The Boberg design has always fascinated me. I think the reverse feeding system was a brilliant idea, but I wouldn't want to carry an extremely ammo sensitive handgun that I would use to protect myself or my family. The reverse feeding system pulls the ammo out of the mag backwards then pushes it forward into the chamber. If the ammo isn't properly crimped the case will separate from the slug causing the gun to jam. However, Mr Boberg has provided a list of "approved" and "unapproved" ammo to help Boberg owners select a certain brand, grain, and case material for their gun. Unfortunately, even some of the approved ammo has been known to cause some issues. I think they are a nice looking pistol and I considered getting one, but I can't justify spending a $1000 or more for a Boberg when I can buy something more reliable for much less. If they ever prove to be reliable, I would consider giving one a try. Does anyone on this forum have any experience with a Boberg?
Would you use a Boberg XR pistol as a CCW?
- Thread starter GunLuvr01
- Start date
I've been carrying a Boberg XR9S for my concealed carry about a year and half now. Absolutely love it! The compactness and accuracy are outstanding. It's by far the most comfortable and controllable shooting compact semi made. That in itself makes the Boberg the leader in compact autos.
In my experience the ammo issue is resolved, feed it good quality ammo with a proper crimp and there is no problem. Arne addressed the sensitivity to loose crimped ammo long ago.
As far as price, that's something you'll need to figure out what you are comfortable with. I think the price matches the quality and is reasonably priced. The machining and quality of the Boberg is right up there with Wilson, Baer, Brown, and other premium guns. I work with precision machined components daily, and the quality is good stuff.
One of my coworkers (a designer/engineer) has the XRS45 that he carries, absolutely loves it. It handles the 45acp beautifully.
In my experience the ammo issue is resolved, feed it good quality ammo with a proper crimp and there is no problem. Arne addressed the sensitivity to loose crimped ammo long ago.
As far as price, that's something you'll need to figure out what you are comfortable with. I think the price matches the quality and is reasonably priced. The machining and quality of the Boberg is right up there with Wilson, Baer, Brown, and other premium guns. I work with precision machined components daily, and the quality is good stuff.
One of my coworkers (a designer/engineer) has the XRS45 that he carries, absolutely loves it. It handles the 45acp beautifully.
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That's exactly why I would never carry one as a CCW or for HD. Is it innovative and of high quality? Yes, and I would love to have one just to round out the collection and to have fun with on the range. However, do you really think it would be a more reliable pistol choice than other proven designs already on the market for far less? Is there even ONE respected firearm trainer who has used these, seen them run well in pistol classes, and would recommend them for carry?
My carry and HD pistols, guns I rely on to defend myself and my family, were not picked based on my own mechanical infatuation with a unique design, or because it's different than the rest of the herd. That's what safe queen guns are for. I want PROVEN designs that are dead reliable with ANYTHING. I don't need that first round to separate because it wasn't crimped perfectly like the next... I'm not going to get killed because of a design quirk. YMMV.
Neal_G. said:
Pilot said:
Not sure how much more time the reverse feed design requires before it's proven....maybe another 100 years? Hiram Maxim used the design in machine guns back in the 1800's. The concept has been used ever since in military armament and machine guns. Reverse feed is how rounds were pulled out of canvas machine gun belts.
What else would you use it for if not carry? There are a lot of ammo sensitive handguns on the market. If you can live with the rounds that work reliably and the gun fits your size/weight/budget requirements I would go for it. Personally I don't need anything that small for CCW but I would consider a valid option it if I did.
No.
While it's a neat concept, it's not for me.
Concern #1- I'm a SAO/1911 guy ....that looks to be a DA swinging trigger...... the main selling point seems to be putting a 3 ish inch barrel in a 5ish inch long gun .... I've already got a 3"ish inch barreled gun that is just over 6 inches long .......and wish it had another inch of barrel, even if the gun were over 7" ..... If I had the money to buy one, I'd have better uses for that money, for sure.
Concern #2 - I read of some early problems with the Boberg pulling the case right of the bullet when yanking it backwards out of the magazine ..... fixed by requiring crimped bullets?
Here ya go:
http://community.bobergarms.com/forum/topics/boberg-compatible-ammunition
No plated bullets. No lead bullets. ..... and unless you have some really good neck tension/hard crimp (could be problematic for a cartridge that headspaces on the case mouth) or like some of the manufacturers do, glue the bullets in place ..... I handload my practice ammo, so that'd be a big NOPE.
