In commemoration of the bicentennial anniversary of Remington Arms in 2016, Big Green looks to its past for inspiration on a new generation of handgun.  America’s oldest gun maker will set out to modernize the nostalgic pocket pistol model 51 produced from 1918-1927, which was available in .32 ACP and .380 ACP calibers.  It was introduced in a time when the American homeland demand was for revolvers; the compact, euro-style, magazine-fed model 51 was, perhaps, ahead of its time.  With limited commercial success, Remington decided to pull the plug on the original model 51 as the Walther PPK and others gained popularity.

Fast forward to 2014: the all new model R51 will be initially offered in 9mm+P (.40 S&W and .45 ACP, as announced, would never see production) and utilize the innovative Pedersen hesitation lock design found in its nearly century-old progenitor.  With the goal of breaking into the growing market of 9mm, subcompact, single-stack, concealed handguns it’s the perfect time for Remington to right the wrongs of the old model 51, but is it too late?  History may show that the introduction of the new model R51 may have been, once again, too early.

The following is an attempt to chronicle the events leading up to and the seemingly end of the polarizing model R51 handgun:

•   January 2009 – Para Ordnance, a small company specializing in making model 1911 style handguns, moves it’s manufacturing from Markham, Ontario, Canada to Pineville, NC, a suburb of Charlotte, and becomes Para USA.

•   January 2011 – Remington, headquartered in Madison, NC, re-enters the handgun market with the centennial edition 1911 R1, an updated version of the 1911 Remington made for the US government during World War I, originally made at its Ilion, NY plant.

•   January 2012 - Remington (the Freedom Group) acquires Para USA to expand its handgun line.  Research & Development begins at Remington’s R&D Center (aka the “Rock”) in Elizabethtown, KY for the model R51 and will be produced at the Para USA plant in Pineville, NC.  Chip Klass is the project lead and Adam Walker is the lead design engineer.

•   December 2012 – A mass shooting occurs at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, CT.  One of the weapons used by the lone actor is a Bushmaster XM15-E2S, an AR style rifle.  Bushmaster is part of the Remington family of companies.  The other weapon is a Glock 20SF which jammed after he shoots and kills himself.

•   December 2013 – A seminar for the media is held at the Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ where the model R51 was presented, tested and reviewed with critical acclaim.  Reports of performance and reliability are all positive.  This is most likely due to Remington sending eight bench-tuned prototype/pre-production units for media testing & evaluation.

•   January 2014 – The new 2014 Remington catalog shows the new model R51, “the most intuitive concealed handgun on the planet”, with accessories including magazines, wider grip panels, and black nitride finished threaded barrels.

•   January 2014 – The model R51 is unveiled at the SHOT Show exhibit in Las Vegas.  To everyone's dismay, Remington withholds the handgun from the invitation only event “Industry Day at the Range” for media and buyers to test.  The all-black model (MPN 96430) and one with a CT laser (MPN 96432) are displayed.  There is also a CT model displayed with a Ti-RANT-S 9 silencer from AAC.  According to staff, optional threaded barrels from Storm Lake, Ti-RANT suppressors from Advanced Armament Corp., night sights from Trijicon, laserguards from Crimson Trace, holsters from Crossbreed, Fobus, Bladetech, and Galco will all be available.

•   February 2014 – Remington announces that it will open a new state-of-the-art, “center of excellence” manufacturing facility in Huntsville, AL- a former Chrysler electronics plant adjacent to the Huntsville International Airport.

•   February 2014 – the model R51 is released for retail roll-out and is received with mixed reviews from flawless performance to several reports of performance issues and malfunctions including, but not limited to:

o   Failure to feed, failure to go completely into battery
o   Failure to extract, failure to eject
o   Magazine capacity issues: magazine pops out after first shot of 7+1
o   Magazine base plate too flimsy
o   Pins drifting loose
o   Sights drifting loose
o   Poor milling on slide and breech block causing jams and rough action

note: all of these issues would later be corrected with exception to the magazine follower issue.  A simple fix that would have regained consumer confidence and possibly turned the losing battle around for the R51.

