Mag release when loaded 6+1

[CAB]

On my second trip to the range, after shooting 70 rounds flawlessly on the first trip, I decided to practice shooting my R9s loaded 6+1.  Out of ten magazines, on two or three occasions the slide cycling after the first shot caused the magazine to pop-out slightly, which caused a failure to feed, and necessitated using my left hand shove it back in.  I was very careful after the first instance to make sure the magazine was very well secured before shooting.  I would be interested to know whether any one has experienced this problem.  It did not exhibit this problem when shooting 5+1.  I theorize that the magizine spring is bottomed-out when loaded with 6, so the rap the slide causes going backward over the full magazine is enough to knock the mag loose, whereas the spring is able to absorb some of the blow when only five rounds are present.  Any insights into this problem would be appreciated.  I would like to carry it 6+1, but this experience has blown my confidence.  Thank you.

[Michigunner]

CAB,

Welcome to the forum.  Glad you are here.

I have not heard reports of the magazine coming out.  Some of the other members will know, however, and may be able to offer suggestions.

Bill

[musician]

I've not had your problem but have had other magazine-related problems, including the heel plate sliding both forwards and backwards.  Have you checked the slot in the heel that the catch anchors into?  Maybe the position or size of the cutout is out of spec.  Or call Eric; he may have your answer.

[R9SCarry]

CAB - welcome

This is pretty rare I'd say - and I shoot 6+1 for practice.  The mag release is IIRC the ''other end'' of the mainspring and should be well able to retain the mag.  Eyeball from side to make sure the release has an undercut profile - which it almost certainly should have.

Check mag base plate too - just to make sure it has not drifted fwd a bit.  I think many issues folks have had with R9's come back to something magazine oriented.

[Erich]

I suspect I can solve your problem very easily.

I had this exact problem (EVERY time I loaded the gun), and I wound up sending it back to Rohrbaugh in August. They were mystified and could not duplicate the problem (with Karl and Eddie shooting it all sorts of ways), but modified my mag release for me. When I got the gun back, it did the same thing for me.

I had a friend try it, and it did NOT jump out for him. His son reminded me that I used to have functioning problems with a Kel-Tec P-32 that I used to own, and a light bulb went on in my head.

I have odd-shaped hands. My palms are very thin, but the heel of my hand and the base of my thumb are meaty. When I shoot (in a Weaver stance, with front-to-back pressure on the gun's gripframe), my hands tend to create a "cup" on the side of a gun's stocks.

Not a problem with most guns, but with thin-framed guns like the Rohrbaugh and the baby Kel-Tecs, it's an issue. (My friend's regular-shaped hands, and presumably those of the folks at Rohrbaugh, did not create this cupping, and the problems did not occur for them.) What I had done to get the K-T to work was I had inserted the thumb of my off-hand vertically alongside the handgun's gripframe, and I had grasped the thumb within the grip of my primary hand (thus creating a fatter profile for me to hang on to). This completely solved my problems with the P-32.

I tried the same thing with the R9s, and ALL MY PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED!   I was happy as a hog in slop! I've since fired about three hundred rounds without any problems whatsoever. (I promptly emailed Karl Rohrbaugh an explanation of what happened, so it may be he's passed my experience on to you already.)

(I would point out that a person shooting with an Isoceles stance and it's side-to-side pressure on the gripframe, is unlikely to encounter this sort of malfunction.)

What I can't tell you is how the gun's frame moving slightly within my palm (bear in mind that I was NOT limp-wristing the gun, it's just that the grip I was using was not providing adequate support to the thin, slick stocks) caused the gun to pop its mag. It apparently did, though, because the issue completely stopped when I fixed my grip on the gun.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to PM me if you have any Qs, and please let us know if this solution works for you.

[CAB]

Thanks to all who replied, especially Erich for his detailed response.  I think he may have the answer.  My hands likewise are thin in the middle.  After the first instance, I was playing around with my grip as I thought maybe my small finger was hitting it during recoil.  Since I was changing my grip, that could explain why it did not happen all the time.  Looks like what is needed is another trip to the range, and this time I will  do more controlled experiments with the grip. Also, I will compare the two magainze and see if it happens with both or just one.  The short term solution is to carry 5+1 instead of 6, as it never happened with 5.  Unfortunately, I will not have time to go to the range for awhile, but I will provide a follow-up post when I find some answers.  Otherwise, a great gun and a great forum.

Brian

[Erich]

Brian, I feel your pain, and sincerely hope the fix works for you.

I initially also thought that my pinkie was hitting the mag release (a subsequent range trip showed that it wasn't - I fired with my pinkie extended out in front of the gun, parallel to the barrel and it still happened). Then I thought it was a mechanical problem with the mag release spring being too weak. Eddie at Rohrbaugh cleared that up: the mag release is attached to the mainspring, and if there was a problem with it, the gun wouldn't fire.

Try my trick of wedging your off-hand thumb alongside the pistol's stocks within your primary hand's grip. Hopefully the additional friction and pressure will keep the pistol properly situated in your hand and you'll never have this problem again.

By the way, if this does solve the problem, you might email Rohrbaugh to let them know that you, too, experienced this problem - I'm sure they're going to get more calls from folks like us as they sell more pistols, and it would be good for them to hear about the problem/solution occurring for folks than me . . . if it occurs enough, perhaps they'll mention it in their literature so that new owners know what to do.

[Richard S]

CAB:

I haven't experienced the problem you describe, but Erich presents a compelling analysis.  All I can add here is to welcome you to the Forum.

[CAB]

Thanks again Erich, I will let you and the forum know how my next trip to the range goes.  

[Erich]

Thanks for the reply - I was just wondering whether you'd had a chance to hit the range yet. I'll await your report!  

[theirishguard]

Cab, welcome to the forum, I think you will soon be enjoying your shooting time with the pup soon. Just listen to Erick, he is the captain of the loose mags ship. He has spend a lot of time and effort on this mag problem.
Tom

[Calvin Cooledge]

I should have known to write a while ago that I had this exact
same problem, and a wise old man at the range came back to the
lane and watched me. He noticed my thumb was actually in the way of the slide, causing the slide to slow, and therefore not eject my round or chamber the next. The same minor modification of my grip  as Erich spoke of made my gun completely reliable.

That and some good lubricants...

Steve
BTW-I had a horror site the other day. I pulled the R9S out of my pocket and I noticed something sticking out of the barrel. Caramba!
Upon close inspection, I found it to be dryer lint from my jeans which formed into a, um, Rohrbaugh barrel shape;^)  I pulled it out and laughed and thought, sheesh, this might well have caused a misfire. I'm no expert on guns, and I don't play one on TV. I guess we should all inspect our pockets before we place a gun in it. Can I get an Amen?

[theirishguard]

Hey Calvin, are you now kniting a sweater out of the bbl lint?
Tom

[R9SCarry]

Steve - an amen from here on that ''lint ball''

[Calvin Cooledge]

Hey Calvin, are you now kniting a sweater out of the bbl lint?
Tom

Actually, Tom, I'm using it and other stuff I've collected over the years as a hairpiece. It looks yummy...

Cal