I purchased a Gen 1 and had to send it back due to primer overpressure issues. Got my money back and waited. After handling the Gen 2 I picked one up last month. The slide is much easier to rack and overall I was pleased with it (not impressed with the polymer trigger though). I have two issues with my new pistol:

1. The only way I can get my slide/barrel/spring/breechblock assembly back on the frame is to extend the barrel out the front of the slide, grasp it, then slide the assembly onto the frame (the opposite of the takedown process). In the owner's manual and online Remington video it appears I shouldn't have to do that.

2. After running approximately 350 rounds though it (mostly Winchester white box) the trigger does not want to reset if I hold it back while racking the slide. Sometimes I can pull the trigger 8-9 times before the hammer falls. If I rack the slide then pull the trigger it works fine. Looking at the trigger from inside the frame it appears there is a small spring that doesn't seem to be anchored to anything. I can't see where it would anchor. Wish I could get a photo of it.

I have contacted Remington and they issued a trouble ticket today. As I told them "I really want to like this pistol". I would love to make this my EDC pistol, just have to see if it can be fixed. Anyone had similar issues?

I just bought my first R51 Gen 2 and first thing I did was take it down and oil it well, then loaded a full mag. of Remington UMC 124 gr. FMJ and went out to my backyard range and then proceeded to pull the slide back, it was VERY hard to pull back and after I do get it back I release it and get a instant jam, the cartridge did a nosedive, after clearing it I inserted the mag. with the slide open and then dropped it and it chambered the round fine, I then ran about 75 rounds thru. it of several kinds and it shoots great, I just can't cock it on a full mag., is this normal?

UPDATE: Received an email from Remington to call and set up the return. I received a great response from Jim and he has the paperwork on the way. My pistol will go to an authorized service center. He said they have received very few repair questions on the R51 (good news!). I told him I have not seen many issues in the online forums so I think Remington has gotten it right. So far I am happy with the response. Will update as the process goes on.

Zeropoint...you and I appear to be on the same forums (r51pistol).

This is the same issue I have with my R51. It has been at their repair center for about 4 weeks...the last time I checked with them(about 1 week ago), they still had not got around to looking at my pistol...

I have a post on this forum as well.

Having an issue with stoppages on mine; slide catches the next round and decides to take a break. A quick rack of the action puts it right back in business like it never happened. In 500 rounds, it's gotten through maybe 10 magazines without a problem. Happens with all ammo; light, heavy, cheap, expensive, target, defense, doesn't matter...Except for German MEN 9B, it seems to really like it feed-wise.

My best guesses are it's due to the cartridge OAL or the highly-polished cases. I sent it in for service, was told it would be a six-week wait, and had UPS trying to give it back to me 5 days later... techs couldn't get it to malfunction. So now I have to question if it's me; I know I'm not riding the slide-stop, because I had that issue with it immediately and caught it. It could be that I'm limp-wristing it, but I've never had that problem with anything I've shot before.

But we'll see... I burned through a significant cross-section of my 9mm supply trying to find a solution, and I'm hesitant to expend more on guesses. I should note that if I set-aside the stoppages, I love the pistol. It points perfectly for me, shoots comfortably; and despite the trigger being vague, I've put in the best offhand pistol groups I've ever shot. I'm really trying to remain optimistic about it, but frustration is starting to get the better of me.

UPDATE #2. I returned my pistol to the factory, arriving on 9/30/16. Today I received an email saying my pistol is being "examined and tested at this time. The factory would like to replace the handgun in exchange."

So it appears I will be receiving a new pistol that will be sent to a licensed dealer of my choice. I sent them the info and asked if I could get the results of the testing of my original pistol. We will see.

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UPDATE #3. I received my replacement R51 today. It is interesting in that I can detect the reset on this one. I can hear and feel a small "click" at the reset point. Not real noticeable but it is there. Will get to the range soon and check this one out.

The one benefit of getting a third pistol is that I now have 6 magazines for it!

UPDATE #4. I finally got to try out my new (#3) R51 today. Put 50 rounds through it with no issues. Even had a halfway decent grouping (for me anyways). I continue to feel and hear the reset.

Cautiously optimistic!

