In my ongoing quest to avoid buying and carrying the snub-nosed, hammerless revolver that is likely my destiny, I took my Rohrbaugh R9 to the range for a little quality time. I purchased this R9 used with about 150 rounds on the clock. Prior to this, I’d run about 100 rounds through it with no failures at all except when shooting Aguila ammo. The R9 simply could not light off the primers of the Mexican ammo. Yesterday, I just wanted to get a feel for the gun again, so I purchased a box of each of Wally World’s finest: Federal, Winchester White Box, and Tula ammo and headed to the range. I set the target at five yards and let fly with slow, two handed fire . . .
With the WWB ammo, my first group was tight: about six inches across. I followed this with a six-shot group through one ragged hole with one flyer. For the second mag, I loaded the Rohrbaugh with the Federal ammo. I experienced one failure to extract on the second mag. I tried the Tulammo and found that, again, the R9 could not light off the primers. So no testing with that ammo then; I’ll feed the leftovers to the extremely un-picky Glock.
I ran through 60 rounds, alternating ammo, and did a couple fast strings, emptying the mag quickly. The pistol ran well, but I did have a failure to extract in one of the later mags, again with the federal ammo. The recoil is stout, but not unmanageable, I don’t think I would want to put 200 rounds through the gun in a range session.
Our esteemed senior editor likes to call the R9, the gun you aren’t supposed to shoot. Actually he is correct. The Rohrbaugh HQ recommends you shoot it enough to get familiar with it, and be sure your carry ammo works in it, then stop firing and carry it. Run a couple mags through it when you are at the range shooting the other guns, to refresh the ammo, but otherwise: shoot little, carry much. The factory recommends recoil spring change ($5) every 200 rounds.
On the carry issue: The Rohrbaugh R9 is the smallest, lightest pistol chambered for the 9mm Parabellum round that I know. As such, it carries like a dream. The R9 is as smooth as a used bar of soap, and would be about as slippery if wet I imagine. It is very comfortable for carry, and easy peasy to conceal in pocket or in waistband. It is designed purposely without a slide lock, safety, or mag release on the side so nothing would catch from pocket deployment. In fact, the pistol originally had no sights, but they were added by customer request, and it is available either sighted or sight free (R9S or R9 respectively).
Handling the pistol is natural for me. Doing dry fire exercises from a draw found the pistol pointed naturally and finding the front sight was a breeze. The grip is a bit short and very smooth, making it a bit hard to hold on to. I have seen many videos of shooters of this gun adjusting their grip after each shot. I was able to make things a bit better with a ghetto mag extension solution. The mag extension is from Pearce and made for single stack 9mm Kahrs. It just needs a little modification in the form of a notch cut in the back of it to allow use on the R9. I also went at it with a Dremel until I liked the fit. Beautiful custom Al mag extensions are sometimes available on the Rohrbaugh forums for approximately six times the price of the Pearce extensions.
R9 is not as light as the plastic Pocket .380s from Kel Tec and Ruger, but is about the same weight and size as the Sig P238 and the newly re-introduced Colt Mustang Pocket Lite. I expect the Bersa Thunder .380 is about the same. By most accounts, the former pistols are not a reliable as the Rohrbaugh, and the latter heavier pistols are more shooter friendly than the R9.
I typically carry the pistol in my pocket in either a Desantis Nemesis Holster, or a Recluse pocket holster. My default is the Nemesis, but the Recluse is nice when I am worried about printing (it prints as well, but prints “wallet” not “gun”). I like both designs, but the Nemesis is just a touch lighter and feels more balanced. The Recluse draws faster. I have a custom kydex IWB holster that allows for occasional belt carry.
The R9 is built with a steel slide on an aluminum frame and carbon fiber grip panels. It comes in two finishes, stainless or “Stealth” which is a darker tint. Technically, my model is an R9S Stealth.
The R9 barrel is short, as expected, but the 9mm cartridge still probably produces 50% more energy than an equivalent .380 ACP load, along with a heavier bullet. This should lead to better penetration and bullet performance. In the real world, does it make any difference? I think .380 +P loads would narrow that difference even more.
