Remington's Newly Released R51 9mm +P Part 2

Sometimes Real Guns feels like a small town newspaper. We write about what we think would be of interest to the neighborhood and we try to do it in a non-incendiary fashion. We don’t read big city newspapers to gather our opinions and we speak in a manner consistent with our neighbors; not demonstrating elevated mastery of the English language, but most of the people we have in mind when we write seem to get the message. We are firearm enthusiasts trying to share a common interest, not English majors looking for work.

Here we sit. On one side, a large manufacturer that has been working diligently for two years to make amends for an errant product launch that disappointed customers. On the other side are legitimate customers looking for insight, seemingly held hostage by relentless, unyielding harbingers of bad news, YouTubers and bloggers who find greater popularity in sensationalism than reality. We felt the best we could do in this situation was to shoot the pistol and report what we found.  

On the days of July 26 and July 27 of the year 2016…

There are approximately 152 active factory ammo types available in 9mm Luger. The six selected are intended to be representative of what is typical for target and self-defense applications. Two magazines filled with UMC 124 grain leadless, flat nose, enclosed base ammo were run through the R51 before settling in for data collection in an effort to see if I could get the pistol to jam, misfeed or otherwise hiccup. It did not.

Left – the target shot with UMC 124 Grain Leadless ammo. I read on the Internet that if there isn’t a picture of a target, it never was shot… which makes me think of those guys at the indoor range who shoot groups with the target reeled out 5 yards from the firing line, or the outdoor range guys who shoot their Internet groups at the 25 yard sight-in bench. So we might add, “…check the target for powder burns”. I did not post the rest of the targets because it was too much work on a busy day and I felt the data presented below was sufficient.

The SAAMI test barrel standard for the 9mm Luger or 9mm Luger +P is 4.0″, the Remington R51 barrel length is 3.4″, the difference being the primary contributor to recorded velocity below factory ammunition ratings. Listed on the table, top to bottom, as they appear above in left to right order. Yes, that does make sense. Read it again.

The Remington Model R51 really is an easy to shoot compact pistol in regard to muzzle jump and recoil. Recovery is faster than with many other compact 9mm pistols, making it easier to get off multiple shots while remaining on target, and there was none of the stinging fingers I get from poly frame pistols. The groups indicated on the table were shot from a two-hand hold, with both pistol and hands well supported, and taking as much time as necessary to get sights on target. I thought the groups were excellent in real world terms, so I will thank Remington and my optometrist.

Both magazines supplied with the R51 were using during range sessions. I marked one so I would know the difference in the event of a mishap, but there were no mishaps. Rounds went from magazine to chamber, fired, empties ejected, and a fresh round chambered as anticipated. Rapid fire, slow fire… it really didn’t matter. The Remington worked reliably with whatever it was fed. Even the trigger pull improved with use from an inconsistent 7 lbs 3 oz to 7 lbs 10 oz, to a consistent 6 lbs 5 oz.

A little follow up…

Keep in mind that the Remington Model R51 is a Pedersen fixed barrel design and not a Browning tilting barrel design or one of the many striker designs. When you rack the slide of the R51 you feel the hammer cocking, the breech block in motion, and the action spring compressing around the barrel. The R51 has its own personality and it requires a bit of practice to become familiar, as would be the case with any new firearm.

Follow up examination as committed to in Part 1 showed the breech block lift ramps (arrows) exhibiting no change in regard to wear. Initial shooting printed a pattern on some of the matte nickel boron surfaces, and perhaps a little excess lube stirred in some carbonized color, but after a decent number of rounds were fired, there was no sign of penetrating wear through surface coatings or material deformation at stressed contact points.

The lower section of the photo is a magnified shot of the breech block’s right ramp. The surface is indicative of materials mating under pressure until they are seated. Again, the surface appearance developed early in use and then remained essentially unchanged after heavy use.

I grumbled a bit in Part 1 about difficulties in disassembly, but by the third time around, disassembly and reassembly were quick and second nature. The sub assembly count is about the same as a 1911, just a bit different in configuration so learning technique was the key.

Not a horse without shoes or saddle…

The R51 is easily concealable and there is already a good selection of gun leather out there for this purpose. Trijicon offers a night sight set for the R51 that is contoured like the originals. Crimson Trace offers a trigger guard mounted laser sight. I’d guess many more accessories will follow.

Joe, please stop… Sure, just give me a sec to wrap up

The Remington Model R51 feels substantial, it is accurate and functions reliably. As Remington states, recoil is soft, muzzle rise is minimal and, from my perspective, precise follow up shots are easier than any other compact 9mm I’ve experienced. The sights are good, the balance is good and the controls are properly positioned and positive in operation. The R51 is a terrific compact 9mm, but don’t take my word for it. Drop by your local dealer and see for yourself.

Remington’s Newly Released R51 9mm +P Part 1
Remington’s Newly Released R51 9mm +P Part 2