The Good, The Bad, The Remington R51

So I am sure by now many of you have seen the multitude of posts that have been floating around the web about the Remington R5, it almost seems like every one of the guns that was sent out had some sort of issue. Sadly for a gun that had so much hype both by Remington and the gun community it is sad to see just how poorly the adaptation of the R51 has done in 9mm.



In this post I wanted to write down some of my thoughts on the gun, while this is not a glowing review it is also not a "You should never buy a Remington R51" post, so please stick with me to the end to understand exactly what I mean by that.

I personally had been looking forward to getting my hands on one of these after seeing the display models they had at SHOT Show. The ergonomics and the way that the gun fit in my hand made it interesting to me. While it may look like some weird futuristic ray gun you would see in a sic-fi movie it does have a comfortable feel to it.

The review pistol that I received showed up to my FFL back in March and I was looking forward to picking it up despite the fact that a few other people had received some that were less than acceptable. When I opened up the box and picked the gun up I noticed that it felt a bit rough, albeit a little unrefined, nothing like the copies I had seen at SHOT.  When I first racked the slide back I cringed a bit at how gritty and rough the slide felt, but I blamed part of that on factory lubrication (or lack there of) and was wondering how much that would change once I had it stripped down and properly lubricated.  One of the other things that I noticed was how spongy the trigger pull was, and how the reset literally required me to move my finger all the way forward before it was ready for the next shot.

When I got the pistol home I took the directions out of the box (yes I use directions) to figure out how to take the gun down since I had never taken one down before and it does require a unique technique. The first thing I noticed was how hard the slide release pin was to get out, and when I say hard I mean I had to actually take a punch to it. Once the pin was out I started the hop on one foot, rolling my eyes, while sticking my tongue out, and pulling the barrel while keeping the slide pulled back take down process (it's really not that hard after you figure it out, but seriously?).  I broke the gun down as far as I figured it needed to go and stripped off all of the factory lubrication and applied FIREClean to everything. Once I had the gun put back together I tried racking the slide again, while it was not as gritty as it had been at the shop it was still very rough; almost like it was catching or rubbing on something it shouldn't be.

After messing with the gun a bit more I was comfortable enough to take it out to the range and give it a go, I loaded up the 2 magazines that come with it (115gr FMJ) and fired my first few shots out of it. To say it was a comfortable first few shots would be lying to you, the amount of snap that this little 9mm had was unbelievable, add on top that there was an issue with what felt like slide bite I was completely caught off guard by how uncomfortable it was to shoot. I ran quite a few more mags worth of ammo through the gun, including some hollow point rounds (which fed just fine), but I just couldn't understand why I felt like I was getting slide bite from the gun.

When I got back from the range and watched some of the video I had taken while shooting I noticed that at no time was my hand close enough to be hit by the slide, so that left the question as to what was causing the bite. After taking a little more time to figure out what the biting was caused by I noticed that the back "safety" was actually the cause of the pinch. Instead of being smooth the edges are on the rough side, it also moves back and forth quite a bit while firing; and since there are gaps along the sides and the top to allow for it to function the meat of your hand is pinched by it leaving you with the feeling of slide bite. This is something I would like to see fixed if they bring out a second generation of the R51, along with other modifications that need to be made.

I didn't clean the gun up between the first and second trip out to the range because I wanted to see how the gun would handle not being cleaned between trips and using dirty ammo. I used Tulammo during the second range trip because I know that it is typically some of the dirtiest ammo I can get my hands on. After running around 300 rounds of ammo (100 Tula, 175 federal, 25 HP) it was still functioning but was becoming harder to rack the slide and have it go into battery from slide lock. It was also becoming harder to rack the slide from the closed position. Again it was as if the slide was dragging across something in the process and making it very difficult to move.

Before taking it out for the last range trip and final video I took the gun apart again to look and see if I could figure out what the issue was with the slide being so hard to rack. What I found was the part that goes over the barrel and holds the spring in place had some deep scratches in it from the slide moving over it.

After giving it a closer look it seems like this is where the biggest issue was at as far as slide function went. It is almost as if the tolerances aren't right and the two parts are working against each other and creating friction rather than just allowing proper function. This is something that needs to be fixed, even if it requires going back to the drawing board for Remington.

Is this a design that Remington can salvage and make something much better in a second generation? Yes I believe it is, I think if they fix the slide grinding issue, safety biting issue, and the loose sights issue (not something I had a problem with but have seen others have this problem), they could have a somewhat solid seller. Sure the trigger is not that great but there are innovative people out there who would take advantage of the poor trigger and make something better.

Is the R51 something I would suggest right now? No, the issues I had with my review copy were enough to push me away from the first generation release. With that being said if those issues were fixed and they figured out a way to tame down the amount of flip from recoil I would be more than willing to get my hands on another one and run some rounds down range with it.

This is a gun I will be keeping an eye on as Remington works to make it better (let's hope that they continue to work and listen to the consumer), it still has a look that I have grown to like and it was comfortable in my hand (when I wasn't shooting it). I personally never like to see a product fail because a company decided to rush it out, and then not make improvements when it is shown that the rushed out version has many flaws; so I hope that this design will be turned around and improved instead of failing all together.

