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
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.