The Remington R51, back in action.
The Remington R51 is back!
This letter is apparently being sent out to the initial buyers of the R51. (Photo: TFB)
Remington has begun to send out notices to the initial purchasers of the 9mm Luger subcompact pistol to inform them that the problems with the gun, which led to its recall not long after it was released at SHOT Show 2014, have been fixed, according to a letter obtained by The Firearm Blog.
“We sincerely thank you for your patience as we finalized the development and testing of the Remington R51 pistol,” states the letter.
“The steps taken within our quality and manufacturing processes have given us the confidence to reintroduce the R51 to the market,” in continues. “We have prioritized our launch to give you the opportunity to receive your replacement firearm prior to a full commercial reintroduction.”
Based on the design of the original 1917 Remington Model 51, the all-metal pistol featuring an aluminum alloy frame, stainless steel barrel and slide was promising to be a standout in a market dominated by polymer pistols. The R51 was said to have a crisp trigger, reliable action and a low bore to reduce felt recoil.
Specs
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Weight: 22 ounces
- Length: 6.6 inches
- Barrel length: 3.4 inches
- Width: 1.0 inches
- Height 4.6 inches
- Capacity: 7+1
The interior of the Pelican.
However, it didn’t take long for complaints about the R51 to roll in. Users cited various issues with the gun, spurring the recall. Remington quickly determined that these “performance problems resulted from complications during our transition from prototype to mass production.”
Well, more than two years after its shaky launch, the R51 is ready for market. Instead of making it widely available immediately, Remington is doing good by those first buyers and offering them the new pistol along with a custom Pelican hard pistol case and two extra magazines.
Additionally, Remington has offered to pay for patient customers’ FFL transfer fees.
If you were one of the initial purchasers of the R51, to get your new gun, call Remington at 800-243-9700 (Monday through Friday, 9a.m. to 5p.m. Eastern Standard Time) with your dealer’s name and phone number. You can also send in your info (your name, contact information, dealer name, and dealer contact information) by fax to 336-548-7801 or email to [email protected] or mail to P.O Box 700, Madison NC 27025.
Our video of the R51 from the 2014 SHOT Show
Before I buy any product, guns or anything else, I want to know the reputation of the company’s customer service. Remington has moved from the bottom of my list of guns I would purchase to OFF my list. It’s obvious with this gun they did not make fixing this a priority. 2 years ? Give me a break.
While I’ve owned a few 380s I’ve never really been a big fan of them. Ijust like the fact they are easy to conceal and pack a bit more punch than the 25 acp I usually carried, again based mostly on size alone. I did buy a smith n Wesson bodyguard not to long ago and except for an extremely heavy trigger pull was not really dissatisfied with it otherwise. It is an ok gun if u like heavy triggers and it’s design means it doesn’t snag on anything I’ve carried it in, however more recently I purchased a Sig Sauer model P238. That I find the safety and take down lever cold be a little slimmer, however I do actually love the little gun. It’s fun to shoot has great factory sights has been very reliable. And to keep this short. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great pocket pistol. Sig Sauer once a hair has proven their commitment to quality . Ps. I am in no way connected or compensated bt Sig. It’s just a great gun. A little pricey. But then u get what y pay for.
At 63 y/o I am a relatively new shooter but I wanted a pistol for self-defense. Due to some physical limitations, I needed a firearm that was easy to rack and less recoil. I settled on the RM380. I am very pleased with it. I have fired about 150 rounds thru it and I qualified for my concealed carry license with it. I am considering trying the R51 and I hope it will allow me to move up to a 9mm.
The Remington R51 new release is just as bad as the first one. I got 300 rounds through mine before it quit firing. It had multiple hang ups, light to no primer strike, shot 6 in. low and 4 in. left out of the box at 25 yds. Sent to repair, solution, “removed primer debris from firing pin housing”! Duh, has anyone looked at the primers of fired rounds? They bulge out like the round was way over pressure, that problem is not going away until the firing pin hole is addressed. After sending it in and a note coming that it would take six weeks the pistol came back in two weeks. That one Remington got right. Shoots to almost point of aim now but the primer issue is still there and now it fails to chamber if you use the slide release on a full magazine. For a real treat try to field strip it for cleaning!! Totally unacceptable as a self defense arm.
I completely agree. I sent mine back almost 2 months ago with all of the same issues. Still waiting for it’s return. We’ll shall see…..
I have own many Remington rifles and shotgun over the last 40 years and have always found them to be of the highest quality and dependability. I like the looks of the R51 pistol and look forward to handling one to determine for myself if it will live up to my expectation. I don’t like plastic guns and being able to shoot a full power 9 mm with any accuracy through small lite gun is questionable. If Remington has worked out the bugs in the re-issued R51 I will be very interested. I’d like to give Remington the benefit of the doubt until it’s proved different. I appricate these forums as they inform me of the opinions of other gun enthusiast .
I had a Rem mod121 Field Master .22 and loved it. I have a Rem mod 700 .243 and love it. I have a Rem mod 7700 .270
and love it. I have a Rem mod R1 1911 and love it. I just bought a Rem mod R51 and I think it might be the end of a long
love affair. We’ll see.