Remington R-51 Post Range Initial Thoughts

I am sure many of you saw the video I posted with my concerns with the Remington R-51 that was sent to me for review, since that video I have been able to get the gun out to the range and wanted to write down some thoughts.

The fit of the gun in your hand is actually pretty decent, but there were a few issues that I had with it. The first few shots I made with it I felt like I was getting slide bite, but I checked my hand placement and there was plenty off room for the side to function and not catch the meat of my hand. After a few more rounds I realized what it was that kept biting my hand, it wasn't the slide. Instead it was the palm swell safety (grip safety) that was pinching my hand after every shot. Being that the small gun is so snappy in 9mm it causes your hand to move a bit and get pinched when the safety is depressed again. No matter what I tried I couldn't figure out a way to change my grip to alleviate this problem, which made it very unpleasant to shoot without gloves on.

Like I said above the gun is unbelievably snappy, there are other sub compact 9mm's that I have shot that had some snap to them but not like this one. Despite being snappy it was easy to keep on target, and the sights were very easy to use. The magazines both dropped freely from the gun, and it achieved slide lock every time a mag was empty. The trigger isn't terrible, but the reset isn't tactile, meaning you can't feel or hear it and you really have to take your finger completely off the trigger for it to reset. The trigger pull is smooth and consistent.

Another issue that I had was the slide became very stiff and hard to rack after achieving slide lock and inserting another mag. It wasn't impossible to do it, but it did require a little extra effort. What I found weird was this began after 6 mags (under 50 rounds) had been run through the gun, but it felt and looked like there was a thousand rounds worth of grime inside the gun. The gun continued to run for the rest of the time I shot it, which ended up being around 100 rounds total. There was only one malfunction and that was a failure to load, but I am unsure wether it was the shooter's grip or the gun since there weren't any other issues like it.

If you look close at the barrel and sleeve above you can see the scratches in them, they are pretty deep too. I noticed these when I was taking the gun apart to give it a cleaning since it apparently runs very dirty compared to some of my other guns. I am not sure if this is due to poor machining, poor fitment, or if this is just normal "wear" on the parts, but it is something I am surprised to see after only 100 rounds. 

The sleeve has scratches like this all the way around it, and if you look at the picture of the barrel below you can tell where the sleeve and spring had been jumping around on it. Granted there is a lot of force and stress on guns, but when they are machined and fitted properly they don't show hard wear as fast as I am seeing with this gun.

I plan on running the gun out to the range one more time before sending it back to Remington, but at this point I can't recommend this gun to someone. There are just too many smaller issues that will more than likely become bigger issues down the road. While I really wanted to like this gun, I am not a fan of how snappy it is with recoil or the fact that the grip safety pinches my hand after each shot. If Remington fixes the issues and improves the gun I will be all for getting my hands on the next generation and giving it a go, if they fix the issues.

Make sure to check back for the range video soon, I will make sure to go give a visual of the issues I have talked about in this post on the video. 

Glock 42: The Gun We Hate To Love

As I sit down and write this, I look at my .380 resting inside it's holster, and can’t help but laugh at how everything comes full circle.

My first 'carry' gun was a Bersa .380 that was given to me by my father. I'm sure he chose it due to the fact he had just returned home from overseas, and the gun was in wide use by foreign troops he was with. It even had some gaudy gold overlay from the manufacture, meaning a female MUST obviously like it for the bling factor. Each morning as I strapped it on, I felt as though I was part of some horrible 70's movie that included gold chains and leisure suits! I couldn't get it out of my hands quick enough.

Looking for guidance in what to carry, I turned to my younger brother, a former NOLA police officer for help. My brother had an extra Glock 17 in his safe, so I started using that as my CCW. Although fairly larger than the .380, this 9mm felt amazing in my hand. I decided to jump on board. I started shooting with it regularly, and did my first actual training class with this gun because it was with me 24/7. I quickly fell in love with it’s reliability, minimal recoil, and always forgiving genetics. The only flaw, was that the Glock 17 is a BIG gun, and I’m a SMALL girl, so concealing this gun was no easy task. Again, I turned to some folks with much more experience than me on what I should be carrying. Smith & Wesson Body Guard, Ruger LC9, Kahr PM9, Glock 27, M&P Shield, Kel-Tec, LCP, Beretta Nano, Springfield XDs, 9mm, .380, .40, .45…it seemed like the options were endless. I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with WAY more options than just hot or cold porridge and a soft or lumpy bed. The guns were either too big, too small, too blocky, too heavy, too much recoil, or too ugly…then finally I found a Glock 19. It was PERFECT! Smaller than a Glock 17, fit my hand better, same ergonomics, and seemed much easier to conceal on my person. THIS was the gun I'd have next to me until the day I died. Case closed.

