Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Remington R1 1911

I've spent the last few days reading at least a hundred reviews and watching dozens of You-Tube videos about these guns and I'll be damned if I can find a bad word about them but I know it's fashionable to chit mouth Remington these days and the 24hr fire being what it is I figure someone will be able to tell me why I shouldn't buy one.

Anyone?

I'd put them in the RIA camp, I was advised against buying one of those in 10mm, I certainly wouldn't be afraid to buy or fire either brand.

I've never fired one, but ice handled the enhanced version a bit and really like how it feels.

I bought a R1 and I'm not sorry I did. The magazines are crap but many brands are guilty of that. Other than good magazines I put VZ thin grips on it.

A guy on anther forum also had trouble with the magazines.

One of the video's I ran across recommended the Kim-Pro eight rounders for the extra capacity.
What kind do you like?

I've never heard any complaints about the magazines; they're made by Mec-Gar.

In all the video's and articles I read/watched nobody complained about the mags but there's always the chance of a stinker or two getting by.

I'll probably pick up a couple of eight rounders anyway but I'm not anticipating any problems.

Both of the factory mags I got are stinkers.

Fired one recently. It was accurate and totally reliable with ball. It stuttered two or more times with Semi-Wadcutters per magazine.

The owner had a part that fell out one time back, and it was returned to Remington and they made it right. He's not happy with it because it won't reliably feed his reloads which are the semi-wadcutters.

With ball, or a truncated cone, or even hollow points with a rounded bullet profile, it's 100%

I'd steer clear of eight round magazines. They don't have that dimple in the follower that's crucial for keeping the last round from slipping forward of the extractor and being pushed into battery, requiring the extractor to snap over it. This is most prone to happen as the magazine spring starts to approoach the extent of its lifespan. This phenomenon places stress on the extractor it wasn't designed to tolerate, and thus shortens its service life dramatically.

I bought an enhanced version a few years ago...like it a lot and haven't had any problems with magazines (at least not yet). I have fairly small hands so the original grips were a little fat. I put on some thinner ones and it shoots like a champ.

I have one, bought used. Was looking for a reason not to like it and can't find one.

The only issue is that the factory front sight was too high to zero 230 gr ball ammo. A call to Remington and $47 got the right sight.

Superbly accurate with a great trigger and high reliability. Not a single malfunction.

I have one, bought used. Was looking for a reason not to like it and can't find one.

The only issue is that the factory front sight was too high to zero 230 gr ball ammo. A call to Remington and $47 got the right sight.

Superbly accurate with a great trigger and high reliability. Not a single malfunction.

Remington's 1911's are noticeably better finished than all the Rock Islands I've handled and I've handled a bunch of them. The bright nickel RIA is the only exception and it's probably the best-finished gun in their lineup.

I particularly like the basic R1 sight layout, which is a 'high hardball' rear sight and a dovetailed-in front sight. A good review with detail photos can be found at http://www.gunblast.com/Remington-R1.htm

If you load a H&G #68 pattern 200 grain SWC, seat it to 1.250" and finish with a good taper crimp, it will feed in any properly set-up 45 ACP Government size pistol that follows the blueprint, including original GI guns with the dimple barrel throat. The bullet was designed precisely for that purpose. I've loaded Missouri Bullet Co's 200 SWC down to 626 fps (4.0 grains W231) for small game and had perfect function in Auto Ords, Rocks and Colts.

I've been using Chip McCormick's 8 round magazines, in both the Powermag and Classic configurations, for about six years now. I've probably bought 12-16 of them for myself and as gifts for my sons that shoot 1911's. I consider them utterly reliable and if a 1911 won't run with them, the problem is somewhere else. They're the only mag I'll use for a carry or duty gun.

No dimple.

No matter. They work.

Yeah, they're high quality mags, no doubt, and they will work reliably, but as your mag spring wears out, the frequency of inertia feeds on the last round will increase. Each inertia feed over-stresses the internal type extractor found on traditional 1911s, shortening its service life. There's a reason John Browning didn't make flush-fitting 8 round mags for the 1911.

Not true for every eight rounder. Ruger's eight round mag (which I suspect is made by Checkmate) has the dimple.

They'd be my choice, then, if I had to have an eight round mag for a 1911.

Well....seeings how this is the internet that may or may not be true but even if it is I don't see what harm keeping a couple of eight rounders loaded with HP's around for home defense would do.
Which is exactly what I'll do but I'll use the factory mags for practice providing they function properly.

PS.....I'm surprised Kimber and Wilson Combat didn't seek out your wisdom before investing the money in manufacturing eight round mags.