The Rohrbaugh Forum
Rohrbaugh Products and Accessories => Rohrbaugh R9 (all variations) => Topic started by: Michigunner on September 16, 2005, 12:36:03 PM
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The Rohrbaugh folks made it known in advance that the R9S was no range gun, so we might as well get ready for a good jolt!
And that's perfectly fine. We wanted small and powerful!
I wouldn't have thought much about it, but an X-ray revealed some arthritis in the shooting hand here, so it is a force to be considered.
I'm thinking of drawing, and switching to the left hand for firing. Heaven only knows how much practice that would take.
If anybody prepares a .380 barrel conversion kit, I'll have to buy one.
Have any of you been able to circumvent this problem with the shooting hand?
Perhaps the only reasonable solution is shoot a few until it hurts too much, and call it a day.
Bill
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Bill,
I would definitley limit my shooting if in your situation. Sorry to hear about it.
Rohrbaugh definitley has plans for a .380 and may offer a conversion. The .380 shoots just as sweet as can be and would be a perfect solution for you.
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I think a .380 would be a great solution for many people and I would love to have a conversion kit, as long as it is reliable. I still feel these pistols are picky. Ammo picky and picky about how they are gripped. The grip pickyness is what concerns me. If you're in a hurry, you don't have time to grip it just right and you sure will be preoccupied...
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Thanks, Duane. I hope they put together something as a conversion kit. Otherwise, I may switch to the weak hand.
It would seem to be justified just to make practice a little easier.
I already have a Bersa .380 Auto, so would not need another .380 pistol. However, I'm fully committed to the R9S format and need to make it work, one way or another.
jarcher, I read that some of the guys were using rollerblade tape for the grip. I'm not familiar with it, but will be looking for some.
Bill
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I should be able to make this pistol work for me. Most everyone else has had no problems, and the Rohrbough folks say my pistol is fine, so I am sure with a little practice and the right ammo, it will be fine.
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I expect we may see a magazine with a slight extension, like a Pierce +0 for Glocks. That could help with any perceived griping problem.
An important characteristic of the R9 is the extremely long trigger pull. You must be determined to fire the R9. We are not likely to pull the trigger accidently, and that is a good safety factor.
Meanwhile, at the rearmost portion of the pull, with the finger striving to go back more, the hand may degrade into an ackward shape, considering the gun's size, such that the grip is in jeopardy and the whole hand is not well positioned for the coming jolt.
This is something that has influenced me. I think more practice will be required in order to execute the long trigger pull with impunity.
Bill
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I think you are on to something; I have short fingers and
don't have any problem with the geometry but a long
fingered shooter would run out of purchase and have to
readjust to complete the firing sequence.
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Thanks, tracker.
I was concerned someone would shout out: girlie man, girlie man!
:)
It's just going to take more and more practice to get the hand ready for the big bang.
Bill
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Bill:
Anyone who would presume to disparage the acute pain of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis has never experienced it and would do well to pray to a merciful God that he or she never does.
Hang in there!
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Thanks for your kind remarks, Richard.
Fortunately, the only touch of it is in the right shooting hand.
My 97-year old mother has some in both hands, but she doesn't have an R9S. :)
For what it's worth, a few months ago she switched box springs and mattresses beween two bedrooms, all by herself. Can you image?
Bill
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My 97-year old mother has some [arthritis] in both hands, but she doesn't have an R9S. :)
For what it's worth, a few months ago she switched box springs and mattresses beween two bedrooms, all by herself. Can you image?
Bill:
What a remarkable woman your mother must be! And how very fortunate you are to have her with you -- even moving furniture by herself, no less -- in her 97th year!
I lost my father in 1942 when I was 5 years old. I was 32 when my mother died of cancer. I barely remember my father, but I still talk privately and silently to the spirit of my indominatable mother.
I rather think that your mother and mine would have become good friends had their paths ever crossed.
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Richard, I'm glad you shared those private thoughts about your parents.
That's pretty tough to be without a loved one, at such a young age.
I'm hoping we will see a cure for cancer soon. My father died of cancer, and my 95-year old mother-in-law did, too.
One of the characteristics, I'm told, of exceptional old age is a strong mind with a strong opinion about everything.
I try to be kind and avoid arguments.
Bill
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Speaking of cancer, my wonderful wife just found out she has breast cancer. When it rains it pours. Tom
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My thoughts and prayers are with you; my wife has
spent the last year doing the full monte on breast
cancer treatment; so far so good and I am sure your
wife will do as well. It seems like an epidemic.
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Gentlemen:
Given your two postings, I have permission to share this story for the greater good.
One year ago, my beloved little wife was found to have lung cancer and was given three months to live. She decided to fight the monster with the most aggressive treatment regimen we could find. The chemotherapy and radiation almost killed her, but she persevered. When she was stabilized from all of that and had lost twenty pounds and all of her hair, she underwent surgery to have the top lobe of her right lung removed. The surgery almost killed her, but she persevered.
Last month, she was given a full CAT scan and cytology screen. It appears that she is now entirely free of cancer. Her hair has come back, thicker and more curly than ever before. She looks beautiful. She feels great. And she is back on the bench as if nothing had ever happened.
Miracles can happen, and our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
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RichardS, Thanks for your wonderful story. Tom
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My one small reflection - life is so, so precious - let us all make each day special in some way - it helps.
I waste time - I take some stuff for granted - but never totally - and treasure my existence. Each day is a blessing - all the more so when shared.
I give thanks - way more than I ever used to - it comes with age methinks :)
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That's a wonderful story, Richard.
