Triangle Tactical Podcast and Blog on Guns, Gear, and Competition Shooting
This thing looks like a love child between the Springfield XDs 9mm, and a Kimber Solo, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I think it’s interesting looking, slim, and hopefully has a nice trigger. I particularly like that it says “Remington Arms Co. Charlotte, NC” on the frame. Unfortunately I don’t believe the pistols are made in NC, but rather that’s where Remington has their corporate offices.
I don’t think this pistol does anything that my XDs 9mm doesn’t already do, but if it will feed my favorite JHP rounds unlike the XDs it may be a contender… They both have grip safeties, but I think the R51 may be a hair bigger than the XDs 9mm.
According to The Firearm Blog, it’s MSRP should be around $385, which means it should be a couple bucks less at the local gun shops. I’ll most certainly have to pick one up to play with.
What do you think? I’m surprised to see Remington getting into this market before Glock…
March Update: I had the chance to shoot an R51 recently. I talk about it in detail in Episode 73 of the podcast. Listen here.
I like it! Especially if it comes in at a local price point of around $350 or so.
Agreed. I think I’m sold as long as it doesn’t have any crazy lawyer internal safeties or an internal lock.
I read the original article to verify this was a single stack (I have small hands). It is! I’ll share what I found: “As far as calibers the R-51 is rated for 9MM+P ammo. A .40 caliber version will be next in the lineup. The magazine capacity is 7+1. Of course this is a compact pistol with a single stack magazine. Night sights are also an option. A Crimson Trace model will be available as well as one with a threaded barrel for a suppressor.”
I really like it! This could easily be the next thing in my arsenal, and would rank well above the Glock 42 on my wishlist.
I like it.. may get one just because it looks cool.
It looks better each time I look at it. I like all the rounded edges, and I really like the no-snag rear sight.
This is really interesting. I have been web-surfing all day long on various forums and there is a ton of chatter about this gun. All mostly good.
On more than a few forums you will read where people are saying essentially the same thing and that message is; the more they look at it and think about it, the more they like it.
I predict this pistol will be a runaway success and will be quite hard to get your hands on unless you are in the right place at the right time. It wouldn’t surprise me if demand is greatly outstripped by supply and we all know what that leads too.
Yeah, I really think big green did their research.
Quick, dump the xds and shield before the market craters..
I’m looking for it. Want to touch it.
Me too. Can’t wait to get one and see how it feels, and how it runs.
A local gun store owner has quoted me a price of $370 cash + tax, once the pistol becomes available. This guy usually has pretty good deals so I don’t know of we will see these pistols available for much less. One might do better with mail-order but then you must factor in shipping cost (if any) and FFL transfer fees. YMMV.
I’ll be happy with any price under $400.
If it’s everything they say it is, the R51 just bumped the Glock 42 off my wish list.
100% agreed, but I wasn’t interested in a .380 Glock anyways.
I’ve been shooting paper with my Remington Model 51 built in 1919 (predecessor of the new R51) for almost 60 years now and it has never failed to fire or eject. The Pedersen designed action is superb and carried over to the R51. I will definitely buy the R51 in both 9mm and .40 cal. when they become available. I can’t help but believe that the accuracy and reliability will be the same as my 94 year old Model 51, which, by the way, scored a 250 perfect score in my CHL range proficiency test.
Can anyone tell how this pistol breaks down for cleaning?
I believe on the older model you remove the slide release which has a pin that goes through the barrel lug and frame.
Be interesting to see how Remington makes a mess of this little beauty.
Taking the decision to enter the crowded single-stack 9mm / 40cal market is a brave move, but as the original Pedersen design is such a superior one there is no reason why a 45ACP won’t be in the pipeline also.
Pity Remington did not take notice of the need for girls and women who with their smaller hands would certainly be prospects for the original 32ACP and 380ACP calibres rather than the more savage 9×19+ round, even with the reduced felt recoil due to the hesitation lock.
Also, in the making-a-mess department the Remington brains trust has failed to take into consideration the export potential. Not so much, for the CCW domestic market which is the initial beach-head, but for the competition target shooter who is restricted to a legal barrel length of 4″ / 100mm minimum in many non-US, yet friendly, markets such as the EU, South Asia, Australia / NZ etc.
But the price point is very, very sweet.
SUMMARY – Remington R51
1. Lots of women already are and more are becoming licensed firearms owners who in total are more than half of the population – small hands = smaller calibre.
2. Big boys 45ACP with decent length barrel = 1911 killer.
3. Export sales limited by CCW length, longer (4″ / 100mm) is better for the offshore markets where CCW is not an option but competition is. Think about it…
4. Price point means something in the build or QA could be amiss, which we hope not will be the case over time. The original M51 works a treat after millions of rounds fired with very little reporting of problems, but does the price-point give it away only time will tell.
Overall 9 rubber wombats out of 10.
Good rundown Bill, thanks. Preliminary reports that I’m hearing from SHOT show is that it has a long, heavy trigger with a non existent reset.
And that’s why Lucas two of the nine rubber wombats were given.
One is given for the positive feel where a deliberate and knowing squeeze is required. The Pedersen trigger operates as a horizontal push rod that through a linkage (interrupted by the back strap safety) rotates the sear of its locking face allowing the hammer to swing up. Most other triggers are ‘hung’ from a pivot point above the finger which means the finger must swing imparting mechanical advantage so as to disengage the sear. One is a linear resistance (R51) the others more logarithmic. Difference is like pushing someone on a skate board along a flat surface compared to pushing the same person and board from the flat up a half pipe curve.
The 2nd rubber wombat is for the ‘non existent reset’ a necessity for others who turn a deficiency into a marketing meme. The sear resets at about 85%-90% of recoil, the hammer forced under the recoiling slide and yes there is a click, but you have to train to notice it if it’s that important. As the slide returns to battery the hammer is allowed to progressively load the sear as it comes to rest. The Pedersen patents are well out of date which means the market is wide open for others to capitalise on. Pity is that features, not gronked by the current Remington / Para engineers, have been either excluded or reinterpreted in such a way that (to my mind) is a gross dissing of the intellectual strength found in Pedersen’s work. One example of the intellectual weakness in the R51 is the ribbing on the muzzle end of the barrel it’s there to assist in pull-down – without the cupped depression. In the M51 this pinch-point safety feature is now missing which is why the tenth rubber wombat was not awarded.
Called a local gun store and they have a waiting list of 17/18 . First on they had and sold was brought back to go back to the factory. Something broke on it after 200 rounds. Store is now very cautious on these pistols.