YES, you read that right.
No. it isn't 2014...
If you know me, you know I am a fan of oddball guns. Savage 99's, Caracal pistols, just about anything in .32ACP, etc. So when I got to work today and saw the NEW and IMPROVED Remington R51, I had to get it. Having had an original Model 51 in .32ACP, I was primed for awesomeness!
A little backstory first, for reference. When Remmy announced in 2014 they were reintroducing the 51 in 9mm I was excited to say the least. Much to my chagrin, however, I couldn't find one to buy locally. Then, slowly but surely, the horro stories came rolling in. Out of battery discharges, guns being completely reassembled and still inoperable, FTF, FTE, etc.
Then, Remmy quietly, or as quietly as they could, recalled ALL R51's.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/07/foghorn/breaking-remington-scrubs-traces-r51-website/
Now to the present day.
The gun had a sticker price of $369.99. It comes in a nice(???) green cardboard box with thick foam liners, cut for the gun, 2 seven round mags, manual, and the obligatory lock.
I disassembled the gun. No small feat; YouTube helped! Cleaned (IT WAS GRITTY and full of preservative grease/oil)
I noticed that the first round seemed to bind the slide to the point that it would only halfway retract. Didn't do it with six rounds. So i dropped the mag, locked the slide to the rear, and loaded it from slide lock.
After the first mag, this problem hasn't reoccoured.
Mags are fairly easy to load, not the easiest, but not difficult either.
I put about 100 rounds downrange, 115gr reloads, 124gr NATO, 115gr +P Barnes TAC-XPD, and some 147gr reloads. All functioned 100 percent, with the NATO being noticeably more snappy.
Ergonomics are great. Points even better than the P7 and almost as good as a P08. It is the most naturally pointing I have shot in a while.
Accuracy was good. I was doing more of a function test than trying to strike matches, but i was putting them where i wanted them.
Trigger is good for a gun in this category. Very little take up, clean break.
There is NO (ZERO) reset. If you shoot from reset, either get used to not doing that or buy a different gun. Simple as that. It's a non issue for me, as I shoot many different guns, all with different reset points/feels, so I just don't worry about reset.
All in all, a solid carry gun. Good ergos, well made mags, good sights, good trigger. Time will tell if it continues to be as reliable, durable, and accurate as it has been...
Now to the important stuff
Mags are readily available from distributors to you LGS for between 25-30 bucks
Night sights are made by Trijicon and run 115 bucks from OpticsPlanet or your LGS
R51 specific holsters are available form Galco, DeSantis, Jackson Leather, etc BUT they fit perfectly in a leather 1911 Officer/Commander holster. Leather 1911 mag pouches work too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE THREAD FOR PICS AND MORE RANGE REPORTS!!!!
No. it isn't 2014...
If you know me, you know I am a fan of oddball guns. Savage 99's, Caracal pistols, just about anything in .32ACP, etc. So when I got to work today and saw the NEW and IMPROVED Remington R51, I had to get it. Having had an original Model 51 in .32ACP, I was primed for awesomeness!
A little backstory first, for reference. When Remmy announced in 2014 they were reintroducing the 51 in 9mm I was excited to say the least. Much to my chagrin, however, I couldn't find one to buy locally. Then, slowly but surely, the horro stories came rolling in. Out of battery discharges, guns being completely reassembled and still inoperable, FTF, FTE, etc.
Then, Remmy quietly, or as quietly as they could, recalled ALL R51's.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/07/foghorn/breaking-remington-scrubs-traces-r51-website/
Now to the present day.
The gun had a sticker price of $369.99. It comes in a nice(???) green cardboard box with thick foam liners, cut for the gun, 2 seven round mags, manual, and the obligatory lock.
I disassembled the gun. No small feat; YouTube helped! Cleaned (IT WAS GRITTY and full of preservative grease/oil)
I noticed that the first round seemed to bind the slide to the point that it would only halfway retract. Didn't do it with six rounds. So i dropped the mag, locked the slide to the rear, and loaded it from slide lock.
After the first mag, this problem hasn't reoccoured.
Mags are fairly easy to load, not the easiest, but not difficult either.
I put about 100 rounds downrange, 115gr reloads, 124gr NATO, 115gr +P Barnes TAC-XPD, and some 147gr reloads. All functioned 100 percent, with the NATO being noticeably more snappy.
Ergonomics are great. Points even better than the P7 and almost as good as a P08. It is the most naturally pointing I have shot in a while.
Accuracy was good. I was doing more of a function test than trying to strike matches, but i was putting them where i wanted them.
Trigger is good for a gun in this category. Very little take up, clean break.
There is NO (ZERO) reset. If you shoot from reset, either get used to not doing that or buy a different gun. Simple as that. It's a non issue for me, as I shoot many different guns, all with different reset points/feels, so I just don't worry about reset.
All in all, a solid carry gun. Good ergos, well made mags, good sights, good trigger. Time will tell if it continues to be as reliable, durable, and accurate as it has been...
Now to the important stuff
Mags are readily available from distributors to you LGS for between 25-30 bucks
Night sights are made by Trijicon and run 115 bucks from OpticsPlanet or your LGS
R51 specific holsters are available form Galco, DeSantis, Jackson Leather, etc BUT they fit perfectly in a leather 1911 Officer/Commander holster. Leather 1911 mag pouches work too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE THREAD FOR PICS AND MORE RANGE REPORTS!!!!
