I just popped onto the Sportsman's Warehouse website to look for a different pistol my wife wants, and checked for deals on the R51.

In satin black, they are currently on sale for $249.99.  I could not find the date for the end of the sale.

Pretty good deal.

Listening to Tom Gresham on the radio just now and learned that YouTube, without warning, completely deleted Brownell's entire YouTube channel in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 9.  The Brownell's channel had 67,000 users.

They claim it violated their content policy.  YouTube is owned by Google. 

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2018/06/youtube-terminates-brownells-youtube-channel/

I've had a Danshway (Egyptian/Maadi "Beretta" clone) 9mm for decades, and a Ruger P-89 9mm for nearly as long.  The P-89 is a great pistol, but it's large and bulky compared to many others.  Great for open carry, no so much for concealed carry or in the glovebox/center console.

I was interested in the R-51 when I first heard of them.  I loved the classic retro look, liked the smaller size, and read the initial descriptions thinking "That's the pistol for me!"..and of course they actually came out..and...well.....

So I waited and watched and saw what was going on with Remington.  In the meantime, I'd purchased a Remington 783 rifle in 7mm Magnum that is a great success!  It's a shooter!  I've had no issues with the rifle and friends of mine also knowledgeable in firearms were pretty impressed with the inexpensive rifle.  The scope that came with it was junk..Remington could have/should have done better than that no-name cheapie, but they did replace it for free (postage included both ways) and I put it in a drawer to maybe put on a .22 down the road.  I bought a Nikon 4-12 for the 783 and it's a fit.

Then I bought a new Marlin (Remington owned/made) 1895 Cowboy in .45-70.  Even though a lot of folks have had issues with Remington-made Marlins, mine has been great.  Again, no issues with the MUCH more expensive rifle!  It shoots great, functions perfectly, and bruises my arm after about 10 rounds.  I'm really a lever-action guy and I love it!

So, when Remington re-introduced the R-51 with "Generation 2", I was still very much interested, but wary and skeptical.  I read new reviews and saw some were having great success with the new ones, and some still had complaints.  A lot of complaints had to do with ergonomics, disassembly, finish, etc.  Even the most critical complaints still acknowledged the guns generally functioned pretty well now, though some had trouble with 115 grain ball ammo..but those that did struggle with 115 grain still had no trouble with 124 grain or better ammo.

So, when the rebate was active early this year, I looked into it seriously again..and though I still really wanted an R-51, the RP9 generally got much better reviews overall.  So, when I set out to the store to buy a new 9mm, I had actually intended to buy an RP9!  I held one and it DID fit my hand spectacularly.  It looked like a done deal...except for the fact that the RP9 is VERY similar in size/weight/bulk to the Ruger P-89 I already have..still, a good deal is hard to pass up.

Then I decided, "Well, let me look at the R51 too".  And once I held it, I pretty much knew the RP9 was out....I already had a 9mm like it.  The R-51 is UNLIKE anything I own..even slimmer and sleeker than on old .380 I've had for decades.  Light, small, quick.   The retro styling still appealed to me.  And given reviews were good with the right ammo, I decided that's the one.

I do not regret it.  I had an early problem with maybe three or four rounds out of the first few magazines full...the infamous "nose dive"..but then everything settled down and it has had no other trouble.  It even shoots 115 grain ball with no issues.  I generally keep the magazines loaded so the springs are constantly compressed.  Maybe that helped.  I've had no other "nose dive" issues since out of many hundreds of rounds.  Plus, it's a natural "pointer".  Even my wife was having great success hitting what she was aiming at right out of the box.  As she has about 20 years less experience shooting than I do, that is rare for her.  Certain firearms just "don't work" for her.

I'm very pleased with my decision.  Mine even has a very good trigger pull.  A couple friends who know guns have even commented on how nice the trigger is.

There's nothing I can think of that would stop me from buying another one.

There's a fellow on Ebay selling R-51 mags for $9.99 including shipping.  He lists them as "used" but listing also says "More than 10 available".  I am not affiliated with the seller in any way but noticed the listing today.  I bought a couple.  Seller has 100% positive feedback.  I noticed the seller is in "Guntersville, Alabama", and Google says that's only 37 miles from Huntsville.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-R51-9mm-Magazine/292587520181?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649


Ebay is also running a 20% off discount code today " PICKDADSGIFT " on Ebay purchases over $50, so I combined with some other stuff I had in my "watch list" and got the discount..but the code expires at 7PM pacific time today...6/6/18.

