Joe,

Thanks for the suggestions. The slide appears to be "frozen" but I'll give it a try.

No changes to magazines. When I first got the pistol, the slide was difficult to rack. The more rounds I ran through it, the easier the slide became and the stove piping stopped. I don't think the smoother slide stopped the problem or if the gun just needs an extensive run in period. BTW, I posted a problem I have with my R-51. I would appreciate if you'd take a look.

I purchased my R-51 in the spring of 2020, run approximately 1,000 rounds through it and cleaned it half dozen times. Although the breakdown was initially difficult, it became easier with time.

The last I reassembled the pistol, I encountered a significant problem: The slide became locked in the open position while inserting the slide stop pin. See photos.

Has anyone here experienced this? Any ideas on how to "unstick" the slide? Or do I need to take it to a gunsmith?

Any suggestions are appreciated?

Although I am a military brat, it wasn't until the 2020 riots/pandemic that I purchased my first 3 guns: Mini-14, Semi-auto 410 gauge and a Remington R-51. I was drawn to the R-51 because I inherited a Remington Model 12 22LR from my father. That rifle was also designed by John Pendersen. As an engineer, I was intrigued by the hesitation-locked action.

My initial experience with the R-51 was mixed. I encountered the "stove" piping that are documented on youtube, but after 5-600 rounds, the slide loosed up and the pistol began firing flawlessly. I have added the crimson trace red laserguard and custom grips.