Remington R51 Gen 2 Revisit : Is it fixed?

[@MikeinVirginia1]

I've had one of the Gen2's for a couple of years and never had a malfunction. So whatever Remington did to fix it worked for me!

[@thebigeasy8609]

sootch00 I for one am glad that you revisited the R51. I bought one right after the Gen2 came out. I must have gotten lucky because I had basically no issues with mine and the one issue I had was a FTF. I noticed the mag problem and took a pair of needle nose pliers and just barely bent that same area you showed and have not had another issue. I carry mine everyday and I wouldn't if it didn't work. Being from New York I have a soft spot for Remington so I'm grateful for your video on this subject. Thanks

[@richwilcox9564]

Jeff Shawver , Same story here. Ditto

[@thebigeasy8609]

@@richwilcox9564, Nice to hear bro. Mine shoots like a dream. Stay safe

[@sootch00]

Thanks Jeff, I'm glad to hear yours is doing well. Bending the magazine seemed to be the best solution but I was concerned it would cause a different set of problems. Now that you've had good results, I'll try it on the mags from the second pistol. I appreciate the comment!

[@davids5956]

Agree. You have to shoot one to understand why we like it so much.

[@thebigeasy8609]

@@davids5956 Yeah they do. It is the best feeling pistol in my hand.

[@jeffwilson1217]

Sootch00, so glad you revisited this sweet shooter. I bought mine December 2017. I pre-broke it in, before ever taking it to the range by racking the slide a lot, while watching TV. I kept the magazines fully loaded, as they were really tight. Assembled, reassembled quite a bit, racked it a lot! Got to where I can do it with my eyes closed. Anyway, when I finally took it to the range, I was pleasantly surprised at just how soft a shooter is. Have had zero malfunctions, in 500 rounds. It is my EDC. Carries really nice. I'm glad that it's a winner,I with a Remington name. Also, have a rm380, and a rp45. Both of those are also good runners. I appreciate how unbiased, and honest you are with all of your reviews. There sure is a lot of hate with this r51, but like you said, mostly by people who don't have one, and are, perhaps intimidated by the field strip.

[@shaneobrien9658]

I work in a gun shop and have two R-51's I use for every day carry. This video is spot on. If you have any problems feeding, simply bend the front lip of the mag forward a bit with a needle nose pliers. End of problem. There is a great R-51 group on face book. It contains sources for after market grips.

[@Thebeachjam]

I really like shooting my R51 it seems to be pretty accurate and feet swell now that I had the bolt fitted one thing I noticed is that the slide on the frame seems to be scoring and has a few small couches on it hopefully that will stop due to it being broken in what are your thoughts on that..

[@tonyincs]

Thank you, Son of Brien. Just ordered mine from Bud's. Look forward to my range time!!

[@johnlarsen7068]

What is the name of that facebook group? I'm considering getting one of these.

[@RedEyePergo]

You work in a gunshop and choose to carry this ? Over a CZ, 1911, Glock Walther M&P excetra ? That blows my mind man

[@JacksonWalter735]

Nice. I got one at a pawn shop back in 2018 for $90. While it has had a few feeding issues, they're pretty rare with the solution you gave. I have zero qualms with the second gen R51 at that price.

[@delvecca1984]

I have a Gen2 and LOVE IT. It shoots flat, great trigger, SOLID feeling gun, and honestly is the best concealed carry gun I’ve used for it’s size. Super slim and easily concealable.

[@2knives]

@sootch00 I have a R51 Gen 2. Initially it was riddled with problems. Sent it in for repair. Came back and I noticed that the breech block lip was literally filed lower, towards the breech face, so that the bullet itself is not to jam or aggressively rub on it while trying to go into battery, allowing the bullet to properly ramp into the barrel. Wish I could show you instead of spelling it out, but it made a HUGE difference in racking and loading bullets. Also, the stupid magazine lip that is slightly bent inwards to help retain the follower absolutely causes nosedives. I bent my little tab back flush with the wall like every other magazine produced and that cured the remaining jams I was experiencing. The follower is still held in place by the bullet retaining lips once all rounds are exhausted. Now...I carry it. I trust it. It's a very accurate and reliable pistol. If you want pics or a quick vid of the exact work Remington performed, hit me up. Thanks for your hard work ethic.

[@2knives]

Oh, one more thing. The magazine lips on top that hold the bullet from ejecting out are not parallel to one another. My Ruger, Glock, Sig, and FN mag lips are all parallel to one another. Not so on R51 mags. Once I straightened out the magazine bullet retaining lips so they sit parallel, the bullets strip out SO MUCH EASIER. Like I said before, it was riddled with issues. But all issues have been addressed both by my diagnosis (mag issues) and Remington's (filing of the breech block it self) and it now works great. And one last thing. Properly lubing the contact sliding parts including the breech block small ramp on the slide also helped.

