the Reminton Model 51 is said to be the best pocket pistol ever made and probably the hardest to take apart and put back together? I added this one to my collection a few months ago.
Thanks for looking,
Joe

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Thanks for posting.

I'm not familar with the Remington Model 51. Please tell us　more about its history, and why it is said to be the best pocket pistol ever made.

IMO the best pocket pistol ever made is the 1903 Colt Pocket Pistol.

Sorry to disagree with you.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

Best pocket pistol ever made is one I carry daily - a S&W 337

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Forum consigliere

Is it a 32 or 380?? I had one and it worked great, but it was kinda finiky on the ammo you could use in it.

The Remington Model 51 was designed by J.D. Pedersen-yes, THAT J.D. Pedersen-and S&W copied its grip shape for the M-39.

The best pocket Revolver is a S&W Bodyguard or Centennial.

But I think the best pocket Pistol is the Browining 1910 in 380.
I had one and shot it a lot.

The Colt might be second best... I have not shot one of those enough for it to displace the Browning.

On course, MY favorite pocket Pistol is a Colt Lightweight Commander...

I always made sure I had Big pockets...

Peterson worked with J M Browning and was highly though of by Browing and also J Hatcher (Hatcher's Notebook) the quote on the besthandgun comes from the "Textbook of Automatic Pistols, R.K. Wilson"

Joe: nice catch; thanks for posting

I agree that the Remington 51 is a contender.
I think it's price at the time made is a bit out of most people's reach. The little Savage .32 is right in there too, but I'm jaded towards it since I own one.

I would think the S&W safety hammerless .38's & .32's is right in there- and it's copies from H&R, Iver Johnson and others have to be the pocket revolver.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I have handeled one. It sure felt as good or better in the hand as any gun I ever picked up! Never shot one. My "Menter" Duke duvall had one. On a personnal basis, duke knew more about guns than anyone I physicaly met. It was his favorite pocket pistol too! Duke has been gone for 20 years or so but up till then I think there were darn few handguns he never owned.

I wouldn't know...money and keys go in my pocket. All my guns go in or on my belt.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

These threads may provide some answers:

Most ergonomic handgun ever made?

An interesting gun designer - John D. Pedersen

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The best pocket pistol ever made is the one I have in my pocket when I need it.

Perhaps the most Classic Pocket pistol but due to its apparent size (I have never seen one)

I would vote the Seecamp LWS 32 as more of a "pocket pistol"

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Still Running Against the Wind

These are more "vest pocket pistols" but I would not give them high marks for effectiveness.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

My vote goes to the Smith 296. I don't see how to improve weight, power, ease of use, tough finish, etc.

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beaver

I like my M37. fits in most of my pockets and ain't never jammed. I just really don't trust an automatic firearm. Maybe my M16 I had in the Army, but it wouldn't have made a very good pocket revolver.
Have a goodin',
Gordon

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better have that checked

Old Timers to the Remington Model 51 as "The Steel Finger" because of its natural pointing ability.

My vote's for the 1903/1908 from the Manufacturer Who Will Not be Named.

To my considerable shame I own one of each.

The Colt Model 1908 in .380 ACP is pretty darn good. Very slim, I will admit the sights are lacking but that is a characteristic of a pocket pistol.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated!
Joe

Walther PPK series. Very fine.

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<><

Another vote for the 51 Remington! It points like an extension of your hand, and feel way too thin to chamber a 380 ACP round. They were also made in 32 ACP.

Star patterned their Model S and Super S grips after the Remington, and they had the advantage of an external hammer. I think the .380 version also had a locked breech, like the Colt .45. Super S may have used a Browning M-35 system. Don't recall.
I do know the guns feel very good in the hand.

They had a smaller one called the DK, I think. Iver Johnson copied it here.

I guess that someone needs to mention that Gen. Patton owned a Remington M-51, and went to some lengths to get it. He liked the feel of the gun.

My feeling is that, of the small autos, the Berettas are the most reliable.

