>>Hi Folks...
I was chatting with Eric (Rohrbaugh) the other day and he brought up the subject of recent and specific changes going on in the evolution of the R9. Actually, "evolution" means "change" ...and just as evolution in Nature is a constant happening - so too is the evolution of Rohrbaugh Firearms, and our beloved Pup, the R9. The changes to the R9, and the difficulty in communicating such info effectively to "them that needs ta know", combined with certain related threads he and Karl have gleaned from here on the Rohrbaugh Forum, had Eric alllll excited and wound up the other day, and he asked me to address some of these changes here on the Forum in hopes of clarifying some stuff.
First some questions to get out of the way…like since when have Eric and or Karl been active on the R-Forum…? I’d say always and never. Never, in terms of being active participants like you and me…or a better example being Larry Seecamp’s involvement with his Forum. However for the record this forum is not owned and operated by Rohrbaugh Firearms the way Larry’s Forum is just an aspect or extension of his website. As for the always part – I believe the R-Bros have always gleaned the Rohrbaugh Forum for important issues, but they have always kept quiet in the background…although on occasion they might ask one of us old timers to address things on their behalf, like today’s post by me. Although the R-Bros may not actively participate on the Forum – they do realize the value of the Forum as the place to go if you want to hear what’s going on and being said about the R-9, and therefore it’s a place for Karl and Eric to feel the pulse of R9 owners in particular, and the marketplace in general. How do I find myself as the go between here, some might ask…? You got me…just seemed the longer Eric and I talked on the phone the more things came to Eric’s attention and next thing he has me taking notes – lol…! My lucky day, I guess. I took it serious enough though that I sent Eric a first draft of this post just to make sure I got it all correctly…and I’m glad I did…!
One issue Eric mentioned had to do with R9 springs…both Recoil and Magazine springs. I missed this thread but apparently there has been discussion about why Rohrbaugh hasn’t gone to or at least tried silicone chrome alloy springs…along with the pros and cons of such springs. Well…fact is the R-Bros have tried these springs in the R9 and they simply have not met the specifications needed.
It seems the new Magazine Springs are available now. These springs are a few extra coils longer/stronger and this helps with failure to feed and extraction problems some folks have encountered. The idea being the new springs are able to provide stronger, steadier power to seat each bullet into battery, including the last bullet which have not processed well in some magazine/gun combos. However…if your current R9 / Mag combos already work fine – then don’t change anything unless it becomes an issue.
The Outer Recoil springs will be available in about a month. The new Recoil springs are an improvement over the old ones by being closed and machined flat at both ends to equalize the pressure pushing the slide forward. Among other things this means it will not matter which end of the spring will engage the Recoil Guide Rod first – thus eliminating one of the most common problems associated with reassembling the R9 after take down and cleaning. No more convoluted Guide Rods with springs wrapped up every which way. No more bloody fingers from the open end of the old springs catapulting into flesh upon assembling. Not only that, but the new Recoil springs are said to have a much longer life span than the old ones. I really like this part…! Whereas instruction manuals, depending on the vintage, suggested swapping out the Recoil springs anywhere from 100 to 250 rounds… Eric tells me the “Shop Gun” now has over 700 rounds through it and is still running strong. This is not to say the new springs will be advertised as good for 700+ rounds…but whatever the R-Bros decide will likely supersede the old 250 round limit.
See Part #2 for more thoughts from Eric...
