Anyone try the Remington RM380 yet?

[FireInCairo]

I handled one in a shop today, and there were some things I liked about it. The trigger was, however, ridiculously long, though it wasn't terribly heavy and didn't move the muzzle when dry-firing it. Also, it has second-strike capability.

Ergonimically, it felt more natural in the hand than the LCP, but that's because it is bigger. Is it small enough for me to put aside my nano? I'm not sure I would go that far in compromise of cartridge for the sake of compactness.

I could see carrying the LCP and making that compromise, but not sure on the RM380.

Otherwise, it seems like a decent design and if they prove to be reliable it may be a nice option out there.

Anyone own one? Anyone shoot one? How do you like it? How reliable has it been for you?

Here's Gunblast reviewing it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ne7sQ4KCfU

 

[ROCK6]

I haven’t carried it yet, but I’ve put a few hundred rounds through it without any issues. It’s actually one of the few pocket pistols that are enjoyable to shoot for more than a couple magazines. Of interesting note, the magazines have a spacer in them which leads me to think Remington will introduce a 9mm version soon (Rohrbaugh 2.0?). Yes, the trigger is long and it breaks almost all the way back against the frame and the reset is lengthy as well. Aside from that, the pull is smooth, much like a DA revolver.

Remington got this one right. Still, it’s bigger and heavier than the common LCP, but it does provide a little more grip and (to me) is softer shooting. This is one of those pistols that you really need to handle in order to see if it works for you.

ROCK6

 

[C0untZer0]

Is it small enough for me to put aside my nano?

The gun was originally built to be the smallest lightest possible 9mm semi-auto. It was the Rohrbaugh R9. Then it was chambered in .380 and some lighter springs were used to create the R380.

Then Remington purchased Rohrbaugh Firearms and made design changes to the R380 to create the RM380.

If you want mostly the same gun in 9mm you can still buy a Rohrbaugh R9 - there are still some NIB R9s for sale out there and they are warrantied now by Remington.

There are some guns like the LCP that have long trigger pulls and I wonder "was that really necessary?" My own opinion of the trigger pull on the R9 is that it is a function of creating enough energy to propel a mass with sufficient force to ignite a primer. If you're not going to have a striker-fired pistol or some other way to cock it, you need to use the trigger to create that energy.

The triggers on most 1911 style / SA guns chambered in .380 are quite good.

 

[FireInCairo]

That's interesting, CZ, from what I've seen regarding the issues with the Rohrbaugh R9 it may be the size was too ambitious for the 9mm cartridge and is better suited for a 380 platform.

 

[loadedround]

A close friend of mine bought one for his wife who just got a CWP. Took them out to my range to give her some quality range time. she had a heck of a time with that 10-12 lb trigger pull and constantly jerked the trigger. As an NRA Pistol Instructor, I would not recommend the RM380 to a woman shooter. Reassembly is a PIA also.

 

[cocojo]

Awesome pistol and extremely reliable. I have 500 to 600 flawless rounds in my gun. Trigger is long but about 7 lbs. Terrific handgun!

 

[Tirod]

The one I tried out dry firing in a gun store was in the 6-7 pound range. The trigger pull IS long, about the same as a first gen LCP. I have issues as it seems I need another knuckle in my finger to get it back to the frame to fire either. I sold the LCP and chose a pistol with a 6 pound pull that has a trigger no longer than a stock Glock 19. That is longer than the typical SA trigger of, say, a P938.

The real issue is what is a "long" trigger pull? For a SA user these are, and it's why the Brand gun I did buy has been accused of it for years. Yet it's no worse than a Glock and quiet a bit better than some DA revolvers.

Overall the "Rohrmington" has a good reputation with few faults, the Huntsville plant is performing to our overzealous expectations, apparently. Whether it has a trigger that anyone one of us would like is another issue, as most of the pocket guns in this category have longer DA pulls in the 6+ range. So do many other DA pistols and revolvers. It takes trying a larger sampling of them to actually place it in the pack, and even then there are other features that can impact your appreciation, like slide racking pressure or whether it has a slide hold open, etc. Much less the dreaded no magazine safety which seems to be less a deal breaker than in the past.

I would rate these guns on a basis of trigger pull length, weight, perceived recoil shooting it, slide hold open, then anything else. If they could be shot blindfolded without knowing what they were I suspect a lot of shooters would pick a different gun than they tend to admire. Like taste testing in a kitchen, if you don't know, you make decisions based on the interaction you have with it, rather than Pride of Ownership, tribal Brand affiliation, or some other ego based relationship. Which shooters are mostly prone to do.

I balked at what I perceived as a long trigger, too, but it's my choice, not a pronouncement the gun is morally suspect. If it works for you is what counts, not the opinions of gun commandoes on the internet.

 

[C0untZer0]

The trigger pull IS long, about the same as a first gen LCP. I have issues as it seems I need another knuckle in my finger to get it back to the frame to fire either.

I experienced that with the LCP and this is how I described it:

"I like to be able to pull the trigger by just moving my trigger finger from the second knuckle to the finger tip. With the original LCP, at some point in that long trigger pull I couldn't just pull the trigger using the upper half of my trigger finger. I had to bring other muscles into play - kind of pull the trigger with my whole finger."

I don't experience that with the RM380, but that's just me. The trigger is probably right there on the cusp for some people with the length of their hands and fingers, that the trigger on the RM380 causes some people to bring more finger into play to pull the trigger.

 

[Ibmikey]

My RM 380 found it's way to the console of my PU where she is always ready. I and many friends have shot 3-400 rounds through it without incident, accuracy is ok for a ten yard pistol. The trigger pull does indeed take some getting used to but after the first pull subsequent shots are completed without consciously wondering about the long free travel.
Nice little pistol but takes a back seat to my Sig P 238, G 42 and Kimber Micro all of which are easy, accurate and reliable shooters.