About that +P thing: the R9 should not be run with +P loads. Not designed for it, not recommended.
The trigger is double action perfection. Ultra smooth, with a very sharp, crisp break and zero stacking. I can not tell at all when this trigger will break. Reset is long, and you shoot it like a revolver with quick, smooth, full strokes of the trigger. The magazines are held with a Euro type heel magazine release. Don’t expect to swap mags quickly.
The R9 has good support both from the factory and at the independent Rohrbaugh Forums. The forums are filled with friendly, enthusiastic, helpful and knowledgeable folks. They recommend Speer Gold Dots as carry ammo, and I had zero failures of any kind when running through 50 rounds of this ammo.
Summary: It is a nice pistol clearly built well to tight tolerances. It is as accurate as its pilot. It is easy to carry. It does suffer some of the same flaws as other small, light, powerful weapons: Ammo preferences, difficult and or painful to shoot, reliability issues, and general lack of robustness.
SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: 9X19mm standard pressure
Barrel: 2.9″
Overall length: 5.2”
Capacity: 6+1
Weight: 15oz unloaded with mag, 18oz loaded with 7 rounds.
Operation: Locking recoil
MSRP: $1195
RATINGS (Out of Five Stars)
Ratings are based on other similar firearms. Final rating is not calculated from the constituent ratings.
Accuracy: * * * * *
For what it is, this thing is as accurate as the user and ammunition allow.
Ergonomics: * * * *
Superb to hold and carry.
Ergonomics Firing: * *
Slippery when firing.
Reliability: * * *
Chokes on some ammo. Reliable in its role firing two magazines once in a while. Owners should find ammo the gun likes and stick to it.
Customization: * * *
Not a lot of options for this niche firearm. Mainly grip replacement.
Overall Rating: * * * *
This pistol fulfills its intended role of allowing 9mm power in the smallest, lightest package possible. Think of it as a 7 round 9mm revolver, without the lack of maintenance.
Wow. I was looking at this gun as possible addition to my collections.
Thanks Mr. Warg for helping me with my decision.
I LOL’d at these comments. It seems that this Rohrbaugh discussions get almost “religious” and “personal”. Everyone trying to rate the gun and engage in positioning to support THEIR decision and what they spent their own $$ on. I for one would be similarly “insulted” to have people chiming in, comapring my golden apple to a prune…and ultimatly insisting that my Rohrbaugh spend was a waste.
I understand the pride that Rohrbaugh must have behind their high-quality, hand made, precision pistols. I also understand others that can’t justify the high price for thier needs. Everyone must keep in mind that what Rohrbaugh set out to do – they accomplished. The SMALLEST, finest, highest-quality 9mm pocket pistol available. This doesn’t come without certain drawbacks and you simply have to keep it all in perspective.
If you want a 9mm that you can completely forget about while carrying and is reliably able to protect your life – the Rohrbaugh accomplishes this in a way no other has. You simply have to find the ammo it likes and stick with it. You have to undertstand the purpose is a super concealable, “shoot occasionally, carry always”, effective caliber application. NO other handgun except for the Rohrbaugh have I found provides me with the features/characateristics I desire for that application.
For that admittedly narrow niche, it’s a clear winner. For those that can afford the high price tag for the hand-made/fit engineering produced by Rohrbaugh, why not? My J-frame .38 just doesn’t work in some sitautions where my soon to own Rohrbaugh will. Hats off to Warg and others at Rohrbaugh for producing something the big manufacturers’ can’t or refuse to supply. I for one think we need other high-quality US made options. Rohrbaugh is a fine example.
I can understand the pride and somewhat overly defensive position from Mr Warg but don’t take it personal. Some will “get it” and some won’t. With your price tag, you just won’t appeal to a large percentage of buyers. With that said, to have people constantly comparing a Rohrbaugh to a cheap, plasticy, horribly-triggered POS would annoy me as well.