The Remington and several other guns are by all means great guns but IMO do not fall under the category of a "pocket" pistol.

Here is a great comparison chart.

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf

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Still Running Against the Wind

Easy Answer: Any J Frame with an enclosed hammer.

Your Choice.

Rule 303

+1 Rule 303 ... I'll take any Centennial over anything else considered suitable for "pocket" carry.

For those who are interested, perhaps the most thorough article ever written about the Remington 51 was in the 1979 edition of Gun Digest. I own a Remington 51, Colt 1903, Colt 1908 and did own a Browning 1910. All of these are top notch guns. The Remington is the most natural pointing handgun I have ever owned and it is a pleasure to shoot. Pedersen seemed to have a knack to make things complicated, but the precision is a sight to behold. (Take a look at the Remington 141 pump gun too.) I also really like the Colts and I'd give the nod to them for a pleasing design and they are good shooters as well. I did not like the Browning 1910 because of its sharp recoil and I didn't particularly like the looks of it. I thought I needed it because it was the pistol that started WWI. Turns out, I didn't really need it. One more thing of interest: Remington made a scaled up version of the 51 in .45ACP. This was the Model 53 which was intended for military use. That didn't happen and only one was made. It now resides in the Remington museum.

The term "pocket pistol" was coined when men had bigger pockets, with the exception of the cargo shorts or pants that are common today. And it usually meant a coat or even overcoat pocket. I love J frames but it's hard to beat an autoloader that is only 1" thick for concealability.

The 51 was certainly one of the finest pistols of it's day. Reportedly a great deal of effort was expended to make it a good fit for as many hands as possible. It does seem to point better than any of it's contemporaries (or many newer ones for that matter). I like it but the Colt had such a head start it never approached it in sales. The Savage with it's higher mag capacity also had a greater popularity. Pockets were bigger in those days, all three would probably be considered belt models today. I like all three but generally shoot the Colts more, simple to maintain and easier to fix if something breaks (based largely on my weakness for buying old, well used (broken) guns and putting them back in service).

Colt Mustang Pocketlite 380. Only 380 pocket gun light enough to actually carry in a pocket. I've been carrying mine in the front pocket of my jeans every summer for about 20 years. I am thinking of retiring it and getting one of the new Sigs to replace it.

That is really neat. Thanks for showing us your pistol and congratulations on finding it. I had forgotten John's threads, so it was nice to read those again, too.

If anyone has both, how does the 51 compare with the 1910 for reliability? I have always been curious about that.

Some years ago when I was on the prowl for a 51 in nice condition, I happened on to an absolutely pristine Browning 1910, which I bought and fiddled around with for a while. I still have it, but I never did find a Remington. I see them now and then, usually at considerable prices, and sometimes not in such nice condition. I may yet run into a good one.

As I stated earlier, I own a 51 and have owned a 1910. If properly maintained, I suspect both would perform well indefinitely. Having said that, the 1910 is a striker fired, straight blowback action and is much simpler than the 51. The 51 is a locked breach, delayed blowback with an internal hammer like the 1903/1908 Colts. The breach locking mechanism is unique and fairly complicated. I personally rate the 51 far above the 1910 in desirablilty, but the 1910 might be more reliable because of its simplicity.

Here's a couple of classic .380 pocket pistols that coincidentally were both manufactured in 1923

I kind of like the Ortgies. From Germany. Have several of them. They have no screws and come apart without tools. I think ahead of their time, the early 20's. Always came in first in shooting competition then.

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SWCA 2082

I agree. The P238's are basically the Mustang, with some cosmetic differences that make them 'Sigs'. They are accurate at gunfight range, and fit in jean pockets in a DeSantis Superfly holster very well. Times change. Modern designs really can be better than the earlier ones, in some cases.

I'd go with my 442, but any j frame air weight centennial model would work.

I guess I should say that I do like a nickel RB 36, if we are talking revolvers.

I have never handled/shot one of those, but I can say, that the Germans most always make great guns.

I still like the Browning 1910.