Steps to a Fully Functional Model R51

[sebvox]

There are plenty of haters out there.  There are also several folks out there that really love this handgun and have painstakingly sacrificed their time and sanity to figure out what was causing the issues with the model R51, which are actually pretty minimal.  Should Remington have ironed out these quirks prior to consumer release? Yes... but what's the fun in that?  The shortcomings of Remington's manufacturing and QA/QC process have allowed us to become more intimate with, understand, and appreciate the workings of a Pedersen hesitation-locked action handgun.  Here are some things I have learned from this forum and my own experience to ensure the proper function of a model R51:

1.   Read the R51 owner's manual.

2.   Learn and become familiar with the R51 disassembly/reassembly process as it is different than most.  It's not as big of a chore if you know what you are doing.

3.   While disassembled (field stripped), inspect parts for sharp edges and burrs, i.e. ejector and chamber end of barrel.  Make them smooth with a mini file and/or emery cloth.

4.   Polish the feed ramp, chamber, and breech block.  Additionally, you may want to polish the outside of the barrel and hammer.  The slide and action spring glides on the surface of the barrel and the breech block slides over the hammer.  I used a Dremel with felt bits and metal polish. Photos

5.   Disassemble the magazines, remove at least 1/8" from the bottom of the follower legs.  Do not cut any loops from the magazine spring.  Shortening the follower legs provides the necessary clearance between a fully loaded magazine and the breech block.  This will allow you to rack the gun with a full magazine or run 7+1.  If you have ever fired your weapon with 7+1 and had the magazine forced out after the first round, this will solve that issue, among others.  Video

6.   File the inside edge of the bent tab at the nose of the magazine then polish the inside face and edge of the bent tab.  Polish the feed lips on the magazine for good measure.  Polishing both areas will assist in rounds feeding without fault.  Clean and reassemble the magazines.

7.   Thoroughly clean and lubricate your model R51.  Use gun grease on the slide rails, breech block, and hammer.  Use gun oil elsewhere.  It is not necessary to lubricate the firing pin, it will cause carbon build-up after a while and the firing pin will not function properly.

8.   When racking the slide, do so rapidly – pull back and release either by hand or by slide catch.  This gun likes to feed rounds into battery swiftly.

9.   For right handed shooters, take caution not to have your thumb near the slide catch.  The slightest pressure on the slide catch will lock the slide open during the cycle.  This can also be caused by not installing the slide catch correctly.  Make sure the slide catch lever tab is under the slide catch spring tail.

10.   If you are shooting low on your target, the correct sight picture for this pistol is acquired by using the combat hold: the center of the front sight dot completely covers the bullseye.  This is due to the low bore axis design of the pistol.

11.   Different brands, types, and weights of 9mm Luger and 9mm Luger +P ammunition work in this pistol.  You should test which works best for you and your model R51.

12.   If you still have issues (doubtful), use the "search" function in this forum.  There is a wealth of information and knowledge to be gained from previous posts.  Plus, the subject of a post may not be what the conversation has morphed into.

[Cornholio]

Very well put together and informative summary - Thank you for taking the time to compile and post it.

[44fanatic]

Thanks for all the info. I just got settled back up north with my new R51. I plan to start working on some of those issues, if I can just stop shooting it long enough to get started.

[David]

Thanks for the summary.  That is a good start.

[springfield art]

I read recently that Remington's chief guy left, and the new CEO is a guy who was on the Board of the Company, who's knowledgeable and a stickler for Quality Control issues, which seem to have plagued the company recently. Here's hoping this old time gunmaker improves and thrives. I like my R51; it's a pleasure having a genuine metal frame!