[ajole]

So, after being reminded by Kirk about grinding off the legs on R51 mag followers to make them seat under a closed bolt, I set about checking things.

Turns out I had done that, and it sorta almost worked. Rather than being nearly impossible, it was only really, really hard.

I figured screw it....let's grind some more. So I did, and proceeded to load the mags. First mag, got 7 loaded, it only takes serious pressure to lock in.
Second mag....hmmm. Only 6 rounds? That's odd. Was it always like this? Did I screw something up?

So I take it apart, buff things up, try again...6 rounds.

This is getting old.

So I take the two mags apart and compare. Holy freaking crap.
One of these things is not like the other.

I need to find someone I don't like to sell this gun to.

On the good side....I clipped and bent that spring, they now seat pretty well, and the first round even feeds.
Still don't like the gun.

 

[Think1st]

When I saw a thread about the R-51, I thought it was going to be another Rowe v. Wade debate because the R-51 is such an abortion.

 

[lklawson]

I need to find someone I don't like to sell this gun to.

How serious are you about that? They've been on such a good sale recently that I very nearly bought another. But I'm really cheap so I decided to wait.

Peace favor your sword ( mobile)

 

[lklawson]

When I saw a thread about the R-51, I thought it was going to be another Rowe v. Wade debate because the R-51 is such an abortion.

They have a devoted following and, like HP, a forum dedicated to them.

Peace favor your sword ( mobile)

 

[Dragonbreath]

I would take a C9 over a R51 any day.
I posted this a while back. I just copied and pasted because I am too lazy to write it all over again.

The worst new gun that I have ever bought was the Remington R51 Gen 2.
I bought a smoke R51 gen 2 (built in Huntsville Al.) and had problems from the beginning. if you fully loaded the magazines you could not chamber a round. The slide would stop about half way back. If you locked the slide back and inserted the magazine it would feed the first round fine. If you only loaded 6, you could rack the round into the chamber just fine. It also wouldn’t feed most hollow points. The only hollow points that I found that would work even part of the time were xtp 115 grain. Everything else hung up on the front of the magazine.
So it went in for warranty service. When it came back, it still wouldn’t load the first round from a full magazine. And then it jammed on the third round of fmj. It hadn’t been jamming on fmj before. With hollow points ( including the xtp ) it was a single shot. So Remington service made it worse.
Luckily the gun shop that I bought the gun from (and sent it for service) told me that if Remington service didn’t fix the gun, that they would Allow me to return the gun for a full refund. I took the money and bought the Ruger lc9s.

 

[SWAGA]

@ajole
I'll pay you $99 if you take care of the shipping.
opcorn:

 

[adam01364]

@ajole so now you just have to decide who you like less, either @SWAGA or @lklawson

 

[histed]

@ajole
I'll pay you $99 if you take care of the shipping.
opcorn:

Oh common,Swags. You always offer treefiddy. Ought to at least go wunfiddy for Jole.:lurk:

 

[Think1st]

They have a devoted following and, like HP, a forum dedicated to them.

Peace favor your sword ( mobile)

Probably a bunch of gunsmiths talking about how to deepen the chamber and make magazine follower modifications like Ajole has been trying to make.

 

[ajole]

@ajole
I'll pay you $99 if you take care of the shipping.
opcorn:

I don't not like even you that much SWAGS...

How serious are you about that? They've been on such a good sale recently that I very nearly bought another. But I'm really cheap so I decided to wait.

Peace favor your sword ( mobile)

Relatively serious. If I can get my cost out I'd be happy. PM coming to you.

 

[lklawson]

Probably a bunch of gunsmiths talking about how to deepen the chamber and make magazine follower modifications like Ajole has been trying to make.

There are people there who like to tweak and tinker. One guy is making tools to aid in field stripping. Another guy was making small batches of threaded barrels. Another makes replacement triggers.

In a lot of ways, it reminds me of HPFF. There are instruction sets on fixing the magazines, just like there is here. There are garage business guys making accessories for it, just like there has been here.

And, yes, just like the C9, it seems that most of the time the culprit for gun issues is the magazine.

To be fair, the magazine has always been the first place to look when diagnosing problems with the pistol. I can't be the only one who remembers the '80s and 1911 magazines, right? Boutique 1911 mag makers with mags at 3x the "normal" price but at least you knew they'd work. I've got friends and acquaintances who tell me about the '70s and before where they'd buy a truck load of 1911 mags and then throw away half because they couldn't get them to work, then tweak 25% of the rest to make them work. And that's with the venerable 1911 which, even in the '70s, we had more than half a century to get the magazine right (but still hadn't).

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Think1st]

There are people there who like to tweak and tinker. One guy is making tools to aid in field stripping. Another guy was making small batches of threaded barrels. Another makes replacement triggers.

In a lot of ways, it reminds me of HPFF. There are instruction sets on fixing the magazines, just like there is here. There are garage business guys making accessories for it, just like there has been here.