•   April 2014 – the model R51 is shown at the NRA convention in Indianapolis, IN.

•   May 2014 – Remington announces it will close the Para USA Pineville, NC plant by August 2015, affecting its current 65 employees.  Quality immediately declines and warranty claims rise.  This may explain why some handguns perform well while others do not.

•   May 2014 – Remington announces it will close the R&D Center in Elizabethtown, KY, known as the “Rock”, and integrate it into the new Huntsville, AL plant.  Over 50 employees are affected by this closure.  Five of the former engineers decide to form their own R&D, Consulting, and OEM manufacturing firm known as Atlas Development Group.

•   July 25, 2014 – Six months after consumer launch, Remington issues a voluntary recall for the model R51 claiming that there were “complications during our transition from prototype to mass production”.  Customers are offered a replacement model R51, 2 additional magazines, and a custom Pelican case (MPN 96435).  They are also offered a full MSRP refund, or an exchange for a model 1911 R1 handgun.  Remington states that replacement model R51s are expected to ship sometime in October 2014.  According to Remington, roughly one third opt for the replacement, one third opt for the R1, and one third opt for the refund.

•   October 2014 – The promised ship date comes and goes with no explanation from Remington as to when the expected date of re-release will be.  However, it is clear with internal corporate struggles, quality control issues, the looming Para USA plant closure, and the new Huntsville plant transition, the delay will continue into the foreseeable future.

•   October 2014 – Adam Walker, the lead design engineer for the model R51, is no longer at Remington.  Michael Snyder becomes the new lead re-design engineer.

•   December 2014 – A class action lawsuit is filed by 9 of the Sandy Hook victims’ families.  Bushmaster and Remington are named in that lawsuit.

•   January 2015 – The new 2015 Remington catalog still touts the model R51 in hopeful anticipation of its re-release.  Despite Remington’s best efforts, original owners will not see their updated model R51s in 2015.

•   February 2015 – Remington announces that Para USA will “integrate” into the new Huntsville, AL plant beginning in March 2015.

•   March 2015 – the Huntsville, AL plant is up and running.  The first handgun to roll off the line and bear the Huntsville mark are model RM380s, originally planned to be made in Charlotte, NC.  Now that the new Engineering Lab is up and running, the model R51 is being redesigned by the engineers.  Further testing & evaluation of the R51 continues.  Modifications to existing parts produced in Pineville are worked out or scrapped altogether.

•   March 2015 – The Para USA plant is permanently closed in Pineville, NC ahead of the August completion date.  All production for the model R51 is moved to the Huntsville, AL plant eight months after the recall.  It is only assumed that the Pineville plant was continuing to make parts for the model R51 during the dark period.  This may explain why there are so many “Gen 2” model R51s with Charlotte, NC markings.

•   April 2015 – Remington shows the newly redesigned “Gen 2” model R51 at the 2015 NRA convention in Nashville, TN.  Visible differences noted are the slide has been revised with new logo placement and the sights have set screws.  Handguns are shown without magazines.  At this point, it is unclear what internal mechanisms have been redesigned.  Representatives claim all the problems have been fixed.  It is speculated that pending litigation, manufacturing transition, further testing, and quality control keep the redesigned handgun off the market.

•   September 2015 – Remington releases a statement that the new R51 is currently being re-engineered at the R&D center at Huntsville and are working to have it back on the market as soon as possible.

•   January 2016 – The model R51 is absent from the new 2016 Remington catalog as the re-release date of the model R51 is still unclear.

•   January 2016 – The model R51 is not displayed at the SHOT Show exhibit in Las Vegas, NV.  Bizarrely, at Remington’s 200th anniversary historic handgun display, the original 1917 model 51 is shown and the new RM380 has taken the rightful place of the model R51 in the display as the new generation in handguns.

•   June 23, 2016 – Remington begins to ship the new version "Gen 2" model R51 to original owners that sent their handguns in for replacement.  The handguns are still marked with Charlotte, NC, the R51 logo on the slide has been relocated closer to the ejection port, the magazine has a thicker base plate, and the sights now have a set screw to lock them in place.  The packaging is also different than the original.  These are the only noticeable exterior differences on the new handgun.

