Remington is out in force at the Great American Outdoors Show this weekend through next Sunday in Harrisburg, PA. I was there today, and got a chance to handle one. They had more than a couple dozen for people to handle, and it's clear they are out to sell these babies! First impressions are that the slide racks very easily, the only external safety is the one on the grip handle, the trigger is really (extremely) nice, overall it's a bit larger than I expected but not unreasonable, and it is very well balanced. Now I want to shoot one, as the action design is unique and could potentially be very accurate with very little recoil.
Remington reps were really showing how easy the slide could be racked and directly comparing to other pistols such as Glocks and M&Ps. They were stating that women will have a much easier time manipulating the slide, as they claim there are many competitors that aren't so easy in this department. I agree, and it appears this gun will appeal to all. Note that the rear sight was designed with a 90 degree angle facing the front sight to assist in one handed racking the slide against any corner surface. Once there are choices in holsters, this will be very easy to conceal.
According to the Remington reps at the show, the R51 will have an MSRP of $420 and be available at the end of February. If it's true to form, the R51 should be available for just under $400 at certain retailers. While I currently use the Shield for CC during warmer months, I am very intrigued by this model. It just feels right! It's likely that a purchase of the R51 will end up going to either my wife or daughter once they get a hold of it. Hmmmmm, may need two . . .
