As many of you know, I write about classic firearms for Dillon's Blue Press catalog/magazine, which is issued monthly. I'm constantly on the lookout for interesting and classic guns. At the Phoenix gun show this weekend, I did find one that I've been seeking for some time.
The Remington-UMC Model 51 pocket pistol is regarded by many knowledgeable folks as perhaps the most ergonomic hand gun ever made. It fits most hands like a glove, points naturally, and with its axis of recoil very low over the hand, it recovers from recoil quickly. Rather than being a straight blowback design, it's actually a "retarded blowback" pistol. The breechblock is in two pieces, with the forward part able to slide back a bit before the slide begins to move rearward. This does a lot to moderate the already low recoil of this pistol.
It was a design by J.D. Pedersen, who also invented the famed Pedersen device that converted 1903 Springfields into semiauto rifles firing a pistol-sized cartridge. He also invented a rifle that gave John Garand's entry a run for the money in semiauto rifle trials in the early 30s.
These were produced in both .32 and .380 ACP. An earlier version had a hammer, but it was decided that a "hammerless" version (actually it has an internal hammer) was more practical for a pocket pistol. The gun features a grip safety, a manual safety, and a magazine safety. When the slide is locked back, a squeeze on the grip (depressing the grip safety) allows the slide to go forward, and if a round is in the magazine, chamber it. This is very quick - insert the loaded magazine, squeeze and fire if necessary.
The design of the grip was no accident - many tests and versions were sorted out to get it just right for most hands. The trigger pull is very much like that on the 1911-short and sweet.
These guns were made from 1918 to 1935. This particular specimen was manufactured in 1924. I'm pleased to have found a good example of this classic firearm, and I wanted to share a picture of it with you. It could still serve its intended purpose quite well after 87 years.
John
The Remington-UMC Model 51 pocket pistol is regarded by many knowledgeable folks as perhaps the most ergonomic hand gun ever made. It fits most hands like a glove, points naturally, and with its axis of recoil very low over the hand, it recovers from recoil quickly. Rather than being a straight blowback design, it's actually a "retarded blowback" pistol. The breechblock is in two pieces, with the forward part able to slide back a bit before the slide begins to move rearward. This does a lot to moderate the already low recoil of this pistol.
It was a design by J.D. Pedersen, who also invented the famed Pedersen device that converted 1903 Springfields into semiauto rifles firing a pistol-sized cartridge. He also invented a rifle that gave John Garand's entry a run for the money in semiauto rifle trials in the early 30s.
These were produced in both .32 and .380 ACP. An earlier version had a hammer, but it was decided that a "hammerless" version (actually it has an internal hammer) was more practical for a pocket pistol. The gun features a grip safety, a manual safety, and a magazine safety. When the slide is locked back, a squeeze on the grip (depressing the grip safety) allows the slide to go forward, and if a round is in the magazine, chamber it. This is very quick - insert the loaded magazine, squeeze and fire if necessary.
The design of the grip was no accident - many tests and versions were sorted out to get it just right for most hands. The trigger pull is very much like that on the 1911-short and sweet.
These guns were made from 1918 to 1935. This particular specimen was manufactured in 1924. I'm pleased to have found a good example of this classic firearm, and I wanted to share a picture of it with you. It could still serve its intended purpose quite well after 87 years.
John
