Fair enough.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

Picked my R51 up last Saturday. I shoot trap and skeet on Sundays so the R51 took it's first trip, and got it's first 50 rounds down range.

Initially I was very impressed with the fit, finish, and feel of the firearm. The metal work and finish are easily on par with my Colt Pocket Nine.

Ergonomically the gun's a winner. Grip, point, weight, slide retraction weight, everything feels the way it should, almost like "why hasn't a gun fit me like this before?" Kinda moment.

The sights are easy enough to see, though the front sights seems disproportionately larger than the front sight on other firearms.

Take down is a bit odd at first, but after practicing with it for the past few days it's become fairly easy. Just because it's new doesn't mean we should be scared of it.

But now, how did it function?

The 2nd round out of the gun was a FTE. Consistently atleast 1 shot in every mag would FTE. It never happened more than twice, and if it didn't happen twice it would happen on the last round of the mag. Because it has been shot so little I'm can contribute this to "break-in" but if it persists I fear I'll be returning her to MOM for a quick check-up. These things tend to happen with new firearms. I've read that due to the Pederson design the R51's will be sensitive to limp-wristing - I doubt this is what I'm experiencing as it happened consistently and with my brother behind the trigger as well, but I won't rule it out as a possibility.

Accuracy was on point, though I was focusing more on function than accuracy. Pinging plates at 25 yards was certainly felt simple and natural enough out of the R51.

Felt recoil was incredible. All the hype about the Pederson Design certainly rings true. This thing feels soft and barrel rise is no where to be found. It's comparatively easier to control under fire than my pocket .25acp.

I have a lot of hope for this gun , and have quickly acquired a soft spot for it. I want this gun to be all it was hyped up to be. Hopefully my FTEs will work themselves out and no other issues will come about.

I'll be keeping you all updated.

MetalBird wrote:Thanks for the in store review.
I fear that my first impression assessment will be the same, but I am hopeful and wanting it. Mostly it has to impress the wife and how she feels with it tho.

'fraid my wife would have thrown it at me had she been at the store at the time. demands smooth, smooth, smooth, great looking, smooth, accurate, smooth, smooth, reliable, in that order. thinking to try again in about a year. feedback should be slip-streamed into production by then,

cheers, ya'll

Papataylor, thanks for your impression!

Monday, March 17, 2014, Gander Mountain called to let me know that my new Remington R51 arrived.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014, I walked into my favorite indoor gun club to toss several hundred rounds downrange with the R51 and my new Sig Sauer P938, both fresh out of the box and never fired yet.
The R51’s slide will feel funny or wrong to most as it is a busy mechanical transition inside with the Pedersen action. Although it will smooth out after break-in, you will still feel the components separating as they are captured & released while the slide is in motion. This is an inherent character of the Pedersen action. My 95 year old Remington Model 51 is actually busier but smoother feeling than the new R51. That said, some improvements have been made to the geometry and functionality of the internals.
The first 250 rounds were Remington UMC 9mm Luger 115 grain MC (L9MM3A) and the next 50 rounds were Federal Premium ‘Range & Target’ 115 grain, both being Full Metal Jacket.
First of all, I have read many complaints about this new R51, and I don’t quite understand how so many people are so eager to condemn this thing when most haven’t even touched one. They’ve probably lived their whole lives under rules of assumption. I prefer to live by the rules of “FACT”.
Number 1 is the rear strap grip safety. It is a natural for a proper grip and is quite comfortable. So, that’s not an issue.
Number 2 is the effects of the low bore axis and the slide coming back and biting your hand. Sorry guys, again, proper grip! Not an issue unless your hands have upward bulk when gripping. If your hands are that big, or fat, then this gun, along with many others, just doesn’t fit your hand. Buy something that fits your hand and quit condemning otherwise perfectly great guns. Furthermore, this gun will fit 95+% of the hands that will ever handle it.
Number 3 is the people who rack the slide and condemn it for its bumpy travel or otherwise lack of smoothness. You people obviously haven’t done your homework to know what is happening under that slide that makes it such a gentle pistol in the recoil arena. The delayed blow-back system requires an intricate design consisting of different movements of parts as compared to most semi-automatics. Don’t like the feel of it? Don’t buy this pistol. Don’t condemn it as a cheap piece of junk either!
Number 4 is the difficulty in stripping and reassembly of this pistol. Well, some are quite simple where others are not so easy. Learn it and keep it clean. Characteristics are the key! Just watch that tab & spring during reassembly. You’ll know it when you run across it.

