Rohrbaugh Products and Accessories > Rohrbaugh R9 (all variations)

HELP PLEASE - New Owner - Pistol Won't Run

(1/7) > >>

rikhek:
All,

I just bought a R9 via Gunbroker from original owner.  Pistol is like new and seller stated it had maybe 50 rounds run through it.  Condition of pistol suggests he was being honest.  Seller said he remembered it running fine for him but also stated he can't remember the last time he fired or what specific ammo he was using.  Serial number R3912.

Before buying I did a lot of research and am aware these pistols can be picky with ammo.  I've tried 3 different brands and it won't run on any.

I tried the following, all in 124 grain FMJ with brass casings:
-  Remington
-  Winchester
-  Federal/American Eagle

I ran 48 rounds (8 clips) of each brand using the 2 different OEM clips that I received with the gun.  I didn't get a single clip to run without jamming on ejection through 148 rounds.  Most clips jammed twice in 6 rounds and several jammed 3 times.  Very frustrating and I'm not sure what to do.  The pistol was clean and lubricated prior to shooting.  I loaded 6 rounds in the clips every time and experienced constant failure to eject and rechamber.  After a failure to cycle event the slide would be in the "open/back" position being held open by the next round in the clip with the spent round still partially “straight” in the barrel or slightly ejected but in a cocked/crooked position slightly in the barrel.  The spent casings remained in the gun in pretty much the same partially ejected position every time it failed to cycle.

Pistol is worthless to me in the current state as I don't trust it as a carry gun.  I was wondering if anybody had a suggestion(s).  I was thinking of replacing the recoil spring as it now has reached the 200 round suggested replacement threshold.  It's due for replacement now if it had the claimed ~50 rounds run through it from the original owner plus the 144 rounds I ran through it.  PLEASE note it never ran since I received it with only the advertised 50 rounds through it.  I'm pretty frustrated as I was VERY excited spoiling myself on what I consider to be an expensive pistol.  At this point I'll have more luck throwing it at a target than expecting it to shoot.....

Rick

P.S.  Where are replacement springs available, Williams Gun Sights?

ECR:
Hello Rick and Welcome aboard the forum,

I would give Williams a call and see if they can help you out. They have been very good in trying to make existing R9 owners happy and get their pistols functioning. With a R3900 series R9, you are in the middle of production runs and it should really be ok. I'm sure it is something minor, so I would phone them and see how things go. The only thing I would check is remove the base plate of each magazine and count the coils. Original early guns had 10 coils, then went to 13 coils, which were too strong. We came up with 12 coils as being the sweet spot for tension in the mags.

Good Luck in getting her going properly and please keep us informed. We're here to help with what we can.

Regards,

Eric Rohrbaugh

rikhek:
Eric,

Thanks for the response. My brother owns several R9’s and introduced me to your pistols. I was hoping you’d comment as my brother informed me you were active on the forum.

I just disassembled the clips and one has 13 coils and the other 12. I counted correctly and the 13 is noticeably longer. While shooting I thought one clip was working better than the other, however, neither clip allowed 6 rounds to be fired without jamming.

Also, I just looked in the “extras” bag that the original owner gave me with the pistol. There are two 10 coil mag springs in the bag. Interesting and makes me curious on the “significance” of the two 10 coil springs and the back story.

Any suggestions on my clip situation?

Rick

PhilZ:
Before sending it to William's, I would try two things.  If your brother's R9 runs fine, I would borrow his magazine to see if it solves the problem.  Also, I would ask him to shoot yours to see if maybe your grip is to blame.  You might be gripping too high on the frame, causing your thumb or hand to ride the slide.  It could also be caused by a not tight enough grip resulting in a "limp-wrist" failure to extract.  If your brother shoots your gun without issue, you need to work on your grip.

rikhek:
Phil,

Thanks for taking the time to contribute.  FWIW, I did my homework prior to purchasing and reading this forum was well aware of the potential for cycling issues with a limp wrist shooting style.  I consciously ensured my grip was tight with a ridgid, straight arm to prevent this phenomena.  Additionally, I'm positive i wasn't contacting the slide while shooting.

Borrowing my brother's mags would be a logical next step, however, I'm in Tulsa and he's in Harrisburg.  Too far to make this happen without mailing back and forth.  Not impossible but a bit difficult/inconvenient.  I called him and had him
 disassemble his clips and count his coils.  FWIW, his mags all have 12 coil springs in them.

I'm thinking of installing the "extra" 10 coil springs in the clips and see what happens.

Rick

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page