Well, after a few delays, a little juggling, and the seemingly interminable wait for any new firearm (even if the “wait” consists of nothing more than the background check being run), my father finally has the Remington R1 he ordered over a month ago:
Got it!
It’s an extremely well built handgun. The finish is immaculate. The assembly is remarkably tight. The ex-SEAL who sold it to me walked me through disassembly/reassembly and ended up by admitting I would have to fire 50 rounds through it before I could disassemble/reassemble. (SEALs seem to have stronger hands than I do.) Other customers in the shop came by and drooled on it while I was being instructed. Now I gotta shoot it.
I also picked up a CWL. I should be able to bring it with us in May – best I can tell, unloaded and locked away is good in just about any state, but I will confirm that – it’s not on my bucket list to be a felon. The NRA has a book devoted to the subject.
I have to admit, having had the chance to handle both an Remington R1 and a Rock Island Armory barebones model back-to-back at a gun show, I retract any recommendation I ever made for the latter, or any comparison I made between the two – the RIA was not a bad gun, per se, but it was noticeably looser, rougher-finished, and less smooth in the action than the R1. This is not to say the R1 is a slick-as-snot competition gun either, but if you are looking for generally-GI-spec-ish 1911s, I would definitely recommend Remington’s offering over Armscor’s… assuming you can afford the price difference – as always, you get what you pay for.
And you should know by now that if he brings it when they come to visit, we will definitely be putting it through its paces at a local range, and taking the pictures that are inevitable for a wanna-be camera junkie like me. I do have to ask, for those who are familiar with 1911s – it is usual for brand-new-off-the-assembly-line units to be so snug/tight/etc. that they are difficult to disassemble? I tend not to shoot anything until I have at least field-stripped it at least once, and would be a bit put-off by a firearm that resisted… Still, depending on how the R1 works out, I might have to put the Enhanced model down on my list as a candidate for my own collection – you know me, I need whizbang toys like fiber optic sights and beavertails and whatnot…
Still, this entire progression has been rather interesting to me. My parents have owned an older-model pump-action .22 and a blackpowder rifle for longer than I have been alive, but neither were used much (if at all) after I showed up (they also had a Mini-14 in the past, used for groundhog control on his parents’ farm, but they offloaded it thanks to Kalifornistan’s stupid laws). Fast forward a few decades to about seven years ago, when I snagged my first handgun; my folks of course asked why I did so, and I indicated that I was somewhat concerned about the “training” provided by the military to its officers. Jump another five years – years in which I realized that some people really do hate me for exercising my rights – and their son not only owns more firearms, but carries one of them regularly, won another in a competitive shooting event, and regularly pontificates on firearm- and rights-related topics. I ended up giving that shotgun to them, and periodically discussing my hardware, my carrying habits, and the associated laws with them whenever they brought up the topic.
Now? My father just purchased a new 1911 (His first personal one? I should ask…), he is an NRA member (despite the incessant spamming that organization has inflicted on my parents, after reading the deranged rant linked-to here, he decided he wanted to join an organization that could supposedly wield that much power), and he has a Concealed Weapon License.
Congratulations, anti-rights cultists! You helped create your very worst nightmare – a free, responsible, adult human being who is aware of his rights, interested in defending them, and capable of doing so.
Tell me… how does defeat like that taste?
And, as your prize for plowing through that wall of text, here is some gratuitous gunporn:
All said, though, yesterday seems like a rather auspicious and historical day for Dad to pick up his first 1911 – just in time and all that.
That’s really nice looking. I still wish Remington would have either made the model name and their logo a touch smaller though. I like how they kept the barrel bushing and the trigger unpainted.. it looks badass like that.
I’m been
fondlinglooking at the Remingtons lately and the more I look at them, the more I like what I see.That pistol is a strong contender for the birthday present purchase I intend to make; although it may end up being a Christmas present.
I’ll be interested in hearing more. Also let your Dad know that simply racking the slide does just as much breaking in of the new gun as discharging a live round. Of course the latter is more fun, the former is less costly, and might alleviate some tight-gun frustrations.
