Rohrbaugh

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kokapelli

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I am seriously thinking about getting a Rohrbaugh pistol, but before I put out $1000 I would have liked to try one.

I have never seen one at either of the two ranges I frequent and have not been able to find anyone around those ranges that has shot one either.

Has anyone on his board had the opportunity to shoot a Rohrbaugh and if so, what is your opinion of the pistol?

How close in size is it to, say a P-3AT?
 
Never shot one but handled one at the SHOT Show. It's about the same size as the P3AT (which I own and love).

Trigger was sweet and the gun had some heft (normally a drawback in a pocket pistol but firing 9mm's I would rather have the heft and less recoil).

Seemed solid and extremely well made compared to the Kel-Tecs.

If I end up carrying the P3AT more than just casually, I will upgrade to the the Rohrbaugh.

Saul Levy
 
Rohrbaugh R9 next to a Kel-Tec P3AT ...

f156.jpg


... The gun is extremely well built, the smallest production 9mm around and as long as you use the required ammo, it is accurate and reliable.
 
If you want the smallest and best (IMO) 9mm go with the Rorbaugh but if a 380 will do - Buy the Seecamp 380
 
I own two Rohrbaugh's and both run fine. The best caliber in the most comfortable size, for the 9mm.:D
 
Thanks for the responses.

380 may be enough, but I have owned a Guardian 380 and a P-3AT and the less felt recoil of the locked breech action KelTec vs the much more noticable recoil from the blowback action of the Guardian makes a small light weight 380, like the Seecamp undesirable for me.

Because I have arthritis, I am concerned about the felt recoil of the Rohrbaugh too!

I should have mentioned that before.
 
My wife got me an R9s for my anniversary. Some folks feel it kicks a bit. Don't know how that would affect you with your arthritis - personally, I find it "jumpy" but not painful in the recoil.
 
Well, this is only a third-hand observation, but I actually was discussing the Rohrbaugh at the range a couple of weeks ago with a fellow who owns one. He said it's certainly not a bad gun, but he also owns a Kahr PM9 which he feels will do anything the Rohrbaugh will do for half the money. He also feels the PM9 shoots better for him because of its better sights, lower recoil, and somewhat better trigger. I shot his PM9 that day, and I was able to hold my shots within about a square foot on the 50-yd berm. The PM9 was quite pleasant to shoot, and I've become somewhat more recoil-sensitive over the years due to incipient carpal tunnel syndrome.
 
Nice gun if you can afford it. I have a .380, but I trust the 9 more even though the Rohrbaugh isn't rated for +P. Standard 9s put the .380 in the shade and I worry a little about penetration with the .380's lighter bullets and lower velocities. I don't worry about adequate penetration with a good nine of 115 grain weight or heavier.

Still, the .380 is enough for most scenarios in self defense, I think. I'd rather have my P11 or my .38 snubbie along, but I'd rather have my .380 than any .32 or .22. .380 is my personal cut off for minimum carry and I'd really like more.

But, Rohrbaughs are for the rich. I was hopin' the new KT P9 would be a poor man's Rohrbaugh in size, but it didn't happen. It's little smaller than my P11 and no smaller where it really counts. Sure like the little gun, though. It's light and handy and reliable and accurate and carries a lot of +P firepower.

Not sure if you will like the recoil of a compact 9 if you have issues. I'd surely test one first. I'm thinkin' you'll probably find the .380 more desirable to shoot. The KT is light, 14 ounces unloaded. It's easy on me with standard pressure loads, but gets worse as the magazine empties. I don't know if I'd like the recoil if I had arthritis problems. My wife has it in her hip. Not a fun thing to put up with.

Good luck and if you feel the 9 is a bit much, you aren't totally under-gunned with the .380 IMHO. It's a good small caliber for small guns.

Well, this is only a third-hand observation, but I actually was discussing the Rohrbaugh at the range a couple of weeks ago with a fellow who owns one. He said it's certainly not a bad gun, but he also owns a Kahr PM9 which he feels will do anything the Rohrbaugh will do for half the money. He also feels the PM9 shoots better for him
Click to expand...