[@timothyolson6350]

I have a Gen 2 I bought on Gallery of Guns a couple years ago. I have not had an issue with it. My co worker just picked one up for $199. He took to range and put 250 rounds through it out of the box with no issues. I have Crimson Trace laser on it as well. It is a small gun but fits my large hand. It is good to see this review.

[@timothyolson6350]

I bought it a couple years ago and I am not sure exactly but I am thinking around $300.

[@sootch00]

Thanks for the comment Timothy! Good to hear you've had success.

[@jllucci]

This gun was killed by a handful of mass published reviews that didn't go well and a lot of heard-it-at-a-gunshow.

[@ASMR-soothingsounds]

I like the looks of the R51, very hesitant to buy one though. Thanks for the update video Sootch.

[@thomashinkle4633]

I had a Gen 2 and never had a issue with reliability. The first time I tore it down to clean, I ended up on the phone with a Remington rep trying to get it back together. He told me he has one himself, and he won't ever disassemble it again. Just open it up, spray Gun Scrubber in it, clean the barrel, then lube it. That was his recommendation! I really liked it, but would rather have something that's easy to maintain.

[@shaneobrien9658]

The R-51 has become my everyday carry. It is light, accurate and dependable. That's right, dependable.

[@Thebeachjam]

I just picked one up and I like it I seem to be able to shoot really accurate with it more than my other hand guns but one thing is when I put 7 rounds in the magazine his struggles to feed due to Spring tension if I only load 6 everything is as smooth as can be

[@Quality_Guru]

Robbie is a monster shooting that pistol. Did Remington make this pistol especially for him? Anyone can shoot a 1000+ dollar pistol, but Robbie is proving that it’s more about the shooter than the pistol.

[@havoc_64]

I've got one and after 300 rounds it's a dream.

[@johnsilver7150]

My series 70 colt magazines had a simple flat metal follower with somewhat of a tip on the end. I was shooting IPSC at the time and shooting semi wadcutters. I would take needle nose pliers and bend that tip to remedy any feeding probs I had. My colt would feed empty brass. Never ever had a failure.

[@kurtlayman1481]

Two years, several thousand rounds, four mags. 4 or 5 failures in first 150 rounds. None since. Many cuss words disassembly. It fits me. Great trigger. Of my 15 handguns, it has become my #1 concealed carry.

[@ruuzulu8814]

I find it somewhat sad Remington can’t even design a reliable magazine anymore. Such a fall from grace

[@tray22]

The rem 597 22 rifle shot great but was nicknamed the jamomatic because the mag would jam up. I ended up selling a nice rifle because they couldn't get the mag to work.

[@jhensley71]

@@tray22 - yep mine too, traded it for a ruger 10-22

[@Hickeroar]

A gun company that’s been around from like...the dawn of mankind, can’t make a reliable firearm. How does this even happen? Scotch seemed awfully forgiving of the issues with this one. I think it’s unconscionable. That takedown lever reinstall was a major turn off too. If you can easily put the gun back together after cleaning in a state that makes it “broken,” you’re doing something wrong. There’s virtually no reason to buy this gun over the Ruger LC9s...

[@LazyGrayF0x]

Tom Muse new mags fixed the problem. It is a good rifle now.

[@easyfiveOsink]

The best thing would be for Remington to get bought out of the Freedom Group and re-establish itself.

[@bdm1000]

Remington needs to contract Mec-Gar to make their magazines.

[@nochitlins]

Hell, at this point, they could probably improve quality by contracting to buy pistols that Jimenez Arms is too embarrassed to sell to the public.

[@rockysdad5949]

They are good enough for kel tec!

[@jllucci]

Some where I read Mec-Gar is their sub contractor and they screwed the pooch on Remington's dime

[@MoreAmerican]

The two-toned one looks pretty slick

[@bellinghambaseball2]

Agreed, but 7 rnds though? 1.5 stack to 10...

[@MoreAmerican]

Michael Richardson I’m just remarking on second kind of cool, not function in role. It’s like if I said, “she’s a looker,” and you replied, “I doubt she’d make a good mom.” Lol

[@bellinghambaseball2]

@@MoreAmerican I'm just snarky

[@MoreAmerican]

Michael Richardson Haha, it’s the internet! We all are 😇

[@jllucci]

@@bellinghambaseball2 : How many rounds do you realistically need to solve "a problem?" I'd like to think I need none, but can solve the problem with one with six in reserve. If I need 10 rounds then I better brush up on my marksmanship..

[@Bigdaddylobo1]

I have a gen 2, R51. It came with two mags, they had a third in the store which I bought. Turned out the third was problematic, so I retired it. The bigger problem is reassembly after cleaning. I’ve done it a couple of times and I’m getting better, but it just seems harder than it has to be. I also have a Rock Island 1911 and Beretta Px4 Storm Compact and when it comes to shooting the R51 I rarely shoot it anymore because it’s such a PITA to clean.

[@GBGuns]

I bought a gen 2 for review a while back. The gun ran decently, but wouldn't function full mag +1. Once again that would be a magazine issue, but otherwise an interesting gun to shoot.

Seriously tempted here.