With all of its recent recalls of rifles, shotguns and handguns, Big Green is the new Taurus. For the time being, I won’t consider anything made by Remington, or any of its subsidiaries, and that includes ammunition.
I hope they succeed with this. The comment about putting decent grips on this gun is certainly correct, the grips appear to suck pretty badly. But I hope they get that done on future models, and here is why. The original model was a great pistol, and it ran like a gun should (i.e., fed anything, and it NEVER malfunctioned.) Wish I had that old gun.
The original was not 9mm.
With all of the fine 9mm pistols out there, do we really need another that is uglier, heavier and has a low capacity magazine and a bad reputation? Gun makers would be wise to thoroughly test and engineer the bugs out of their guns before releasing them into the marketplace.
Julie Mac is such an engaging interviewer/presenter. And she’s cute.
Is this going to be a real contender to the Walther PPKS .380 of years gone past? The one with the wavy lines engraved on the top of the slide? Wise me up, people?
I love the originals, wanted one of the new ones, but didn’t get one first go round. I hope they get the bugs out and get this on the market quickly.
A CZ 83 never fails …..ever. A Beretta 84 never fails ….ever. My Kimber mirco failed instantly. The Remington allowed YOU to do their R&D……gonna pass.
In all fairness Remington is atoning for its rush to production of a pistol that wasn’t up to standards. I don’t recall Kimber doing the same for their external extractor fiasco, and I am a serious Kimber shooter/collector. Nor did Thompson Contender correct the error’s of their .22 semi auto rifle that was super accurate but wouldn’t feed. Worked great as a single shot.
Truthfully given time one could fill a page with firearms that didn’t cut the mustard but were released anyway.
The RM 380 has peaked my interest since its introduction and when it hits the market I will probably, pending favorable reviews, buy one.
In the form+function area I only care about function. Many of my Soviet Bloc pistols are not the the most elegantly formed firearms ever made but they function and that’s all I care about.
Remington is trying to make things right which is more than other companies has done in the past. A company should be judged by its actions, not its inactions.
Everyone screws up. How you handle yourself during and after your screw ups defines your character. Remington held themselves accountable, and are bending over backwards to make things right. I’ll let it hit the market again and maybe this will be my next 9mm. ( If the People’s Republik of California allows it in )
The original had better lines, this one is ugly. The short trigger looks like it might bite. I’m a function first, form second guy more than most but this gun will have to function great and be very accurate to overcome its form.
For heaven’s sake, the original model 51 was chambered for .32 ACP and .380. The R51 is chambered for 9mm Parabellum. You can’t make that jump without adding some beef, or the damn thing would disassemble on the first shot. Or it can shoot like a Detonics Pocket 9. Ever tried that? The only pistol I’ve ever shot where I was glad that the magazine capacity was only 6 rounds, because I needed a break from the brutal recoil!
Got the email…waiting to actually receive the goods…
hope the laser I bought for the original fits this one
maybe we will see some accessories now…grip panels, etc
Can’t wait to buy one. Perfect for carry in Florida if you don’t like plastic.
My dad bought a rm380 and it is soooo disappointing. It had the longest trigger I have ever seen. It literally feels like you have to yank the trigger back in order to fire the gun. If the trigger was shorter it might actually be half way descent. I like my ruger lcp380 way better. For a pocket pistol that is.
Try firing the RM380 the same way you fired a cap pistol as a kid. Pull the trigger, don’t squeeze. It will feel much different if if you increase the speed of your trigger pull. The long pull is the default safety. The recoil and ease of racking are better on the RM380 than any other 380 pocket pistol.
With all of the quality guns out there, something with Remington stamped on it would be last on my list. A once proud company has been ripped apart by corporate raiders, and I choose not to participate.
If I was going to add a 9MM to my collection this would be at the bottom of the list and I like Remington products but I will pass on this!
Wow!
Heavy pistol with lower capacity is supposed to be a big hit?
And they reward me with 2 extra magazines (does this mean I get 4 magazines???)
– or do I get 2 magazines like every other gun.
This will be parked next to my Pico in the safe or a gift to my ex-wife.
I’ll be safer that way.
does that mean you have had problems with Pico I have one and would like to know what to watch out for
Actually you wind up with 6 mags . 2 with the new pistol, 2 more that Remington adds, and the 2 from the original which they asked you not to send back. The Pelican case is extremely nice. Any way at least Remington is trying to make it right. If the pistol shoots as good and as smoothly as it feels out of the box this time, it might be a winner.
I would not buy one until maybe next year after they get the beta testing done. Hard to regain trust. I like the look of the pistol.
It looks cheaply made and lacks class. How much more would it have cost to put a decent set of grips on that pistol? This is a prime example of why Remington has always been toward the back of the gun manufacturers pack for the last 70 years. Other than the 870, they keep striking out because they fail to provide the average gun buyer with anything that even attempts to come close to exceptional. This pistol is just one more piece of also-ran junk from Remington.