But, the whole point of the Rohrbaugh is its pocketable size, something no other compact nine can quite compete with. With large enough pockets, I can pocket the KT, but the Rohrbaugh is a heck of a lot more compact pocket gun if you can afford it. I see the advantages, just don't deem 'em worth the cost. And, yeah, I'd rather a gun have real sights, something I don't like about such as the Seecamp. Say what you will about self defense scenarios, but I won't keep a gun I can't keep in the chest at 25 yards. I prefer something I can hit at 50 with. My KT is 3.5" at 25 yards accurate and I can keep 'em on the chest at 50 with it. That's nice to be able to do with such a small gun. I can't have confidence in a gun I can hit with at reasonable (25 yard) extended ranges. How am I going to do that with a friggin' groove in the slide for a sight? No thanks, I want REAL sights that are well regulated.
 
The Kahr will not fit in, or carry as comfortable, your pocket as the R9.:evil:
 
I've shot one, the trigger was long, but smooth. I own an P3AT, they're approx. the same size. Can't get more than 2 fingers on the grip of either one. The KT is quite a bit lighter, which is important to me for pocket carry, but I'd still take the R9 if I could afford it.

If the R9 could be priced in the $600 range, I'd buy one. At the >$1000 price tag, they're selling well, so I don't expect the price to come down.

What really bugs me is that none of the major makers will pick up this idea and run with it. If S&W, Taurus, et al. came out with a similar sized pocket DAO in 9mm, at a reasonable price, they'd sell tons of them!
 
Ditto to what was already said. I use to own a Kahr MK9 and I have the following observations to make:
  1. The MK9 is a much better shooter than the R9. It was built like a tank and you could feed it anything and it would still function reliabily -- including +P ammo. Not so with the R9. It's very fussy about ammo but as long as you feed it right, it will work flawlessly for you as well.

  2. I don't care what the numbers show, the R9 is MUCH smaller than the MK9.
 
If S&W, Taurus, et al. came out with a similar sized pocket DAO in 9mm, at a reasonable price, they'd sell tons of them!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if Taurus did. They've been coming out with smaller and smaller good guns. I just got a MilPro PT745, and I'm amazed how tiny it is for a full-out .45 ACP.
 
I've got one. It's my pocket carry gun.

Haven't had a single problem with it. But, don't think for a minute that this is a recoil-free gun. It definitely has snap to it.

Someone here noted "sights" as being an issue with the R9. The traditional R9s don't have sights. The idea is to keep it smooth and snag free for pocket cary. They do offer the R9s, which has some tiny sights, but they are not much.

Don't really need sights when your use is typically going to be 30' or under. But I can center-ring a full mag into a "silhouette" target at 30' with my unsighted R9, and I am by no means an "elite" pistol shooter.
 
I also have arthritis in my shooting hand. My R9S was very painful to shoot. Unless a solution was found, I would have to sell the pistol.

Then, it was discovered that a small strip of abrasive tape put on the front and back of the handle would make the pistol not squirm when you shoot it.

The results were astonishing. There is no pain. It is a keeper.

My pistol has never malfunctioned.

Bill
 
Like Seagull I was very suprized by the accuracy of my R9's. Very good groups at 25ft. McGunner, you can buy two or three guns maybe for the price of one Rohrbaugh but none as comfortable to pocket carry in 9mm.:neener: It only costs anickel more to go first class.:banghead:
 
Michigunner said:
I also have arthritis in my shooting hand. My R9S was very painful to shoot. Unless a solution was found, I would have to sell the pistol.

Then, it was discovered that a small strip of abrasive tape put on the front and back of the handle would make the pistol not squirm when you shoot it.
Click to expand...
Instead of a small strip of abrasive tape put on the front and back of the handle, you may want to try these slip on grips ...

481d8605.gif ​

Photo & link courtesy of Calvin Cooledge​
 
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