Tim Slemp has authored an extensive review of the Rohrbaugh R9S Stealth for us here at pistol-training.com. This is one of the smallest 9x19mm pistols ever produced, as you can see in the picture (L). Take a few minutes to check out Tim’s detailed discussion about the gun’s features, reliability, and performance with a variety of different 9mm loadings. Then decide for yourself whether adding this incredibly small pocket gun to your collection is worth the $1,200 asking price!
Thanks again to Tim Slemp for all the time and effort he put into this article for us.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
Great article Tim! Well written, balanced and realistic. Keep ’em coming.
I like your blog and wanted to say keep up the good work. Do you plan on posting more soon?
I appreciate the article, Tim. Very well written and very useful….although it’s taken me to a different conclusion than yours. =)
Personally for those occasions when the J frame won’t cut it, I’d rather have my Ruger LCP. I have considerably more ammo through it than your R9 and it’s been reliable. I’ve also added the CT laser module to it which helps tremendously especially in low light. The only downside is the .380 caliber…but I’d rather have the slightly smaller caliber if it goes bang more reliably. As you said, it’s all about compromise….
It’s nice to see an honest review of this weapon from someone who owns one. So much of what I’ve seen about this pistol has been fantasies from people who like the concept but have no personal experience with it.
JW_777 and Thermodyn, thanks for the complements.
I enjoyed reviewing the pistol, and frankly I’m just enamored with the concept….I can’t let this one go. Upon acquiring it, I expected it to be a finicky pistol. One must test it for the load they intend to carry, or be willing to switch to another if it misses. I would expect the same from any pistol in this size category.
Frankly, I am amazed that such a diminutive pistol with a highly compressed mechanism can be dependable at all. Can you imagine what the slide velocity figures are? Astronomical, I’m sure. I was surprised to see its near total antipathy toward Blazer Brass, though.
It is definitely a compromise weapon with intriguing qualities, but is neither for everyone or every occasion. It is a fine firearm nonetheless, and like I said in the article, I afford no other pistol the leniency I’ve given the Rohrbaugh, which is one of the reasons I stop short of recommending it to others.
Cheers!
Tim
Crazy enough – a customer came into the gun shop I work at today and had this one on him. I had to ask to take a look. It was pretty nice looking, I must say! And tiny! Thanks for the honest review and information, now I can give a little more info what customers ask about them.
Review seems to be in line with what Gun Tests reported.
I’ve been carrying a Kahr PM9 in pants pockets just about daily for almost 2 years straight. Maybe not the thing for lightweight dress pants or tight jeans, but otherwise I get along well.
As long as you can keep your thumbs clear of that big slide release, it has run perfectly for about 1,000 rounds.
Thanks for the review. As an owner of the R9S, I have had many trials on my way to having confidence in the weapon. A burr had to be shaved, but other than that all issues were ammo related. It is VERY picky. Now runs perfect, and is great to carry. This is also my lone exception in my collection. Every other pistol in my safe is a Glock. NEVER had a misfire there, so this has been a real “learning curve”. I can honestly say that once the ammo issues are dealt with, the gun runs wonderfully. Winchester silver tips just WORK.
As point of clarification, and typo correction, in paragraph 14 I misattributed FTFi malfunctions to the Blazer Brass, which did not occur with Blazer Brass (only the S&B ammo) and should have read FTE for the pervasive failures to extract experienced with the Blazer Brass.
Cheers!
Tim
Owning a Rohrbaugh R9s, I can attest to the veracity of this review. When used with the “proper” ammo, the pistol is 100% reliable. The quality is excessive, and has bred a high level of confidence befitting the Glocks that I used to carry. As my every day pocket companion, I feel very protected against unexpected threats. Highly recommended.
The review is superb and well balanced. I would have preferred better concentration on the ammo brands that the pistol is KNOWN to operate 100% with, as using them is not an unreasonable expectation of the manufacturer. Silvertips and Gold Dots are not exotic and (used to be) readily available. Even with the learning curve for such a small gun, I have had 100% reliability with Gold Dots.
Thanks for the freat work.