Now, let’s shoot this thing and see what it does. Get your speed-loader out because you’ll want to use it so you can get back to shooting quickly. Target acquisition is a snap with these factory sights. The muzzle flip is as Remington advertised, it is minimal and getting back to follow-up is really quick. The felt recoil is also as they advertised. It is as tame as my old Model 51 in .380. Accuracy? Just throwing rounds through it for break-in, accuracy wasn’t my objective, although 1.5” groups @ 7-1/2 yds, 2” @ 10 yds, and 5” @ 20 yds seems to be accurate enough in my book. I’m sure that those groups will be tighter when I switch to more precise shooting. Just want to break it in first.
Hiccups? Yes, it had a few. Like so many higher-end pistols, this thing acts like the tolerances are much closer than they are, so don’t do anything but clean & lube until you’ve fired 500 rounds through it. A couple of failures to feed, a couple of stove-pipes, and the slide not fully seating a few times (causing failure to fire) should self correct with break-in and good lube. This particular R51 is a little hesitant to get going smoothly, but I feel it will be just as reliable as its older brother, the Model 51.

NOTE: This pistol will malfunction if a limp-wristed shooter handles it. At its relatively light weight for its size & construction, 25.6 oz (7 rd +1) to 22.3 (empty), it is a dream to shoot. As with its predecessor, the Model 51, it is a natural point & shoot pistol and you’ll notice that right off, although that feel is more apparent with the old 51.
Next trip to the range, it will have a different lube, as I will identify after the 2nd range test, and will shoot 500 rounds with some 124 grain and some +P ammo. The 3rd range trip will be on the accuracy block. I’ll post updates as they occur.

Rick, I want to thank you & Papa for 2 great posts. Yours was very good because you shot enough rounds to get some accurate information. I read Nick leghorns post on TTAG a while back & it was the worst review I have ever read & the sad thing a lot of people believed it.

Then I found ramworks.net & Richard Mann's reviews & videos & he put Leghorn to shame. I have, like you said , seen so many bad remarks about the R51 by people who have neither held or, most importantly, shot it. Thank you both again for the 2 great reviews. I am old & need a 9mm like this with the easy slide rack & recoil. I am just waiting for my dealer to call for me to pick it up.

Will pick up mine tomorrow from my FFL, Pretty sure he will let me give it a try behind his shop. Buying a box of 9mm will help and I'll let him give it try as well. Looking forward to it. I will not sugar coat any problems but am not expecting any.

New here. Just bought 1911R1 and love it. Am looking for a handgun - actually 2 - for concealed carry and for my wife. The R51 was recommended by a friend of a coworker, but after spending the last 3 days reading reviews (mostly from SHOT and by no one who seemed to have actually fired one), I was pretty leery about the R51. Initially though about .380 for the wife (she's 5'2), but I think I decided on the 9mm for both of us. I was glad to have read the reviews from people who had actually shot this weapon and hope to read more soon. Thanks to all.

Rick, I would like to know your impressions and comparisons of the P938 to the R51?
I was determined and set on getting a P938 and then I got wind of the coming R51 and thought I should wait and see.

draidt wrote:Will pick up mine tomorrow from my FFL, Pretty sure he will let me give it a try behind his shop. Buying a box of 9mm will help and I'll let him give it try as well. Looking forward to it. I will not sugar coat any problems but am not expecting any.

