New R51 performance (video link)

[Hrfunk]

Hi all! Last weekend I purchased a brand new R51 at a local gun show (for more on that story, check out my post in the new members introduction section). I've had a youtube channel for several years that is devoted to firearms and shooting related topics, so I was looking forward to recording how the R51 performed. If you're interested in seeing the performance yourself, just click on the link. Also, be sure to share your thoughts as well (on both the video and the pistol). I always welcome feedback.

HRF

https://youtu.be/daY7W0Zl_Jc

[R51Fan2017]

Great video, and welcome to the forum! One thing that has been repeated over and over on this forum (and it's true), is that it is not the gun that has problems, its the mags. It has proven out with a lot of folks on here, that once the mags have been straightened out, the pistol runs fine. I have north of 400 rounds through mine, and have yet to have a malfunction under live fire. I have used everything from aluminum and brass 115 gr. to Federal Hydra-Shok hollow-points, and Hornady Critical Defense and they all run fine. Are your mags bone stock, or have you done anything to them? If not, we will be happy to share the mods you may need to get yours running reliably.These pistols seem to magazine sensitive, like 1911s. Put a crappy mag in them, and they don't like it. Unfortunately, the Big Green Machine has been turning out sub-standard mags for us to use. Mags coming out with varying spring lengths etc.

Maybe that is beginning to change. I ordered a brand new mag just a few months ago, and did not do any mods to it, and it ran flawlessly with all types of ammo, both FMJ and hollow-points of various grs right up to 148. Don't give up. We will help you get it ironed out! Soon, you will have an update video that you can put out showing that little gun running 100% and let the haters chew on that! Although it did run pretty good in my opinion. If I didn't miss count, I only caught two malfunctions out of the whole video. But not ideal. Especially with defensive ammo. Like I said, we are here to help!

P.S. I noticed you were not using the sling shot method when loading this pistol like so many others who have done videos on this gun. I can tell you must have spent a great deal of time with 1911s (like me) as that is the proper way to load a 1911. 

[Hrfunk]

Thank you! Just as an FYI, I haven't given up on the R51, and your comment about the magazines are precisely what I thought was causing the feeding problems I experienced. You are also correct, there were only 2 failures to feed out of about 130 rounds of ammunition I fired the day I made the video. But, I only had 15 rounds of the Speer Gold Dot ammo, so the fact that both failures occurred with that ammo is a bit of a concern.

I did call Remington Customer Service, and the representative told me that the springs in their magazines are essentially "over-powered", and that they will relax with time and use. That was also consistent with my surmise, because both of the malfunctions seemed to be a result of the cartridge escaping from the magazine (or actually from the control of the feed lips) prematurely. He recommended I work with the pistol a little more to see if the mag springs relax a bit and the FTF's stop. Since that conversation, I have left my magazines fully loaded and alternated keeping them inserted in the pistol's mag well (just to put a bit more pressure on the top round as it bears against the bottom of the slide). I have not fired it since I made the video, I was waiting until this weekend to see if there is any change to the performance.

Do you suggest any other magazine modifications at this point?

thanks again,
Howard

[R51Fan2017]

Thank you! Just as an FYI, I haven't given up on the R51, and your comment about the magazines are precisely what I thought was causing the feeding problems I experienced. You are also correct, there were only 2 failures to feed out of about 130 rounds of ammunition I fired the day I made the video. But, I only had 15 rounds of the Speer Gold Dot ammo, so the fact that both failures occurred with that ammo is a bit of a concern.

I did call Remington Customer Service, and the representative told me that the springs in their magazines are essentially "over-powered", and that they will relax with time and use. That was also consistent with my surmise, because both of the malfunctions seemed to be a result of the cartridge escaping from the magazine (or actually from the control of the feed lips) prematurely. He recommended I work with the pistol a little more to see if the mag springs relax a bit and the FTF's stop. Since that conversation, I have left my magazines fully loaded and alternated keeping them inserted in the pistol's mag well (just to put a bit more pressure on the top round as it bears against the bottom of the slide). I have not fired it since I made the video, I was waiting until this weekend to see if there is any change to the performance.

