Rem model 51 back in production

[starnbar]

Has anybody seen the new model or shot one yet?

[376Steyr]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...s-r-51-pistol/

FWIW. Article says they'll be shipping 1st of February. A 20 oz. 9mm Luger compact sounds good to me. I think I'll get in line.

[Jupiter7]

Saw on 1911 forum yesterday. I may be a buyer...
Jeff Quinn at gunblast.com has a write-up on his site also.

[Marvin S]

For a new one it looks pretty good to me. The price is also very reasonable.

[lancem]

Not that I need one but I sure would like to touch one for a while, I like it's looks.

[FergusonTO35]

They look pretty sweet, I hope the quality matches. Glad to see R-P is getting back into pistols.

[JHeath]

Wow. I never thought I'd live to see the return of the Model 51. Just . . . wow.

I paid almost the same money for a 92 year old Rem 51 .380 last year. The old .380 is a quarter-inch thinner. Otherwise the dimensions are the same. The original was an outstanding pistol, but hot loads might crack the breech block, for which nor replacements exist.

A Model 51 I can shoot all day in 9mm+P? MINE.

With the Pedersen action, and all-metal? MINE.

Anybody else here a booming sound over the horizon? Could it be a revived Model 53, the Remington .45 acp that the Navy/Marines ordered, but did not receive because of the First World War?

[Fishman]

Very interesting. With a street price under $350 it looks good. The mode of operation as described is strange. It extracts slightly as a blowback action, then locks until the pressure disappates. I wonder if that might affect the brass in some way.

[SethD]

I like the lines of this gun. With this price point especially, if Remington can make it reliable I think they will have a major winner. It looks like it would be very ergonomic and a natural pointer in the hand. Very few modern carry pistols have that trait. A lot of the competitors pistols have all the natural pointing ability of a brick.

[JHeath]

I like the lines of this gun. With this price point especially, if Remington can make it reliable I think they will have a major winner. It looks like it would be very ergonomic and a natural pointer in the hand. Very few modern carry pistols have that trait. A lot of the competitors pistols have all the natural pointing ability of a brick.

The old Model 51 is still famous as a natural pointer. The ergonomics of the new R51 appear similar. Also -- very important -- the R51 has the barrel passing through the recoil spring. I.e. the spring does not require a separate channel below the barrel. This lowers the bore axis very close to the top of the hand. Reduces muzzle flip to a minimum, and aids pointing.

There's video of the R51 being fired and it looks really controllable:
http://www.gunblast.com/Remington-R51.htm

[bedbugbilly]

If the quality is there, I think this is going to be a real "winner". I like the looks and the features of it - I think it has great promise. I like it enough it's moved up to the top of my "want" list.

[LouisianaMan]

I've pre-ordered one with my LGS, which is something I've never done before Initial reports are highly favorable, and I love the original Remington 51 so much, that it's worth it to me to compare the two, if nothing else.

And full disclosure, I wrote Remington a year or two ago and asked them to consider reintroducing the gun with some modern re-engineering, and promised I'd buy at least one if they did. I wrote that just because I admire the original gun so highly, and never dreamed that they were already working on it!

Actually, I fully expect it will become my primary carry gun, and will be surprised if that doesn't come to pass. The original version conceals easily, points more naturally than any other automatic I know, and shoots faster and softer than any plain blowback .32 or .380 I've ever tried. The ergonomics keep the muzzle low, rather than flipping up with each shot, so I think I empty the mag quicker than anything else I've tried, perhaps excluding Ruger .22's that weigh 2 pounds.

I reload for my original in caliber .380, and experience no problems with it damaging brass in any way.

Best I can tell from the initial review I've read, the modern R-51 fixes the problems that the original design had: awkward manual safety, somewhat fragile breechblock, no slide lockback on empty mag (although you could lock it back using the manual safety). I've long felt that it's far easier to strip & reassemble than Internet lore generally indicates; nonetheless, the new gun has an easy takedown like we've become used to in recent years.

[mpbarry1]

I want to try one! I had always hoped that Sig would build a nine on the P232 frame, but that is strictly a blowback system so it might not be possible. I want to try one out at any rate!

[JHeath]

I want to try one! I had always hoped that Sig would build a nine on the P232 frame, but that is strictly a blowback system so it might not be possible. I want to try one out at any rate!

Thus the advantage of the Pedersen system in the Model 51/R51. A blowback 9mm+P would need a super-heavy slide.

A swinging-link 9mm could not have the recoil spring surrounding the barrel (I think) because the barrel would tilt. The tilt-barrels all have the barrels raised high enough to position the recoil spring below in a separate channel.

The original 51 had a lower barrel axis and a lighter slide than blowback pistols. The drawback was expense of manufacture. Looks like CNC and MIM made it possible for Remington to revive the Pedersen design at an astounding price-point.

The R51's form and size is very close to the old 51 on the table next to my computer, but the new one is a 9mm+P! The styling details look like a Nike shoe to a conservative like me, but so what? It's a new 51, Pedersen action, all-metal, and looks like a terrific bargain.

The old one looked like a ray-gun in its day, too.

[220swiftfn]

Wow. I never thought I'd live to see the return of the Model 51. Just . . . wow.

I paid almost the same money for a 92 year old Rem 51 .380 last year. The old .380 is a quarter-inch thinner. Otherwise the dimensions are the same. The original was an outstanding pistol, but hot loads might crack the breech block, for which nor replacements exist.

A Model 51 I can shoot all day in 9mm+P? MINE.

With the Pedersen action, and all-metal? MINE.

Anybody else here a booming sound over the horizon? Could it be a revived Model 53, the Remington .45 acp that the Navy/Marines ordered, but did not receive because of the First World War?

I saw the thread title and thought they were talking about the original 51 as well......



Dan

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Not a 9mm fan, but if it is coming out in 40 S&W with good sights, I am real interested.
CF

[Petrol & Powder]

It's got real potential. Simple, slim, snag-proof lines, +P rated, intuitive operation, good price. If it shoots well and proves to be durable - Remington may have a winner.
In the words of the Zen Buddha Master, "We'll See"

[JHeath]

I saw the thread title and thought they were talking about the original 51 as well......



Dan

It's not an exact clone, but surprisingly close. It is a Pedersen action, the dimensions and shape are nearly the same, single action, internal hammer, etc. Appears to be a genuine improvement over a classic -- which is a rare achievment. And I misspoke before, the new one is only around 1/8" thicker than the old one, impressive considering the old one was a .380 and the new one is 9mm+P and .40

The styling cues are different, but that's just cosmetic.

[LouisianaMan]

Sights look like Remington's attempt to mollify Modern School shooters (remember when that was a modern term?) and not hurt the feelings of old-school, one-handed point shooters too badly. The original gun was, naturally, intended for the self-defense needs of people who assumed that pistols were one-hand guns used at close range. Thus, the gun was built & advertised as the "self-aiming" gun, and its natural pointability was intended to be the usual aiming system, not its vestigial sights.

I hope the modern sights don't reduce the smooth original lines & concealability, although I expect Remington has busted their collective tail to avoid offending either modern shooters or us traditionalist throwbacks.

Maybe the R-51 shoots like a sniper rifle, but I hope it's judged by its point-and-shoot capabilities. . .and I hope it'll point-and-shoot like the original!

[Love Life]

I'm very interested. Especially since the people shooting it in the pictures were wearing 5.11 tactical pants...

I'll let them hit the streets for a bit before I buy, but one of these is on the list for this year. Now if only Colt would bring back the Vest Pocket Auto...