Picked up a Remington RM380

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chicharrones

chicharrones

needs more ammo
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Yesterday, I came across a RM380 for sale at a local gun range. I held it, worked the slide, checked it over, and I liked it.

So, I bought it, lubed it, and fired it. Now I need a pocket holster for it, and more ammo.

Double action only with double strike capability. It's a good alternative to a pocket revolver and for guys that like pocket revolvers but want an autoloader.

With the large slide and relatively soft recoil springs, the slide is easy to grab and rack. Plus, it is a surprisingly soft shooter.

It points fast and shoots fast. Accuracy at 10 yards is as good as I can do with any other pocket gun that has a long trigger pull and some weight on it.

I really like it. :cool:

Pics, of course.

rem-1.jpg


rem-2.jpg


rem-tau-1.jpg


rem-tau-2.jpg


One gun on top of the other and vice versa.
rem-tau-3.jpg


rem-tau-4.jpg
 
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Great pics. I just won a RM380 on Gunbroker. Hopefully I will have it later this week. I especially enjoy the comparison to the TCP since I own one. I noticed that your TCP is a 32acp. I wish I would have scored one when they were in production.
 
franco45 said:
Great pics. I just won a RM380 on Gunbroker. Hopefully I will have it later this week. I especially enjoy the comparison to the TCP since I own one. I noticed that your TCP is a 32acp. I wish I would have scored one when they were in production.
Click to expand...

Congrats on the purchase! I bet you got a deal on that RM380. Mine was $353.00, which isn't bad at all for a local brick and mortar shop near my home. :)

As to the TCP732, it's too bad Taurus quit making those. It is a really nice gun, and the magazine can be modded to hold 7 rounds. 7+1 in a pocket .32 ACP is pretty nice and another example of a sweet shooting pocket gun. I wish I would have bought at least one more 732 before the new ones were all gone.
 
I paid $306 shipped for the RM380. My FFL charges $25 for transfers. I really wish I would have scored a 32acp Taurus but I'm satisfied with my KelTec P32.
 
JohnBiltz said:
Its going to be quite awhile before I'd trust Remington to make a handgun. Wish you luck on them though.
Click to expand...

This is the unfortunate aspect of putting out a dud (R51) as it really hurts the reputation of the company. I took a chance on the RM380 as it was a good deal and my wife sold her Bersa 380 after I bought about 1000 rounds of ammo.

This is a solid design. A little large for a .380, but still pocket sized. This is a great shooter though and it's actually enjoyable to shoot 100+ rounds through it. I think the comparison of wanting a small .380 to replace a J-Frame is a good one...the trigger pull is long, but smooth. Hopefully the RM380's success will start to patch up the reputation damaged by the troubled R51.

ROCK6
 
JohnBiltz said:
Its going to be quite awhile before I'd trust Remington to make a handgun. Wish you luck on them though.
Click to expand...
That's a helluva rude thing to write AFTER the guy already bought it!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
He's completely right, though, fauxpa; the R51 was a completely unforgivable debacle (I could waste a whole hour recounting the many blunders and general incompetence), and coming on the heels of an unprecedented trigger recall, as well as ongoing generic quality concerns with practically all their other platforms.

That said...

The RM380 is based on existing successful art, and presumably tooling also, and isn't being made by a plant full of folks about to be laid off like the R51 was. It had a whole lot going for its success than the R51, regardless of whether it was Remington or Taurus or Ruger producing the thing. So I'm not surprised they seem to be a perfectly acceptable product now that Remington is turning its act around to some degree, if even temporarily

I'm honestly most surprised they've managed to reverse their cranial-rectal syndrome long enough to get at least one project off the ground successfully. We'll see if they can keep up the good work! :cool:

TCB

PS-I know a man never calls another's dog, truck, or gun ugly...but Remington seriously needs to step up the game on their finishes. Seriously. Not only is their bead-blasted 'express' finish :barf: a clear and obvious gambit to disguise that they aren't doing any proper finish polishing on the exterior parts (not new, they've been doing this to 870s and 700s for years), it's also rough enough to severely affect corrosion resistance, since unless things have changed, they are simply parkerizing over the cratered surface. Endless battle with rust on my 700SPS --a 600$ rifle that looks like a 300$ import, with a stock even cheaper than that. More than anything, this crap finish makes their guns look like a terrible bargain at their price point --the recent numerous quality issues kill what little chance the sale still had.
 
JohnBiltz said:
Its going to be quite awhile before I'd trust Remington to make a handgun. Wish you luck on them though.
Click to expand...
I have had a Remington R1 for about 3 years now. Love it. No issues, and very well made

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk
 
I like the clean profile of the R9, I like that there is no slide stop lever to accidentally engage, and I like that the heel magazine release.
 
The one here has a very sharp & rough edge on that half-inch "insert" in the frame just above the trigger on the right side.

Have not fired it yet, but appears it'll scrape skin on the finger.
Anybody else have a sharp edge there?
Denis
 
DPris said:
The one here has a very sharp & rough edge on that half-inch "insert" in the frame just above the trigger on the right side.