Ok I picked up the R51 today, I do not understand why some are saying the slide is gritty mine is as smooth as butter and easier then my Ruger SR40C or LC380. Love, Love ,Love the trigger. My LC380 will go up for sale shortly. Was unable to test fire it today perhaps on Monday. It fits my hand perfectly and feels so natural. I do like the grip safety there is a definite click when it is engaged to fire. As far as the slide biting my hand I don't see that happening to me my hands are not that large or meaty. The slide is at least 1/2 inch below my hand when gripping it in a shooting stance. Fit and finish, I said I would not sugar coat and I wont There is just one annoying issue the action spring bushing is surface scratched you can rotate the bushing but it is scratched al the way around. I think some Flitz and 1000 grit paper will take care of it. I am going to call Remington tomorrow and either ask for another one or order one. There is no way I am sending this pistol back because of this minor cosmetic and easily fixed issue. The sights are rock solid. The action bushing cry's out for a aftermarket hard chrome finish.

draidt wrote:

draidt wrote:Will pick up mine tomorrow from my FFL, Pretty sure he will let me give it a try behind his shop. Buying a box of 9mm will help and I'll let him give it try as well. Looking forward to it. I will not sugar coat any problems but am not expecting any.

Ok I picked up the R51 today, I do not understand why some are saying the slide is gritty mine is as smooth as butter and easier then my Ruger SR40C or LC380. Love, Love ,Love the trigger. My LC380 will go up for sale shortly. Was unable to test fire it today perhaps on Monday. It fits my hand perfectly and feels so natural. I do like the grip safety there is a definite click when it is engaged to fire. As far as the slide biting my hand I don't see that happening to me my hands are not that large or meaty. The slide is at least 1/2 inch below my hand when gripping it in a shooting stance. Fit and finish, I said I would not sugar coat and I wont There is just one annoying issue the action spring bushing is surface scratched you can rotate the bushing but it is scratched al the way around. I think some Flitz and 1000 grit paper will take care of it. I am going to call Remington tomorrow and either ask for another one or order one. There is no way I am sending this pistol back because of this minor cosmetic and easily fixed issue. The sights are rock solid. The action bushing cry's out for a aftermarket hard chrome finish.

I believe the action spring bushing designed to get scratch up as every example I've seen in person and online has been.

I believe it acts as a quasi-guiderod

A review without an Agenda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBeSJYBYzVE

Mine started getting scratches on my spring bushing immediately when I first started shooting it, I think its normal but I'm no handgun expert. I'm blessed with having my front porch as my shooting range so I shoot everyday after work, have already threw about 500+ rounds through it, no issues to date. As a side note, I find the disassembly/reassembly video on youtube from 'the truth about guns' guy......a joke. If this gun is hard for you to take apart and put it back together properly then I'm not so sure you should be shooting a gun. Reason I mention this is because if you read the youtube comments a lot of people are turned off from this gun simply by watching his video, don't buy into it, this is a great gun from someone that is 'new' to the handgun world.

papataylor wrote:

draidt wrote:

draidt wrote:Will pick up mine tomorrow from my FFL, Pretty sure he will let me give it a try behind his shop. Buying a box of 9mm will help and I'll let him give it try as well. Looking forward to it. I will not sugar coat any problems but am not expecting any.

Ok I picked up the R51 today, I do not understand why some are saying the slide is gritty mine is as smooth as butter and easier then my Ruger SR40C or LC380. Love, Love ,Love the trigger. My LC380 will go up for sale shortly. Was unable to test fire it today perhaps on Monday. It fits my hand perfectly and feels so natural. I do like the grip safety there is a definite click when it is engaged to fire. As far as the slide biting my hand I don't see that happening to me my hands are not that large or meaty. The slide is at least 1/2 inch below my hand when gripping it in a shooting stance. Fit and finish, I said I would not sugar coat and I wont There is just one annoying issue the action spring bushing is surface scratched you can rotate the bushing but it is scratched al the way around. I think some Flitz and 1000 grit paper will take care of it. I am going to call Remington tomorrow and either ask for another one or order one. There is no way I am sending this pistol back because of this minor cosmetic and easily fixed issue. The sights are rock solid. The action bushing cry's out for a aftermarket hard chrome finish.

