The TRB RS9 Vampir is a rather unknown pistol from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was briefly introduced to TFB readers by Miles in 2017. At IDEX 2019, TFB had a chance to get a closer look.

TRB

The company, born as a military-industrial conglomerate in 1955 and recently privatized, showcased at IDEX an overview of its products which range from demining vehicles to pistols. The feeling that the organization is willing to step into the competitive international market was fairly strong due to the modern looking logo, aggressive black look of the booth and obvious attempts at branding. Their motto is “Build to last” – is it a typo or do they mean they build things to last?

RS9 Vampir

The 9×19 mm handgun is loosely based on a SIG P226 architecture with some original design bits. It is an aluminum alloy framed SA/DA with a nicely skeletonized external hammer. On the left side (only on left side) of the frame, it features two controls: the lever above the trigger is for disassembly while the one on top of the grip panel acts both as de-cocker and slide release. No other external safeties are present, therefore the trigger pull in DA is kept at a reasonably heavy 5.5 kg (12 lbs). Single action pull is at a much more pleasant 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs).

The 108 mm (4.25″) barrel has a 6-groove polygonal rifling, which appears to be one of the main points of pride of TRB. Sights are fixed, installed via a dovetail cut and they are claimed to be night sights with 3 dots painted with a fluorescent coating. Magazine capacity is 18 rounds and the RS9 weighs 920 g (2 lbs) empty and 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) fully loaded.

TRB RS9 Vampir with black finish.

RS9 Vampir with a tan finish, a rather dark OD green model is visible in the background.

To further show its focus on modern marketing and branding, TRB recently released an advertising video on the RS9.

So, to conclude: the RS9 Vampir appears to be a solid offering for those who prefer a traditional SA/DA setup and a reassuring metal frame. As far as exhibition samples go in representing actual production quality, fit and finish look very good. No visible machining marks were present including on hidden surfaces, and the operation was smooth.

Availability

When? How much?

We can’t say yet. TRB is planning first to fulfill its contracts with the Bosnian Army and other government entities within 2019. Only then they will start to target the civilian market. The above-mentioned marketing strategy, however, seems to be a clear declaration of intent.