I had the chance to shoot the R51 today. I've been curious about it since it's release and having the original in .380, 9mm really appealed to me. Though I wasn't impressed with the Remington rep I was impressed with the firearm. It was very accurate and soft on recoil. Only hiccup was the first round, gotta really seat the mag. Rep stated that Remington is doing some design changes to the barrel bushing and slide and these should be ready late June. I just might pick one up.
Remington R51
- Thread starter duck32man
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Tracer_Bullet
Member
From what little I have read about them, it sounds like they are having some teething problems (feed issues IIRC), so that's probably why they are making the design changes. If I didn't already have a 3913 I'd be interested in the R51 once the bugs are ironed out.
Babalooie
US Veteran
I would definitely wait to get one. Let someone else do the beta testing.
If by "teething problems" you mean firing out of battery and blowing out case heads, having rear sights that can be pushed out with slight finger pressure out of the box, slides that are virtually impossible to rack out of the box, feed malnfunctions of every shape and size, grip safeties that must be squeezed heavily in order to disengage, slide locking back with a half empty magazine, among other issues, than yeah I suppose!
The thing is, the R51 isn't going through the normal "teething" issues that all new guns should be expected to have. The various problems can mostly be explained by an utter lack of quality control or manufacturing quality in general.
There are so many awful range reports, both in forums and on YouTube, that I will NEVER be spending my money on an R51, and I'm not alone. I'm glad the OP is satisfied with his, but Remington has demonstrated to me and many other people that they were NOT ready to release this gun. To tell you the honest to God truth, I'd rather bet my life to a Hi-Point 9mm vs. the R51 if both were pulled out of the box brand new.
Big green won't be getting any of my green by putting out half-baked products like the R51. JMHO.
YMMV.
Grayfox
US Veteran
I was interested, but I've now had a chance to handle two of them at gun shows. It just didn't feel right in my hand and frankly, it looks cheaply made. Ditto on the hard to rack slide.
After such an outstanding sucess with the 1911R1, which I consider to be the best straight out of the box pistol and the best deal in a 1911 these days, I was really disappointed with Remington.
After such an outstanding sucess with the 1911R1, which I consider to be the best straight out of the box pistol and the best deal in a 1911 these days, I was really disappointed with Remington.
Tracer_Bullet
Member
OK, partly I was trying to be nice by saying "teething issues" and partly I hadn't read about that entire laundry list of problems 
I read a lot of negative reviews and the R51 was high on my list to look at in Indy.
The were guns at two separate Remington displays. At the first one, which was a truck/trailer display, all of the slides felt gritty during cycling. As did the trigger.
At the main booth, the guns were better, but I and others noticed that the were swamped with a white grease which probably made them seem so smooth.
Finally, someone that has fired literally thousands of different guns said that she found the take down and reassembly almost impossible to do.
Maybe they'll get the problems straightened out in time to save the gun, but it's going to take a lot of work and a good PR program.
OTOH, the Walther CCP seemed like it was ready for prime time.
The were guns at two separate Remington displays. At the first one, which was a truck/trailer display, all of the slides felt gritty during cycling. As did the trigger.
At the main booth, the guns were better, but I and others noticed that the were swamped with a white grease which probably made them seem so smooth.
Finally, someone that has fired literally thousands of different guns said that she found the take down and reassembly almost impossible to do.
Maybe they'll get the problems straightened out in time to save the gun, but it's going to take a lot of work and a good PR program.
OTOH, the Walther CCP seemed like it was ready for prime time.
mjlabs
Member
Gary-
I bought a R51 that had a low serial # back in early March. Heres my short story and I wont sugarcoat it. Started off great, slide felt 'stiff, gritty, sticky, etc' and I admit after a hundred rounds or so the slide did feel smoother. I found the disassembly to take longer than say most semi auto handguns but not hard by no means, just a different way of doing it. I like the look of the R51 and was anxious to get my hands on one after months of waiting. Anyways so after a few hundred rounds I started having some issues. Small issues such as the grip screws working loose...really loose, the slide slowing down or not returning to battery. Bigger issues such as pulling the trigger and nothing happening and then the gun going off, cases getting stuck in the barrel, etc. I wont go into great detail, just watch the youtube vids and I had the same issues. Not to mention when you take the gun apart the machining is horrible, so bad I would be embarrassed to call this a product of the USA. Had I had the chance to disassemble it I would of never bought it based on that alone. I called Remington and they said to send it in and if they found enough problems with it they will just replace it with a new gun. Well after reading other guys post that had a much later made R51, that wouldn't of corrected any of the problems. Well I heard from some guys that already sent theirs in that Remington has had it for several weeks and it would be another 4-6 weeks waiting on 'updated internal parts'. So, I traded the damn thing off for a new Shield 9 and never regretted it. In total I probably put 500+ rds through it and glad its gone. Hopefully they will make a lot of big improvements and I might look at buying one down the road in a few years.
I bought a R51 that had a low serial # back in early March. Heres my short story and I wont sugarcoat it. Started off great, slide felt 'stiff, gritty, sticky, etc' and I admit after a hundred rounds or so the slide did feel smoother. I found the disassembly to take longer than say most semi auto handguns but not hard by no means, just a different way of doing it. I like the look of the R51 and was anxious to get my hands on one after months of waiting. Anyways so after a few hundred rounds I started having some issues. Small issues such as the grip screws working loose...really loose, the slide slowing down or not returning to battery. Bigger issues such as pulling the trigger and nothing happening and then the gun going off, cases getting stuck in the barrel, etc. I wont go into great detail, just watch the youtube vids and I had the same issues. Not to mention when you take the gun apart the machining is horrible, so bad I would be embarrassed to call this a product of the USA. Had I had the chance to disassemble it I would of never bought it based on that alone. I called Remington and they said to send it in and if they found enough problems with it they will just replace it with a new gun. Well after reading other guys post that had a much later made R51, that wouldn't of corrected any of the problems. Well I heard from some guys that already sent theirs in that Remington has had it for several weeks and it would be another 4-6 weeks waiting on 'updated internal parts'. So, I traded the damn thing off for a new Shield 9 and never regretted it. In total I probably put 500+ rds through it and glad its gone. Hopefully they will make a lot of big improvements and I might look at buying one down the road in a few years.
