Author Topic: R9 Serial Number 108  (Read 3108 times)

Offline chronicity

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R9 Serial Number 108
« on: February 19, 2020, 08:08:03 PM »
Thought I'd introduce myself as the current and original owner of serial number 108.  After scrolling through the forum, I gather it's kind of special!  It's been in a safe all these years and I'm not sure it's ever been fired.

Offline MikeInTexas

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2020, 10:38:51 AM »
Welcome to the forum!

I think your are absolutely correct, you have a real gem in your hands.

Offline dddonkey

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2020, 10:35:41 PM »
Welcome!

Offline ECR

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2020, 05:52:32 PM »
Thought I'd introduce myself as the current and original owner of serial number 108.  After scrolling through the forum, I gather it's kind of special!  It's been in a safe all these years and I'm not sure it's ever been fired.

Hello chronicity, welcome aboard!

You do, in fact, have a rare R9 pistol. We only made 48 of the no-prefix R9 pistols, along with a handful of silver framed no-prefix pistols.
Your pistol most likely has the original, and desirable, blue carbon fiber grip set. These were very early production grips which we had to hand relieve the inside on the right side grip where the trigger sear bar goes for room. Later grips were done by machine. I'd be interested to see some photographs of her if you have the time and means to make that happen. All of us here on The Rohrbaugh Forum love to see the differences of these guns as time went by. My brother and I would get bored after making the same thing all the time and that's why we came out with different models every so often to make things more interesting for us and our clients. We loved doing that! Many of the forum members are well versed R9 pistol owners here for sure!

So, do what you can photo wise and again, welcome to the forum.

Regards,

Eric Rohrbaugh
Makers of the NRA Shooting Illustrated: "Handgun of the Year for 2005" and receiver of an NRA Golden Bullseye Award.

Offline chronicity

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2020, 02:11:10 PM »
Thanks for the welcome!  Here are some pictures.





Offline chronicity

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2020, 02:28:32 PM »
Eric, I also found a series of emails from you starting in late 2002, with some great descriptions of your progress.

Offline ECR

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2020, 07:00:48 PM »
Wow. . . . . That's a very cool R9!  Early Farmingdale model, of course!  Love that you also found some descriptions of our early progress.

It's also nice to note that yours is what Karl & I considered "A Real R9 - No Sights!"

It was, and still is, "A Gut Gun".  Let's be realistic about what these were used for:  Self-Protection ~ up close and personal.

Ha haa . . . . . . Great to see her in such a completely stock condition! 

Regards,

Eric R.
Makers of the NRA Shooting Illustrated: "Handgun of the Year for 2005" and receiver of an NRA Golden Bullseye Award.

Offline Brenden

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2020, 01:53:12 AM »
Gotta love those blues!!😎😎
NRA Life Patron Member
GOA
Molon Labe

Offline ECR

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2020, 06:42:21 PM »
A piece of firearm and Rohrbaugh history right there. Nice.

Thanks for posting the photographs of her.

ECR
Makers of the NRA Shooting Illustrated: "Handgun of the Year for 2005" and receiver of an NRA Golden Bullseye Award.

Offline PsychoSword

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2020, 08:39:37 PM »
I really miss my original Farmingdale with blue carbon fiber grips. It was the only set of grips I've ever owned where it seemed the sweatier my hands would get, the better the grip on the gun was. I wonder if they were more porous than other CF grips or what was going on. The polished CF grips I have don't operate the same way.

Offline ECR

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2020, 04:39:00 PM »
For some reason, yes, those early blue CF gripsets worked well when wet hands grabbed them! They were more porous in material design.
Makers of the NRA Shooting Illustrated: "Handgun of the Year for 2005" and receiver of an NRA Golden Bullseye Award.

Offline PsychoSword

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2020, 12:09:20 AM »
For some reason, yes, those early blue CF gripsets worked well when wet hands grabbed them! They were more porous in material design.

I remember that. Whenever I had sweaty hands it always felt like it gripped better. I thought that was a property of all CF grips and why I loved them so much. I had a sighted (R9s) at the time that looked exactly like that, only with the sights. I would like to find someone who can make grips like that for me again. Any suggestions?

Offline ECR

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Re: R9 Serial Number 108
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2020, 03:11:53 PM »
Not really. The fellow who made those for us in those days were done by a C.N.C. operation and then the inside area for the trigger sear bars were done by hand using a Dremel tool! Lots of handwork went into those early pistols. As for someone today to make one set, definitely not cost-effective and doubtful for you to find anyone to do it. Keep your eyes here on the forum's Classified Area for any sets that become available for sale. Also keep an eye out on other gun forums along with eBay, GunBroker, Guns USA and other auction sites.
Good Luck in your search!
Makers of the NRA Shooting Illustrated: "Handgun of the Year for 2005" and receiver of an NRA Golden Bullseye Award.