Remington is Apparently Abandoning the R51

[avboiler11]

The 700 is hands down the best out of the box precision rifle money can buy IMO (in any caliber).

You've obviously never handled a Tikka.

 

[D-Ric902]

I am more surprised that the R51 didn't work out. You would think a major manufacturer could have a more extensive testing protocol.
With the computerized CNC and CAD design it would almost be more difficult to design a loser.

 

[jdmack79]

You've obviously never handled a Tikka.

QFT. They are one of the best at that price point.

 

[billt]

If someone is a fan or collector of the original, having the remake would definitely be worth the having in the collection. There's a huge difference between saying 'I know it's crap, but I'm going to buy it and carry it anyway because I just love all that Remington does' and 'It may have issues, but it's part of the design family and deserves a place in a collection'. No need to rude or condescending over someone else's decisions based on your own values.

Good analysis.

 

[Hohn]

My thing is: how does a company with any self respect let this one get out the door even??

Makes me want to forswear all things Freedom Group.

If they don't mind putting junk like the R51 out on the street, what else have they no shame about?

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I thought it might have potential, but I wouldn't buy something I didn't think had any potential as a carry. Even though the only thing I carry consistently is a semi-obsolete thing that was never that popular and a lot of people think is kinda dodgy (mine's not), the R51 just disappoints me, so no. I don't have, nor do I anticipate having, a collection that warrants blatant losers just for some kind of completion.

 

[M67]

My thing is: how does a company with any self respect let this one get out the door even??

Makes me want to forswear all things Freedom Group.

If they don't mind putting junk like the R51 out on the street, what else have they no shame about?

Every company makes turds

 

[Hohn]

Every company makes turds

This wasn't a bad batch or an isolated defect. Who brings gritty guns to NRA? SHOT?

Who sends sketchy guns out for T&E?

Every person makes turds, but few try to pass them off as peanut butter.

There's no excuse for Rem on this one. None.

 

[M67]

This wasn't a bad batch or an isolated defect. Who brings gritty guns to NRA? SHOT?

Who sends sketchy guns out for T&E?

Every person makes turds, but few try to pass them off as peanut butter.

There's no excuse for Rem on this one. None.

First series of Sig 250s, 290s, 2022s, and 238s had issues. Kimber external extractors were extremely hit or miss, Kimber turned down a lot of the polymer double stack frames, and there were a lot of Solos that had issues. Lot of Colt 2000s and Double Eagles had problems. Taurus....well....there was a long time where you'd get a new revolver and it wouldn't lock up worth a damn and had end shake from the factory; it was a case you were glad they had a lifetime warranty because well, you'd use it. If I remember right too, their first attempts at making a compact 45 were horrendous. Springfield had a recall on the XDs that took a long time because they weren't quite sure how to fix it.

As for gritty guns....Hi Points (to me) feel like sh@t, and I bet they didn't doll them up for the show, but many people here swear up and down they work. A gun doesn't have to feel silky smooth in your hand to work right. I've handled a couple R51s, shot one too. It shot okay, pointed well, but didn't float my boat and it seemed like people were having issues with not gripping it right so they'd let go of the grip safety during shooting, causing the gun to hang up.

As for sketchy guns to T&E, that's why it's called testing. Don't know if a gun will work until you shoot it.

Peanut butter, there's a lot of later production Colt Anacondas and Pythons out there sold just as that. But you did say few, so that means Remington isn't alone.


I'm just saying everyone makes turds and few companies like to live up to issues (Glock), but I'm not defending them. After what Freedom Group did to Marlin, how they've cheapened up the modern Remingtons where the fit and finish blow and they can't even get a stock that mates with the receiver well or fit a recoil pad, and ruined every other company that they've gotten their hands into, I don't really care anymore about Remington/Freedom Group. They're cheapening their own name by making themselves purely Walmart, Gander, and Dicks guns.

Remington thought that had a true winner with the R51. An affordable, concealable, easy to operate for weak handed individuals, all metal, and a "classic" design from a "classic" company. They saw an opportunity and went for it, just turns out they jumped the gun (like Sig does a lot of times).

R51 is old news anyway, I can't wait to bash their latest creation of a muzzle loader next

 

[billt]

My thing is: how does a company with any self respect let this one get out the door even??

Makes me want to forswear all things Freedom Group.

If they don't mind putting junk like the R51 out on the street, what else have they no shame about?

That would be a better question put to GM and Ford. They recalled more cars than they built last year.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Update: 25 July 2014

Remington To Replace All R-51 Pistols - The Firearm Blog

Because of popular demand, I repeat the Grumpy Old Guy Post:

This one is all on marketing. Remington had a brilliant pistol in the 51 designed by the "greatest gun designer" to walk the planet, John D. Pedersen, and what did they do? Make it "modern" and hip with all that crap metal and polymer because all those people that marketing talked to with their hip and happening "polymer is cool" crowd instead of the people that know what a mother-loving Model 51 is!

Dear Remington,

Do not defile the name of John Douglas Pedersen, bring back the real Model 51.

/s/ Grumpy Old Guy

 

[easy]

Ironically the Sept 'Guns ' magazine on the rack at WM has a prime article, cover and centerfold spread on the R51. I wonder how much Remington paid for that advertisement.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

...and the saga continues....


Remington Engineers: R51 Launched Over Our Objections | The Truth About Guns

 

[MikeDVB]

I'll just place this here:
Remington To Replace All R-51 Pistols - The Firearm Blog

If you own one - you can get a new model/improved gun for free as I understand it.

Remington Outdoors wanted a resolution as soon as possible and that solution had to be fair to the customer. As the press release says these guns will be replaced with new guns. In addition two extra magazines and a custom Pelican case will be given to each customer in addition to the standard accessories. I agree it’s taken a good bit of time to get this right but it seems a fair solution, which is what we all wanted to see.

 

[xdmdude]

Just saw somewhere (I don't remember exactly where I read it but it was reliable resource) that Remington is fixing the production problems that came about during transition from prototype to production. Article said we might start seeing some r51's in fall maybe.

 

[Osprey]

Didn't want to create a new thread so I decided to reply to this one. Just watched Gallery of Guns and they showcased the R51. They also mentioned the "new" R51s are coming out in the Fall, 2014. If they really fixed all the problems, I might be tempted to look at them again.

 

[billt]

Has anyone actually mentioned what "all the problems" were? I keep hearing how problem plagued this weapon is, or was, but I never heard anything specific. Just a lot of Internet badmouthing in general.

 

[M67]

Has anyone actually mentioned what "all the problems" were? I keep hearing how problem plagued this weapon is, or was, but I never heard anything specific. Just a lot of Internet badmouthing in general.

I saw people having issues with it jamming, a combination of failure to feeds and extracts. But what appeared was happening was their hand strength wasn't much and the grip safety was getting released a little under recoil. I never had the chance to take one apart to see if this would actually be an issue but that's what I witnessed.

I shot it and did well with it, but I guess I was one of the lucky few (or I knew how to shoot, either or)