Brand new R9s FTF and FTE with Federal ammo

[jeeptree2112]

Quick question for all the Rohrbaugh experts here.  First off I'm happy to be a new member of the forum.  I find forums like these invaluable. 
My question is I was on a waiting list for 6 months for a kimber solo and when it came in the owner of the gun store actually talked me into buying this gorgeous little gun.  His argument was very convincing.  So I came home and all the other gun store had for 9mm ammo was standard Federal ammo. 
So I loaded it up, with a strong, deliberate shooting stance fired off all 50, slowly.  Extremely accurate and recoil was manageable.   BUT OUT OF 50 ROUNDS I HAD 12 THAT EITHER BOTTLE NECKED (FTF) OR DIDN'T EJECT (FTE)  HOW DISAPPOINTING.  Please someone tell me it was just the ammo. 
Thanks

[kjtrains]

jeep.  Welcome to the Forum and congrats on getting a Rohrbaugh.  Certainly not an expert, however, yes, could be the ammo, for sure.  Try Gold Dots 115  or 124 gr. and see.  You should see a big improvement.  The tolerances on the R9's are very tight.   Again, welcome.  Let us know how the Gold Dots perform.  Thanks.

[dmunofo]

I am a new member as well and glad to hear you passed on the solo. I Almost bought the solo as well, but after some research I found out that the Kimber is having some problems that need to be corrected.  The Rohrbaugh is far superior in quality ans craftmanship.  I will be ordering mine very soon, and I am super excited to own this gun.  I do hear that this gun does like certain ammo....so keep with what the guys here tell you...they are very knowledgeable.

Dom
 

[Reinz]

Welcome to the forum Jeeptree.

I am by no means an expert, however I do own a few R9's that I shoot as well as shoot every single weekend in other endeavors.

12 malfunctions out of 50 in totally unacceptable!

A handfull of scenerios come to mind.  Anytime I test a gun, I take as much different ammo as possible to see which will work best.  In an auto, I will even alternate different brands and types just to test the reliability of the firearm.  Of course as you stated, you did not have this luxury.

For an auto to work properly there needs to be a paradoxical situation in place.  One a very steady platform (grip) for the recoil mechanism to work against and two, a smooth, low drag working of the recoil system; i.e. proper lubricattion and heat control.  Thus, rock solic vs. slick.

From your description, without someone else being there to evaluate, it would seem prudent to me to look in these areas:

1)  Ammo- as KJ reccomended, try some Gold Dot , it's like steak to these pups.  If you can, try some other brands as well, maybe, Remmington Golden Sabre and Winchester White Box -ball ammo like at Wal-mart and even Winchester Personel Defense or Silver Tips if you can find it.  Federal Hydra Shok are good also.

2) You said you had a firm "stance", are you sure that your wrist was locked?  Or extra firm.  Some people have a hard time translating these words into action.   If you have to, lean in to it a little that is fine, I do and it helps with control.

3) Is there proper lubrication?  Not dripping wet, but a light film on the barrel and slide rails and underneath the slide where it cocks the hammer.

4) The catch all- Dreck/inspection  Is the feed ramp clean? , The extractor?  No clothing threads, dust bunnies,metal shavings,anything to slow down or impede that smoothness?

5)  Did the Magazine stay seated firmly during the whole shooting session?  Sometimes the latch can get bumped,  If the mag shifts, then things won't work right.

6)  Make sure you don't go ape with back to back to back firing strings.  This gun will overheat and malfunctions start showing up.

These are just a few things off the top of my head.  We have  a lot of experience here, I am sure others will offer good/better advice as well.

Good Luck and please keep us aprised.

[jeeptree2112]

Great advice.  I also called Rohrbaugh, and they recommended American eagle 115gr-124gr cartridges for plinking as well as Speer Gold Dot and Winchester silver tip for defense.  The gun shop guy says only shoot 124gr out of it as he does with his R9.  Magazine was tight, and no fabric snags in the gun being that it was shot straight from the store with out initial break down.  The lubrication could be in question due to I never lubricated it my self, straight from the factory.  My stance, well, that can be subjective, true, so I will pay more attention on my next 50 rounds.  I'm going to try the American eagle next then the gold dot everyone here recommends.  They also recommended using the other magazine to see if it is a mag issue.  Thanks again for all the advice.

[backupr9]

Jeeptree, welcome to the forum and the the world of the R9!  The forgoing advice is all excellent.  I would note that this pistol should be broken down and lubricated before the first firing...it is not ready to shoot out of the box.  After the first session you will likely find dreck, a few metal shavings, etc. in the works.  These sometimes slow down slide function and will disappear after the first few range trips.  As a general rule, best not to carry until you have about 200 rounds down the pipe and flawless function with chosen ammo...note that ammunition makers recently have had quality control issues, so best advice is to use Gold Dots, or whatever else your pup chooses to eat, and from ANY box of 20, shoot 13 and if no issues, load and carry the other 7.  I have arthritic hands, and have trouble firing my R9 one handed; unless I really concentrate on firm forearm and grip I get failures to feed, but have no issues two-handed.
John