Oh and FYI I really dig what I’ve seen and handled on the R1 (and that Enhanced model looks really cool…tho I still prefer the S&W offerings) but if I were your dad I’d buy ONE aftermarket part:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=12739/Product/1911_AUTO_LANYARD_LOOP_MAINSPRING_HOUSING
(Flat offerings as well in the “Related” section if that’s his speed)
I see making such a neat-looking “GI” gun like Remington did, but failing to put in the lanyard loop was a major oversight on their part (and I told the reps at the NRA show that). Hope he’s happy with it!
[...] His dad got a 1911 [...]
Congrats! I agree with the earlier commenter, that R1 looks sweet with the contrast of the stainless trigger & barrel bushing.
DROOL,DROOL,& DROOL so-more.
To answer your question about the tightness/difficulty of takedown: it is possible the new gun might be a little *too* tight at first. It will certainly loosen up some as its shot.
It may just be a matter of your dad getting used to using his hands in the manner required to get the bushing off.
Pretty wonderful!! I love the “correct” vertical orientation of the grasping groves that Remington has chosen.
If Pop really wants incessant money-SPAMMING he could get his name on a GOA list, they don’t take NO! for an answer (and I hope their continuing dereliction of junk-mail laws will provide me with a small re-occurring income).
@ Mike-ENDOtactical: I have to admit, if you were looking for a fairly accurate representation of the original 1911A1 (without forking over the three grand the custom fabricators want), you could certainly do worse.
And, yeah, I always prefer if fabricators keep their billboarding to a minimum, but one takes what one can get.
@ Bob S.: Well, I will certainly let you know what my father and I think of it… hopefully the initial impressions will hold
.
@ Weer’d Beard: I will let him know about racking the slide – I am sure he wants to take it to a range as soon as he can, but that at least would get him started.
Totally concur on the lanyard loop, though – if you are going to make an original 1911, you might as well make it as exacting as you can, and that is a simple enough thing to add.
@ mike w.: Definitely gives it a clean appearance and striking contrast.
@ gordo: You too, huh?
@ JP: Springs wear down over time, so that is not too surprising… And, yeah, from what I hear, that particular aspect of 1911 disassembly can be a little daunting, but I love that Remington provided the appropriate wrench, even if it does appear to be plastic.
@ DirtCrashr: The racking serrations? Well, there is certainly something to be said for the new dragonscale-style ones I have been seeing…
Sadly, it was not even his name that was causing the NRA to spam them… somehow that esteemed organization concluded I lived there, though I never actually did (they moved after I graduated college), so it was effectively all my fault. Figures.
Congratulations! It sounds like your dad has come over to the dark side.
I’ve never seen a bushing wrench that wasn’t plastic. A metal one would bugger up the finish and probably slip off, which would result in interesting ballistic adventures with the recoil spring plug (unless they were smart enough to use the type with the tab that winds onto the spring).
It’s common for bushings to be fitted super tight, because people think a bushing that is hard to remove means the gun is more accurate or something. Besides it probably takes three times longer to fit the bushing properly (so you can remove it with your fingers) than to get it good enough to jam it in with the bushing wrench… and that’s if they do any fitting at all at that price point.
I wish they’d gone full GI except the sights, but I guess they figure most people don’t want an arched MSH. I see no reason for the off color trigger and bushing, though.
Anyway I hope he likes it, and that it turns out to be a pretty decent gun. I’m not in the market for that type of 1911 myself–my preferences have diverged quite wildly from the GI pattern–but it’s always nice to have another quality, affordable 1911 available.
I do like the dragon-scaly serrations like the new M&P’s have. But a classic Buick needs portholes, not NACA ducts.
@ Beaumont: And enjoying every minute of it!
@ weambulance: Eh, like I said, the bushing gives it a pleasant contrast, which, granted, is not GI-spec, but probably wears better than the original materials and finish.
Makes sense about the bushing, now that you mention it – shows what I know about 1911s. Definitely something I need to correct at some point.
@ DirtCrashr: ‘Tis true, and they did right here.
I commented on your post and added you to my blogroll today. You got it exactly right. This is a victory for freedom.
Good on him, and YOU for keeping him informed. That looks like a sweet basic 1911! I have yet to see/handle one, but I was not impressed with the RIA version. Enjoy the range time with him!
@ ASM826: Indeed it is… and this is how we win – one person at a time. It is slow, it is steady, but it works.
Oh, and counterlinked
.
@ Old NFO: Thanks! Look for a post with his initial takes tomorrow, and you can count on a relatively full review once they come out to visit.