The Remington RP9 18+1 Striker-Fired Pistol, Part One


Remington Arms has distinguished itself with the release of this pistol as the only American arms manufacturer that is a major player in all three primary categories of firearms: shotguns, rifles, and pistols and also has the only premium high-performance bolt-action muzzleloader on the market as well. This is what Remington has to say about their RP9.


Features and Benefits:

  • Best-in-class accuracy

  • One of the highest magazine capacities in its class

  • Clean, smooth single action trigger with a short tactile reset

  • Less recoil/better control

  • Slimmest grip circumference - fits 95% of all shooter hands

  • Weight-balanced slide minimizes muzzle rise

  • Maximized slide profile for secure slide manipulation, even with gloves.

Specifications:

  • Barrel length, 4.5”

  • Twist Rate 1:10”

  • Overall Length 7.91”

  • Overall Height 5.56”

  • Weight Oz, 26.4

  • Trigger Pull Lbs 5.5-7

  • PVD-finished stainless steel match-grade Barrel

  • Slide Finish, PVD

  • Frame Material, Polymer

The RP9 pistol ships with two magazines along with small, medium, and large backstraps for custom fit and is offered at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $489.00.


The weight of the Remington RP9 out of the box, just as supplied, with an empty magazine installed, is 1 lb. 11.1 oz. as measured by calibrated digital scale. That's 27.1 ounces. The lines of the Remington RP9 are reminiscent of the somewhat porky and heavy (40.7 oz.) Double Action / Single Action CZ 75 SP-01, which also has an 18 round capacity, that retails for $680.

What's in your wallet? Clockwise from the lower left, here's what I found in mine: Remington R51, Glock 19, North American Arms Guardian, Remington RP9, Baikal Makarov, Ruger SR9, and the Ruger LCR .38 Special.

The new Remington goes up against several other full-size 9mm pistols, such as the $579 Ruger American Pro Model that I reviewed last year. The Ruger is about a quarter pound heavier than the RP9 and a bit higher priced. Although bulkier and heavier, the Ruger American Pistol finally got rid of the nonsensical, worthless safeties of the SR-9, loses the magazine disconnect, the pop-up “loaded chamber indicator,” but does have a less obnoxious loaded chamber viewport. The Ruger American feels solid, doesn't rattle, and it is smoother to rack the slide on the American than on the SR-9. Although Ruger is poised to became a larger player in the “service pistol / combat pistol” market with the Ruger American, whether you find it to be the right choice for you, or not, is going to be contingent on how you feel about the current three-back strap system and how well it feels to you when you shoot it.


The Ruger American does not fit my hand particularly well and, according to my hands the Ruger American is not as comfortable to shoot as other models, including Ruger's own SR-9. The grip of the Ruger American is too wide and too uncomfortable to be appealing to me although in general, I could find no fault with it. We have lot of choices today in a full size 9mm handgun, from the Rugers, the prolific Glock 17, the Sig P320 Nitron, the new Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0, the Springfield Armory XD models, and many more.


Several things are attention-getting about the Remington RP9. For starters, the street price is as low as $370, surprisingly low. It does of course come with a written Lifetime Warranty, and the 18+1 capacity one-ups several competitors. The trigger on my example is particularly good, breaking at just under 6 lbs. shot after shot.


When you first take the RP9 out of the box, you might say, “What a nose-heavy pig! What's going on here?” That very quickly goes away, though, with the addition of 18 rounds of ammo in the magazine. My example is cleanly machined with no slide rattle. The RP9 is +P rated. As far as wearing parts, the owner's manual suggests a fresh recoil spring every 5000 rounds, that's it. Three backstraps are supplied: Remington says the RP9 will fit 95% of shooter's hands. I can't speak to that, but I can say it fits me beautifully. The very generous beaver-tail puts your hand high on the grip effortlessly and naturally.


The 18 round (18+1) capacity of the RP9 is a round more than many. What is more eyebrow-raising is the 15+1 capacity of the forthcoming RP45, as widely reported by the NRA staff in October, 2016. The envelope dimensions of the pistol itself and the weight of the unloaded gun appear to be about the same, whether 9mm or 45ACP.

Remington has very good distribution, so it easy to check one out for yourself at your local pro-shop and likely rent one as well. It isn't important that it fits my hand, it is far more important that it fits your hand and other family member's hands. This is a nightstand type gun, an all-around home defense type arm, too big for my version of concealed carry. The Remington RP9's trigger is quite good, virtually indistinguishable from the Glock 19 trigger, and far better than the mushy SR9 trigger. In the picture, you can see the aggressive beaver-tail of the RP9, eliminating any slide bite potential.

The price is quite appealing, the Remington written lifetime warranty is a very good one. I've assembled a goodly collection of 9mm ammo, so in Part Two we will report how well it runs, or how well it doesn't, with several types of ammo.

http://www.randywakeman.com/TheRemingtonRP9181StrikerFiredPistolPartTwo.htm



 

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