I have a real bad issue with my new (3rd) R-51 (1st GenII). That issue is the fact that I bought this new one, serial number in the 12,XXX range, and I haven't been able to get to the range with it in the last two months. Now that, my friends, is a serious issue. Trying to finish up this car restoration so I can move to Vegas. I suppose I should just take a break and go hit the range anyway. I'm sure everything will still be here waiting for me when I get back. However, I am very anxious to find out if this new one is going to perform successfully. Maybe I will just bust loose tomorrow and do the right thing... Heh-heh.

Let us know how you make out as you break it in Ironsides...

I finally made it to the range yesterday with my Gen II R51 and what a surprise I got. I ran 500 rounds of mixed ammunition, include the Remington HTP ammo that my 1st 2 R51s would not even cycle. One of them was +P. Only one malfunction occurred around the 110th cycle with the HTP non-+P. That was a nosedive below the ramp, inside the front edge of the top of the magazine. A little nudge of the slide put it back into battery. Other than that, there were no malfunctions of any sort. Accuracy... This jewel shoots nearly the same group sizes as my Remington R1, which happens to be my most accurate 1911 between 2 Colts and one Sig Sauer. I can say that the accuracy of the Gen I and the Gen II R51s have been superb. Remington "ACED" that characteristic of the R51 from the beginning. After the 2 year wait while Remington retested and refined the R51, all I have to say is "This is the pistol I wanted in the first place." That said, I have only one complaint about the R51 overall. That is the trigger has a tendency to pinch my trigger finger at the bottom of the trigger at the point of discharge. I will take it to my friends at Briley Manufacturing here in Houston and have them build a steel or titanium trigger with a wider contour at the bottom to clear the trigger guard, and a wider contact pad with vertical ridges for better finger comfort. Overall gentlemen & ladies, I am please with this one.
In order, the ammo I used was:
50 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr FMJ
50 rds, Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ
50 rds, Remington HTP 115 gr JHP (round #10 from this ammo hung on magazine lip)
50 rds, Remington HTP +P 115 gr JHP (way too much muzzle flash for nighttime use)
50 rds, Winchester white box 147 gr JHP
100 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr JHP
50 rds, Sellier & Bellot 124 gr JHP
100 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr FMJ

UPDATE #5. Finally got back to the range today. Put 100 rounds of Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ through my R51. The only issue I had was one round did nosedive (first round in a full mag). Easy fix. No problems with any other full mags. So I have put 150 rounds through R51 #3 and have only had one nosedive. So I am happy so far. No failures to feed, much better than my previous two!

UPDATE #5 Put another 30 rounds of Blazer Brass through today. Interesting though that after cleaning it I can no longer hear and can barely feel the reset.

ZeroPoint wrote:I just bought my first R51 Gen 2 and first thing I did was take it down and oil it well, then loaded a full mag. of Remington UMC 124 gr. FMJ and went out to my backyard range and then proceeded to pull the slide back, it was VERY hard to pull back and after I do get it back I release it and get a instant jam, the cartridge did a nosedive, after clearing it I inserted the mag. with the slide open and then dropped it and it chambered the round fine, I then ran about 75 rounds thru. it of several kinds and it shoots great, I just can't cock it on a full mag., is this normal?

ZeroPoint,
Normal or not, I use a work around. Since I carry "cocked and Locked" it is not a problem.
I lock the slide open, after shooting at the range, or cleaning the weapon, insert a full 7 rd mag,
and slingshot it. (IE: pull slide back, and release it) If it is going in my holster I take out the mag and add another round. I am presently on about 2000 rounds, and
I forger how many different brands of ammo. The weapon will now rack on a full mag, but is still
rough. But, like I said, with cocked and locked, it does not bother me. If you want to carry "Israeli style" with an empty chamber that is a personal preference. Let your experience be your guide.
Shoot safely Pard.
Blackie.

