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Problems with a new Remington 1911 R1

145K views 78 replies 51 participants last post by  billt 
#1 ·
For an early birthday present my wife surprised me with a new Remington 1911 R1. I got the pistol on Thursday (January 5, 2012), over the past weekend I took the pistol out on 2 different shooting sessions.

Lets just say I am not impressed.

To break in the new pistol, I went to the local wal-mart and bought 100 rounds of Remington/UMC 230 JHP, this is the bulk pack of 100 rounds per box. The other box was Winchester 230 grain round nose. The winchester was also the bulk box

Our of about 100 rounds fired, I had 7 failures. The malfunctions happened with factory supplied magazines.

Saturday - The first 5 failures during the first shooting session:
4 - fails to feeds
1 - the second to the last round locked the slide back, which left the last round sitting there. For some reason the last round was sitting loose on top of the magazine, instead of being in the magazine.

Disassembled and cleaned the pistol Saturday eveing

Sunday - 2 failures during the second session:
1 - fail to feed
1 - slide locked back on the second to last round.

On the fail to feeds - the round started to enter the chamber, and it was like something stopped the round from going all the way in. When I pulled the round out, the brass had a slight dent, maybe 1/8 wide, and maybe 1/4 from the end of the brass on the bullet end.

I called a buddy of mine that does gun smith work, he said the chamber might need to be polished and the feed ramp buffed? I hope I got that right.

My concern is that if he does anything to the pistol, it will void the warranty.

Overall, I like the accuracy of the Remington 1911 R1, I like how the pistol handles, the trigger has very little creep and I like how it shoots. The second shooting session was doing a double tap - 1 in the chest then 1 in the head. The pistol came right back on target.

Now if I can just get it to work right.
 
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#2 ·
Shoot it more

Difficulties like you have described aren't super unusual. Lot's of 1911's require a break-in process. Lot's of the problems you describe are magazine related. But, the best action at this point is to just shoot it 100's of rounds more. And the ammo you're using is a good break-in choice.

If, down the road the problems persist, then maybe ramp and throat polishing can be considered.
 
#3 ·
I agree. I had a few hangups when I first fired my Remington R1 over a year ago. But maybe only about 4 or 5 in the first hundred rounds. I was also using Wally World Winchester White Box. Since then, I've put at least 600 rounds through the pistol, including Remington's Home Defense hollow points and it has functioned flawlessly.
Give it a chance.
I sent mine back at the one year mark for the Platinum Service and was very impressed. They even replaced a part that was marred that I didn't ask them to.
I'd be a bit careful doing work during the warranty period. if you are still having trouble I'd let Remington take care of it. My Platinum Service was less than 8 days turnaround time... including travel time. I love my R1.

I will say though that my Kahr manufactured Auto Ordnance GI .45 1911A1 has NEVER mis-functioned...

Sargent Robert
 
#5 ·
Sounds like part of the problem is a magazine problem (or slide stop) - it's not controlling the rounds as demonstrated by losing one, and prematurely locking back the slide. It could be an out of spec slide stop, weak magazine spring, poorly shaped magazine lips (among other things).

I'd slip in a known good slide stop, and shoot it with some known good magazines as a test. Then decide about a trip back to the factory.

You didn't say how many rds. were shot in the 2nd session - 100 also? If so, comparing results, it appears to be breaking in. But a big part of that may have been the cleaning - often guns don't ship with enough lube on them. It's wise to run a new gun VERY "wet" for a few hundred rounds at least.
 
#6 ·
You didn't say how many rds. were shot in the 2nd session - 100 also?
The first session was maybe in the 30 - 40 round range. The second session was in the 60 - 70 round range. I am gong to estimate 100 rounds between the 2 days.

The next time the fail to feed happens, or the slide locks back on the second to last round, I am going to mark that magazine with a magic marker and set that magazine to the side.

I will probably pick up some 8 round mec-gar magazines from the local gun store. Then pull the factory magazines out, shoot only with the mec-gar, and see how things go from there. When I bought the pistol I bought 1 mec-gar magazine. So I am looking at buying 2 more mec-gars maybe later this week.

