Well, a $900+ gun is an expense toy to make into a project, but that is what I intend to do, at least with my 1st R9s.
I had Birdsong's Black T gun finish applied to my Glock 27 over 4 years ago, and intend to have it applied to my new R9s as soon as I receive it, before it is fired.
Black T can be read about here:
http://www.snipercentral.com/birdsong.htmIt is hard to find a lot about it, as the company doesn't advertise. I do know that it is in heavy use by the FBI, including its hostage rescue teams, and is used to coat certain critical internal parts of the Barrett .50 sniper rifles. My experience with it has been exceptional. My glock 27 shows no signs of wear, and I have lost count of how many rounds I've fired through it since coating it. All metal surfaces of the gun are coated in the process, save the inside of the barrel. I had the coating applied immediately after installing a 3.5 pound trigger to my glock, and my armor measured a slight decrease in bench tested trigger pull after application of Black T.
Black T has a friction coefficient of .08, so no gun oil needs to be applied to any parts of the gun. It is highly non-corrosive, and has been tested at over 7,000 hours in salt water with no corrosion. I didn't believe any of this, as I am sure many of you are saying, "sure, pal" right now. After four years of shooting my glock, never using oil, and even field cleaning it after heavy use by removing the slide and running water through it under a faucet (this was suggested to me by Mr. Birdsong), and then refiring it flawlessly, I am a believer now. I wouldn't own a semi-auto not coated in Black-T.
I called Maria at Rohrbaugh and was told that applying the coating would void my warranty, but that is a chance I will simply have to take. This approach by the company puzzles me a bit, as the coating has a film thickness between .0002" - .0003" thick, less than the factory coatings they have used on the R9 already. I can't imagine that there is a handgun made today that has such tight tolerances that a coating that thin would adversely affect the operation of the gun.
This could either be the magic pill this gun has needed, or an expensive blunder on my part. I won't be disgruntled if it doesn't work as I expect, but I will be surprised if it doesn't. Either way, I absolutely love the design and platform of the R9's, and will end up a happy owner either way. From my reading on these forums, it looks as though correct selection of ammo eliminates nearly 100% of "operator errors" leading to FTF, etc., which make up most of the problems anyway. I am merely looking for a superior solution to gun care and maintenance if it is available and proves reliable, and I know that Black T will enhance the corrosion resistance of the R9. Don't misread me, I own several revolvers that require meticulous cleaning and oiling; if my solution fails to work as I expect I will revert back to the recommended cleaning and care. Right now, I am willing to be the guinea pig.
I plan to run at night carrying the R9, as well as use it for CC in certain situations where I don't carry my Glock.