I just picked up my R-51. First impressions: Very cool gun! Love the lines and curves, fascinating action, good ergonomics, crisp trigger break.
Not sure why people seem to have so much trouble with field stripping the pistol. I found it quite simple(thirty seconds or less if you know how to properly disassemble.) Reassembly is easy if you make sure the spring is lined up with the hole in the front of the slide. It is not as easy most other semi-autos of the day but it is not bad at all.
The slide rack was gritty. Upon disassembly I noticed that there were metal shavings in the action and some of the machined surfaces were rough, including the Pederson block. I pulled out the Dremel tool, a buffing wheel, and some various grit, very fine compounds and went to polishing the surfaces of the pistols action, slide rails, bolt, barrel, and bushing. I am reluctant to disassemble the frame and trigger components because of the serrated pins that are in the aluminum frame. I don't want them to become loose because of damage to the aluminum holes. It would have been nice to have the pins held in by clips but there is no reason to take it apart because I like the trigger and the grip safety as is.
I lubricated all moving components in the slide very well while I break it in to prevent galling but I will use less oil in future cleanings. The slide feels very slick and easy now. The trigger gets better and better as I dry fire. The backstrap safety felt cheap at first but no longer does after many manipulations.
I have great expectations for this interesting little pistol. Now that it has been worked over it is ready for the range. I will report back and brief you on my first shooting impressions.
Not sure why people seem to have so much trouble with field stripping the pistol. I found it quite simple(thirty seconds or less if you know how to properly disassemble.) Reassembly is easy if you make sure the spring is lined up with the hole in the front of the slide. It is not as easy most other semi-autos of the day but it is not bad at all.
The slide rack was gritty. Upon disassembly I noticed that there were metal shavings in the action and some of the machined surfaces were rough, including the Pederson block. I pulled out the Dremel tool, a buffing wheel, and some various grit, very fine compounds and went to polishing the surfaces of the pistols action, slide rails, bolt, barrel, and bushing. I am reluctant to disassemble the frame and trigger components because of the serrated pins that are in the aluminum frame. I don't want them to become loose because of damage to the aluminum holes. It would have been nice to have the pins held in by clips but there is no reason to take it apart because I like the trigger and the grip safety as is.
I lubricated all moving components in the slide very well while I break it in to prevent galling but I will use less oil in future cleanings. The slide feels very slick and easy now. The trigger gets better and better as I dry fire. The backstrap safety felt cheap at first but no longer does after many manipulations.
I have great expectations for this interesting little pistol. Now that it has been worked over it is ready for the range. I will report back and brief you on my first shooting impressions.
I love strange and interesting firearm designs and I am excited to try out the new pistol despite all of the negative press. I also don't mind if I have to do a little smithing to get her running smoothly. Let me know if any of you guys make aftermarket grips, triggers, etc as I may might be interested. Thanks for having me!