Electraclyde
Member
I have one. I fired just over 300 rounds thru it the first week I had it. It went back to Remington and they have now had it for 6 weeks. When/if, I get it back, it will be gone.
I do not like being an unpaid test dummy for Remington or anyone else.
I have since bought a Springfield XDs9 (fits my hand better than the Shield, which I had for several months). Over 500 rounds thru the XDs so far and no issues.
I do not like being an unpaid test dummy for Remington or anyone else.
I have since bought a Springfield XDs9 (fits my hand better than the Shield, which I had for several months). Over 500 rounds thru the XDs so far and no issues.
shawn mccarver
SWCA Member
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The R51 has two big issues: (1) it has "issues;" and, (2) it does not look enough like the original.
Given their 1911R1, which is a great pistol, I personally would have preferred this little 9mm to look a little more like the original.
Appearance is a minor issue, I admit. In a world already filled with small 9mm pistols such as the LC9, the Shield, and various others, the look might be a deciding point, assuming reliability is equal.
Unfortunately, the reverse is not true. A handsome pistol will not save an unreliable design.
Given their 1911R1, which is a great pistol, I personally would have preferred this little 9mm to look a little more like the original.
Appearance is a minor issue, I admit. In a world already filled with small 9mm pistols such as the LC9, the Shield, and various others, the look might be a deciding point, assuming reliability is equal.
Unfortunately, the reverse is not true. A handsome pistol will not save an unreliable design.
I'll be the first to admit I'm odd, but I like the looks. I don't like the reports that I've seen, I don't like the feel the slide and trigger action gave me, and I don't like the prospect of having a Rubic's Cube to strip and reassemble when I shoot.
I could probably live with the last, if the first two were fixed.
Unfortunately for Remington, they have a very small window of time within which to fix the issues if they want to save the gun.
If they were smart, they'd send every repaired gun with an additional magazine to compensate for the inconvenience of having to send it in.
I won't hold my breath waiting for any of that.
If I'm going to buy a single stack 9mm, I have other options.
I might even buy a polymer framed one.
I could probably live with the last, if the first two were fixed.
Unfortunately for Remington, they have a very small window of time within which to fix the issues if they want to save the gun.
If they were smart, they'd send every repaired gun with an additional magazine to compensate for the inconvenience of having to send it in.
I won't hold my breath waiting for any of that.
If I'm going to buy a single stack 9mm, I have other options.
I might even buy a polymer framed one.
Silvergoose
Member
JMHO, but many gun companies appear to be in hurry to get the next whiz-bang model on the shelf. Quality suffers, customer satifaction can be handled, if enough problems are reported, by sending out a new gun! Are the companies hoping that the new model will be scooped up by collectors that must have the latest? Many of us buy guns to have them, put them into the safe and will fire them later. Meanwhile the quality of the USA manufactured guns is declineing. Let us face facts guns are expensive and are bought based upon the reputation of the company to put out the best piece of work possble. Many gun manufacturers are enjoying record earnings and stock holders could not care any less about the product as long as the numbers continue to go up.
The point to this is simply: Slow down, wait until the quality and the problems have been worked out. So what, you did not get the lowest serial number, but yours shoots.
The point to this is simply: Slow down, wait until the quality and the problems have been worked out. So what, you did not get the lowest serial number, but yours shoots.
A friend of mine bought one, took it out it the box, looked it over, hand cycled it a few times, showed it to me, boxed it back up and sold it on GB. Said it was the worst piece of junk he had seen in a long time. I would have liked to have shot it. It did look cheaply made. But then I'm spoiled by the quality of my Model 51.
LVSteve
Member
Somebody probably thought it was a smart marketing move to revive the 51 moniker. However, not looking like the original is something that has upset a few folks and then building an unreliable dog just tops it off.
ralph7
Member
Remington didn't do much for the Marlin family, either. 
Electraclyde
Member
Looks aside, the R51 fits my hand better than any other gun I own or have owned. Accuracy was Good (not great) and the trigger was almost as good as a custom 1911. This gun felt like an extension of my hand and the trigger felt like an extension of my finger. These are the ONLY good points about this gun. As stated earlier, when/if I get it back, I will not be keeping it.
mjlabs
Member
I was in the same boat as you, infact I remember talking to you in the Remington forum. R51 is a poor gun and should not have USA stamped on it anywhere, its an embarrassment. I traded mine for a Shield 9. I wasn't gonna let Remington keep my gun for weeks...months on end.
mjlabs
Member
The sad part is Remington WASNT in a hurry to get this gun out. Rem had it at the SHOT show and months later they finally started trickling into big box stores. Some are reporting their LGS hasn't even seen one yet. Meanwhile Glock introduced their new model at SHOT and it was in the LGS the next week. Remington (freedom group) has dropped the ball on so many levels.....
Ashlander
Member
I had $100 bucks down on one in March and then I read about the fiasco it was turning out to be. I ran back to the gun store and used the down payment on something else. Wow, am I glad I didn't buy that turkey. I ended up with a nice used Sig 250 subcompact with a nice double action only trigger (I shoot a lot of revolvers, so the DAO trigger is actually sort of a plus).
