Times have changed, firearms have changed and, certainly, ammo has changed. As a result, the subcompact 380 Auto pistol that was once considered last resort has been replaced with highly reliable subcompacts, with considerable power and certain lethality, like the Remington RM380.
The Remington RM380 is supplied with a gun lock and two six round magazines one flush, top picture, and the other with extended floorplate as pictured above. Product specifications:
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Remington RM380 |
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| Manufacturer | Remington |
| Point of Origin | Huntsville, AL |
| Type | Double Action Only |
| Caliber | 380 Auto |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 |
| Barrel | 2.9″ Ramped |
| Rifling | 1:16″ |
| Overall Length | 5.27″ |
| Overall Height | 3.86″ |
| Overall Width | 0.95″ |
| Weight Oz. | 12.2 Oz. (13.8 Actual) |
| Sight Radius | 4.12″ |
| Trigger Pull – Actual | 9 Lbs 2 Oz. |
| Integral Rear Sight | Contoured Groove – Fixed |
| Integral Front Sight | Blade – Fixed |
| Barrel Material | 410 Stainless Steel |
| Slide Material | 416 Stainless Blackened |
| Frame Material | 7075 Aluminum – Anodized |
| Grips | Removable Poly |
| Safety | None |
| MSRP | $436 |
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Ships with gun lock and two six round magazines |
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Spec Box Narrative:
Made in the Remington central manufacturing facility in Huntsville, AL, the first of its type, the RM380 has the benefits of Remington’s most current manufacturing technology, capabilities and expertise.
Remington lists the finish as satin black and displays it as such on the Remington site and in its literature. The image above is true to the subject production gun which is more of an attractive matte black. The removable grips are poly.
The RM380 is nicely done pistol; the aluminum frame is a welcome change from the mostly poly frames that permeate this market segment. The RM380 looks good, the heft feels good and the flat backstrap with beavertail frame fits the hand comfortably and naturally levels the slide when pulling up on a target.
The undercut trigger guard with the extended floorplate is helpful on pistol of this size. Two fingers are supported by the grip without the extended floor plate and nearly three with the extended floor plate in place. The only thing that takes a bit of getting used to with the very compact RM380, and similar size auto’s from all manufacturers, is that a comfortable grip places the trigger finger diagonally across the face of the trigger. Could just be my pudgy hands and after a few shots the arrangement feels comfortable. I found two fingers on the grip and the pinky finger curled under the extended floor plate made for a comfortable and a stable grip.
The RM380 has a 2.9″ barrel in comparison to other Micro Compact class firearms: SIG 238 2.7″, Beretta PICO 2.7″, Kahr Arms CW380 2.58″, Ruger LCP 2.75″, Keltec P3 2.75″, and Colt Mustang 2.75″. This extra barrel length does not come with a proportional increase in overall firearm length.
Remington presents the RM380 as…
The RM380 is a tilt barrel, locked breach, true double action only autoloading pistol. Unlike a striker or preset hammer pistol, the RM380 is capable of firing successive shots with each pull of the trigger and it has double strike capability in the event of a miss behaving primer. When the last cartridge is discharged and the pistol is empty, the slide will remain in the open position.
Opening up the RM380 exposes what one would expect to find; frame, slide, barrel, dual recoil spring, and unlock pin that hold the assembly together and controls the lock/unlock motion of the barrel as the slide cycles. The slide assembly is similar to a 70 Series 1911, with the firing pin retained in the same manner. The RM380 is easy to disassemble and assemble, no tools required.
RM380 third party accessories…
Crimson Trace offers the LG-479 Laserguard® laser sight for the RM380, MSRP $229. The unit is constructed in two halves, slips over the RM380’s trigger guard and clamps tightly in place with two screws. The 1/3N Lithium battery provides 3 hours of power on operation, when triggered with a small button that rests on the RM380’s front strap.
Live fire check out was done using the RM380’s fixed sights as this is the way most customers will receive the pistol. However, we did run through the laser’s function, adjustment and utility. The laser proved to be an effective aiming device and it was easy to power on or off without surrendering a solid grip. Sighting in the laser was easy and adjustments stayed put.
Nicely done pocket holster
Recluse makes a few different pocket holsters for the Remington pistol. The holster above retails for $59.95 and fits the pistol closely without a laser sight in place. Other models accommodate a laser sight and are optimized for various types of concealment.
Crossbreed inside the waistband holster
Another nice leather holster for the Remington RM380 and one that fits the pistol well and is comfortable to wear, Crossbreed’s Minituck with an MSRP of $72.75.
Yeah, I hear you, “How does it shoot?”
Three types of ammunition that represent defensive and recreational target shooting were run through the RM380, shot over a chronograph, shot into gel blocks and shot into targets. I’ll skip the quivering gel videos and dump the results into table form for more meaningful review.
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Ammunition |
Bullet Type |
Bullet Weight Grains |
Rated MV FPS |
Recorded MV FPS |
Gel Block Penetration Inches |
Recovered Diameter Inches |
Recovered Weight Grains |
25 Foot 3 Shot Group “ |
| Remington Golden Saber | JHP | 102 | 940 | 791 | 11 | 0.558 | 101.0 | 1.0 |
| PMC Bronze | FMJ | 90 | 961 | 884 | 20.5 | 0.355 | 89.7 | 1.2 |
| Hornady Critical Defense | FTX | 90 | 1000 | 997 | 10.5 | 0.495 | 90.0 | 1.1 |
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Gel Block Shot at 10 Feet |
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The Remington pistol digested the ammunition noted above without incidence or hesitation. The action cycled fully, feed and eject, and locked open on empty. A few ounces heavier than some of the lighter synthetic frame guns, the RM380 absorbs recoil, making this an easy small pistol to shoot. The sights while fixed are useful, keeping elevation about the same for the three rounds indicated, but shifting the Hornady point of impact approximately 2″ right. With the exception of the FMJ ammo, gel penetration was ideal, particularly for home defense where excessive penetration is not desired.
The dual recoil spring effectively eases initial slide actuation while providing proper slide control. The “lock open on empty” slide stop cuts reload time. The only area that took a little work on my part to gain proficiency was trigger pull. The double action pull is long, something on the order of 1 1/4″, probably to reduce effort required to cock the gun’s hammer and to enhance safety in handling. There is a tiny bit of pretravel and creep, a smooth pull, then a hard breaking nine plus pound release about an eighth inch from the rear of the trigger guard.
The Remington RM380 is an exceptional compact pistol. The choice of materials, fit and finish are of much better quality than typical in firearms of this size and this shows in reliable and accurate live fire performance. It is also good to see useful accessories readily available and firearm inventory in distribution and dealer channels. Combined with the lethality of the 380 Auto ammunition that is available these days, like Remington’s Golden Saber and Ultimate Home Defense, the Remington RM380 is a solid choice for concealed carry.
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