There is no shortage of firearms for the criminal element. Law-abiding citizens are hard-pressed to stay one step ahead of the game and in many cases, the handguns of yesterday have given way to micro compacts that equal or surpass the stopping power of some of the legendary pistols of the past.
Most of the mini or micro compacts have adapted their design in some form or fashion to the tried and true Browning locked breech system and double-action firing mechanism that also acts as a safety.
The Boberg XR9 is similar to most micro compacts in many ways, but has one revolutionary difference -- a rear-feeding magazine system. Unlike most semi-automatic pistols where the slide pulls the bullet from the magazine stack and propels it into the chamber, the XR9 avoids the need for a feeding ramp by pulling the round straight into the chamber from the magazine at the rear.
Is Boberg creating change just for the sake of change with the XR9? Not according to author Scott W. Wagner, who explains the advantages of the XR9 design in his article “Changing Things Up: Boberg XR9” at USConcealedCarry.com:
“Because the design benefits the effectiveness of the XR9. It allows the pistol to have a barrel that is nearly an inch longer than comparably sized micro pistols, while still maintaining the same overall size and length of other small pistols.” (Read more at USConcealedCarry.com)
The extended barrel increases muzzle velocity and thereby foot pounds, which translates into more stopping power. As far as accuracy goes, the Boberg XR9 proved to be an extremely accurate firearm for several reasons during range testing.
One is the rotating barrel operating system, which helps reduce overall recoil and leads to improved stability and accuracy. Another contributing factor is the long trigger pull. The 6-pound pull on the XR9 is extremely smooth, helping to alleviate flinching and other movements that affect accuracy.
During the actual range testing, the XR9 easily produced 1-2 inch groupings at 50 feet. But what’s remarkable about the Boberg pistol is its capability at longer distances. At 100 yards from a standing position, the XR9 put three of six shots into the target silhouette, which is an excellent ratio by any standard for a gun that size.
The Boberg XR9 may be the ultimate concealed carry firearm; however it will cost you to find out for yourself. The MSRP on this little dynamo is about $1349.