My last range session went so smooth with reloaded FMJ and hollowpoints I wanted to test it with a carry load and give it another good workout with some more fmj and hollowpoints. I loaded it with 8 rounds of 135 gr +P Critical Duty and the first round fired, the slide locked back with the top round out of the mag and just sitting there. I shook it out, chambered the next round it it shot a few ok then refused to chamber the last round in the mag. So I pulled out a bunch of the reloads to try to trouble shoot and over the course of 70 rounds I got failures to feed, failures to fire, failures to extract, stovepipes, and the outest outie primers yet! no consistency at all. Everything went so smooth last time. I think the failure to fire may have been a badly seated primer but I was having so many other problems I couldn't separate what all was going wrong. In the gun's behalf, I can say that I got absolutely 0 nosedives. I brought along my gold standard for reliability-my Walther PPX, and it hiccuped a couple times on the load failing to chamber, but it kept shooting ok and everything was at point of aim, I also noticed the heavier bullets were still hitting lower than the lighter ones when shooting the R51. I was flummoxed. It just occurred to me this evening, however, could these problems be the kind that occur when you don't get the little spring over the tab on the slide release when you put it back together? I noticed I've gotten good at putting it back together, but maybe it was a little too easy last time.....

boomerbaby wrote:My last range session went so smooth with reloaded FMJ and hollowpoints I wanted to test it with a carry load and give it another good workout with some more fmj and hollowpoints. I loaded it with 8 rounds of 135 gr +P Critical Duty and the first round fired, the slide locked back with the top round out of the mag and just sitting there. I shook it out, chambered the next round it it shot a few ok then refused to chamber the last round in the mag. So I pulled out a bunch of the reloads to try to trouble shoot and over the course of 70 rounds I got failures to feed, failures to fire, failures to extract, stovepipes, and the outest outie primers yet! no consistency at all. Everything went so smooth last time. I think the failure to fire may have been a badly seated primer but I was having so many other problems I couldn't separate what all was going wrong. In the gun's behalf, I can say that I got absolutely 0 nosedives. I brought along my gold standard for reliability-my Walther PPX, and it hiccuped a couple times on the load failing to chamber, but it kept shooting ok and everything was at point of aim, I also noticed the heavier bullets were still hitting lower than the lighter ones when shooting the R51. I was flummoxed. It just occurred to me this evening, however, could these problems be the kind that occur when you don't get the little spring over the tab on the slide release when you put it back together? I noticed I've gotten good at putting it back together, but maybe it was a little too easy last time.....

That sounds like the take-down lever spring is actually in the wrong position. It must be in correct position or all havoc will occur. Easily checked & corrected, I'd start there and use factory loaded ammunition until you can determine the functionality of the pistol. After you're satisfied with, and "know" the pistol's characteristics, then experiment with reloads if you must. Personally, I prefer factory loaded new ammunition.

Dang. I just checked it under a magnifying glass and cycled it a few times and sure enough, the spring is on the wrong side of the tab pushing it up instead of pulling it down! I had been checking for that before after all that was said about it earlier but I guess it just slipped past me these past couple of times.

Ironsides wrote:UPDATE #2. I returned my pistol to the factory, arriving on 9/30/16. Today I received an email saying my pistol is being "examined and tested at this time. The factory would like to replace the handgun in exchange."

So it appears I will be receiving a new pistol that will be sent to a licensed dealer of my choice. I sent them the info and asked if I could get the results of the testing of my original pistol. We will see.

Ironsides,
How did you get to send your pistol to the factory?
Everybody else's goes to an over worked gunsmith in Alabama.

Rick 51/ R51 wrote:I finally made it to the range yesterday with my Gen II R51 and what a surprise I got. I ran 500 rounds of mixed ammunition, include the Remington HTP ammo that my 1st 2 R51s would not even cycle. One of them was +P. Only one malfunction occurred around the 110th cycle with the HTP non-+P. That was a nosedive below the ramp, inside the front edge of the top of the magazine. A little nudge of the slide put it back into battery. Other than that, there were no malfunctions of any sort. Accuracy... This jewel shoots nearly the same group sizes as my Remington R1, which happens to be my most accurate 1911 between 2 Colts and one Sig Sauer. I can say that the accuracy of the Gen I and the Gen II R51s have been superb. Remington "ACED" that characteristic of the R51 from the beginning. After the 2 year wait while Remington retested and refined the R51, all I have to say is "This is the pistol I wanted in the first place." That said, I have only one complaint about the R51 overall. That is the trigger has a tendency to pinch my trigger finger at the bottom of the trigger at the point of discharge. I will take it to my friends at Briley Manufacturing here in Houston and have them build a steel or titanium trigger with a wider contour at the bottom to clear the trigger guard, and a wider contact pad with vertical ridges for better finger comfort. Overall gentlemen & ladies, I am please with this one.
In order, the ammo I used was:
50 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr FMJ
50 rds, Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ
50 rds, Remington HTP 115 gr JHP (round #10 from this ammo hung on magazine lip)
50 rds, Remington HTP +P 115 gr JHP (way too much muzzle flash for nighttime use)
50 rds, Winchester white box 147 gr JHP
100 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr JHP
50 rds, Sellier & Bellot 124 gr JHP
100 rds, Remington UMC 115 gr FMJ