Have not fired it yet, but appears it'll scrape skin on the finger.
Anybody else have a sharp edge there?
Denis
Click to expand...

That insert looks plastic. Mine does have molding flash hanging off that looks like it could cut on a trigger finger while shooting. Due to the way my finger hooks into the trigger guard, my finger does not touch that flash while live firing or dry firing.

Still, when I take my RM380 apart to clean it today, I'll probably pull the grips and see if I can clean that part up.
 
barnbwt said:
PS-I know a man never calls another's dog, truck, or gun ugly...but Remington seriously needs to step up the game on their finishes. Seriously. Not only is their bead-blasted 'express' finish :barf: a clear and obvious gambit to disguise that they aren't doing any proper finish polishing on the exterior parts (not new, they've been doing this to 870s and 700s for years), it's also rough enough to severely affect corrosion resistance, since unless things have changed, they are simply parkerizing over the cratered surface.
Click to expand...

My RM is no different. The finish does have a few little flaws here and there, but considering the holster wear this thing will receive over the next several years my RM will be looking much worse in the future.

My TCP732 in the photos above has plenty of holster wear all over from nearly daily carry over the last 4 years.

Both guns have basic finishes. Since my TCP has seen the inside of a leather pocket holster with no rust yet, I figure my RM will wear about the same.

I suppose the Alabama Inaugural Edition with its stainless slide is evidence that Remington would likely sell a stainless slide RM in the future. :confused:
 
Next time you are in WalMart trolling for .22LR check out their holster selection.

They sell a black nylon pocket sheath by some name maker (the name tag has worn blank on mine) the size 03 is a bit big on a P32 so should be close.

But for the price these new Remingtons look nice. Looks like they have useable sights.

-kBob
 
C0untZer0 said:
I like the clean profile of the R9, I like that there is no slide stop lever to accidentally engage, and I like that the heel magazine release.
Click to expand...

The thing about the RM380 slide stop is that it is below level of the left grip panel.

The slide stop is essentially unusable to release the slide from a firing grip. You have to pull the slide to the rear to chamber a round after inserting a magazine.

The slide stop is useable if you don't take a firing grip and push your finger upwards into the "divot" that the slide stop is resting in. Even then, it isn't easy. Yet, the gun does have last shot hold open which many people are accustomed to.

I do like the concept of a heel magazine release in a pocket gun. The thing is, not a single pocket gun I have purchased has that type of mag release. So, I guess I'm use to the American version.
 
kBob said:
any possibility of that barrel retaining pin slipping into the slide and locking it in use?

-kBob
Click to expand...

That is a good question, kBob.

When I had my RM at the shooting range, I let a friend of mine try the gun. For whatever reason, he held the gun to tilted to the left and slowly messed with the slide while chambering a round and got the slide into alignment with that takedown pin.

He turned around to me with a jammed up gun. I was befuddled initially as I didn't read the manual first :banghead: , but I did see the pin partially moved into the slide hole. I pushed the pin back in and all was well.

Once I made sure everyone trying my gun knew to cycle the slide briskly or simply fire it, the pin never moved. It just doesn't have time to fall to the left into the non-aligned takedown hole while firing or sling shotting the slide. A bit of grease on the pin instead of oil should help, too.

The thing that is slightly disconcerting to me is the RM380 takedown pin is just round. While other takedown pins have a head on them. If a takedown pin with a head on it decides to roll on your workbench, it will simply roll in a circle. The RM380 pin on the other hand will likely roll away.

So, the RM380 takedown pin is a serious consideration for a purchaser of this gun.

Yet, a little education in advance should prevent loss of the pin while using the gun. In fact, there is a single sheet of paper in the box (separate from the manual) that speaks to this issue. Stupid me just didn't read it since I bought the gun at the same range I first fired it at. :D
 
kBob said:
any possibility of that barrel retaining pin slipping into the slide and locking it in use?

-kBob
Click to expand...
If you were firing the gun gangsta style I doubt the take down pin could slip because the slide would be moving too fast. I think if you held the gun horizontal and slowly pulled the slide back it is possible that the pin could move. If the pin was loose fitting it seems to be possible in theory.
 
kBob said:
Next time you are in WalMart trolling for .22LR check out their holster selection.

They sell a black nylon pocket sheath by some name maker (the name tag has worn blank on mine) the size 03 is a bit big on a P32 so should be close.

But for the price these new Remingtons look nice. Looks like they have useable sights.

-kBob
Click to expand...

I'm leaning toward leather again. I wish Hunter would make their 2500 model for this gun. I have a 2500 for my TCP and an NAA Guardian. They are easy to cut to fit the external dimensions as needed.

I do have a nearly new cloth (edit: Blackhawk #3) pocket holster, but it's too tight on the gun. When I draw, the holster stays on the gun. :D

As to the sights, they quite a bit larger than what's on a LCP or TCP. Plus, they seem to work with the 95 grain bullets I've tried so far. :cool:
 
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