Do you suggest any other magazine modifications at this point?

thanks again,
Howard

Howard,

I made these mods before I even fired the gun. Have had zero issues with them. I simply bent the lip out straight on the front of the magazine. That solved all nosedive issues. Then to make it possible to rack the slide on a full mag, I took about 1/16" (exactly how much I can't remember) off the follower legs. Just those two mods on my mags have pretty much solved any potential problems. However, I am beginning to think that these mods are only needed on a case by case basis. That being said, it appears like you are not having nose dives, rather you are having the opposite problem of having the round eject nose first out of the mag. That I am strongly suspecting is caused by the excessive spring tension. And of course the only way to solve that is to shoot it more and limber it up. You may want to try Hyrda-Shok rounds in yours though (mine eats them all day long  ). Little bit better quality ammo. If it is still doing it on those, then we just know yours just doesn't like hollow points. Keep shooting, and maybe it will just go away with time. You wouldn't be the first one on here that has had to do that.

Best as always,
Sean

[plunkster]

I posted this on the youtube vid comment section, but I'll mention it here as well... You need to use a "combat center hold" when shooting the R51. This means that you cover your desired point of impact with the dot on the front sight. Nice review, btw! I've shot hundreds of rounds through mine with only a handful of problems (and those were early on).

[Hrfunk]

Thank you! Just as an FYI, I haven't given up on the R51, and your comment about the magazines are precisely what I thought was causing the feeding problems I experienced. You are also correct, there were only 2 failures to feed out of about 130 rounds of ammunition I fired the day I made the video. But, I only had 15 rounds of the Speer Gold Dot ammo, so the fact that both failures occurred with that ammo is a bit of a concern.

I did call Remington Customer Service, and the representative told me that the springs in their magazines are essentially "over-powered", and that they will relax with time and use. That was also consistent with my surmise, because both of the malfunctions seemed to be a result of the cartridge escaping from the magazine (or actually from the control of the feed lips) prematurely. He recommended I work with the pistol a little more to see if the mag springs relax a bit and the FTF's stop. Since that conversation, I have left my magazines fully loaded and alternated keeping them inserted in the pistol's mag well (just to put a bit more pressure on the top round as it bears against the bottom of the slide). I have not fired it since I made the video, I was waiting until this weekend to see if there is any change to the performance.

Do you suggest any other magazine modifications at this point?

thanks again,
Howard

Howard,

I made these mods before I even fired the gun. Have had zero issues with them. I simply bent the lip out straight on the front of the magazine. That solved all nosedive issues. Then to make it possible to rack the slide on a full mag, I took about 1/16" (exactly how much I can't remember) off the follower legs. Just those two mods on my mags have pretty much solved any potential problems. However, I am beginning to think that these mods are only needed on a case by case basis. That being said, it appears like you are not having nose dives, rather you are having the opposite problem of having the round eject nose first out of the mag. That I am strongly suspecting is caused by the excessive spring tension. And of course the only way to solve that is to shoot it more and limber it up. You may want to try Hyrda-Shok rounds in yours though (mine eats them all day long  ). Little bit better quality ammo. If it is still doing it on those, then we just know yours just doesn't like hollow points. Keep shooting, and maybe it will just go away with time. You wouldn't be the first one on here that has had to do that.

Best as always,
Sean

Thank you Sean!