I loved my Glock 19, it was easy to shoot, a popular caliber, lots of upgrades available, but it still ended up being cumbersome to carry. I found myself carrying it in my purse more often than not, which I knew isn’t the best place to carry, but my other options were slim. I felt like I was back at square one, and needed to start this process all over again.

Fast forward to December 2013, Glock announced a new model that would be revealed in the coming weeks at SHOT Show. Surely it would be a single stack 9mm since that is what the public had wanted for some time! To everyone's dismay, it was a .380! The Glock 42, what a disappointment! I hated it. Why would Glock make a puny .380? No one wanted another sub caliber, mouse gun. The internet hated it, and so did I. Stupid, insufficient .380’s! Now to continue the search, because I didn’t want another, weak .380 pistol.

Well, it’s rare for me to admit when I’m wrong, but this was one of those times. I got the chance to handle the Glock 42 while visiting Thunderbird Tactical in Wichita, Kansas. They were one of the first places to get one, and I LOVED it. It FIT my hand, and FELT perfect, two of the most important factors when choosing a defensive firearm. I was still on the fence though, because after all, despite how amazing it felt in my hand, it was STILL a .380! I started to do more research on the caliber, looked at charts, and graphs about ballistics, read articles people had written, and stumbled across one by Grant Cunningham on the Personal Defense Network’s website. The article entitled “Why does a .380 beat a 9mm?” (http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/380-beat-9mm/)  totally turned everything else I had read by internet commandos on it’s head. Knowing who Grant is, and the time, effort, and energy he puts into his research, I trusted what he had to say, because it ACTUALLY made sense, and had FACTUAL information as opposed to unrequited bias. That did it for me. I went out and got a Glock 42, the most maligned gun on the internet!

The Glock 42 is probably one of my favorite firearm purchases thus far. It’s small enough to finally, comfortably, conceal and carry, but not so small where it doesn’t fit my hand. It has the ergonomics of its larger counterparts, making it feel just right in my hand. I’d stayed away from other .380 guns because they were VERY jumpy while shooting. I’m not recoil sensitive, but being able to get fast, accurate follow up shots is something that’s necessary for a defensive pistol. The 42 doesn’t have the recoil issues as other guns in its class. The gun handles recoil amazingly well for it’s size, and is more accurate than I expected from such a short barrel. It comes with the usual reliability of a Glock, eating all types of ammo I’ve thrown at it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this little gun. So here I am now, back with the caliber I so vehemently despised, but in a much more efficient package, and with a greater understanding of it’s capabilities. 

The Biggest Lie You Will Tell Yourself

Every time I've seen someone (mainly a female) in the news that was attacked or taken advantage of, my initial response was..."I’d like to see so and so try that with me! That would NEVER happen to me! What an idiot!" I think a lot of us say something similar. It's human nature to think personally, we are equipped to handle a life or death situation with cat like reflexes and the grace of ballerina. Fact: YOU will probably never be fully prepared for an attack.

Let's go back in time 5 years. I was sitting in a CCW class. I thought I knew everything. I scored a 100% on my written exam and even made a perfectly tight grouping on the live fire test, with my shiny new Kimber Custom Shop firearm. I, of course, bought the $88 holster my instructor recommended, and away I went, with the certificate in tow. I was unstoppable. In my head, I was ready for anything. I pitied whoever would try to break into my home, or attempt to harm my kids or myself.

Three years later, and I had no training under my belt, other than some hours spent at the range, reinforcing bad habits. At the urging of my brothers, I decided to look into a defensive firearms course. After researching instructors for several months, I took the plunge and enrolled. I watched countless hours of videos, and read the syllabus. I will admit, I was reluctant to follow through. I finally hyped myself up enough to promise that I would finish the course, regardless how stupid I felt or how much I may embarrass myself. I felt like I owed that much to my 2 small kiddos. 

The 2 day course I took honestly changed my perspective on self-defense. What in the beginning was a humble and emotional roller coaster, turned into the biggest dose of self-confidence I've ever experienced. I was far from perfect while participating in the drills, but it showed me what I needed to work on. It challenged me to think outside the box (or indoor range), that I had mastered 3 years previously. Looking back on the experience it taught me that training and education is an ongoing process. Things and people change, so you constantly need to adapt. You will never be fully prepared for an attack, but you should be trained on things like what to look for, how to use different tools for self-defense, first aid, and most of all, be honest with yourself in everything you do. It’s easy to practice things you’re good at, because no one ever wants to fail. Sometimes, failing at something shows us our true weakness. By exposing our flaws, we learn opportunities on how to improve ourselves to be better than we thought we were.

If you do one thing for yourself or family in 2014, I would urge you to take a self-defense course from a reputable instructor. If you carry a firearm, or keep one in your home, then make sure you take a defensive firearms training class. Too many people read a magazine, or watch a YouTube video and consider themselves “prepared”. Take pride and ego out of the equation and realize that you are not perfect. Don’t be afraid to be “that guy/girl” in a class, everyone must start somewhere. Ask questions, do some research and take an active role in your future. You owe it to yourself, and your loved ones.

:: CFS Class ::
:: Kilgore, Texas ::
{ May 2013 }