[jeeptree2112]

ok, well I bought American eagle ammo today and Speer Gold dot.  I grabbed the other mag as well to see if they feed the same. 
After last firing of 50 cartridges, the gun was thoroughly cleaned.
Loaded up the american eagle first and shot about 40 rounds without even a hiccup.  Much better than the awful federal rounds.  But then it happened, FTE X3 on the next 10 rounds.
So I then tried the other mag with another 10 rounds of american eagle and 2 FTE.
So then I loaded up the gold dot and fired off a whole box of 20.   2 FTE   
Called Rohrbaugh and they are going to get someone else to talk to me on Tuesday, their closed all weekend.    Stripped the gun down again and it was pretty dirty.
So, with all that being said does anyone here think that it gets too dirty with that many rounds and the jams?
Lord knows I'm not going to use this as a range gun and probably will never fire more than a few mags per year through it at one given time but I am trying to get to 200 so I can change the spring at the very least and I'm still not there.  135 rounds
Oh, and ripped the skin right off my thumb joint, but let me add one thing.....THAT DARN THING IS SPOT FREAKING ON ACCURATE!!!!!!

[yankee2500]

Jeep, welcome to the group.

  The powder residue could be a factor with the failure to eject a residue buildup between the case and the chamber causing the case to stick. You did make it through 40 rounds so after a good cleaning see what the next range session brings.

[Reinz]

Yankee has an excellant point.  And  just may be spot on.

One other thing to consider after 6-7 mags.  Did your concentration level remain the same?  As far as grip and stance.  Your muscles could have been  getting tired  or the mind starting to loose a little focus.   I'm Guilty!

[Jack_F]

ok, well I bought American eagle ammo today and Speer Gold dot.  I grabbed the other mag as well to see if they feed the same. 
After last firing of 50 cartridges, the gun was thoroughly cleaned.
Loaded up the american eagle first and shot about 40 rounds without even a hiccup.  Much better than the awful federal rounds.  But then it happened, FTE X3 on the next 10 rounds.
So I then tried the other mag with another 10 rounds of american eagle and 2 FTE.
So then I loaded up the gold dot and fired off a whole box of 20.   2 FTE   
Called Rohrbaugh and they are going to get someone else to talk to me on Tuesday, their closed all weekend.    Stripped the gun down again and it was pretty dirty.
So, with all that being said does anyone here think that it gets too dirty with that many rounds and the jams?
Lord knows I'm not going to use this as a range gun and probably will never fire more than a few mags per year through it at one given time but I am trying to get to 200 so I can change the spring at the very least and I'm still not there.  135 rounds
Oh, and ripped the skin right off my thumb joint, but let me add one thing.....THAT DARN THING IS SPOT FREAKING ON ACCURATE!!!!!!

Try to find soneone with a Ransom rest to clamp the gun in to shoot. I think you will find the gun will work with any ammo you put in it unless it is mechanically broken. The R9 is not an easy gun for most people to shoot. JMO

[kjtrains]

Jeep, welcome to the group.

  The powder residue could be a factor with the failure to eject a residue buildup between the case and the chamber causing the case to stick. You did make it through 40 rounds so after a good cleaning see what the next range session brings.

John does make an excellent point.  I'll just add, when the gun is cleaned and at the next range session, just a suggestion, only shoot the Gold Dots, no American Eagle, and see how many rounds you can fire without a hiccup; fifty should be a plenty; do let the R9 cool down between mags.  Again, just a suggestion. 

[jeeptree2112]

Thanks all for the advice.  I'll take a home equity loan out and buy a bunch of Gold Dots and see how it fires......LOL
As for the fatigue, I'm sure that could have been a factor.  Plus my bloody thumb knuckle could have hindered a little as well.  No shooting this weekend but try again next week  Have a great weekend all.

[kjtrains]

Thanks all for the advice.  I'll take a home equity loan out and buy a bunch of Gold Dots and see how it fires......LOL
As for the fatigue, I'm sure that could have been a factor.  Plus my bloody thumb knuckle could have hindered a little as well.  No shooting this weekend but try again next week  Have a great weekend all.

 

http://www.sgammo.com/product/speer/50rds-9mm-speer-gold-dot-115gr-hollow-point-le

http://www.sgammo.com/product/speer/50rd-9mm-speer-gold-dot-124gr-le-hollow-point-53618

[jeeptree2112]

Great prices   Just ordered 2 boxes 124gr Gold dot    Thanks
They are 26.00/box for 20rounds here in Pa
Thanks again

[Richard S]

JT:
There is little to add to the excellent analyses of the previous posts, so permit me simply to welcome you to the Forum and repeat my own mantra for the R9 I have carried for eight years:

"Keep it clean and well lubricated, identify the premium ammunition it prefers and feed it only that, give it a firm grip platform against which to recoil, don't let it become overheated during range sessions, and remember to change out the recoil spring every 200 rounds or so."

Of all that, the most important thing in my opinion is to keep the R9 clean and well lubricated. These little pocket rockets are built to extremely close tolerances and are what might be described as "dreck averse."

Good luck with your new masterpiece.