I took the R51 out again this past weekend, and actually had more problems with it than I did on the first outing. I am now getting routine malfunctions with ball ammo as well as with the JHP's. I tried the mod to the magazine follower legs, and that did not seem to help. One thing that is consistent is the fact that the failures all seem to occur on the first shot from a full magazine. Most of the time, the failure comes from the magazine loosing control of the cartridge as it is trying to feed. Sometimes, I get that odd malfunction where the top cartridge is completely jettisoned from the magazine and caught between the top rear surface of the ejection port and the rear of the barrel hood. A couple of times, the top cartridge actually ejected with the spent case and the next cartridge in the column fed properly into the chamber! I also had another of the "bullet straight up" misfeeds. Oddly, the pistol itself seems to be running fine. The only actual pistol related malfunction was a single failure to eject, BUT that occurred on the first round fired (as in the cartridge in the chamber with a full 7-round magazine underneath it). That being the case, I suspect the pressure of the top round in the magazine bearing against the bottom of the hesitation block may have retarded the movement of the slide. So that malfunction too might have been magazine related. I also had my first "nose down" stoppage when a round of FMJ ammo nose-dived into the front of the magazine.

One good thing that came from my shooting this weekend was the change in point of impact on the target. By shifting may aim to coincide with the dot on the front sight vice the top of the front sight, the bullets struck more or less point of aim.

At this point, I don't think I'm going to do too much more work on the R51. Instead, I'm going to see if Remington will make good on their lifetime warranty.

Howard

[R51Fan2017]

Thank you Sean!

I took the R51 out again this past weekend, and actually had more problems with it than I did on the first outing. I am now getting routine malfunctions with ball ammo as well as with the JHP's. I tried the mod to the magazine follower legs, and that did not seem to help. One thing that is consistent is the fact that the failures all seem to occur on the first shot from a full magazine. Most of the time, the failure comes from the magazine loosing control of the cartridge as it is trying to feed. Sometimes, I get that odd malfunction where the top cartridge is completely jettisoned from the magazine and caught between the top rear surface of the ejection port and the rear of the barrel hood. A couple of times, the top cartridge actually ejected with the spent case and the next cartridge in the column fed properly into the chamber! I also had another of the "bullet straight up" misfeeds. Oddly, the pistol itself seems to be running fine. The only actual pistol related malfunction was a single failure to eject, BUT that occurred on the first round fired (as in the cartridge in the chamber with a full 7-round magazine underneath it). That being the case, I suspect the pressure of the top round in the magazine bearing against the bottom of the hesitation block may have retarded the movement of the slide. So that malfunction too might have been magazine related. I also had my first "nose down" stoppage when a round of FMJ ammo nose-dived into the front of the magazine.

One good thing that came from my shooting this weekend was the change in point of impact on the target. By shifting may aim to coincide with the dot on the front sight vice the top of the front sight, the bullets struck more or less point of aim.

At this point, I don't think I'm going to do too much more work on the R51. Instead, I'm going to see if Remington will make good on their lifetime warranty.

Howard

Howard,

Honestly, its time for you to get another couple of mags and try. The one (or ones) that came with it obviously are FUBAR.

[Hrfunk]

I agree. The problems are occurring with both magazines, so hopefully a couple of new ones will cure the issues. We shall see.

Howard

[Hrfunk]

I just got off the phone with Remington CS. Two new magazines are inbound. The representative I spoke with also suggested cutting one to two coils off the mag spring to alleviate the problems I'm experiencing. Since I've got two new mags coming, I might just give that a try on the ones I already have. He also confirmed that the R51 magazines are vender supplied. He didn't identify the vender, but I think they might want to look for a new one.

Howard

[R51Fan2017]

I just got off the phone with Remington CS. Two new magazines are inbound. The representative I spoke with also suggested cutting one to two coils off the mag spring to alleviate the problems I'm experiencing. Since I've got two new mags coming, I might just give that a try on the ones I already have. He also confirmed that the R51 magazines are vender supplied. He didn't identify the vender, but I think they might want to look for a new one.

Howard

Good news. Come to think of it, I think I did have to cut a coil off one of my springs. I can't remember which mag that was though. Anyway, it did make it easier to load! Hope you have better luck with the new mags!

Sean