Dang me! Rick,
You must have some big fingers. I have big hands and do not have that problem. I get a little
"Lemon Squeezer Rash" from the gun but no big deal. I bought shooting gloves.
I also have used most of the ammo you listed, with the addition of Ruger ARX Polycase,
Winchester USA forged (Iron casings made in USA) and some other junk I had in my range bag. Once
I figured out the formula to rack the gun, it eats everything. Bang, bang, bang!
Best little back up gun I ever owned. I love it!
BTW Ruger ARX is +P. My preferred carry ammo for my R51 and my 1911 Hicap.
Blackie

1911 SHOOTER,
I don't know how it got routed there. When I called Remington initially it sounded like it was going to Alabama. When I received my paperwork it was addressed to New York. I can only assume that the factory wanted to take a look. Maybe they had not seen that problem before.

jrhan762 wrote:Having an issue with stoppages on mine; slide catches the next round and decides to take a break. A quick rack of the action puts it right back in business like it never happened. In 500 rounds, it's gotten through maybe 10 magazines without a problem. Happens with all ammo; light, heavy, cheap, expensive, target, defense, doesn't matter...Except for German MEN 9B, it seems to really like it feed-wise.

My best guesses are it's due to the cartridge OAL or the highly-polished cases. I sent it in for service, was told it would be a six-week wait, and had UPS trying to give it back to me 5 days later... techs couldn't get it to malfunction. So now I have to question if it's me; I know I'm not riding the slide-stop, because I had that issue with it immediately and caught it. It could be that I'm limp-wristing it, but I've never had that problem with anything I've shot before.

But we'll see... I burned through a significant cross-section of my 9mm supply trying to find a solution, and I'm hesitant to expend more on guesses. I should note that if I set-aside the stoppages, I love the pistol. It points perfectly for me, shoots comfortably; and despite the trigger being vague, I've put in the best offhand pistol groups I've ever shot. I'm really trying to remain optimistic about it, but frustration is starting to get the better of me.

jrhan762,
Don't feel bad, I had a Llama Mini Max that I never could get to feed right. A LEO friend of mine
shot it and had no problem. Two of my neighbours shot it with no problem. If I pointed at the ground
and fired it, it would not jam. Just when I aimed at something. I shoot 1911s all the time and have
never had a problem "limp Wristing" one. Except for the Llama. I sold it to a friend who loves it.
In fact he carries it. Could be if you tried a different hold it might like you better. There is at least
1 gun in every shooter's life that stays a mystery. Like an old Monkey Ward 12 ga pump that nobody
could get to feed, I used it for duck hunting for years and it always went bang! Go figure!
Blackie

1911 SHOOTER wrote:

Dang me! Rick,
You must have some big fingers. I have big hands and do not have that problem. I get a little
"Lemon Squeezer Rash" from the gun but no big deal. I bought shooting gloves.
I also have used most of the ammo you listed, with the addition of Ruger ARX Polycase,
Winchester USA forged (Iron casings made in USA) and some other junk I had in my range bag. Once
I figured out the formula to rack the gun, it eats everything. Bang, bang, bang!
Best little back up gun I ever owned. I love it!
BTW Ruger ARX is +P. My preferred carry ammo for my R51 and my 1911 Hicap.
Blackie