[@louannwatt4447]

I have had glock,Springfield and now a R51.I would not trade it for one of the other two. I consider it a keeper.

[@zeke688]

were's it made???

[@bucksshots3109]

Picked one up today for $160 brand new!

[@mick_1976]

That's a crazy good deal. I think its a $400 gun at least. I paid $279 for mine a couple of years ago.

[@borisbush4894]

I picked up one and it’s been flawless. It’s very accurate and is soft shooting.

[@davids5956]

Nice video. I really like how the R51 shoots. It is different than anything else out there and feels far less top heavy than others. Very low bore axis, fixed barrel, soft recoil, and single action hammer firing system make it easy to shoot accurately and with very little muzzle flip it’s quick to bring the sights back on target. Mine is reliable and have well over 1,000 rounds through it. I have no issues with the R51 as a carry pistol.

[@wdwd11tr]

I love my R51. I bpaid next to nothing for it, bought a handful of extra mags, shot 500 + rounds the first day. The first time I shot it I didn't pull the slide back far enough and it misfed. I thought , "Oh, lord, what did I just buy?" But then I realised that I wasn't pulling the slide all the way back (it does feel a liitle different at first). After that, it worked perfectly with 5 different ammo types including a couple different reloads with hollow-points. I think it's time for people to quit bitching about Remington and acknowledge that they picked up the ball after they dropped it on this one.

[@gunfisher4661]

Got to sling shot the slide as they say because of the rubber bushing being used in place of a spring for the extractor. Had small problem ejecting mags but that was an easy fix. The only problem really that I have is the mags. But with 6 in mag and a rap on the hand it`s absolutely 100% no matter how many i shoot.

[@lmr2768]

Thank you for the review. I just bought one and after watching your review I learned that I got a Gen 2. I'll keep you posted when I shoot it. Thank you..

[@jasonperfect529]

Because of your videos I ordered one of these I have several Remington pistols and no problems. RP9,RP45, RM380 like I said I can't wait to get my hands on this new one just having a problem finding magazines right now LOL. Love your videos especially the great detail that you give on each firearm. Thanks

[@keithjohnson7129]

Bought the Gen 2, love it. No functional problems. It shoots a tad low, but within acceptable tolerence. My dad even loves it.

[@dobypilgrim6160]

I have two 2nd Gens now. First one I had a FTF he first magazine. After that, it has been dead reliable for the last 1500 rounds. So I just bought a second one. Edited to add; I was VERY skeptical of this pistol! Not any more with the ones I have. So far so good.

[@wwclay86]

If they get the few remaining bugs out, they should make a double stack model.

[@tomvroman7320]

Thanks for the review. I have an original P51 in .380 and it's a great gun.

[@ritterbruder212]

Too little, too late. You get it right the first time, or the bad stigma and reputation sticks with you forever. In the meanwhile, other companies have introduced competing products that actually work. I'll be seeing the R51 on a ForgottenWeapons episode in the future.

[@dwaynechristensen6449]

365?

[@fabiantaveras8458]

@@dwaynechristensen6449 the 365 is different because so many people want that gun to be a success. You can't say the same thing about the R51.

[@LazyGrayF0x]

By the time it’s on forgottenweapons it will cost 2k lol

[@easyfiveOsink]

Well forever is a long time. The M16/AR15 has survived it's Vietnam era stigma and has become a great weapons platform. The R51 may not as you say because there are so many other options out there that have not had widely documented issues. I own an R51 and it's ok, but it's a range toy and I don't yet trust it for EDC and may never.

[@ritterbruder212]

​@@easyfiveOsink That's a good example of how hard it is to shake off a bad reputation in the gun world. The M16 as designed by Armalite worked fine. But somewhere between leaving the drawing board and wide issuance, the Army managed to screw it up. Despite the problems being fixed rather easily, people to this day still bash the gun as being unreliable 50 years later.

[@StraightShooter.]

I have the gen 2. I have had zero issues. I really like this pistol! But, the disassembly is the only negative aspect of the pistol.

[@DriveCarToBar]

It's been in a couple other videos on KZbin, but for anyone who finds this video, the fix for the mag not wanting to feed and hanging the gun up is to trim down the legs of the follower. Next time you're at the range, bring a file with you. Trim down each leg by a few millimeters, reassemble and shoot it. If it's still hanging up, take a little more off until its reliable. The issue is that with a full mag, the followers are bottoming out and pushing the rounds up too hard. When the slide comes forward, it's catching too much of the case and nosing the bullet downward. Once you shoot a round, the followers are no longer bottoming out and it runs ok.

[@fredwilhite2210]

My dad waited forever for Springfield to get the original problem(s) fixed. He finally bought the R51 with the laser. Of course both magazines were junk. They sent him two new ones that for the life of me; we can’t see any difference; but they do work. It a really nice looking pistol; but I wouldn’t trust my life with it!

[@whoc4r3s117]

This is why you always smack your magazines to make sure the spring has enough tension. That front lip on the magazine is some crap design.

