Boberg XR9: High Tech Pocket Pistol
The XR9 is a prototype 9mm pocket pistol by Boberg Engineering. What makes it special is that the magazine located directly under the chamber. This allows it to have a full size barrel (4.2”). Think of it as a bullpup equivalent in a pistol (not the best analogy but you get the idea)!
What a beautiful looking pistol
Standard black frame, Gen II prototype
The Boberg feed mechanism differs from traditional feed mechanisms in that it draws the cartridge backward from the magazine (see video).
What is not obvious from this view or the video is the rendundancy of the mechanism. The lifting device, consisting of the lifting linkage and the ramp, imparts a kinematically balanced motion to the cartridge as it is lifted. This is important because the cartridge is accelerated rearward an upwards of 2000 g’s. Any impact on the cartridge by the ramp is absorbed by the resiliency of the ramp. This combination, along with containment of the case flange, is sufficient to feed cartridges; however, a top stop is added to prevent any further upward motion of the cartridge.
Even a poorly designed lift mechanism would feed cartridges somewhat reliably when using the top stop alone; however, the Boberg XR9 uses both kinematic balance and the top stop to provide complete and redundant control over the cartridge as it is picked from the magazine, lifted to be in-line with the barrel, and placed into the chamber.
The video:
Specs:
Caliber: 9mm
Length: 5.8”
Height: 4.2”
Width: 0.95”
Weight: 19.5 oz with magazine
Barrel Length: 4.2”
Capacity: 7+1
Action: Rotating-Barrel Locked-Breech
Sights: Dovetail windage, 5.1” radius
Trigger Pull: 6.5 lb DAO
Safeties: 3
It will be very interesting to see what becomes of this pistol.
More info here.
Hat Tip: Ahab
UPDATE: The pistol is expected in 2009.
[...] recently wrote about the new Boberg XR9 pistol which features the magazine beneath the chamber. Dr. StrangeGun discovered that the Gabbett-Fairfax [...]
looks like a big peice of crap.
Ooh, that looks nice! I wonder what the real-life reliability is like, though?
While I think it will take many years of unfettered ahndgun dvelopment to make this a more common design trait, this is a potential game-changer, especially for small pistols. Getting full-size performance out of a compact gun means better expansion with hollow-points.
This action reminds me of a flipped-over M2 machine gun. I wonder if it’s going to have chronic headspace and timing issues too?
It seems to me that the lifting mechanism is the weak link. Too many moving parts to be totally reliable. The backward and then forward motion of the bullet seems to me that the gun will jam more often than a conventional automatic, especially from a shooter with a limp or weak wrist.
A conventional auto just pushes the bullet up and the slide slams it home. Jams occur with the same wrist weakness but are limited to the barrel and slide making it easy to clear a jam. If this happens because of the lifting mech, it would seem that the gun would need to be dismantled.
You also have an extra spring for the lifting mech as opposed to a genuine blowback design. Springs tend to be problem areas
Wheather or not it works, what’s the point? Yes the chanber has been moved back significantly, but it’s also devoloped this huge growth on the back end. Overall length seems about the same for such a huge increase in complexity.
I think is is great, but I can see where the problems will lie. As much as conventional systems have problems feeding different types of ammo and different loadings, I imagine this would have even more problems, especially since it will likely require a shorter COAL. The weak/limp wrist issue can be negated by a lighter spring, just as it is in lower pressure/power catridges. As for the timing issue, if sufficient room is allowed so that the timing can accomodate the lowest and highest power loadings, it shouldn’t have the timing problems I suppose Crypto is alluding to in the M2. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this firearm and so we’ll see hwere the company goes from here. Looks pretty novel to me.
I would like to have a basic engineering drawing of the XR9.