Badger Arms
Member
I mentioned the Pederson locking system in another thread and it was brought to my attention that this is not common knowledge. This thread is intended as a forum for this unique and outstanding pistol; any comments from owners, admirers, or the curious type are welcome.
The Remington Model 51 was the only production pistol with the Pederson type of operating system. Basically, the system is similar in layout to a Walther blowback style (like the PPK, Makarov, etc.) with a fixed barrel and the recoil spring surrounding the barrel. It differs in that it has a separate bolt inside the slide. This is a tilting bolt that locks into recesses in the frame on either side of the magazine. When 'locked' the bolt is actually a fraction of an inch forward of the frame recesses. When the gun is fired, the bolt and slide move together for that fraction of an inch during which time the gun is acting as a blowback. When the bolt lugs stop, the slide continues to move back. This allows chamber pressure to drop to safe levels. Once the slide moves back far enough, it lifts the bolt from its locking recess and continues the firing cycle. This is a truly locked breech. One can insert a dowel in the barrel and push on the bolt. It will move a fraction of an inch and stop against the lugs. Retracting the slide opens the gun as you would expect.
This system has the following advantages:
-Fixed barrel for accuracy, reliability, and simplicity of construction.
-Ability to handle greater pressure than a blowback yet without the size and weight penalty of other locking systems.
-The recoil spring can surround the barrel instead of occupying space below the barrel for a shorter profile gun.
-Due to its semi-blowback system, the gun handles a wider variety of load pressures.
This system also has some disadvantages:
-The frame needs to be either made from steel, or contain a steel insert of some sort in the locking recesses.
-Machining the bolt and slide is difficult and takes many more operations than a more traditional system.
-Because the Browning and Beretta locking systems are SO pervasive, building and marketing this 'strange' system would be difficult.
John Pederson worked in concert with John Browning to design the Remington Model 17 which survives today as the Ithaca 37. He also designed the 'Pederson Device’ that converted the US Model 1903 into a semi-automatic intermediate caliber rifle! What he's probably most remembered for is providing the competition to John Garand with a toggle-locked semi-auto rifle.
The Remington Model 51 enjoyed limited success. Made in 32 and 380 calibers, it was marketed as a pocket pistol. It was more expensive than the Browning designed competition and not overly much smaller. While Pederson was brilliant, he also tried to flaunt it with this pistol. The many safety features included a grip safety that operated as a slide release and many other kooky ideas. The grips were held on with spring-tensioned studs and I'll be darned if I can find a screw in the whole gun. From my point of view, he over-designed the Model 51.
The Pistol was sound-enough in design to be accepted as a substitution for the 1911 during the First World War as the scaled-up Remington Model 53. It offered many advantages in size and shootability over the 1911 but was never put into series production... production on the 1911 kept pace with wartime demands.
About thirty years ago, an inventor named Ross Rudd attempted to market another 45 pistol based on the Pederson design. This gun failed mostly because of a lack of business sense on the inventor's part.
Any comments?
Note: This picture has been altered to conceal the Serial Numbers.
The Remington Model 51 was the only production pistol with the Pederson type of operating system. Basically, the system is similar in layout to a Walther blowback style (like the PPK, Makarov, etc.) with a fixed barrel and the recoil spring surrounding the barrel. It differs in that it has a separate bolt inside the slide. This is a tilting bolt that locks into recesses in the frame on either side of the magazine. When 'locked' the bolt is actually a fraction of an inch forward of the frame recesses. When the gun is fired, the bolt and slide move together for that fraction of an inch during which time the gun is acting as a blowback. When the bolt lugs stop, the slide continues to move back. This allows chamber pressure to drop to safe levels. Once the slide moves back far enough, it lifts the bolt from its locking recess and continues the firing cycle. This is a truly locked breech. One can insert a dowel in the barrel and push on the bolt. It will move a fraction of an inch and stop against the lugs. Retracting the slide opens the gun as you would expect.
This system has the following advantages:
-Fixed barrel for accuracy, reliability, and simplicity of construction.
-Ability to handle greater pressure than a blowback yet without the size and weight penalty of other locking systems.
-The recoil spring can surround the barrel instead of occupying space below the barrel for a shorter profile gun.
-Due to its semi-blowback system, the gun handles a wider variety of load pressures.
This system also has some disadvantages:
-The frame needs to be either made from steel, or contain a steel insert of some sort in the locking recesses.
-Machining the bolt and slide is difficult and takes many more operations than a more traditional system.
-Because the Browning and Beretta locking systems are SO pervasive, building and marketing this 'strange' system would be difficult.
John Pederson worked in concert with John Browning to design the Remington Model 17 which survives today as the Ithaca 37. He also designed the 'Pederson Device’ that converted the US Model 1903 into a semi-automatic intermediate caliber rifle! What he's probably most remembered for is providing the competition to John Garand with a toggle-locked semi-auto rifle.
The Remington Model 51 enjoyed limited success. Made in 32 and 380 calibers, it was marketed as a pocket pistol. It was more expensive than the Browning designed competition and not overly much smaller. While Pederson was brilliant, he also tried to flaunt it with this pistol. The many safety features included a grip safety that operated as a slide release and many other kooky ideas. The grips were held on with spring-tensioned studs and I'll be darned if I can find a screw in the whole gun. From my point of view, he over-designed the Model 51.
The Pistol was sound-enough in design to be accepted as a substitution for the 1911 during the First World War as the scaled-up Remington Model 53. It offered many advantages in size and shootability over the 1911 but was never put into series production... production on the 1911 kept pace with wartime demands.
About thirty years ago, an inventor named Ross Rudd attempted to market another 45 pistol based on the Pederson design. This gun failed mostly because of a lack of business sense on the inventor's part.
Any comments?
Note: This picture has been altered to conceal the Serial Numbers.
I played with a very very good condition R51 in Idaho on a sales trip years ago. I DIDNT know what it was at the time....it was in very good shape and they wanted just over 150$ for it 