[@kevinstafford4475]

Agreed about that magazine. really looks like a crap design

[@MossA-ox7ys]

S.P.O.R.T.S.

[@gunfisher4661]

6 rnd and a slap gives me 100% every time. need to tune the mag yet.

[@treedoor]

My R51 is just like the black one here in Sootch's videos. Shoots smooth as butter, incredible accuracy, and feels very nice. I am not a pistol fan, but I love it. I do hate how bad the reviews are because there is no way to recommend this pistol when it is so hit or miss, but I do love mine.

[@bobwampler3387]

I definitely think you deserve kudos for posting this video. Some of the reviews right after the 2nd gen came out were not any better than the reviews of the original. This is the first review that I know of that has identified the problem as being the magazine and what could be done. The damage to Remington may be unsalvageable at this point, but at least we know the truth. Also, to Remington haters they still make a great 1911 in the R1 series. I can verify it.

[@sootch00]

Thanks Bob! There are a lot of guys who own Gen 2 R51's and I hope this helps them. Will this help the R51's reputation? No. But hopefully it will give some answers.

[@synystur21]

I recently bought one and it ran flawlessly. The ONLY reason I sold it to a friend is because of slide bite. No matter what I tried, I couldn't avoid it. I really wanted to keep it because I enjoyed the look and feel of it.

[@sootch00]

Thanks Mark! I appreciate you sharing your experience.

[@johngraesser4911]

If slide bite is a problem, did changing your grip not help? I have one .380 that will bite if I use my normal auto grip, angling my thumb down to my ring finger fixed it. Even having a normal grip for autos doesn't help if you don't use it. At a range visit I tranitioned from a snubnose .357 to my ruger ec9s, didn't change where my support hand was and proceeded to slice the back of my support thumb so badly I had to go home to do something about a 1 inch gash pouring out blood, mine was the first blood spilled by that pistol.

[@synystur21]

@@johngraesser4911 I did try other ways but I got big paws. This gun just bites hard. There are very few that bite me and unfortunately this R51 will be on that short list. Micro 380's have never given me trouble except for one from Masterpiece Arms and it was a jamomatic so I was glad to get rid of it. I currently own an lcp and have no trouble with slide bite. I've owned jetfires, bobcats, Astra cub, keltec p32 and 3at, sig, 238, Kimber micros, Colt mustang, Taurus tcp, diamondback db 380, micro deagle, and I've probably missed a few others, no issues with slide bite.

[@joelloeffler1218]

It's not slide bite, it's grip bite. The bottom of the beavertail has a channel for the grip saftey with very sharp right angles. When the gun rotates under recoil, these sharp angles of metal impact the web of your hand, making the gun very unpleasant to shoot. I still find it hard to imagine how this was not caught in the design and testing of this pistol. Remington deserves all the negative press for this piston. They really screwed up.

[@richwilcox9564]

Bought the gen2 right when it came out. After modifying the mag front lip, it’s running great now. Very easy to shoot, stay on target, great trigger pull, FUN to shoot.

[@sootch00]

Thanks Rich! Good to hear Brother!

[@akeeperofoddknowledge4956]

I obtained one a few years ago, used and had all the problems you've heard about. According to the green box it should be a 2nd Gen but it doesn't have that horizontal groove on the bushing you pointed out My worst experience was I fired one round and as the slide moved back in recoil, the remaining 6 rounds sprund out of the ejection port! Never had THAT happen before! Pretty sure that's a kag problem. I'll take it to a gunsmith eventually but I have other pew pew to play with that worked flawlessly right out of the box. Great review as always. Thanks for sharing!

[@billymeech9954]

I've had pretty good luck with the one that I have. No serious problems I'm actually thinking about buying a couple more and putting them back for my nieces and nephews when they get older

[@sootch00]

Thanks Billy! Good to hear. It's a great shooting handgun.

[@phillipdale6765]

Thank you for this informative video

[@tunicapokerdealer]

Glad they fixed for those that know the Remington brand and purchase this gun for that reason. But, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!!!

[@bigizzysworld4253]

I have an original. Shaved down the mag spring a tad and reshaped the front lip a little and have had no issues since. 650 rounds with 0 failures since adjusted

[@bmstylee]

A prime example of why not to buy it. I am not supposed to have to gunsmith something to make it work. Should work out of the box.

[@bigizzysworld4253]

Wild Bill thats why they were recalled. Yes it should work. But for what i paid for it, what did I expect lol

[@sootch00]

Thanks Izzy, Good to hear you got the Gen 1 to be reliable.

[@caseyb1346]

@@bmstylee Unfortunately, if you want something that isn't a glock clone number 204249238942 then you probably will have to smith it a bit or pay big $$$$$$.

[@LazyGrayF0x]

Unique gun, shoots well and is loads of fun. I have no Issues with gen2, I picked up a gray one to go with my black one just like presenter here. It gets very smooth after brake in. Get it while it’s cheap.

[@sootch00]

Thanks Grayfox. Good to hear you've had good results.

