Quote from: plunkster on November 26, 2017, 05:35:28 PM
I've never had the problem you're having (and mine is an NC frame, too), but I guess a lot of people do. Have you tried locking the slide back, inserting the mag, and chambering a round and then topping off the mag so you have 7+1 and then firing it? This is probably a better way to load it anyway...

Pat

Pat,
I haven't tried what you are suggesting, but I get it and I'll try it for break-in purposes.  I have never carried with a round in the chamber.  To each his own on that topic, and I won't get into my reasoning.  I may talk myself in to carrying with one in the pipe some day, but not today.  For now, I want to know I can rack my slide to go. 

Hello all, My name is Mike.  I recently purchased an R51, and found this forum to have the best (only) helpful information on the web about these guns. 
Honestly, I don't keep up on guns, and I had never heard of an R51.  I had in my head that I wanted to add a 9mm to my small collection, so I was out buying some 9mm ammo on Black Friday.  I live in an unpopulated area, so black Friday crowds aren't much of anything around here. 
Anyway, I went to get some buckets of 9mm ammo, and I saw a sign on the counter for a sale and rebate on the R51.  I took a look at the last one they had, and said I'd take it.  $199 after rebate+tax+$2 for paperwork.  I couldn't pass it up. 
I got it home, and immediately disassembled it to clean and learn the gun.  After I cleaned it, I went out in the back yard and loaded up the magazines.  It was pretty late, and I wasn't planning to fire it, but I was in a safe area and prepared for a discharge. 
Here is what I found on my R51.  If I put 7 rounds in a magazine, I was not able to rack the slide to feed the first round.  6 rounds was sketchy.  5 rounds in the mag was smooth and really nice. 
The next morning, I went out and shot 50 rounds.  No failures, but I was only loading 5 in a mag.  I tried loading 7 again in each mag, and I couldn't rack the slide with either magazine.  It physically won't go all the way back.  Seemed quite obvious to me that the ammo was pushing too hard on the slide, so I went home and started researching the R51.  Wow, what a pile of negative reviews.  I searched something like "R51 magazine fix", and bumped in to this R51forum.  Immediately, I was reading useful and helpful info. 
I really haven't sorted out what I should do with the current magazines, but I did gather that I should email or call Remington and see about getting some other magazines. 
My R51 is marked NC, which I have learned is disappointing. 
I shot another 100 or so rounds today with a couple of my friends who are big in to guns.  I started by giving them each magazines with 5 in them.  They both shot, and really liked the gun (no issues feeding or firing).  I then had them both load 7 in a magazine with the breech closed, and neither could rack the slide far enough back to pick up the first (or 7th) round. 
I definitely like the feel and shape of the R51, but mine definitely isn't right.  Hopefully I can get it sorted out.  For now, it is a great 5 round pistol.