Remington R1, bad first impression.

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Big_E

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Today I was looking at 1911's at a local gun store. I immediately looked over the Springfield's since that seems to be the best overall for me. However, the salesman said I should look at the Remington R1, I said sure (even though I do not like new Remington stuff, plus the R1 is cast/Philippine made (not that bad but still...) not what I want for a first 1911.)

So I release the mag, pull back the slide once, tried the trigger. Not too shabby. I pull back the slide again, locks at halfway! :scrutiny: I tell the salesman something is wrong and he thought I needed to push the slide release down. Nope it wasn't caught on the slide release, it was literally stuck half way. The salesman apologized and was going to take it to the back to get looked at. So I said, "Not interested, got any used Series 70's?"

Long story short, I was already leery of the R1, but having it lock up on me within the first minute of handling it has solidified that I will not even consider one. I'm sure some R1 owners are happy with theirs and that's okay. Just wanted to share my first impression with one for any readers considering an R1.
 
I hope they are as nice as they look. Wonder what the problem was> Can't just be lube as that wouldn't make it LOCK, may make it hard to cycle, but not total lock up. Wonder if the recoil spring got bound up?
 
Probably wasnt anything wrong at all with it but I suppose that is how negative gun reviews always start.
 
New Old 1911A Semi-Autos

Full detailed reviews of the:

Springfield RANGE OFFICER
Remington R1
Interstate Arms R100

have appeared very recently in major magazines.

Without a doubt the Springfield is the highest quality piece. Massad Ayoob did the review in Guns (current issue), was very pleased with both quality and accuracy, and as a final test took it to an IDPA match, winning the Custom Defense Pistol division and second overall.

The current Regent R100, made in Turkey, seems to come in good second, particularly with regard manufacturing standards and final finishing, and a deal considering its nominal selling price of $400 - $500. (reviewed in American Rifleman, Oct, 2010)

My local gun dealer suggested the R1 (which he had) when I asked to see the RANGE OFFICER (which he didn't have). The Remington review I saw basically pronounced it to be ok, but indicated it came off the computer controlled machinery without the benefit of any hand finishing. The slide bottom had edges sharp enough to draw blood. http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/remington-r1-review/
 
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I am not saying that the R1 is particularly bad, just the first one I handled had a problem that could be fixed. But this was off the shelf, now if I handled a few more R1's and they didn't have the problem then it would probably be okay since I know that not all guns are perfect.

I'm still set on the Springfields or Colts, maybe S&W if I can get over the external extractor.

Oh and I have run into several problems with new Remington products (700 and 870) that I just don't trust the company right now. Maybe I am the one who gets faulty products from Remington. Plus, from what I heard, Springfield's customer service is hard to beat.
 
I put my hands on a R1 last night. 1st time I saw one in a shop.
I liked the finish on the slide. I've read it had a parker finish, the saleman said parker, it actually looked more like a duracoat or powder coat finish.

The salesman said some new ones will hang the slide release on the take down notch (more of a nick in the slide), but that particular gun we couldn't get the slide stop to catch it. and you said you pulled the slide stop down on the one you touched.
I felt only a slight amount of raspyness to the slide action. Nothing that won't shoot out in a couple hundred rounds. Weird that the one you touched locked up. I must be you. Yeah it's your fault.. ;) hehehe
 
Yes, for the record I changed one of my statements because, in another thread that several people told me it was Filipino. It is probably assembled here in the US since some members on here said that Remington will not answer their questions as to where it originates from.

Quack, I am sure that you love your R1. I am sure that it is an adequate firearm and I said before that not all of them are probably bad. The one they had in the shop was probably just faulty, who knows if the store messed with it before or whatever. But this was the first 1911 that I handled that locked up on me.

Since I try to be fair even to guns/companies I don't like, I have heard that the R1 is pretty accurate and that its finish was pretty nice. However, it was not my cup of tea.
 
there are definitely bad one's out there (along with any manufacturer). I've seen photos of one that had the slide rubbing on the dustcover, but the small sample i have handled were pretty decent.

There are plenty satisfied R1 owners out there though.

I bought mine as a project gun because i couldn't find a Springfield Mil-spec that was well fit in my 6-8 month search.
 
I had one briefly and then sold it to a friend because I wanted another Colt instead. My friend ended up selling not long after I sold it to him.

The rumor that it was made or even that parts of it were made overseas is unsubstantiated. Remington has stated that the gun is made here in the US and until it's proven that they are lying then there is no reason to assume the gun is made in the Philippines. Just because it looks sort of like a RIA doesn't mean that it's Filipino.
 
Hmm...odd.

I have had my hands on a couple and they seemed pretty nice, especially in their price point. I think you found one of the bad ones, and look at it this way; Now that you found it, it can be fixed before someone buys it and gets to the range. You performed a service for another shooter.
 
I must say this sounds like a fluke. I handled a Kimber Ultra Carry with crimson trace grips on it the other day and the magazine wouldn't stay locked in. We took the firearm in the back and found the magazine release hadn't been seated right and was causing this issue of the button not being allowed to relax, so the magazine slid in and out of the pistol with ease and never locked.

And I suppose that is just like anything else in this world. Products that are fresh and new are always going to have problems. We had a customer come back to us with an M&P 15 which we sold the other day, and the front sight was slightly bent over to the side...no one noticed this upon the sale, and smith & wesson made this from the factory. Obviously the QC guy turned his head when this one came through, but it doesn't mean that Smith & Wesson is a bad company. My assumption is the same thing happened with the R1 that you handled the other day. But you are absolutely right, first time impressions last a lifetime.

Anyways, I think it would be fun to pick up an R1 in a year or two from now when they work whatever bugs it has out of it's system.
 
Thats weird, shame it may have ruined it for you. I was wondering about these things though some guys were talking about it at work saying that had read bad reviews somewhere as well, not sure if they meant the same issue though.
 
From the Remington web site FAQ:
"E-RPC is the name of the company that contracted Remington to make these firearms. E-RPC is not an acronym, it is the company name."

So, just who or what is E-RPC?
 
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Hey Quack -
you remember about those posts over on 1911f regarding "the wife's brother's cousin's sister's boss who fired a guy that stole a pencil from a girl who knew a guy that had a brother who dated a girl who's dad worked at a gun store who saw one in the case....... " thing?

Kinda' the same thing here - ole'jesco just likes to talk about it; just talk - no more, no less. Ain't got one, ain't fired one - just talk, lol.


;)
 
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