[@johnmccrea8106]

Hello it is a year later is there any further on the R51?

[@RolandLowhorn]

I really like the way you work things and analyze everything out

[@sootch00]

Thanks Roland. There are a lot of R51 owners out there so I hope I help them figure some things out.

[@dannyentin5594]

I have 3 Gen 2's. They all have over 500 rounds through them. One of them has had no issues, One has had a single failure to feed, and one has had several failures. However, any failures were during the first 100-150 rounds. I love shooting this gun, it's everything sootch says it is. My biggest complaint is that Remington says it's a 7+1 and it should be labeled 6+1. Once it's passed the break in period I have found it to be totally reliable and a joy to shoot. I bought three because I like the gun and was able to get them for about $200 each. Also, I have larger than average hand and this is the smallest gun I can get a full grip on.

[@sootch00]

Thanks Danny! Good to hear your having success. The initial break in period works allows the magazines to loosen up enough to allow for better feeding. Yeah, the price is right, even though I paid $220 for the second R51. Still not bad.

[@fumasterchu12]

Those are some cool looking pistols, and seems like they got them "fixed". I would say 1 malfunction out of 1K rounds is pretty darn reliable. I have yet to shoot or even hold one of these. I was pretty excited to get one when they were first coming out, but got turned off when all the initial problems started. I might grab one if I can find one cheap as long as it's a new model. Another great and thorough review brother, have a great week Don!!

[@sootch00]

Thanks Fu! I felt the same way about the first R51's. After hearing the horror stories, I had no desire to own one. It's a cool design and super flat shooting. Hopefully Remington will pull through but there's a lot of damage already done.

[@wallfly0131]

Because of that gun, Remington has become the best Glock and M&P salesman ever!

[@jestsa65]

Purchased a new Gen 2 last week for $216 (Buds) after watching the various sootch00 reviews. At that price, curiosity got the best of me. Picking up from FFL tomorrow. Have owned a RM380 for a few years with no issues but always intrigued by the R51. Fingers crossed, hoping my patience pays off,

[@03xl883c]

I bought a Gen2 about a month ago RK had them on clearance & I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve only put 300 rounds through mine so far with no issues other than me not fully inserting the mag. I was really amazed at how good the trigger is & the recoil impulse is very different from my other pistols, it’s a very soft shooter. And it’s a tack driver to me it seems to favor 124gr. It’s unfortunate Remington botched it in the beginning the R51 could have really taken off but from what I can tell they’re discontinued. I didn’t see them listed in Remington’s 2019 catalogue

[@sootch00]

Good to hear yours is running well. It is a great shooting handgun. I did see the R51 on the Remington Website so it will e interesting to see where they go from here. I'm planning to stop by and talk to them at the NRA annual meeting. More to come. Thanks for the comment.

[@thewilliam8342]

Also, I leave the mags loaded all the time to soften the springs up. In addition when I cleaned the weapon for the first time, with a motor tool, I lightly buffed up the delay stud in the weapon. This made it a lot smoother, with all the hard edges smoothed down, just slightly .

[@devildoc9187]

I picked one up after your first review of the gen 2. Mine had a few hiccups in the first box of ammo. I took it home cleaned and lubed it and haven’t had any problems since. I now have around 300 rounds through it. Only time will tell but I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

[@sootch00]

Good to hear! Once the magazines work out the initial stiffness, they seem to run fine. Hope it continues doing well. Thanks DevilDoc!

[@GearKnowHow]

I really want to like the R51 because that two tone is looking nice! They really need to fix the magazines for good, you can't be worried about the gun jamming if you really need to use it in a self defense setting. Nice review man!

[@sootch00]

Thanks Brother! I'm cautiously optimistic and plan to do some more testing. I really feel the magazines are the issue but we'll see.

[@davidcole333]

I got the same nosediving issue out of my hi point c9. It's a really easy fix, it's just annoying to have to fix it. I think Remington should outsource their magazine production to Mec Gar.

[@thewilliam8342]

Once again sootch00 spot on !!!

[@sootch00]

Thanks William!

[@ArmoredCore5000]

Still to this day I have been fascinated by the looks and unique design of the R51 so I finally broke down and got a Gen2 at a great price. I figured even if it has reliability issues I just wont carry it and it will simply be a collectable and a range toy. But I got lucky and mine has functioned excellent so far with no malfunctions. With that said I only had time to put around 300 rounds through it on that first range trip. But I plan on taking it and putting it through the paces once a week (with no cleaning or lubing) until I can hit the 1000 round mark so I can be sure of its reliability. And this is also with me doing things trying to see if I can cause any problems and so far nothing but a slide bite. It will do that if you have large hands lol.

[@sootch00]

Thanks for the Comment AC! Great to hear you've had good success. It seems like the initial problems occur up front so you shouldn't have problems but no need to settle for sure. Hopefully Remington has figured it out.