MotoJB, it looks like a lot of companies make similar guns with good quality, such and the SIG P290 and P938, the Kimber SOLO, several different 9mm model Kahrs, the Ruger LC9, and the Beretta Nano. It looks like the Rohrbaugh beats the Kahrs by .1 inches, but the Rohrbaugh is in good company for comparable pocket nines.
As it goes now though, I haven’t heard any unusual problems with any of these comparable pistols, and I definitely haven’t heard any company owners disrespecting other companies by calling their guns “bic pen[s].” I would never compare a Kahr PM9 or other reputable gun manufacturers’ polymer-framed guns to a pen, because it’s simply hating to do so. As features go, most all of the competition offers more options like large tritium sights, different grips, and +P compatibility.
Another point is Rohrbaugh’s recommendation to not fire your carry weapon very much. It is a very dangerous and lazy habit to get into. I never expect my P290 to be as accurate as my P226, but I do expect it to be as reliable out to 10,000 rounds before noticeable internal wear.
One more point: many polymer framed guns have a steel chassis which the slide rails connect to. These extend the life of the pistol to about the same as a steel framed gun. On this point, the aluminum frame of the Rohrbaugh will probably wear the same or faster than comparable guns.
The Rohrbaugh is simply a fair-to-OK pistol with a high price tag and the PR of a crap gun company (thus why I compared them to Sccy and Patriot arms). I see it as sticking to old hydra-shoks instead of upgrading to bonded gold-dots or PDX-1’s–outdated engineering with less performance and the same price tag.
Is anything being done to address the light primer strikes? I’d be a bit concerned with the issue relating to a firearm I plan to use for self defense.
I will bet real money that, if longevity and price are minor considerations, I can build an even smaller 9mm auto than Rohrbaugh. Just don’t insist that one can shoot it a lot. The people at Rohrbaugh deserve a dope slap.
Wow, Mike,
Your from Rohrbaugh? You sound so unprofessional. And your logic doesnt make sense. So you’re basically saying if you dont design, manufacture, distribute the product you use, then you cant negatively review it?
Then no one should review cars, restaurants, phones, computers, laptops, unless they build it as well… that makes no sense.
FLAME DELETED
Haha wow, look at the backlash! good job rohrbaugh!
Holy ****… I thought Eric posted an extra digit on that price. ****.
I think I’d rather spend the money on an M&P Shield in 9mm, .40 S&W, and an SCCY CPX-2 CB, along with some range ammo.
I wouldn’t spend $250 on a gun I couldn’t shoot at least occasionally with +P rounds, let alone $1k. I would say “**** this gun and the company making it” but I’m pretty sure the market will be taking care of that.
I have a 32seecamp and a ruger lc9 and a 38smith body guard and about ten other hand guns. and gun of this size whould be my gun of choice of carry. being a tool maker and working with tight torlances +_ .0001 i know quality when i see it like my seecamp you have to keep it clean and use the right ammo. but i want a rohrbraugh r9s. and its not a range gun but a pocket gun that you could you can carry any where. and its a 9mm . cant wait to buy one.uncle wayne
I kinda like my Rohrbaugh. With 800 or so rounds thru it over the past couple of years I’ve never had an issue using 115gr Gold Dots. While not a pleasure to shoot, it is reliable, rather accurate at 7 yards and tiny. That tiny part allows me to stick it in my pocket at a moment’s notice with no bother…..something that doesn’t work for me with the Shield, P290 or Nano.
I own two Rohrbaugh R9’s and have found both of them to be flawless with the selected ammo. I can understand that this gun is not for everyone but as stated above it does exactly what it was designed to do. It carries in a front pocket without printing and draws easily. The lack of +p ammo doesn’t bother me as any short barreled gun will not make use of the additional pressures. The gun is beautifully engineered and all the components are of the highest quality. Detractors scoff at having to replace the recoil spring after 200 rounds but it’s a whopping 5 bucks! You can spend that on a McDonalds lunch and not think twice. I have a Kahr CM9, a Beretta Nano, a S&W Bodyguard 380, and a Ruger LCP. It front pocket carries MUCH easier than the Kahr and Beretta. It has better ballistics than the Ruger and S&W. I carry it every day with total confidence. I guess each to their own.