•   August 12, 2016 – Remington begins the retail roll-out of the Gen 2 model R51 to consumers.  The first boxes sent to dealers are marked “Not for Sale or Display Until August 12, 2016”.

•   October 2016 – The Sandy Hook class action lawsuit filed in 2014 was dismissed by the State of Connecticut.  The complaint was found by the Court not to be valid by State or Federal law.

•   January 2017 – The model R51 is shown in the 2017 Remington catalog with the following “enhanced” features to address the revisions to the handgun:

o   Enhanced slide operation – updated internals ensure superior slide performance and smooth function.
o   Precision engineered extractor – built to withstand abuse, extractor precisely engages case rim for sure and forceful extraction and ejection.
o   Snag-free sights – locking snag free sights for fast target acquisition.
o   Finely-tuned recoil spring – force-balanced for impeccable slide feel and positive closure into battery.
o   Action spring bushing – hard chromed action spring bushing for extreme durability.
o   Superior trigger – crisp, single action trigger provides unmatched shootability and enhanced accuracy.

•   January 2017 – Model R51s are now marked Huntsville, AL on the frame instead of the previous Charlotte, NC.  The serial number format has changed from 0007333R51 to H007333R51.  The "H" prefix designates Huntsville milled receivers.

•   January 2017 – The model R51 is shown at the Shot Show exhibit in Las Vegas, NV.

•   February 2017 – Remington offers a $35 mail-in rebate for all model R51 and RM380 handguns purchased between February 1 and March 5, 2017.

•   March 2017 – Several dozen employees including, Chip Klass, the Director of Product management for handguns and project lead for the model R51, have been “released” from Remington.  Other high-ranking positions let go are: Director of Defense, SVP of Product Development, and Sr. Retail Specialist.

•   August 2017 – James Marcotuli, CEO of Remington, resigns due to “personal matters”.

•   September 2017 – A new variant to spark more interest and sales of the model R51 is released- a two-toned “Smoke” colored model with a gray anodized frame, black slide and grip panels (MPN 96234).  These models begin with the serial number ~H023000R51 through ~H027999R51.  A possible prototype Smoke pistol has been identified as serial number H014XXXR51.

•   October 2017 – Anthony Acitelli is named new CEO.  The following executives at Remington leave the company: SVP/GM of Firearms and Accessories, SVP of Ammunition, and SVP of Sales.
 
•   November 2017 – Remington offers a “Pre-Black Friday” $100 mail-in rebate for all model R51, RP9, and RM380 handguns purchased between November 1 and November 18, 2017.

•   January 2018 – The new Remington catalog shows the model R51 in both Black (MPN 96432) and Smoke (MPN 96234) options.

•   January 2018 – The model R51 is shown at the SHOT Show exhibit in Las Vegas, NV.  The new smoke model is on display along with the black model.

•   March 2018 – Remington files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

•   May 2018 – Remington exits bankruptcy after a restructuring plan is supported by its creditors.

•   September 2018 – Production of the model R51 comes to an end in Q4 2018.  Remington says that production has been "suspended", leaving it open for a possible return and potential recalibration to .40 S&W (R52?) and .45 ACP (R53?) as initially announced.  Author’s Note: the Remington M53 .45 ACP (aka M1917) was prototyped for the US Army during WWI.  The Army ended up staying with the M1911.  However, the Navy and Marine Corps wanted an alternative to the M1911 and tested the M53 in April of 1918.  They found it more reliable than the M1911 but was cost prohibitive.  As a result, the model 51 was produced for civilian use.

•   November 2018 – After navigating the company through bankruptcy, Anthony Acitelli resigns as CEO.

•   January 2019 – The model R51 is absent from the new 2019 Remington catalog.  However, the catalog still shows that magazines, grips, and optional sights are still available for the model R51.  The handgun is still shown on the website as available for purchase with an MSRP of $448.

•   March 2019 – The Sandy Hook families appealed to the Supreme Court of Connecticut where the ruling was reversed.

