Boberg pocket pistols

[Perd Hapley]

I just came across this new pistol, designed to pack a longer barrel into a very compact pistol. Anyone heard of it? What do you think?

http://www.bobergarms.com

[41magsnub]

Never heard of it.  Looks kinda complicated.

[Scout26]

Looks kinda like the original Luger action, only internally instead of externally.

My feeling is to wait until it's proven technology.  There's a reason it's called "The Bleeding Edge".....

[SADShooter]

Been reading about it for a while, and waiting for reviews/reports. It's interesting in concept, but now that I'm in apprentice curmudgeon status, I've become a late-adopter of new tech. I'm also not enough of a gear-head to be sure some of the claimed benefits outweigh the novelty of the design. If I read positive reviews I'll eventually buy one, both for my own use and to support private firearms innovation on principle.

[grampster]

Price?

[just Warren]

I always like to see new concepts out there, but being in California I'll probably never get to even see one in person.


Based on the videos it looks good.  I don't know what it will cost but with them being a small company and the engineering that went into it I'm guessing @1000.

[Perd Hapley]

I want a larger version; .45 Auto with a 5" barrel. 

[just Warren]

Baby steps, man.

[Mabs2]

I like how they claim it's "the most powerful 9mm pistol."
Like their mechanism somehow increases the velocity of the rounds you load into it or something beyond any other pistol.

[lee n. field]

I just came across this new pistol, designed to pack a longer barrel into a very compact pistol. Anyone heard of it? What do you think?

http://www.bobergarms.com

Check Oleg's blog(s).  He's been showing pictures for quite a few months.  Not in production yet, though there's obviously a working example.

[Boomhauer]

Heard of them. Generally, I don't really trust tiny startup gunmakers of this type, simply because they tend to a) fail b) fail to deliver and c) fail to deliver in the qc and reliability departments.

I also don't think that that extra bit of bbl length is worth a wierd design. Honestly, I'd be looking at ammo optimized for the shorter barrels before I'd be looking at funky designs. Kinda like bullpups...but you actually get usable additional barrel length in those (even though I generally don't care for them for other reasons)

[kgbsquirrel]

Looks kinda like the original Luger action, only internally instead of externally.

My feeling is to wait until it's proven technology.  There's a reason it's called "The Bleeding Edge".....

http://www.bobergarms.com/video/boberg-xr9-patentpending-feed-1


It seems more like a Beretta 8000's short recoil operated rotating locking barrel, plus a Walther's recoil spring location (around the barrel) and then combined with the loading mechanism of a browning machine gun (draw ammo from feeding source, raise (lower in the case of the BMG), and then insert into barrel.)

Neat little combination of designs. My only alteration would be for a single action version as I've never much cared for DAO in my pocket pistols (my current PP is a Beretta M1935).

Edit: Watched the take down video of the actual pistol. The recoil spring is located down the left side of the slide, like a 10/22, rather than around the barrel as shown in the function animation.

[MillCreek]

They have been vaporware for a long time and there is doubt as to if it will ever make it to production.  Arne did finally build a prototype though.  I am on their mailing list, so I have been following it for a while.  He started up the company almost two years ago, and you still cannot buy one in a store.

[Perd Hapley]

I like how they claim it's "the most powerful 9mm pistol."
Like their mechanism somehow increases the velocity of the rounds you load into it or something beyond any other pistol.

In a way, it does increase the velocity. The claim is that the gun produces higher velocities than other pistols of the same size. And that's the part that isn't controversial at all. The design allows a longer barrel length than with a conventional automatic of the same size, and that will certainly provide an edge in velocity. The questions are whether it is reliable, how much will it cost, is the slight increase in velocity worth the extra complication and price, etc.

[Balog]

Saw it on Oleg's blog a while back. Interesting, but I'm more and more a low speed high drag kinda guy. I carry a revolver and keep a SxS for social work at home.

[KD5NRH]

I want a larger version; .45 Auto with a 5" barrel. 

I'd like them to take it down a notch; .32NAA.  Every bit of barrel length seems to help with the small-and-screaming-fast calibers.

[vaskidmark]

If it's going to cost somewhere in the $1,000.00 range, why not buy a Rorbaugh which has already established itself as reliable although expensive?  http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/node/9?phpMyAdmin=ohYg-nCgDTLddyCqYCnbXGpet23

stay safe.

[Jamisjockey]

IMHO, Fail.  The hard part to conceal in most pistols is the grip, not the barrel.  The market is getting saturated with sub compact pocket sized .380's and 9mm's under $500.  Nothing about this pistol seems superior to say the Kel Tec PF9. 

[seeker_two]

Interesting design...esp. in how a strong magazine spring isn't necessary for operation. I'm a little hesitant about it in a "complexity vs. reliability" way....but I'll be watching to see how it does over a long period of time....

[230RN]

^
"but I'll be watching to see how it does over a long period of time...."

I'm the same way.  I came "that close" to buying a .22 Jet revolver with the .22 LR inserts.

I thought it was a great concept in firearms --.22 high velocity centerfire and .22 LR capabilities int he same gun.

Then I started to hear about the problems with it.

Terry, 230RN

[CypherNinja]

I've been following it for quite some time, and I've had a bit of cash stashed for it for a while now.

I'll let you guys know how it works, I should be relatively near the top of the pre-order list. 



(I'm a design junky. I almost don't care if it's not totally reliable, I just want it cause it's awesome and I love thinking up stuff like that myself.)

[HankB]

I know Arne Boberg - we worked together on a program or two in the past (when we worked for the same company) and he's a really sharp mechanical engineer. Haven't seen him since I left Minnesota, but it's good to see him doing this. If I were still up there I'm sure I'd be able to give a "hands on" impression, but he did all this after I moved away.

He's been working on his pistol design for quite some time, and has been very passionate about incorporating design ideas that maximize the actual delivered velocity of the pistol. His straight-line feeding system OUGHT to be exceptionally reliable - for one thing, the videos suggest the pistols won't fall prey to "limp wrist malfunctions" like so many other small guns.

I wish him well.