My mother also successfully received treatment a couple of years ago and was cured.
Tom and tracker, my thoughts and prayers are also with you and your families.
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Fantastic; my wife's hair came back in curly instead of
straight and she is just as ornery as ever and still hates
guns but I love her anyway.
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My wife doesn't care for guns, either.
Somehow, I've still been able to buy them.
I make sure we watch lots of crime shows on TV, like Cold Case Files.
That way, she knows there are bad persons out there. :)
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Tom,
The bottom line is catching it early and treating it.
The survival rate on breast cancer is much greater
than it was in the past. Discussion doesn't help much
when you feel like the world has fallen in on you again
but there is a light there.
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Hey guys, just wanted to add there's something called Sharkilage -- a specific brand of shark cartilige that cured my uncle's cancer -- he had some kind of weird tumor forming lung cancer where the tumors were doubling in size every 21 days. It's only supposed to work on tumorous cancers, and especially on the really aggressive ones, but it's really helped him, and a few others.
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Tracker, Thanks for those kind words. I am so happy your wife is doing well.
Tom
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Richard,
Thanks for sharing. Your wife is a real hero - don't know if I could have done all of that. What an example to look up to. I can't imagine what you both went through, but I can tell your love carried the day.
Tacker and Tom,
We have several friends who have gone through breast cancer treatment and are all doing well and cancer free years later. We need to tell those that mean so much in our lives how much we love them each day. Tom - no one has been a better example on facing life's detours that yourself.
Take care guys,
Dave
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Bill,
I'm sorry to hear about your hands. I practice with both hands with any gun I carry. The R-9 does snap and tourqe my left hand quite a bit, I'm right handed. But once I could keep 7 rapid shots in the center of a combat target at 15 feet I stopped using my left hand. Now I will only fire my R-9 left handed 3 or so rounds each range session.
I now limit all shooting of my R-9. Mainly to keep it from developing some of the high usage problems I had with it before getting a new slide. I also limit shooting my R-9 because it does hurt my 57 year old hands, (wait I'm not old, I'm just experienced) I mean experienced hands. :-*
After over 390 rounds fired with my R-9 I am now confident I can hit close to center of mass at 10 to 15 feet with it, if the need arises. I use one of my Kahr PM9 pistols or Kel Tec P3-ATs, both of which have similar pointing characteristics to my R-9, to do most of my fun and practice shooting. Remember what Karl Rohrbaugh says about the R-9, "...to be carried a lot and fired little."
Ed
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Thanks, Ed. Yes, the R9S is a little kicker, for sure.
The good news is sslater got me using the abrasive tape on the grip, and now everything is just right. It does not hurt any whatsoever.
The tape keeps the pistol from squirming into a bad position.
For a while, I was seriously thinking about trading the R9 away. The tape rescued me from a life of pain. :)
I've also had a PM9 and P3AT, but the R9S is the ultimate.
Bill
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Where are you buying your tape? I picked some up at the local ACE hardware store, suggested by a previous thread, and I couldn't get it to stick on the frame.
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itguy, I got mine from sslater. It looks like he got it at K-Mart.
Here is the link:
http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Accessories;action=display;num=1129987853;start=
I cleaned the handle with alcohol and it stuck well.
No problem at all.
Bill
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Regarding switching to the weak hand for shooting - I am a righty and am almost useless when it comes to trying to do anything left-handed. That all changed when I was in a car accident that seriously damaged my right hand. All my fingertips, some down to the first knuckle, were amputated and my finger joints are very, very stiff. I had no choice but to switch to left-handed shooting and while it was a bit strange at first, I quickly became adept at shooting with my left hand. And with lots of rehab and surgery I can still shoot with my right hand, although not for extended periods and some guns give me trouble. So now I can shoot equally well with both hands. The point is, if you practice you can definitely make the switch and there are many advantages to being an ambidextrous shooter!
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FireBreather01, I'm sorry to hear about that terrible accident.
Congratulations to you for doing so well to continue with pistol shooting.
It's amazing how adaptable the body is when we are forced to change and have the will power to make progress.
Bill
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FB - never realized re your incapacity - seems like you have made a great and successful adjustment.
Kudos to you :)
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Firebreather1,
I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but I'm glad to hear about your recovery. When I started shooting with my left hand it felt very awkward. But I kept practicing and was able to keep most of my left handed shots on an 8" plate at 12 to 15 feet. Not great, but I feel I can defend my self shooting with my left hand if necessary.
Ed
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Thanks guys for the kind words guys, it was a mess - drunk driver head-on at 65mph. Both my wife and I were in the car and by all rights we shouldn't be here but the angels were working hard that night! (and I'm not speaking figuratively at all - my wife had a near death experience and was with her angel before she 'came back' and two witnesses at the scene were adamant that they saw an angel there as well!) Thankfully we also had rescuers that literally pulled the car apart with their bare hands to get my wife and I out before it was entirely engulfed in flames.
It took me two years to get to the point of being able to work again and although we both will always have a lot of aches and pains it is amazing to me how the human body can be so fragile and yet so resilient.
Our experience is one of the reasons I am so very adamant about keeping our right to bear arms and being personally committed to self-defense. I never again want to be in the position of me or mine suffering at the hands of another. If I have a scintilla of a chance to prevent that, I'll do whatever it takes.
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FB - 65mph - heck man - that's over 80 fps (oops, over 90 fps) - I am too lazy to do the math to compute enrgy/momentum etc but no doubt you guys were recipients of a major miracle.
Quite amazing. I am happy for you considering - you were not meant to leave us :)