The Next Rohrbaugh Iteration

[Griff]

I was thinking back as to what lead me to Rohrbaugh.
I actually moved up in carry gun size, as I had pocketed a North American Arms .22 Magnum mini revolver for decades. I saw it as a gun for someone who didn't want to carry a gun.
I trained with it to the point where I was very capable with it, considering its limitations. Seeking more firepower, faster follow up, greater accuracy, etc, I moved from it to a Kel-tec .32, and then a Ruger LCR, Kel-Tec pf9, American Derringer.45/.410, and others. I tried other carry modes than pocket with larger guns, and realized that pocket carry was my preferred method.  All of these were either underpowered or too big for my pocket.
  In my continuing search for the perfect compromise of size and firepower, I found out about Rohrbaugh, bought one, and could not be more pleased with it.
What led me to write this was reading back through some of the R45 posts.

As a dedicated front pocket gun guy, if I could have something else as a pocket pistol, i was imagining  a Rohrbaugh possibly chambered in .327 magnum, rather than a somewhat larger gun in .45.
Thoughts?

[kevinqjhps]

.327 Mag would seem too powerful considering you can't even use +P 9mm's in a R9.

[Griff]

I wonder if metallurgy has progressed to where it could be done now.
I think there is a market for a high end, very well made, powerful but pocketable pistol.
Even if it had to be made at a much higher price, would you buy one?

[MRC]

The 327 Federal is a rimmed revolver cartridge with an OAL of 1.47" and loaded to pressures of 45,000 psi.  The 9mm has an OAL of 1.17" and is loaded to 34,000 psi.

To load the 327 in an autoloader it would take a pistol the size of a 1911.

[Griff]

Thanks MRC.
I wonder if there is a smaller cartridge with similar power to 9mm.
Doesn't the 327 have some little brothers?

[kevinqjhps]

Thanks MRC.
I wonder if there is a smaller cartridge with similar power to 9mm.
Doesn't the 327 have some little brothers?

North American Arms makes a few 380 necked down to a .32? And another, I THINK is a .32 necked down to a accept a .25. A .380 necked down to .25 would REALLY step out there.

I am not sue of these numbers but am sure of the 'unique' NAA rounds. Check their site for details. 

[MRC]

Thanks MRC.
I wonder if there is a smaller cartridge with similar power to 9mm.
Doesn't the 327 have some little brothers?

I guess I don't really know what you are looking for.

The 9mm has gained popularity by being a small cartridge with considerable power.  The new bullet technology has pushed it to new heights.  It is already at 34,000 psi and for a smaller cartridge to approach that the pressures would have to go sky high and hard to make a small pistol around.

Necking cases down works great for rifle calibers giving higher velocities and better trajectories but does nothing to improve small self defense cartridges.  About the only one that makes sense is the 357 Sig.

[Griff]

I was just sharing my musings about the R9 and as to how things might proceed in the near future.

I agree 100% as to the improvements in cartridge technology and that is why I don't think that a new sub-compact. .45 is as desirable as a 9mm or possibly some other newer round.

[MRC]

The Rohrbaugh R45 is the size of a Colt Officer's Model with an alloy frame.

It is not a small pistol for your pocket.

At times I carry a Springfield XDs 45 IWB.  It is a nice, light, accurate, and easy to shoot pistol with +P ammo.

By all reports the S&W Shield is at least as good or better than the Springfield.

[MRC]

Found a picture of the R45 from the SHOT Show.

[Griff]

That R45 prototype is a sweet looking pistol! It has those unmistakable lines of its older sibling.
I have an xds .45 as well. It is definitely a lump for pocket carry, but nice on the belt.

[ECR]

The R45 is a much larger pistol than the R9. It was always going to be presented not as a "pocket pistol", but rather a pistol for a belt holster. It would be too large and heavy for your "regular" pocket carry. We were getting ready to "move into" the larger pistol market at the time the R45 was being developed, but, unfortunately, we never made that happen. I often wonder the possibilities of Rohrbaugh if we managed to get the R45 out into production. I'm sure it would have brought us to "The Next Level".