[@ArmoredCore5000]

sootch00 I couldn’t resist and I did carry it for a full day just to see what it carried like, my curiosity got the best of me haha! I often carry a Sig P938 with the Hogue grip and the +1 magazine that came with it. I expected the R51 to carry ok, but it actually was ALOT more comfortable and easy to conceal than I expected! It doesn’t look like it but the R51 has almost the exact same dimensions as my P938 with the exception of a tiny bit more barrel length. Sometimes I even forgot I was carrying it inside my Carhart jacket! Now I am not sure which is my favorite CCW, the P938 or the R51 that costs less than HALF the price for the exact same size and capacity! 😬

[@mandosandradios]

Excellent done and presented

[@sootch00]

Thanks mandos!

[@sootch00]

@@enjoynature4113 Yeah, buying a second R51 to determine if Remington has fixed the issues is bending over backward..... Shove it.

[@luger9857]

I bought one for 250 as soon as the gen2 was released. Had a few problems first 50 rounds i stored mags with 5 rounds in. Made the spring softer. (Did 5 rounds bc i was afraid of making them too soft) 0 problems since. i plan to use this as my edc gun as soon as i get my cwp. I thought the field strip was easy. I get a little slide bite but not bad im 6ft even and hands just barely larger than average. Sure is a fun gun to shoot

[@Mopitz01]

I bought the gun with the idea as a monument for hubris in the gun industry, but the only few hicups ive had are lack of lubrication and magazines which about 1000 rounds in are 3 total and ive used steel cased, reloads, HPs of different weights and types and its now my carry piece because of how i shoot it and how it fits my hand. all i wish was gallway or someone else to make a metal trigger then this gun is golden

[@sootch00]

Thanks Mopitz! I appreciate the comment and agree that a metal trigger would be a great upgrade.

[@mauskins87]

This is why it's good that their is so much competition in the American gun market. Consumers have too many choices to be forced to buy bad quality and companies have to step up their game.

[@BTCAsia]

Thanks for the review. Such a shame Remington failed on initial QC, and even now aren’t as quick as they need to be to resolve mag issues. I wanted this project succeed and for new calibers (like 380 ACP) to be released just because the design shows some originality, imagination, and style, unlike the other 99.9% of handguns that are either 1911’s (which I love) or boxy Glock styled pistols that look like the designer was paid extra to avoid curves and keep everything squares and right angles, like they were made of 2x2’s or c channel. Of course, function before form. Maybe Remington can still make this successful. I hope so, both for gun buyers and for Remington.

[@InGratitudeIam]

I like that, "Upgraded to the 21st Century..." and then it wouldn't work worth a darn!!! That's quite an upgrade alright. :))) I am glad to see that they've kept after this design. Thanks

[@GoldenClays1]

I was on the fence, but I liked it from the beginning. Picking one up soon. It's cool, and it's different. A point well made with me. Thanks for the honest, and also informative review. Remington makes a lot of fine guns, and I think it a bit unfair that they got slammed, although somewhat deservedly, for a couple of missteps with this pistol. So, along with the twists and turns , I hope it all works out in the wash. I would like to see the R51 succeed. I think your great review will help.

[@paulgeoffrion5506]

Aftermarket stuff is cool, but is the pistol dependable. That is the question. Sootc00, will you depend on this pistol for defense of your life and the life of your family?

[@richardmyers2385]

Excellent Review, I noticed the magazine problem right away, Bending out that front lip on the Magazine took care of the problem.

[@joep8787]

I have the smoke grey version. I had problems initially. 2-3 ftf's per box of 50. That rate is down to 1 per 100. For me, it's a range toy. It's the most comfortable 9mm I own. Fun to shoot. Compared with my Ruger LC9s and LCP2, the R51 is too big for pocket carry, but it's more accurate than either and more fun to shoot.

[@Renaldo135]

Sorry no can do. I love Reminton. I have used their shotguns my whole life both in L.E. and in hunting and home defense. Couple of years ago I got one of their fine 1911 R1 enhanced model pistols and it has to be the best 1911 on the market today for under eight hundred dollars. But they need do fix this model. It shouldn't be released until it shucks every single round off their magazines if that's what the real problem is with the pistol. If they are serious about it they need to let companies like Mec-Gar or Wilson combat help them out with their shitty magazines. Nobody's gonna buy a gun that has continued issues all over KZbin. THANK YOU SOOTCH AS ALWAYS. AWESOME VIDEO SIR

[@Rileyisaguyname]

When is the Mossberg MC1sc video coming??

[@sootch00]

One day.... hopefully sooner than later :)

[@ricallen7273]

You mean the Honor Guard clone

[@66fairlanekid]

@@ricallen7273 you mean the shield clone clone that takes 43 mags. Hahah

[@excelerater]

Honestly I thought these guys were done with pistols but I am glad they debugged them. I dont think the taste left behind of the broken models will be overcome

[@Todd1975W]

Last week I had an impulse buy of the R51 G2 as it just felt good in the hands.... loaded up the mags and noticed the ammo taking a nose dive and very hard to get into battery. Now that being said if the slide is locked back when changing mags no problems at all. So yes, it is a magazine problem I may try to cut the spring but the problem is with what I have found if the ramp is a little taller and or you cut the stop on the mag a little shorter and fold it in no problems at all. I'm a small build guy so I can't carry my Taurus PT 99 or 92 out without someone noticing it which I know they get a lot of flack as well but on a new Taurus soak it down with gun oil and it will run flawless... Just my two cents on it...