While it's a neat concept, it's not for me.
Concern #1- I'm a SAO/1911 guy ....that looks to be a DA swinging trigger...... the main selling point seems to be putting a 3 ish inch barrel in a 5ish inch long gun .... I've already got a 3"ish inch barreled gun that is just over 6 inches long .......and wish it had another inch of barrel, even if the gun were over 7" ..... If I had the money to buy one, I'd have better uses for that money, for sure.
Concern #2 - I read of some early problems with the Boberg pulling the case right of the bullet when yanking it backwards out of the magazine ..... fixed by requiring crimped bullets?
Here ya go:
http://community.bobergarms.com/forum/topics/boberg-compatible-ammunition
No plated bullets. No lead bullets. ..... and unless you have some really good neck tension/hard crimp (could be problematic for a cartridge that headspaces on the case mouth) or like some of the manufacturers do, glue the bullets in place ..... I handload my practice ammo, so that'd be a big NOPE.
BigMikey76
New member
My issue is financial practicality. Even if I could afford a gun like that, there are more important things for me to spend my money on. A gun that costs a fraction of that price will get the job done, and the rest of the money can be spent on something else... like ammo and range time
Cheapshooter
New member
Status symbol.
Just something to show you spent a lot of bucks on an item. A Timex works just as good as a Rolex,maybe even better, and costs a whole lot less. A Ruger, S&W, and many more do the same as expensive guns like Boberg, and Rohrbaugh.
Ah, but a wristwatch is out there for the world to see ..... it's tough to show off a concealed handgun ......
That may be what I'm doing wrong: I'm sportin' a 15 dollar Timex on a 4 dollar band (that even sez "TIMEX"!) .... and hiding a 1,000 dollar pistol next to my underwear, where only me and my wife can really apreciate it ..... and she does not care for guns....
If you bought one and found it worked reliably then sure, go ahead.
Unlike some folk here EVERY gun I've ever had has occasionally malfunctioned and if the gun doesn't malfunction you might just conceivably get a bad round of ammunition from the factory...point is you can and should be PREPARED to handle that.
Personally I don't think the Boberg gives you an 'edge' over more traditional guns and the price is high but if I were rich I'd sure think about getting one because it is kind of neat but still might not carry it though.
Unlike some folk here EVERY gun I've ever had has occasionally malfunctioned and if the gun doesn't malfunction you might just conceivably get a bad round of ammunition from the factory...point is you can and should be PREPARED to handle that.
Personally I don't think the Boberg gives you an 'edge' over more traditional guns and the price is high but if I were rich I'd sure think about getting one because it is kind of neat but still might not carry it though.
lee n. field
New member
If I were to use a Boberg, I would have tested it with the ammo in question. So, ammo would not be a concern.
The other quirk of the Boberg is one I don't see mentioned often. The slide does not lock open on the last shot. (If you think about it for a few seconds, you'll realize that it can't be made to work that way.) That might concern some.
The other quirk of the Boberg is one I don't see mentioned often. The slide does not lock open on the last shot. (If you think about it for a few seconds, you'll realize that it can't be made to work that way.) That might concern some.
The slide not locking back after the last shot isn't really a major concern, I find it odd though. I think the design leaves a lot of room for malfunctions this is a major issue considering the gun was designed specifically for SD. Normal semi autos jam just by pushing the round forward, this gun pulls the round backwards then pushes it. The round has to be crimped just right for this gun to properly function. If the round is over crimped or under crimped you could have problems especially in a SD situation.
Yeah, since it worked great over a hundred years ago on the old belt fed Maxim '08 and Vickers machine guns in WW1, that means it will work just as well on a small, magazine fed pistol today.. because those two weapon systems (compact carry pistol and water-cooled heavy machine gun) are pretty much equivalent, right?
That's not even an 'apples to oranges' comparison, that's more like 'apples to squash'...
Limnophile
New member
Considering that it is irresponsible and foolish to carry any sidearm, especially a seimauto pistol, without firing it with your defensive ammo of choice enough times to prove to yourself that the gun-ammo combination is sufficiently reliable, I vote "yes." Well designed innovation deserves to be supported.
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Yes. I have the XR9-S and I carry it occasionally. The main reason for not carrying it all the time is because its expensive and nice looking. I want to keep it that way. My Ruger LC9 was born ugly and so that's what I carry the most. I'd love to eventually find an XR9-S that has a good bit of carry/holster wear - I would buy that one just to carry over my LC9.