•   June 2019 – Ken D'Arcy is appointed as new CEO of Remington Outdoors.

•   November 2019 – Remington’s appeal to drop the suit is denied and the Sandy Hook families are allowed to proceed with the class action lawsuit.

•   December 2019 – Remington ceases production and sales of Bushmaster, DPMS, TAPCO, and Storm Lake.  Their websites have been removed from the internet.

•   January 2020 – The model R51 is absent from the new 2020 Remington catalog.  However, the catalog still shows that magazines, grips, and optional sights are still available for the model R51.  The handgun is still shown on the website as available for purchase in the all-black model (MPN 96430) MSRP $448 and the all-black with Crimson Trace laserguard model (MPN 96432) MSRP $648.

•   July 2020 – Remington files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again.  A move that protects Remington from having to pay a massive and crippling judgement to the Sandy Hook families.

•   August 2020 – There are very few model R51 pistols and accessories available for purchase but can still be found at online stores.  An occasional Gen 1 will show up on auction sites.  The current political climate and Corona virus pandemic have caused most personal defense weapons and ammunition to fly off the shelf.  It is a shame that Remington could not capitalize on this record setting year of firearms sales.

•   September 2020 – A judge approves the purchase of Remington Outdoor Company by seven other entities:

o   Vista Outdoor Inc. to purchase majority of assets- ammunition, accessories, brand and trademarks
o   Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. to purchase Marlin firearms business
o   Roundhill Group LLC to purchase the non-Marlin firearms business including Ilion, NY plant and museum
o   Sierra Bullets LLC to purchase Barnes ammunition business
o   JJE Capital Holdings LLC to purchase DPMS, H&R, Stormlake, AAC, and Parker brands
o   Franklin Armory Holdings LLC to purchase Bushmaster brand and related assets
o   Sportsman's Warehouse Inc. to purchase TAPCO brands

For now, this is where the chronicle ends.  With only a sporadic five year run from 2014 through 2018, will the model R51 be remembered as a total disaster or will it be remembered as one of the coolest looking handguns with predestined collectability?  This model R51 owner thinks the latter will be the case.  But, as they say, time will only tell.  In hindsight, the gun of the future should have been prototyped and manufactured at the plant of the future from the beginning.  In the end, and much like its predecessor, the success of the model R51 was doomed from the beginning amid the corporate turmoil at Big Green.

Production Note: Prior to the Great Depression of the early 20th century, the original model 51 only had a total production of 65,000 units.  It is believed that the new model R51 also had an estimated total production of 65,000 units (according to known serial numbers).  Approximately 37,000 units marked Charlotte, NC and approximately 28,000 units marked Huntsville, AL.  An interesting coincidence shared between the two models.

Production photos

Yes, and other Huntsville tours. There are also some photos from Elizabethtown R&D center.

I'm guessing there was a glut of r51's and r51 accessories lying around earlier this year.  This current environment has probably allowed retailers to finally move these excess guns.  I was hoping there would be a final clearance of r51's at firesale prices, but I'm guessing that isn't going to happen.  They will be able to sell the remaining guns, and the new owners will probably announce it's discontinuation early next year.  I wonder if r51's are currently in production?

I'm guessing there was a glut of r51's and r51 accessories lying around earlier this year.  This current environment has probably allowed retailers to finally move these excess guns.  I was hoping there would be a final clearance of r51's at firesale prices, but I'm guessing that isn't going to happen.  They will be able to sell the remaining guns, and the new owners will probably announce it's discontinuation early next year.  I wonder if r51's are currently in production?

Remington discontinued the R51 in 2018 and all of the fire sales have already happened.  Accessories were always pretty limited and are mostly gone.  You can find some things here and there online.

Nothing official other than replies from Remington customer service.  But then again, Remington was never forthcoming on the R51 since the beginning.

Received a reply from Remington, no more R-51 production.

Hey, everyone, details of the Remington Sell-Off can
be found at; rifleshootermag.com. I obviously saw
this in latest issue of Rifleshooter magazine. Thanks.