[@MrBrown-br7sh]

I had an early first generation lemon and participated in the recall. After a 2+ year wait, I got the free Pelican case, four more spare mags, and my new pistol. It’s been a range gun with a couple thousand rounds of ball ammo through it without issue. It’s unfortunate Remington blew it on the original because it is a nice little gun. However, I just picked up a new G48 so my R51 will likely be spending a lot more time in the safe.

[@sootch00]

Good to hear your Gen 2 is running good. I'll be surprised if Remington will continue to offer it in the future but it's such a soft shooting handgun. You'll love the G48.... it's a great handgun. Thanks Brother

[@bev8200]

Cool little gun. Nice collectors piece.

[@jeremy8715]

I do like the two tone look.

[@dobypilgrim6160]

No. You only get one chance at a first impression. A good friend has a Gen 1 and a Gen 2. He is keeping them as collectors items. Gen 2 is still a piece of junk. Oh, and they have a bunch in stock for a reason.

[@nedsnook6552]

Doby Pilgrim who keeps something they don’t like or doesn’t work fir a collectors item? Doby do you own one? Have you shot one? I’m guessing you don’t know why so many people like them and rely on them. Don’t be a sheep and follow the flock. Check it out yourself.

[@wolferaven82]

Still want one... But is it really fixed?

[@aussieexpat]

They added the word "gen2" to the name.

[@denniswobbe3157]

Mine works great.

[@jeremy8715]

I guess gunbuyer is just trying to get rid of these pistols.

[@RussellRobinson971]

They're in business to sell them, it would be unwise to not "get rid of these pistols".

[@mannys9130]

@@RussellRobinson971 When products that don't sell take up room in a warehouse that COULD instead be holding products that sell very well, it is definitely a good idea to get rid of the junk asap. 😉

[@rickbourne1376]

@@RussellRobinson971 Smart on their part to get Sootch00 give this another shoot... or several hundred shots actually.

[@sjhoff]

guns that sell well don't take up room in warehouses.

[@daspiper8941]

Let's hope Remington will make a Gen 3 R51 that really works right out of the Box.

[@sgtdave9617]

Too many issues for carry. Maybe a collector type pistol...? Just for fun gun...?

[@MrHubbard738]

I had one of the first R-51 and it worked fine for me. And then they recalled it so I sent it back in. After waiting 6 months and know replacement I had Remington send me a refund. When they came out with the new ones I bought one as soon as I could And the only complaint I have is it shoots about 6 inches low at 20 yards. I have tried Remington for a taller rear sight but they said they didn't make one. So its only a range gun and I know to aim it about 6 " above the bulls eye. Not really any function problems. I do think its a cool looking handgun.

[@nitetrekker]

After watching this review, I might have to get one of these. I wanted one when they first came out, but the problems led me to give up completely. But now it looks like a properly vetted Gen2 would be a winner over the competition in the single stack market. The recoil management and the excellent trigger are positives just too great to ignore. We need every advantage we can get in a defensive situation.

[@midnightrider1100]

I had the same issue with the front lips of my mags right before the 7 minute mark. Failures seemed only to happen with longer nosed ball bullet designs. I bent mine forward very slightly and it seems to have fixed the I issue. It seems to love hollow points even the widest on the market. I still have the issue where I can't changer a round then insert a full mag. I might look at clipping off part of the springs.

[@dmwil1]

Dang it, I want one of these. Love the gray frame and the low bore axis. It has a futuristic look to it.

[@oldschoolcop8568]

I have had mine for over 2 years and I love it. Runs like a champ. However it’s not a Glock; it a nightmare to Disassemble and clean and reassemble.

[@gunfisher4661]

Thats why it wasnt a winner in 1918 but at least then there were no problems with it. Keeping in mind that Remington made that one also . but obviously they messed up when they redesigned it for 9mm witch shouldnt have been to difficult to do. Most people don`t know that Walther made the PPK in 9mm and .22 back in the 40`s and didnt have any problems. I wish Walther would come back out with the 9mm version I`d be a running to get one, So far Walther hasnt responded to people wanting one in 9mm even though they just opened the factory to make the 380 version in the U.S. last fall.

[@Rossplanet]

I have three of them. The trigger is made of plastic, unlike the original model 51. The plastic trigger wobbles left and right. There is space under the trigger which 'bites' my finger. That's for all three Gen 2's. When they change the trigger it will be a great gun.

