December 2009 Update
 
  December 13
 
  I almost forgot about these rounds.  Hornady sent me this box of CD ammo before I received the box pictured below (3091299).  I believe this special lot was primed with Winchester primers.  As shown, this particular lot showed no signs of deformed primers.  I do not know if this lot number is available for sale.
   
  December 9
  First let me say that I honestly believe that the good folks at Hornady want to find out and fix what ever is going on with their Critical Defense 9mm ammo when used with the Rohrbaugh pistols.  There have been some problems and I have tried to do what I can to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Tonight I fired some replacement Critical Defense 9mm ammo sent to me by Hornady.  The lot number is 3091299.
   
 
  I fired this lot of ammo in three different pistols and you can see that there still is a problem when fired in my Rohrbaugh.  As a matter of full disclosure, my Rohrbaugh R9 has been ported since I first submitted my "Unscientific Ammo Report" in the Rohrbaugh Forum (see below).  However, if you look at the picture above and compare it to my original pictures you will see the same 'Fried Egg' primers.

I also shot this ammo in a Springfield Armory EMP with a 3" barrel and in a Springfield Armory XD with a 5" barrel.  The fired cases were starting to show a little cratering and none looked like the cases fired in the Rohrbaugh.
   
 
  I also shot some Remington Subsonic ammo just to see if the lower velocity ammo would feel any different, function the pistol, etc.  As shown in the photo I had two misfires and two 'fried egg' primers.
   
 
  Next came some Winchester T-Series 147gr ammo (fourth generation Black Talon).  This shot real well and the fired cases are just starting to show just a little cratering.
   
   
  My conclusion:  I am not a ballistics engineer so I can't put a definite finger on what might be causing the problem.  I do know that Hornady had been using Seller & Bellot primers because they couldn't get Winchester primers.  I have to assume that the Remington Subsonic ammo was primed using Remington primers but they, too, had problems (as shown in the photo).  I would also have to assume that the Winchester T-Series ammo used Winchester primers.

My choice for ammo for my Rohrbaugh, based on my experience at the range,  is Federal Hydro Shock 124gr JHP, Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP or the Winchester T-Series.  All three shot reliably without discomfort.  Since I am staking my life on this equipment (pistol & ammo) I will only use these three choices.

My Next Project



No, I am not contemplating making a R9 chambered for 50BMG... :>)   I am going to make noise with my AR-50A1 next weekend.

Non-Scientific Ammo Test

I have been a competitive rifle & pistol shooter for over 35 years and during that period of time I came to realize that quality is not inexpensive.  The old saying  "You get what you pay for" certainly applies to firearms as well as to ammunition.  This especially holds true when you depend on that one 'special' firearm to protect your life.

I laugh out loud when I read a post that says "So & So" ammo is too expensive to run through my $1,200.00 pistol.  That is like saying its OK to gas up your 1968 427 Chevelle SS with Mexican gasoline (which will cause your engine to run even after it is turned off).

I purchased my Rohrbaugh R9 pistol in August (I purchased it 'used') and I have found it to be quite a handful. I sent it off to Rohrbaugh to have it checked out. I got it back just the other day and off to the range I went (indoor range, temperature 77 degrees).

I have held an Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit for over six years and I have gone through a number of small, concealable handguns trying to find the one that was just 'perfect' and would fit into my back pocket using a pockethoslsters.com rig.  I tried the Walther PPK .380 (too heavy), the Beretta Tomcat .32ACP (too small for my hand), a Ruger LCP (the opening in the frame forward of the trigger is too large and 'bites' like a snapping turtle after the trigger is pulled & released), a Bersa Thunder .380ACP (too large to carry in normal back pocket), a Walther TPH in .22LR (not bad but too small for my hand) and a Smith & Wesson Model 61 Escort (again, too small).  Then I discovered the Rohrbaugh R9 and my search was over. :>)

Like any firearm (rifle or pistol) the type of ammo you run through it can make a huge difference on how well it performs.  All of the different types of 9mm FMJ ammo (Winchester, Federal, CCI, etc.)  I tried functioned just fine - no jams, no misfires, no failure to extract, etc.  I also ran three different types of factory 'personal defense' ammo through my R9 as well and here is where performance changed.

I offer the following as 'Information Only' as results can vary in your own R9.  Bottom line: If you are going to carry a firearm for personal defense make sure the ammo you choose works and cost be damned.



The Federal Premium Hydra Shok 124gr JHP ammo performed flawlessly. Very manageable recoil, no feeding problems, no extraction problems.  This is high velocity ammo and signs of high pressure were minimal.  The primers still had a rounded edge.  Accuracy was excellent.



Speer Gold Dot 124gr GDHP ammo also functioned flawlessly in my pistol.  There was noticeably more felt recoil when compared to the Federal Hydra Shok ammo.  This is high velocity ammo and signs of high pressure were minimal.  The primers still had a rounded edge.  Accuracy was excellent.

 

 
 
Hornady Critical Defense 115gr FTX ammo is a high velocity ammo that does show definite signs of high pressure (see picture below) when used in my R9 pistol.  The primers on the fired cases are flat and the firing pin strikes are more than flat - they are actually scrapped across the surface of the primer.  I only fired five rounds as I did not like what I was seeing.  I also experienced misfires (three out of five rounds). A second pull of the trigger fired the round.  Accuracy was excellent but the flat and scrapped primers are not something I feel comfortable with.