The Remington 1911 R1 was an absolute pleasure to shoot. My only complaint so far are the two listed with the fail to feed and the slide lock back.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Ok, so that's good to know.

a) Friday - 4 ftf in 35 rds. Call it 1 in 10 fail rate.
b) Sat - 1 ftf in 65 rds. So 1 in 65.

Lubing it and/or some breaking-in made a big difference (I am assuming you did not lube it between purchase and 1st range session).

Mec-gar mags are good, Colt are also very good (tight qc). 7 rounders give greater reliability than 8 rounders among the flush-fit magazines. The 8rd follower used in the flush-fit type magazines is just not as stable because of the compromise to get the extra round in. Reliable 8rd. magazines use a fully-skirted follower like on a Wilson, Baer, Tripp, and they project past the magazine well a bit. Rule of thumb - if you want a flush-fit magazine to the base, stick with 7rd. magazines. If you want 8rd mags, get the ones that have the slightly protruding base and fully skirted followers. I think Mec-gar makes both styles in 8rd., so pay attention to what you buy or are using.
 
#8 ·
Lubing it and/or some breaking-in made a big difference (I am assuming you did not lube it between purchase and 1st range session).
I did not apply any extra lube before the first shooting. The pistol was dissembled and the excess lube was wiped off, but no extra lube was added.


If you want 8rd mags, get the ones that have the slightly protruding base and fully skirted followers. I think Mec-gar makes both styles in 8rd., so pay attention to what you buy or are using.
The mec-gar 8 rounder I have has a protruding base, which is fine with me. I think the protruding base enhances the look of the pistol.
 
#9 ·
Kevin,
Don't go buying new mags. Your pistol should work with the ones supplied. Getting new mags just adds more soup to the pot and more players to the problem.
My Rem. mags work perfectly. You shouldn't have to buy different mags to diagnose your problem and your pistol shouldn't need a break in. If cleaned and lubed properly it should work properly.
Give Remington a call and send it back and get it fixed.
Nuff' said.
 
#11 ·
Kevin,
Don't go buying new mags. Your pistol should work with the ones supplied.
True, but I want a few spare magazines anyway.


My R1 worked almost flawlessly when new, now has about 1,200 rounds through it with no problems.
I might take the pistol out for another shooting session this coming up weekend.

Before I contact remington, I would like to have fired at least 200 rounds through the pistol.
 
#10 ·
My R1 worked almost flawlessly when new, now has about 1,200 rounds through it with no problems. I did have a local gunsmith address a minor trigger creep issue. I also had 2 or 3 failure to return to battery when new, that went away quickly. A couple of things I noticed was that the gun was pretty dry as received from Remington. Stripped it and lubed with ballistol with special attention to the guide rails. Another thing, and this may be relevant to the way new R1s behave, is the bushing to barrel fit was VERY tight as received. Remington includes a bushing wrench and, man, I really needed it the first 2 or 3 times I stripped the gun.

Don't need the bushing wrench now, and the gun just works, both with factory and 200 gr. SWC handloads. I've been very happy with it.
 
#13 ·
Disgusted over the Remingotn 1911 R1

The more I think about the issues I am having with my new Remington 1911 R1, the more disgusted I feel.

Before I bought the pistol I did probably 2 - 3 months worth of research. I knew it was going to be after Christmas before I could buy. So I started asking questions and looking through reviews back in October.

My first choice was a Rock Island Armory Tactical model. I called the local gun store back in December to ask about ordering a RIA. The owner of the store said he had a Remington R1 in stock. The owner asked me to consider that the Remington was made in the USA, with the Remington name the pistol will hold its value better then some of the other brands.

After talking with the owner of the local gun store back in December I decided to give the Remington R1 a consideration. After reading review after review, and watching as many youtube videos as I could find, I decided to go with the Remington R1.