[@DARIVSARCHITECTVS]

Decided to buy a brand new 2nd Gen R51 and try it out because the price came down quite a bit. Good on looks, thumbs down on reliability and ease of use. Charging the slide feels like dragging it through gravel. You have to pull hard and make the slide get beyond that final crunchy catch, about 1/4" from fully drawn position. Something about the mags seems to drag on the bottom of the bolt with lots of grinding friction. If you don't, it won't be far enough back to pick up a round. Occasional magazine jams due to bad mag design, with the classic snag of the nose of the top round, preventing the cartridges from advancing upward. The mags I got had ridiculously strong spring compression when fully loaded. They had the new followers, but maybe they had the old heavy springs? Who knows. Break-in may smooth them out over time. For my hand, the beaver tail caused so much impact on my thumb joint knuckle that it tore the skin and started bleeding. Since everyone's hand geometry is different, this may or may not be a problem for you. After playing with it a while, I became fairly skilled at disassembling this finger-fuk of a puzzle, such that it's no longer a deal breaking issue. Now that this pistol has been discontinued, many who tried and rejected it will relegate it to the trash bin of history. A much easier to operate and handle pistol is the venerable WWII German P-38. I shot a friend's wife's Ruger LC9s, and it's HELLUVA lot better than the R51 in feel, trigger, and ease of operation. I should have gotten a LC9s...

[@davidforsberg5675]

I like my RM380 needs a Sootch review. Over 200 rounds with 75 additional rounds of Hornady critical defense with no issues.

[@msharmall7298]

Thanks for the video

[@swissarmytenor]

A few weeks ago I shot one (don't know which gen) at my local range. Slide locked back each time a round was fired. Very odd.

[@frederickvandam121]

The slide lock is incorrectly installed above the spring that is meant to keep the slide lock in the down position. It needs to be below the spring. This is not the guns fault, but whoever reassembled the pistol.

[@viewsandreviews180]

Good review. If I were in the market for a 9 mm single stack the R51 might be in the top ten list because of the brand name. My reservations with this pistol are the complicated (fiddlely) disassembly and reassembly as well as the magazine issues. The latter apparently can be cured while the former is part of the design.

[@HayesTech]

It's great to see these pistols working for you. I on the other hand just won't trust my life to them. I had a gen 2 for about a month and out around 700 rounds through it and had nothing but issues. Nose dive into the magazine, failures to close (go fully into battery). If coarse mine was just an example of one firearm. But that was enough for me to make my mind up on these pistols. If you want to carry them, be my guest and I fully support your decision but I'm my mind it's a poorly designed handgun. Great video and keep up the great work.

[@Rumpleskin]

Did you try to modify the magazines? I feel stupid to say but I really want to hear these get worked out.always thought it was a good looking pistol.

[@HayesTech]

@@Rumpleskin I agree with you on the looks and it's features. I was on board as soon as it was released (the first gen) but waited till the second gen was released to jump in. As for modding the maggazines, I wasn't that confident with my gunsmithing skills at the time for that and to be honest, a firearm this day and age should run right out of the gate. I use the pistol for target only and lug my Glock 17 for carry. I was really hoping my purchase was going to give me a nice small carry pistol. You don't get your money back, so I am stuck with it now. I have tried other mags but not lately so I'll try getting some new mags.

[@Rumpleskin]

@@HayesTech thanks for the reply.I have several carry guns(mostly single stacks). Because (my wife says) I was born without an ass....lol.hard to carry a full size with your pants around your knees.but I thought it was cool looking range toy.

[@HayesTech]

You Sir are very welcome. I think there is nothing wrong with single stack pistols either. I own/owned several and they have their place and it's a good option.

[@bryanthebryan2638]

This is one gun I think I’ll eventually get because I just like the way it looks. If it’s fixed, I’ll put 1000 rounds through it and call it good. I’ve been happy with the results of my Kimber Solo so far.

[@TheOtherEddie]

Gangsta Seth! Looking smooth!

[@sootch00]

Lol! John, you need to join us.

[@stusasser5947]

Only problem I ever had was with the Magazines, disassembly and cleaning is easy, reassembly is a nightmare but old speaker or refrigerator magnets can be used to hold the re-assembly in place while refitting the barrel and slide to the frame.

[@whiskeyactual.]

That solid black one is a gorgeous looking pistol. It would take a lot of range work for me to trust my life with one though.

[@DannySchneible]

Don't know if you can take the mags apart, but it would have be interesting to see if there was a size difference in the spring of the two different magazines.

[@bret8369]

Bought an R51 Gen 2 and took it to the range. Lots of issues unfortunately. Had to send it out to the factory. It did seems like it was more an issue with the mags than the gun

[@Sherrodja]

I really like the looks of the pistol. I'm a bit nostalgic of the pistols made st the turn of the 20th century such as the Astra 380 and Colt 32acp. That being said there are new pistols such as the Mossberg who haven't produced a pistol in 100 years but they did their homework and got it right the first time. I'm in the market for a new pistol for personal defense. They get the bugs worked out of the R1 I'll eventually get one but right now I'm really looking at the new Mossberg pistol and the Taurus G2c. Get it together Remington.