The day I purchased my R-51 I brought it home, had not even fired it yet, and was sitting at my computer with the pistol on the desk (so I could get info off  it) while I registered the pistol with Remington online for the warranty, and printed out the rebate forms and such.  I had the empty box sitting on the floor next to me.

I like to keep my factory boxes, and keep them nice, so I generally store them in an attic space in one of my outbuildings so they'll stay nice and dry and in good shape.  (Don't know why I have a "thing" about it, since I never sell a gun anyway, but it was something my dad did.)

While I was typing and filling out forms, and checking and double-checking that I had everything correct with the serial number, etc. I happened to glance down at one point and was surprised to see my dog, Jillaroo, a Corgi-Blue Heeler-Mutt mix, sitting there, and apparently she'd been sitting there licking the R-51's empty factory box for a bit already....the top of the box was all damp and mottled, and the pup's tongue was turning green!  Well gosh darn it!  So much for keeping THAT box nice!  And on a just purchased brand-spanking new pistol I hadn't even had for an hour yet, ta boot! 

Well, I dried it out, and touched up the white/mottled areas with a green marker that doesn't quite match the original green, but it's as good as it's gonna get, considerin'. 

I've had that dog since it was born, and she's about 9-10 years old now, and I've never seen it lick a cardboard box before.  I have no idea why the dog would be attracted to the flavor of a brand new R-51 box...I'm thinking maybe vegetable based inks? 

Howdy all!

Cary from New Mexico here.  Purchased my R51 in January and really, really like that little pistol.  I've been shooting since I was about 6, starting with my father's original Ruger Bearcat .22.  Currently my wife and I have a wide variety of pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, in a wide variety of calibers.  I reloaded my own ammo starting around age 14-15 with my father's equipment. and then got away from it for a while after I left home.  Got back into reloading around 1997 and started casting my own bullets soon after.  I've cast thousands of 9mm projectiles, and handloaded thousands and thousands of 9mm ammo in my life!

Speaking strictly of 9mm:  Between my wife and I we have an Egyptian "Danshway"-Beretta 1951 clone (Made by Maadi in the 1950's for the Egyptian military/police, and my first 9mm), a Ruger P-89, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, and the R-51.  The Shield is technically my wife's pistol, but it turned out that it doesn't function well for her, so her current favorite carry gun is a little Taurus Ultra-Lite .38+P, while mine is the R-51! 

(Oddly, the Shield works just fine for me, so I shoot it and she doesn't, but I still like the R-51 better.  She likes the R-51 too, so potentially I see another one in our future.)

Out here in my part of New Mexico I'm very fortunate to have a lot of BLM land close by...like a block and a half away.  I can be plinking in less than a five minute drive, and perhaps a 10-15 minute walk.  We've lived in the same house since 2002, and I've never lived anywhere else where I could shoot that close by.   We also have a backcountry place about a 3.5 hour drive from home.  It's on some acreage, so we have a 100 yard range set up there.  My wife and I are proud members of the "gun culture", and we try to shoot every week.  Every day when we are at the backcountry place!  We are both NRA members and stay paid up years in advance, and got a few more years ahead this year when all the anti-2nd Amendment nonsense started rearing it's head a couple months back.  We're pretty vigilant about our 2nd Amendment rights, and definitely vote accordingly.  Also members of GOA and the Second Amendment Foundation.

New Mexico is an interesting dichotomy when it comes to firearms.  A predominantly Democrat legislature for over a half a century, a Democrat governor for half the time, yet very few restrictions on firearms ownership.  No waiting periods.  Open carry fully legal and often seen.  No restrictions on magazine capacity.  Can keep a firearm in the glove box/center console, etc.  Our state might be a bit screwed up when it comes to the economy, but for gun owners, it's pretty darned good.

We've recently also gotten back into fishing.  My wife hadn't fished since she was a little girl with her dad, and I probably hadn't fished in around 20 years, since I lived near the Colorado River/Lake Mohave in Bullhead City, AZ.  We're looking forward to goin' fishin' tomorrow!

I'm looking forward to some R-51 discussion, as I'm pretty enthusiastic about the little pistol.