I feel that I did my part in making a well educated decision. Remington however has not done their part in making a quality product. Or, the pistol I got somehow slipped through the Remington quality control.

This evening when I get home I am going to contact Remington support to see what can be done.

Since 1986 the only other time I had problems with a handgun was when the timing on my Smith & Wesson model 66 combat magnum got off. A trip to a local gun smith fixed the issue.

I had more failures in my Remington 1911 R1 in the first weekend, then I had with my Beretta in 22 years. There is a problem there. When my buddies and I were reloading, we would go to a local sand pit and shoot anywhere from 1,000 - 1,500 9mm in a single day. My buddies Ruger P85 and my Beretta 92f rarely, and I mean "rarely" would have any malfunctions. But I get my new Remingotn 1911 and can not even shoot a box of ammo without problems?

The more I think about this, I do not even know if I even want the Remington R1 anymore. My wife bought it for me as a birthday present, if I trade the pistol off her feelings will be hurt.

A buddy of mine that does gunsmith work is supposed to come over this weekend to visit with my wife and I. While my buddy is at visiting, he is supposed to look at the pistol.

Even if the pistol is fixed, its going to take several hundred rounds to regain my confidence.

The very first round, which was a 230 grain Remington / UMC JHP hit the feed ramp and stopped the pistol from loading. I should have known before the first round was even loaded that I was going to have issues with the pistol.

Now its just a matter of if I can get this thing fixed.
 
#14 ·
My fathers has performed flawlessly since day one. It is a nice tight gun.

Is this your first 1911?

I ask because when my girlfriend shoots a certain 1911 I have it has feed problems due to her being used to my xdm in which you can get away with limp wristing a bit. I myself and others who shot it have no problems. Not trying to say you don't know how to shoot but maybe hold the gun a little more firmly and sturdy up your wrist a bit. Just something to try that doesn't cost anything.
 
#16 ·
Is this your first 1911?
Yes.


Also when loading the first round did you release it from battery by lowering the slide stop or did you let the slide down by hand?
I released the slide stop.

I just want a 1911 that is reliable, something I can put 3,000, 4,000 even 5,000 rounds through and count the number of malfunctions on 1 hand.
 
#21 ·
Well today I qualified with my R1 Talo with my dept. and shoot better with it than my Glock 23. Not one ftf or a hiccup. I ran both the remington mags and 2 CMC mags. Man I am in love sweet shooting. The only thing I did was put in a #18 WC recoil spring because it is going to be my duty load Federal HST 230 +p jhp. I shot today blazer 230 hb.
I am going to send it off for my platinum service before I actually start carrying it later this year. I am like a kid in a candy store knowing my R1 cadillac today. Right now I am using a comp tac rig but have some Galco leather coming for it.
 
#22 ·
Always completely clean and apply new oil before shooting a new gun. Some manufacturers are better at getting out the manufacturing process remnants out of a gun than others.

What I would do is field strip the gun and clean it well with degreaser. Oil it up properly and shoot it again. When you load your mags, tap the back of your mag with your palm to fully seat your rounds into your brand new and really tight mag. If you get failures after doing this, send it back to Remington.

They tell you to clean the gun before shooting it in the manual for a reason. It's so they don't have to pay someone to do it. :biglaugh:
 
#23 ·
What I would do is field strip the gun and clean it well with degreaser. Oil it up properly and shoot it again.
After I got home from work this evening I disassembled the pistol, took the slide and barrel outside, and blasted them with "Break Free Powder Blast Gun cleaner".

I did not spray the frame down, did not want to drench the walnut grips in cleaner.

Wiped everything down, applied a light spray of Remington gun oil to the barrel bushing, the rails of the slide, wiped off the excess, then reassembled.

Planning on taking the pistol out for another shooting session this coming weekend, hopefully I can post an update then.
 
#25 ·
Years ago someone asked a Smith & Wesson factory representative what was the best way to break in their revolver. The representative replied "shoot it a lot."

