Remington R1 Carry Review
Shopping for 1911’s can be a harrowing experience, especially if you are new to the venerable pistol. Terms like MIM, cast, forged, full-length guide-rod, and mainspring housing can be confusing and difficult to translate for the new 1911 shooter, and many people pick the wrong 1911 based on looks or internet conjecture.
The first step involved with picking a 1911 is similar to purchasing any new tool, you need to know your PURPOSE with the handgun, and once you decide on a purpose, you can head in the right direction. The topic of this review concerns CCW or defensive purposes of 1911’s.
Today’s 1911’s that are marketed as defensive handguns have a canyon-wide variety of sizes, construction, parts, and prices. Finding out which combination works best for you may take some time and effort, but the end product may end up being one of the best decisions you ever made.
For my needs, I selected to go with a government length 1911 (5” bbl). With my wardrobe of polo shirts or buttoned, short-sleeve shirts, I can conceal the service-size handgun with relative ease. I also prefer the ballistic advantage a government-length 1911 offers. With these standards considered, I recently began looking for a new 1911 for carry purposes. My target budget was in the $1000-$1500 price range. After considering many options, I decided to go with (to my knowledge) a relatively unproven option; the Remington R1 Carry.
The Remington offered me many attractive features, including a moderately checkered front strap, an ambidextrous safety, a plain rear sight, a tritium front sight, a functional factory dehorning, and a traditional GI plug and guide rod. With these features included at a $1100 price point, I felt that the R1 Carry was an excellent value.
Unfortunately, due to ammo shortages, I have not been able to shoot this 1911 as much as I would like. That being said, I have shot over 1,000 rounds with this handgun in one month, and I have been extremely satisfied thus far. The R1 carry has been exceptionally reliable for me during this time, and I feel comfortable carrying the R1 carry on a daily basis.
Accuracy has been functional for a defensive 1911. The R1 is not a full-fledged race gun, and I am not a nationally-acclaimed USPSA competitor. I’m accustomed to shooting silhouette targets with an eight inch ring signifying critical organs of a human torso. Following are some pictures of accuracy results from various distances.
Seven Yard line - 30 Rounds of 230gr RWS
15 Yard Line - 33 rounds of RWS 230gr (note: the two fliers were of my doing, I knew immediately as soon as I pressed the trigger)
Seven Yard line - 20 rounds of RWS 230gr - Timed (3 seconds) controlled pairs
My final assesment is that I am very comfortable carrying this 1911 for defensive purposes. I currently use Speer Gold Dot 230gr loads for defensive purposes, all loaded in either Wilson or Tripp magazines. You can find the R1 Carry at SGC for $1099.99.
Thank you for taking a moment of your time to read my thoughts, and please feel free to post comments or questions in the section below.
The R1 Carry used in this review
Posted on March 5th, 2013 by dd-sgc
Filed under: New Product, Product Review
Great review! Informative
I also have a R1 carry and I have also been very satisfied with the firearm. This was my first 1911 and while I was a bit apprehensive about going with a company that was almost brand new to the 1911 market, however I have come to discover that the R1 carry is probably among the best 1911s available for under $1,500. At $1,100 this pistol will compete with 1911s that cost upwards of $1,500.
I don’t have a ton of experience with 1911s, but the R1 carry continues to surprise me with its accuracy potential. I know that 1911s in general are usually rather accurate, but the R1 feels like it is a step above the Mil. Spec 1911 models. I haven’t had the chance to shoot any $3,000-$5,000 custom 1911s, so I can’t compare them, but I can’t imagine how much more accurate a 1911 can be over the R1. I am sure that the custom 1911s are going to be a bit more accurate due to their better barrel/slide/frame fit, but seeing as how I am not a world class grand master marksman, the R1 carry basically has all the accuracy potential that I can handle.
I have handled a supergrade before and while they are no doubt amazing firearms, I personally cannot understand the desire to pay more than $3,000 more for a 1911 that is maybe 15-20% better. In my opinion, unless you are a very serious target pistol shooter, the R1 carry is about as good as you’re ever going to need.
A fantastic pistol at a good price for what you get.