I believe the action spring bushing designed to get scratch up as every example I've seen in person and online has been.

I believe it acts as a quasi-guiderod

Upon reflection I believe you are correct. Now can anyone explain why on the slide where this bushing rubs against in bone dry and the rest of the slide in lathered in grease even in the none contact areas ???

remmy wrote:Mine started getting scratches on my spring bushing immediately when I first started shooting it, I think its normal but I'm no handgun expert. I'm blessed with having my front porch as my shooting range so I shoot everyday after work, have already threw about 500+ rounds through it, no issues to date. As a side note, I find the disassembly/reassembly video on youtube from 'the truth about guns' guy......a joke. If this gun is hard for you to take apart and put it back together properly then I'm not so sure you should be shooting a gun. Reason I mention this is because if you read the youtube comments a lot of people are turned off from this gun simply by watching his video, don't buy into it, this is a great gun from someone that is 'new' to the handgun world.

Here's the video you want to watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... BYzVE#t=36

I am detecting an anti Remington agenda , Thoughts ?

yes, that is a more accurate review in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I think Remington does have some QC issues. I bought a 887 two years ago and its been a piece of junk since day one, infact its back at Remington as we speak. So I wont sugar coat anything. If I find problems with the R51 I will report in an honest manner, but so far its an A+

remmy wrote:yes, that is a more accurate review in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I think Remington does have some QC issues. I bought a 887 two years ago and its been a piece of junk since day one, infact its back at Remington as we speak. So I wont sugar coat anything. If I find problems with the R51 I will report in an honest manner, but so far its an A+

As it should be !

Thanks "Guys". I haven't had a chance to break down the new R51 yet to examine it, however, I went back and bought another R51 so I can get a feel for the nature of the beast by comparison. The "gritty" feel of the slide is probably the feeling of the mechanical transition of parts inside, which is normal to feel in Pedersen action, and people mislabel that as gritty. Gritty is harsh & scratchy with grinding noises that make you cringe when you hear & feel it. These are ALL brand new pistols with steel sliding on aluminum. Clean grooves and slick, non-runny lubricants will protect it from turning the aluminum frame into something ground up in the steel mill. Now, who said "gritty"? Is that harsh with a grinding noise with shavings present, or is it really smooth but very busy under that slide? Rack it again and tell me.
Draidt, that feel of this pistol is what this "natural pointer" is all about. The angles & geometry is perfect for feeling like it is an extension of your hand. It is definitely a "Point & Shoot" pistol. My 95 year old Model 51 is the predecessor of this one, however, it is about 3/16" narrower and the 1911 style trigger is about 3/8" closer to the backstrap. thus, a smaller hand would be a perfect fit. The new R51 should fit almost everyone's hands.
The trigger on both, the 51 and the R51 are equally pleasing to the shooter. What an awesome feel with that crisp predictable release. Can't feel the reset, but that is ok with me since it's all about training your muscle memory. You'll find it quickly.
Slide-bite? Not any more pronounced that about half of the semi-autos out there. The slide is 3/8" above my big hand's grip. My High Standard Supermatic .22 Target pistol's slide is closer and it has never bitten me.
OK Metalbird. P938 vs. R51! Equally accurate out to 20 yds. Predictable groups with both pistols. I shot the Sig with the 'furnished' 6-round magazine with my little finger having nothing to do. I just received 2 7-round magazines with the grip extension and it feels awesome. Haven't shot it with them yet. They say the P938 is uncomfortable after a number of rounds of 9mm, but I don't see that. I shot Remington UMC and Federal Premium Range & Target in 115 grain and the only discomforts were from reloading magazines. No discomforts from either pistol. Muzzle flip: R51 was minimal (as advertised), and the P938 was not so bad at all for it's size and dimensions, but is comfortably pronounced. I'm really impressed with the feel and accuracy of both pistols. I will hide the P938 easier in concealed carry compared to the R51. By the way, they call the R51 "Sub-Compact". I disagree and will call it just inside the "Compact" size envelope. R51... inexpensive at $400.00; P938... about average at $750.00. It's too early to say that you get what you pay for. The R51 needs some time for that statement to hold true, or false. That old, and still reliable 51 cost my grandpa $15.50 in 1919, compared to pistols selling for $19.00 and better. What say you now? R51 weight... 22.3 oz. empty, 25.6 oz. w/ 8 rounds of the aforementioned ammo.
P938 wt........ 17.3 oz. empty, 20.4 oz. w/ 7 rounds of the same.
If there are "design bugs" in this new R51, I'm sure Remington will work them out. In the meantime, we are the "test-rats" in the R51 arena for now. There's no reason that Remington shouldn't be in the business of 'pistols'... Full Bore!

Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts on the comparison. I am sure I will eventually get both, just not sure which one to go for first ... I need to budget for these things.
The R51 is really intriguing to me, hence the reason why I am here lurking everyday, and I want to pick up a new carry pistol. I still think the Sig is more what I am looking for in that mainly for the sizing factor you mention. I'm still waiting to see the R51 in person.
Thanks

Well I finally found one last night! I went into Greentop just north of Richmond, Va and they had three in stock. I asked to take a look at the one on display. First thoughts were it's a nice looking pistol in person. I didn't see any major fit or finish issues. I checked the play in the sights and there was none. I racked the slide with the magazine inserted and it held open as it should. It definitely was stiffer than the one finger rack Remington is touting. I also found that with the magazine inserted it takes significant force to release the slide stop, even when pulling rearward on the slide first as to control the slide in it's forward motion. The pistol fits very nicely in my medium sized hands and points very naturally. The ergos on this design are awesome! There was a tactile click as the grip safety was depressed. After just a few grips of the safety I noticed it would not be a problem to adjust to this safety. I asked if I could pull the trigger to which the store clerk agreed. I did so twice just to be sure I was feeling things properly. As others have stated this is a really nice trigger. It's not 1911 like, it's like nothing I have shot before. There is a small take up then you hit a wall, until it breaks. Very crisp I must add! The magazine release is very small, I almost couldn't tell my thumb was on it, it fits the frame design that well. But each time my thumb was indeed in the proper place and the magazine came out with authority. I must say I was very pleased with what I was seeing.

I asked if there was any wiggle room in the price and the answer was no, $420. As I already have one on pre-order at another shop with a non-refundable $85 deposit I asked if they could do $360 out the door cash which they couldn't do. I had to walk away, I can't afford to eat $85 at the other shop to have one earlier. I can't blame Greentop either they have absolutely no reason to lower their price on a brand new pistol. Couldn't hurt to ask though. So now I'm back to the waiting game, now more than ever looking forward to that phone call that says your gun is here haha!

If you have any questions, please let me know.

soccerguy83 wrote:Well I finally found one last night! I went into Greentop just north of Richmond, Va and they had three in stock. I asked to take a look at the one on display. First thoughts were it's a nice looking pistol in person. I didn't see any major fit or finish issues. I checked the play in the sights and there was none. I racked the slide with the magazine inserted and it held open as it should. It definitely was stiffer than the one finger rack Remington is touting. I also found that with the magazine inserted it takes significant force to release the slide stop, even when pulling rearward on the slide first as to control the slide in it's forward motion. The pistol fits very nicely in my medium sized hands and points very naturally. The ergos on this design are awesome! There was a tactile click as the grip safety was depressed. After just a few grips of the safety I noticed it would not be a problem to adjust to this safety. I asked if I could pull the trigger to which the store clerk agreed. I did so twice just to be sure I was feeling things properly. As others have stated this is a really nice trigger. It's not 1911 like, it's like nothing I have shot before. There is a small take up then you hit a wall, until it breaks. Very crisp I must add! The magazine release is very small, I almost couldn't tell my thumb was on it, it fits the frame design that well. But each time my thumb was indeed in the proper place and the magazine came out with authority. I must say I was very pleased with what I was seeing.