I think any semi-automatic handgun needs to be shot at least 500 rounds before considering gunsmith work. First of all it gives a chance for any burrs to wear away. Second it gives it a chance for something to break.

100 rounds isn't even getting it warmed it.
 
#26 ·
pplied a light spray of Remington gun oil to the barrel bushing, the rails of the slide, wiped off the excess,
I'd recommend getting some good gun grease, like Tetra, and applying liberally to the slide rails.

New 1911s like to be run very 'wet' a while.

There's nothing in your description that isn't most likely attributable to a bad magazine, and not necessarily wrong with the gun. Lube the gun thoroughly and use a high-quality magazine to test it. Don't let anyone monkey with it until you do that; more damage is done with polishing and throating barrels and ramps than good.
 
#28 ·
Got a reply to my email this morning, they asked me to call a 1-800 number and have the serial number of my pistol ready.

I am probably going to take friday off, and call then. I have some stuff to take care of friday, so why not take care of everything on the same day.
 
#31 ·
I received my R1 in early December, my retirement gift from those I worked with as well as family and friends. The outdoor range I shoot at is, well, it's cold, so I hadn't gone yet to try it out. As I sat this morning doing e-mails I sent one to one of my fellow patrol sergeants to keep me in mind next time they shoot at the indoor range; I had an answer in 10 minutes, come on down.

I brought 50 rounds each of Winchester 230 gr. FMJ as well as Magtech 230 gr. FMC, I had my R1, two (7) rd. and one (8) rd factory mags. Shot everything from 15' to 30' so I could better see results and I'm smiling as I write this. No FTF, FTF or FTE, no malfunctions at all. I let the RSO have a try and when he finshed told me he had to get one of these.

So for about 5 weeks I just looked at the R1, repeatedly disassembled and thoroughly cleaned it of any manufacturer residue. I racked the slide at least 600 times, this allowed me to check for unusual slide wear and also to smooth out the action, it was very tight when I first took it down for inspection.

Along with the factory mags doing what they're supposed to I checked the sights and they are also tight as some posts said they came loose. While it sits on my bench a cursory inspection noted no unusual wear.

Finally I would like to report that it is accurate, no problem except when I got sloppy. I would say that reading all these posts for the past 6 weeks made me more aware of what problems I could encounter, so I was prepared if something didn't go as I'd hoped. Best of luck to those who need to utilize CS, I'm hoping I only need to use them for that free cleaning that comes with the Platinum Service.
 
#32 ·
Kevin, like you, I researched a bunch of 1911's before buying the Remington. I think you made a good choice. I know it doesn't make you feel any better but mine ran fine right out of the box and is still running. Also, very accurate. That seems to have been the experience of most of the posters here. I would clean it thoroughly and start over. I also disagree with the poster who advised against aftermarket mags. I'd get some Wilsons, Tripps or Chip McCormick. If you still have problems, you know it's not the factory mags.
Worse come to worse, you should be able to get good service from Remington. Good luck to you.
 
#33 ·
kevin, don't know if this will help your concern but my best friend has a Kimber, cost twice as much as my R1, and he is expected to shoot a 500 round break-in. I'm just starting my break-in tomorrow. But let me ask, don't you think shooting 500 rounds sounds like fun? Don't you think you can survive a handful of break-in issues. Of course you can....

I'm new to 1911s and new to the forum. Hope to read and exchange some good 1911 info.
 
#34 ·
A couple of days ago my return package came in to send the pistol back to remington.

After talking to my wife, she wants me to take out shooting again, but this time try a different type of ammunition. The majority of my problems have been with winchester 230grain fmj white box ammo.

This coming sunday I am going to go shooting and try remington hollow points and some reloads to see how they do.

I want this pistol to work, really I do.
 
#35 ·
I don't know if you have heard this before but some 1911's are picky on what ammo they will shoot, and also know Gun is Perfect even some of the Higher Ends ones have Hiccups......

Let us know what the turn out is............


I have over 750 rds shot out of mine so far with Not one Hiccup........

Clyde
 
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