DiFi is starting to look like one of the space aliens from “Bad Taste”….
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm426286080/tt0092610?ref_=tt_ov_i
No wonder she wants to disarm us!
I’ve got to counterpoint GAKoenig’s first comment here. Go on the Outdoor Channel and You will see WAYYY more M&P commercials than you will XD/XD(m) commercials. So as far as it being a more publicized gun…..I would beg to differ. If you mean that they get their ads in more magazines….that’s just smart marketing. My dad has an FFL on the side to make a little cash. As such I’ve seen my share of different types of firearms. Occasionally he would order a gun or get a gun shipped to him for an officers replacement “duty pistol” In all his years of doing that I never once saw an M&P come through our door….They were all XD-9 service models.
just need to embed my full name and address in every bullet fired. problem solved…
@ Mark Warg…and you New Yorkers wonder why we don’t like your attitude when you visit Pennsylvania? My final decision comes not due to your product unreliability, rudeness or nasty attitude. But rather that I’d rather support a local company that makes a great product namely Kahr which has decided to move here to Pike County, PA. I simply will never ever buy another product from NY ever again. Sorry.
That’s just stupid.
Okay, Rohrbaugh is great. Looks like a gun I can carry all day and may even forget I even have it. A thousand bucks? I guess if I want a quick draw shoot and hide or run gun, then this is the one. But I can do that with a Kahr or any of the 380 caliber pocket pistols. Oh, not enough power? I used to think that but now I wonder if I really need that much power. And high capacity is never a requirement. I want one I can defend myself with, not join the war. What I mean is, I don’t want to get in a firefight and live to tell or not. I’m not gonna go up against bank robbers like those in LA, or the OK Corral. I’ve decided Kahr PM9 when I have the money, CM9 when I come up short, or when I hit the lottery, the Rohrbaugh R9S maybe Stealth.
Meh, it may be the ultimate super-deluxe 9mm mouse gun but I like actually shooting the pieces I buy. Don’t own a handgun yet but I imagine a grand will buy 2 or 3 surplus Makorovs/P-64’s or S&W J-frames in nice shape and plenty of ammo, and those are common CCW guns for a reason.
Stupid expensive. The value proposition sucks. Not reliable with most ammo. No thanks.
Intrested
The Diamondback DB9 is lighter, though a little longer & higher — not that anyone would choose a DB9 over the R9, except for wallet reasons.
Pass on the DB9 and go for quality in a Kahr CM9.
Actually, I can afford any pocket gun I desire. Due to the d***head attitude of Mark Warg, I’d sooner carry a HiPoint than your over-priced snob gun.
I’m quite happy with my TCP in .380 as a BUG. i’d prefer the DB9 to this gun, simply due to a**hole Warg’s commentary.
Light primer strikes and picky on ammo. Give me a ******* break.
TCP IS a great little gun… as is the even lighter Kel-tec P32 for BUG. The Diamondback will get you killed.
I like it but that price is staggering. I am married to the Kahr 45 and that will have to do for me. Not much bigger but that 45 round is a barrel of fun for the intruder that crosses me!
With the issues… I would bail on this expensive toy and go with a Kahr PM9 Black Diamond… better ergos, more accurate and you can actually shoot it!!! Great trigger too… Lightly used should be around $500… mine didn’t require break in, some do.
If looking for a small 9mm one would do well in purchasing a Kahr CM9.
At the time of this posting I purchased on for $325 new and it does not choke on the hard primers of steel case Tulammo.
SHOOT LITTLE CARRY OFTEN….Dumbest thing ive ever heard when it comes to concealed carry…PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE…Thats my slogan…If you don’t practice you should NOT carry…If you are not familiar with your firearm you are a liability..We hope the day never comes needing to draw and fire our weapons but if you are not prepared you will panic and end up not knowing what to do..
I have no hands on experience with the R9 but I don’t want a gun that requires parts replaced no matter the cost with so few rounds through it and picky about types of ammo too…..Plus its way overpriced…
I have three carry guns…A SIG P938 SAS 9mm…A Smith 637 38 +P revolver and a Colt Defender 45acp…All are workhorses I would easily put up against the dainty R9 and are much less expensive..