And, yes, just like the C9, it seems that most of the time the culprit for gun issues is the magazine.

To be fair, the magazine has always been the first place to look when diagnosing problems with the pistol. I can't be the only one who remembers the '80s and 1911 magazines, right? Boutique 1911 mag makers with mags at 3x the "normal" price but at least you knew they'd work. I've got friends and acquaintances who tell me about the '70s and before where they'd buy a truck load of 1911 mags and then throw away half because they couldn't get them to work, then tweak 25% of the rest to make them work. And that's with the venerable 1911 which, even in the '70s, we had more than half a century to get the magazine right (but still hadn't).

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

With all of that being said, at least the Hi Point generally will run reliably for a long time without a lot of work, even with regards to the C9 magazines. In the rare cases that there is a problem, Hi Point will fix it.

And speaking of 1911 magazines, have you ever watched the last round in a magazine fly out of the ejection port as the slide locks to the rear? It's the most ridiculous thing to see. Somehow, instead of the last round being stripped from the magazine and fed into the chamber, the last round pops straight up out of the magazine, and out the ejection port.

By the way, I'll say it. The 1911 is a great range toy, but I'd never bet my life on it.

 

[adam01364]

By the way, I'll say it. The 1911 is a great range toy, but I'd never bet my life on it.

Now you've done it...

 

[ajole]

I don’t know. My 1911 runs great. Three mags by three makers, no tweaking, no failures ever.

I think the issues were with those souped up tight guns, and those that were customized to “better” tolerances using hand fitted parts. Of which there were many, as guys try to get a 3” gun to be a 1” gun at 25 yards. Meanwhile, just like an AK, the base models are sloppy and rattle, but don’t ever stop. There’s a lot of guys that insist you have to work to get a 1911 to run. But I think there’s a huge majority that don’t, that you never hear about, because their gun just works.

Also...I blame Colt. I think they screwed up a lot more 1911’s in the 70’s and ‘80’s than anyone wanted to admit.

 

[lklawson]

I don't know. My 1911 runs great. Three mags by three makers, no tweaking, no failures ever.

I think the issues were with those souped up tight guns, and those that were customized to "better" tolerances using hand fitted parts. Of which there were many, as guys try to get a 3" gun to be a 1" gun at 25 yards. Meanwhile, just like an AK, the base models are sloppy and rattle, but don't ever stop. There's a lot of guys that insist you have to work to get a 1911 to run. But I think there's a huge majority that don't, that you never hear about, because their gun just works.

These days, yeah. absolutely. My 1911R1 just plain works. No problems.

But I also remember listening to guys saying that in the '70s they'd buy a 1911, for a fair chunk of change, and then take it straight to the gun smith so that he could actually make it work right. I've heard this refrain a lot of times, actually.

I guess manufacturing has gotten better since then and we've finally managed to crack the 1911 magazine code.

Peace favor your sword.
Kirk

 

[lklawson]

With all of that being said, at least the Hi Point generally will run reliably for a long time without a lot of work, even with regards to the C9 magazines. In the rare cases that there is a problem, Hi Point will fix it.

And speaking of 1911 magazines, have you ever watched the last round in a magazine fly out of the ejection port as the slide locks to the rear? It's the most ridiculous thing to see. Somehow, instead of the last round being stripped from the magazine and fed into the chamber, the last round pops straight up out of the magazine, and out the ejection port.

By the way, I'll say it. The 1911 is a great range toy, but I'd never bet my life on it.

Thomas Magnum carried one. What more proof do you need?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Think1st]

Thomas Magnum carried one. What more proof do you need?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

He also drove a Ferrari--legendary for its unreliability. I guess when you and your buddies all did your time in the bush, back in The 'Nam, you might go for form over function. After all, what do a bunch of '80s bad guys in Hawaii have on Charlie?

 

[ajole]

It was the rich guys Ferrari, I’m sure it was maintained pretty well.

 

[histed]

.By the way, I'll say it. The 1911 is a great range toy, but I'd never bet my life on it.

Now, Infidel - FALL TO YOUR KNEES AND REPENT!! UNBELIEVER! DENIER!! HATER!!!

 

[Think1st]

It was the rich guys Ferrari, I'm sure it was maintained pretty well.

Anything can be made to run well for a long time with enough money plowed into it. The same goes for a Kimber.

Edit: My biggest issue with the 1911 is that I have a Springfield Armory sitting in my closet, in pieces, because the hammer strut broke. Before that, I had to take it to a gunsmith because the ledge on the hammer had been ground wrong at the factory, causing it to follow the slide forward.

As for that hammer strut, I bought another one and installed it, but the friggin' hammer spring cap has to be allowed to extend from the spring housing to engage it, and I know that's not right. I know I bought the right strut, too, because it is a government-length strut.

I've had no problems like that with my other pistols, and I've put a lot more rounds through them. Even my little Sig P938 has run like a champ up to a smidgen over 5000 rounds. I know my 1911 hasn't reached that point.