  So I eject it and go on to the next, which may or may not fire.  The non-fired rounds had a small, but very light, mark where the firing pin hit them, but were obviously not fired.  I put them in my Glock, and every one of them fired fine.

The guys at the range tell me that the UMC is a very hard primer, so I shot 50 rounds of reloads they had, and most of them fired.  They keyholed very badly, but they fired.

Then I put 20 rounds of PMC Starfire HP through it, and every single one fired without a problem.

Question is: Is this normal?

?

-Steve

I had the very same issue with the same ammo but in 380ACP in my Ruger LCP. Went back to Win white box for range work and loaded with Hornady TAP for carry.
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: alligosh on August 21, 2008, 10:43:24 PM
OK, so after all the issues I have had with the pup, I sent it back to Rohrbaugh to check it out.  They had it for about two weeks, which is not bad at all, and said they only found a very small burr inside the firing pin assembly, but they had removed it and it test fired for them.

So I took it to the range again.

This time, one night have said that it was better, but just barely.

Everything fired this time, but about half of the "good" ammo required a second trigger pull, with the least expensive ammo working fairly well.  I tried 12 of the Gold Dot 124gr, 12 of the Hornady TAP (which also didn't feed very well), 12 of the PMC Starfire, and about 50 rounds of the Winchester White box.

The WWB fired most of the rounds on the first pull.  The other three all required a second pull on every other shot.

Needless to say, I am less than pleased, and still don't think that this is a reliable firearm.  Add to that $75 every time I try to send it back to Rohrbaugh, and this little gun is getting WAY too expensive for something I can't even carry.

I am completely disappointed.
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: theirishguard on August 22, 2008, 12:29:17 PM
Did you buy this pistol new or used?  Have you called Rohrbaugh since the second range test?  Tom
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: alligosh on August 22, 2008, 03:54:30 PM
I got it brand new, registered it with Rohrbaugh, serial 28xx.  I have not called them again due to being out of town a bunch.

I hesitate to call again, since the only outcome will be to send it again, and I am already into this more money than my agreement with the wife will bear.

Guess there's no helping it; I need to call.
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: theirishguard on August 22, 2008, 05:21:47 PM
alligosh, I know it's a pain but take a deep breath and call Maria at Rohrbaugh, go over the problems with her and tell her what you just told us and get it running.  Tom
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: alligosh on August 26, 2008, 10:48:01 PM
So I had a nice talk with Karl Rohrbaugh this morning.  He suggested that I try a couple different kinds of ammo, plus a different cleaner / lubricant.

I have to admire a company that the lead engineer / owner is willing to talk to me when I have issues with a product.

Anyway, in case anyone cares, here are the recommendations.  It will be a few weeks or so before I can try them all, but I will eventually post results.

He suggested that for the range I try American Eagle 115gr, as  that is what he has been testing with lately.

He also suggested for a carry ammo that I try a new ammo that Corbon is releasing in about three weeks, specifically designed for the R9.  It is a version of their DPX, an 80 gr fully brass round (no lead) using the winchester primers.  It is supposed to have a muzzle velocity of 1300 ft/sec, but reduces the pressure from a standard 35000 PSI to a lower 27000 PSI, meaning less kick in the R9, but because it is a fully brass round has the advantage of still being a a 14 inch penetration.

I am defiantly going to buy a box when available and try it out.

He also strongly suggested the Hornady One Shot cleaner / Lubricant, which means I will be getting a can of that as well.

Wish me luck.
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: andyzx6r on August 27, 2008, 06:21:29 AM
Wow a Corbon specially designed for the R9!  That is fairly big news.  Did he specify the name to look for so that when it is released I will certainly try it out?



Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: CaptBW on August 27, 2008, 08:40:14 AM
Good info. Thanks for posting.
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: theirishguard on August 27, 2008, 12:46:30 PM
it would be nice to get more info on that Corbon round.  Tom
Title: Re: Failure to fire
Post by: JHawk on August 27, 2008, 02:01:23 PM
Quote
it would be nice to get more info on that Corbon round.  Tom
I have a message into Corbon on this through another Forum I frequent.  Will let you all know as soon as they get back to me.