$1200 for a gun that needs the spring replaced every 200 rounds and is picky about ammo? I have 5000 rounds down the tube of my S&W M&P shield and nothing replaced!
Gotta tell ya I’d buy a $200 Kel-Tec PF-9 before I’d ever entertain the idea of purchasing that gun.
thank so a lota lot for your web site it assists a whole lot
I don’t find the Rohrbaugh maker’s comments nearly as inflammatory as those of too many critics here – most of whom have not apparently handled, much less fired the R9. Primary reality checks for any CCW intended gun should be, does it handle defensive ammo flawlessly, does it go from conceal to firing with a minimum of complications, hang-ups? Not in the same, but nearby ballpark, the Rohrbaugh 380 in the form of the newer, affordable Remington RM380 looks to handle varieties of ammo much better than most other compacts, has very easy slide action, with a stiff trigger – vs Kahrs that appear to jam a lot on many defensive loads, have an awfully hard slide, but better trigger. What is a deal-breaking specific – potentially jamming in actual life-or-death use, or harder trigger, or hefty price tag? Most smaller guns all have some trade-offs, and tarting them up with lasers and/or night sights and purple grips, which make negligible difference in real-life defensive situations, doesn’t make them better choices than simpler streamlined reliable ones.
The best TRULY pocket defensive semi automatic pistol ever designed, and in a 9mm – the caliber that the so-called ‘experts’ almost all now recommend. I have owned and carried one (the $2K ‘Covert’ model) for the past six years. I carry it in a Recluse wallet/holster which allows for an extra magazine to be positioned in the wallet with the pistol. Have put probably over 200 rounds through it, all Speer Gold Dots in 115 and 124 grain. I don’t really count the rounds. Have replaced the spring once. When I am at one of three ranges I shoot at, I simply put two magazines through it (15 rounds total), and visit a range once every three months (the kind where you can draw from a holster and shoot, and also shoot tactically). Flawless. No malfunctions. And if you can hold the R9 properly, you can hit what you are aiming at out to ten yards, including head shots, easy. It can go anywhere, and it can come out of hiding faster than almost any other concealed carry method, thanks to the Recluse holster. Hell, it can even hide in your hand if you can master the technique, so you could preposition it, if required, and the bad guy would likely never know it was about to be ready, set, go time. I even once took the recuse holster/wallet out of my back pocket because I had forgotten it was there, and was in a security checkpoint. Sailed right through with a technique I perfected by simply watching how the check point ran. With any other pistol, no way I could have done that. Security never even suspected I had a gun, let alone a 9mm. The guys criticizing the Rohrbaugh have never owned one or shot one, and honestly are not good judges of quality. They are preparing to fail in a CQB gun fight. Hell, 75% of them do not carry on a daily basis. 98% of them can’t shoot accurately under ANY kind of stress. Their handgun is usually in their vehicle/pickup truck, because they can’t carry at work, or whatever. They don’t carry everywhere because of the numerous, layered constraints they are faced with, and the majority of them sure as heck don’t TRAIN with the handgun they carry, if at all. If they do it is at a square range, and they never train with their carry ammo. These guys just buy what the other guy told them to buy and then hoard ammo. That’s the truth no one wants to admit about the majority of American gun owners. Most are incapable of recognizing genuine quality, and are hyper controlled by peer pressure, advertising and media influence. But they sure know how to complain like silly, little sad bitches. I own, shoot and have carried Glock, Beretta, Sig, Walther, FN, HK, Kimber, Wesson, you name it. I own them, train with it and have shot them all, alot. But I carry that little-engine-that-could Rohrbaugh R9 everywhere I go. Sometimes it is a primary and sometimes it is a back up … and you better believe it can come out to play faster than anything you carry under that XXL shirt, it ain’t gonna jam, and you won’t have time to criticize it, because you won’t ever know it was there. Weapons are meant to be felt, not seen.