I asked if there was any wiggle room in the price and the answer was no, $420. As I already have one on pre-order at another shop with a non-refundable $85 deposit I asked if they could do $360 out the door cash which they couldn't do. I had to walk away, I can't afford to eat $85 at the other shop to have one earlier. I can't blame Greentop either they have absolutely no reason to lower their price on a brand new pistol. Couldn't hurt to ask though. So now I'm back to the waiting game, now more than ever looking forward to that phone call that says your gun is here haha!

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Now you know upon actually firing mine why my LC380 will be up for sale. Even with a 35% trigger bar and RTK trigger I still do not feel comfortable with the pull. You hit the nail on the head It's all in the TRIGGER. Racking the slide is still much better then My Ruger SR40C ( Which I really like ) or 1911 Sig. again Which I really like. Pending test firing it will be my carry gun.

Completely! I can't wait to get mine in. Holding one last night only made me more excited to get mine!


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UPDATE:

The R51 just passed it's 100th round today. Sadly I didn't get any video as myself and my family had a little shoot-about after celebrating my grandfathers birthday.

Ammo was Tulammo 9mm.

I can proudly say NO MORE FTEs!!!!

That's right. The first 50 rounds left me with 1 FTE per mag. A bit disappointing even for a break I'm period. However today, none were experienced. I'm not sure if this was a result of the softer steel case being easier for the extractor to grasp or if the break in and cleaning have done it's job. Regardless I'm happy.

Accuracy was on point. My father, uncle, cousin, and myself successfully mashed the stem of a fallen sampling roughly 4 inches in diameter at 20 yards up hill. Most of the time we missed however, we were able to strike the small target after getting a good baring on how the gun was shooting.

One downside I observed however was the supposed weakness to limp wristing. The first happened with my younger cousin: improper grip (cupping the mag) caused him to limp wrist the first round, a FTF swiftly ensued. The second came with my father, who, when focusing more on hitting the stem than on his grip. The gun didn't jam, but the slide moved into battery painfully slow, slow enough to count to atleast 2 before battery.

Everyone who shot it now placed the R51 in the top of their "to buy" list. Stating most often "that gun just feels RIGHT!" Or "that handles unlike any other gun I've shot!" Or even "wow! I can't believe how soft the recoil is out of such a small gun!"

The R51 has moved to primary carry duty pending further reliability testing with range fodder, brass, and +p self defense hollowpoints.

Heres a few thoughts after several hundred rounds. First off I apologize if any of this info has been mentioned before on here. The slide has gotten smoother. For you guys that just bought one, waiting on one, etc you need to break it down and clean off all the, what I call, 'shipping grease'. Remington uses this crap on all their guns (at least the ones I have bought new) and can cause various issues. I believe that's what makes the slide feel sticky, gritty, rough, are some of the things I have read online. Oil it up and spend sometime with it (I don't mean that sexual haha). Reading online some guys simply did not want this gun due to the feel of the slide action, so don't let that change your mind. Now that mine is broken in I can say that I can take one finger and pull the slide partially back but not all the way and not as easy as the Remington reps made it look at the SHOT show. Also, the slide release is still pretty hard to operate/stiff but can be done with my one thumb. For $400 (more of less) gun I'm not expecting perfection. It does what its suppose to and thus far, I'm happy with it.

Also I should add that all ammo at this point has been the Winchester 115 gr. out of the 100rd value packs and the Tulammo 115 gr. just the cheaper stuff, nothing that Remington recommends in the manual and its been running fine.