Remington Model 51

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Waldo

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I saw one of the original Remington Model 51s today. It is a .380. I have only seen a few of them. It is a neat pistol. I am thinking about buying it. Does anyone here have any experience with them? Anything I should look for? Any reason to avoid it? I do not want it to carry or for home defense, I have other guns for that. I just thought it looked good. Thanks for any advice.
 
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I would love to find a really nice one in 32.
Biggest problems with them is a complicated disassembly procedure and a very fragile breech bolt.
Parts can be difficult to find.
 
I have one I bought about 20 years ago in .380 ACP, which is the most common caliber. Those in .32 are very rare, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen one in .32 in person.

They are probably the most ergonomic and natural pointing handgun I've ever held and shot. With that said, the sights are tiny and the safety is a little unwieldy. I have been warned by gunsmiths that field stripping it is not for the lighthearted so I've never had mine apart. I have fired a couple hundred rounds through mine and find it very reliable and accurate and pleasant to shoot.

I have read that John Pederson developed it to compete with John Browning's very popular (at the time) Colt Model M (the 1903 and 1908) but it proved to be more complicated and more expensive than the Colt pocket pistols. Personally, I find the Colt Model M to be easy to field strip and reassemble, so that's a competitive advantage over he Remington 51.


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I fondled a new model ~15 years ago. Overall, I like it, but there was a derailer:

The grip safety made an audible click when depressed. Don't know if the old ones did that, but I'd check before buying one.
 
Gamecock said:
I fondled a new model ~15 years ago. Overall, I like it, but there was a derailer:

The grip safety made an audible click when depressed. Don't know if the old ones did that, but I'd check before buying one.
Click to expand...

No the old one didn't but that new model had very little in common with the original 51. The new one wasn't very well thought of, but the original is a classic in my mind at least.
 
A Model 51 is high on my list to find. Haven't had the right one show up yet. I've kept myself kind of happy with the Browning 1910 version of 1955.

IMG_0801.jpg

Grip angle is different than the Model 51. Alot easier to disassemble/reassemble though.
 
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I have two 51s, both .380s. Very desirable if in high condition. Patton had one. Buy if at an affordable price. I once had one in .32. Those are somewhat scarce and more desirable,
 
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I have stopped and looked at a few from time to time and always thought they were neat looking. That said, I have never fired one. Instead, I own 3 different Colt M1903 & 1908 Series M pocket pistols that I adore and shoot at least 3 or 4 times a year.
 
I carried one in .380 for years as a "Backup". Old Timers called this model "The Steel Finger" for its natural pointing ability. I carried mine so many years that the finish wore off. I had it brushed chromed and made the mistake of loaning it to another officer who left for another agency and never returned it.
 
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I had one of the earlier ones several years ago, I believe one with a four digit serial number. Although I didn't shoot it much because it was almost a hundred year old gun, it shot well the few times I fired it. It was more of a collectible than a shooter. Like many others over the years, it went down the road for something else. Wish I had it back. The last time I looked, one in good to very good condition was pretty pricey; if you could find one. Good luck.
 
I found a good shooter-grade 380 years ago after looking for a really long time. I wanted one because of the many good writeups and the overall reputation. I sure wasn't disappointed. Points, handles, and shoots great. I've even carried it a little. Its reputation is well-deserved in my book!
 
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I've had this one for quite a few years and it's in nice condition even though it's over a century old now. Pedersen's designs tend to be complex, while Browning often designed very simple mechanisms that were very easy to strip and clean. Pedersen spent a lot of time making the 51 quite ergonomic, and it's regarded even today as one of the easiest-pointing handguns ever made - the nickname for it was the "steel finger"! I devoted a chapter to it in my book 101 Classic Firearms.

John


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jimmyj said:
I carried one in .380 for years as a "Backup". Old Timers called this model "The Steel Finger" for its natural pointing ability. I carried mine so many years that the finish wore off. I had it brushed chromed and made the mistake of loaning it to another officer who left for another agency and never returned it.
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Pretty sad when you can’t trust a fellow officer
 
I bought the modern R51 just to have an example of the Pederson action. It has quite a harsh recoil impulse that goes straight back into your wrist bones with minimal muzzle flip. Suggests to me that Pederson's design is at the hairy limit with 9mm.
 
32 ACP

Found a nice one in 32.
I have the old colt in 32 also the Browning 1955 but
The 51 is my favorite, hope no parts break.
It oozes coolness.
 

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LVSteve said:
I bought the modern R51 just to have an example of the Pederson action. It has quite a harsh recoil impulse that goes straight back into your wrist bones with minimal muzzle flip. Suggests to me that Pederson's design is at the hairy limit with 9mm.
Click to expand...

I've got one as well. It's an odd duck for sure. The first gen guns were a train wreck, the second gens actually work. Didn't notice the recoil being harsh but I haven't shot it in quite a while. It is a complete pain to field strip.
 
I’ve always wanted a nice REM 51 in 32acp. I’ve only had 3 model 51s in my career. All three were beaters for looks. One 380 and two 32s. In my experience in similar type pistols such as Savage and Colts the 32s seem to be the more accurate between 32/380.
This didn’t work out for me with the 1900 Browning. I red articles that said JM Browning always carried a 1900 on his rural strolls to plink targets of oportunity. I’ve had a dozen of them and never had one to write home about.
Just sold a 32acp M51 last year. They are a very comfortable pistol for me.
Bubba has habit of busting grips because he ain’t smart enough to see how they release.
 

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I bought into the hype many years ago about what a great gun the Remington model 51 was and bought one. Can't remember now if it was a.32 or .380. When the reality of the complex design, disassembly issues and parts availability set in I sent it on down the road.
 
I have two of them, both in 380. A pleasure to shoot. As mentioned, sights are tiny! The breech block is the main part that can break and getting a replacement is not easy!

Removing the slide for disassembly is easy. Removing the barrel from the slide is a challenge.
 
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