Regular readers will recall the Remington R51 debacle. TTAG was well up for the Pederson action pistol when it made its debut. We were excited by its size, shape beauty and caliber. And then we got ahold of one. Nick’s one-star review told the tale: “It’s a great concept, but there are serious design flaws that shouldn’t be acceptable in a modern firearm.” So serious, in fact, Remington recalled the pistol.
Big Green gave R51 owners the option to wait for replacement, getting an R1 1911 instead, or a full refund. Those who chose to return their R51’s and wait for the reworked version are getting additional magazines and a Pelican case with their replacement pistol (which are being shipped before dealers and wholesalers get them). We have one on the way and will review it ASAP
Meanwhile, here’s the letter to owners of the previous model, forced to surrender their guns for a replacement.
Dear Valued Remington Customer,
We sincerely thank you for your patience as we finalized the development and testing of the Remington R51 pistol. The steps taken within our quality and manufacturing processes have given us the confidence to reintroduce the R51 to the market. We have prioritized our launch to give you the opportunity to receive your replacement firearm prior to a full commercial reintroduction. As a token of our appreciation, we are including a custom Pelican hard pistol case and two extra magazines with your new R51 subcompact pistol. We will also reimburse you for the transfer fee charged by your FFL dealer. Your new Remington R51 subcompact pistol is ready for delivery and can be shipped to a licensed firearms dealer of your choice.
In order for you to receive your new R51, please call us at 800-243-9700 (M-F 9m-5pm EST) with your dealer’s name and phone number. If you prefer, you may send us your name, contact information, dealer name, and dealer contact information via fax (336-548-7801), email (info@remington.com) or mail (P.O Box 700, Madison NC 27025). In addition, we have assigned a consumer service representative to follow up with you throughout this process. All replacement firearms need to be sent to a licensed dealer with a valid FFL (Federal Firearms License) on file with us. To assist in speeding up the turnaround time, if you have your dealer’s FFL available, please include it, if not, we will contact your dealer to obtain a copy of the FFL on your behalf.
We have gone to great lengths to return the R51 to the marketplace, and we deeply appreciate your patience and support as we reintroduce this iconic firearm.
Sincerely,
Remington Arms Company, LLC