Welcome to the forums oldmagnolia, there are some fellas reporting the same issue with failure to load the first round when the mag is loaded with seven.  One workaround was to lock the slide back with seven in the mag and load by releasing the slide.  Good luck, keep us posted please.

I haven't tried the brand you mention, but do have some Tula steelcase, but I am reluctant to try them through a small handgun like the R51.  Maybe through my Beretta 92FS or CZ75BD would be ok.

Mine is Charlotte, bought three days ago in Maine.

They are a little tough to get back together, I had mine locked up somehow, the slide would not move either way.  So i took a break, and slipped a small tool into the gap of barrel and block through the ejection port and pushed the barrel forward.  When I pulled the barrel out, she went together OK from there.  Panic sets in with a new weapon that cant be put back together for sure.

They had three 2nd Gen R51s in stock two days ago, then two as I bought one.

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Hello everyone,

New man here from southern Maine.  I bought a new R51 at Cabelas on sale with a 10% & 5% discount as well.  Hunting month and military discount.  I am going to try to get out in the woods this coming week to try it out.  It caught my eye in a Cabelas flyer earlier this month, I really like the look of the firearm.  I have broken it down, and can say it is tough to get it back together the first few times.  I do have to pull on the barrel during reassembly of slide to frame as I have seen mentioned.
I've used firearms since I was  22 years old, now I am 68.  Not an expert by any means though.

Thanks.