Actually no Blackie. My 65 year old hands are large and long fingers with tough skin from working with tools for automotive and woodworking most of my life and all of my last 40-some-odd years. On a hinged trigger, I prefer to make my pressure point from my trigger finger as far away from the hinge as possible to gain the most control by way of a better mechanical advantage. It allows for a steadier squeeze and the desired "surprise" break. AND, if I change my mind after initiating the squeeze, I have a better chance at not accidentally breaking during that point of aborting the shot. The problem is that the radius of the trigger swing is different than the radius of the trigger guard contour, thus creating a depletion of clearance between the trigger's tip and the guard's inside contour as the trigger moves rearward. At the point of break to the end of the rearward travel of the trigger is where the repetitive abrasion occurs on the side of my trigger finger. I might grind the trigger pad radius somewhat smaller so my finger will rest deeper into the arc of the trigger before I have another trigger built for it. That would yield a longer trailing tip of the trigger. Still yet, I would prefer a wider trigger pad and hinge boss to stabilize it to the frame sides, eliminating the sloppy transverse wobble that it has. After the grind, I'll hit the range with another 500-800 round session before I invest in my trust as a reliable 2nd carry pistol. I demand perfect fit-and-function from my tools, but when my pistol is the tool I need to rely on, it MUST function reliably. The trigger modification would be strictly a comfort measure. AMMO: I carry the slowest 147 grain hollow points with good expansion and weight retention. Remington Golden Sabre Bonded or Speer Gold Dot are my two top choices.

jrhan762 wrote:Having an issue with stoppages on mine; slide catches the next round and decides to take a break. A quick rack of the action puts it right back in business like it never happened. In 500 rounds, it's gotten through maybe 10 magazines without a problem. Happens with all ammo; light, heavy, cheap, expensive, target, defense, doesn't matter...Except for German MEN 9B, it seems to really like it feed-wise.

My best guesses are it's due to the cartridge OAL or the highly-polished cases. I sent it in for service, was told it would be a six-week wait, and had UPS trying to give it back to me 5 days later... techs couldn't get it to malfunction. So now I have to question if it's me; I know I'm not riding the slide-stop, because I had that issue with it immediately and caught it. It could be that I'm limp-wristing it, but I've never had that problem with anything I've shot before.

But we'll see... I burned through a significant cross-section of my 9mm supply trying to find a solution, and I'm hesitant to expend more on guesses. I should note that if I set-aside the stoppages, I love the pistol. It points perfectly for me, shoots comfortably; and despite the trigger being vague, I've put in the best offhand pistol groups I've ever shot. I'm really trying to remain optimistic about it, but frustration is starting to get the better of me.

I can certainly understand the frustration in that. I've been shooting a Pederson Action pistol all my life (a Model 51 .380 AUTO built in 1919) and these pistol do sometimes require changing you hold. I helped a couple of shooters with that same problem in their R-51s, not limp-wristing per se, but a certain attitude that allows the pistol to rotate. By supporting the butt of the grip with the cup support from your stabilizing hand, push your pistol forward into the cup of your supporting hand while pulling it tight into your shooting hand. Very common stabilizing method used by many, BUT... add to that with a push down with the shooting hand and push up with the supporting hand, thus squeezing on the lower rear corner of the grip. A preloaded rigid frame is what you're trying to create. That will stop the rotation that Pederson Action doesn't like. You might first want to try a sitting bench rest position with stiff-armed hold on the bench-top to get a feel for the rotation attitude. Try to get ALL of the gun's energy directly to your shooting side shoulder. This is also a good muscle-memory exercise for your dry-firing sessions with any pistol you happen to have.
Anyway, that's my 2-Bits worth and I hope it helps get past that problem.
Rick

Did 80 rounds today with the takedown lever restored to the proper position with respect to the spring. No problems of any kind with Gen2 mags. One failure to pick up last round on a Gen1 mag (I think that's why they put the little ramp on the Gen2's.) Used 8 rounds of Win White Box then all the rest were reloads-most of them using Hornady HAP hollowpoints. No problems feeding hollowpoints, no nose dives, no FTF's of FTE's. Shot with both hands, one-handed, and with the weak hand. All rounds went where they were pointed and still as accurate as ever.