Remington Model 51
A compact pocket pistol with innovative delayed blowback action.
The Remington Model 51 was a compact pocket pistol designed by John Pedersen for Remington Arms, aimed at the early 20th-century American civilian market. Pedersen, a prolific firearms designer for Remington, also collaborated with John Browning on the Remington Model 17 shotgun and created the Pedersen device for the M1903 Springfield. He later competed with John Garand to develop an autoloading rifle for the U.S. Army, using wax-lubricated cases and a toggle-bolt system similar to the Luger, but his design ultimately lost to the M1 Garand.
Manufactured from 1918 to 1926, roughly 65,000 Model 51 pistols were produced in .32 ACP and .380 ACP calibers, though small numbers were assembled from existing parts into the mid-1930s. The pistol was marketed as a pocket pistol, but the American market at the time favored revolvers over small-caliber European-style pocket pistols. Its complex trigger and safety mechanisms made it more expensive than Browning-designed competitors, and it was not significantly smaller. Priced around $15.75 in 1920 (when California’s minimum wage was $0.33 per hour), the Model 51 saw limited commercial success. An urban legend blames the 1929 stock market crash for ending production, but this is false: production ceased on December 12, 1926, nearly three years before Black Friday. Large numbers of already-produced guns were sold in 1927, and small batches from leftover parts continued until 1934.
Pedersen’s hesitation-lock delayed blowback design allowed for a lighter slide than straight blowback pistols, resulting in a lighter overall firearm and reduced felt recoil. General George S. Patton owned and reportedly favored a Model 51. Despite critical praise, no government or private agency adopted it. Some pistols bear an anchor proof marking, leading to mistaken beliefs they were U.S. Navy issue, though the Navy did recommend a .45-caliber version for adoption. A few examples with inventory numbers exist, but their provenance is unclear, with quantities believed to be one, two, or six. The Navy later tested the scaled-up .45 caliber Model 53 and deemed it “...a simple, rugged and entirely dependable weapon, which should be suitable in every respect for a service pistol.”
During World War I, the Navy Board recommended adopting the .45 caliber Remington Model 53, but negotiations stalled when the U.S. entered the war.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- United States
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Designer
- John Pedersen
- Design Date
- 1917
- Manufacturer
- Remington Arms Company
- Production Date
- 1918–1926
- Number
- Approx. 65,000
- Variants
- Remington 53
- Weight
- 21 oz
- Length
- 6+5/8 in
- Part Length
- 3+1/4 in
- Cartridge
- .32 ACP / .380 ACP
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Model 51 was produced from 1918 to 1926, though small numbers were assembled from parts into the mid-1930s. It was marketed as a pocket pistol in .380 ACP and later .32 ACP. The American market at the time favored revolvers, and the Model 51 faced competition from Browning-designed pistols that were less expensive. Its complex trigger and safety mechanisms contributed to a higher price, and it was not much smaller than its rivals. Remington was primarily known for long arms, and their handguns had limited commercial success compared to Colt.
An urban legend that the stock market crash of 1929 ended production is false; production had ceased in 1926, nearly three years before Black Friday. General George S. Patton owned a Model 51 and was thought to favor it. Despite critical praise, no government or private agency adopted the pistol. An anchor proof marking on some examples led to mistaken belief they were U.S. Navy pistols, bolstered by the Navy's recommendation of a .45-caliber version for adoption. Some pistols bear inventory numbers, but their provenance is not well understood.
The design was scaled up to .45 caliber as the Remington Model 53, which was recommended for adoption by the Navy Board during World War I. Testing against the M1911 showed the Remington design to be more reliable, but negotiations for production ended when America entered the war and factories were tooled for the M1911. Remington later contracted to produce the M1911. The Model 53 had lower bore axis, lighter slide, and locked breech, resulting in less felt recoil, greater accuracy, lighter weight, and fewer moving parts than the M1911, but lacked a military contract and civilian market, so Remington abandoned it.
Reader's Guide
The Remington Model 51 represents an innovative but commercially limited entry in early 20th-century pocket pistols. Its hesitation-lock system, designed by John Pedersen, offered advantages in slide weight and recoil management over straight blowback designs, yet the pistol struggled in a market dominated by revolvers and cheaper Browning pistols. The Model 51's production run of roughly 65,000 units from 1918 to 1926 reflects its modest success. The scaled-up .45 caliber Model 53, though superior in testing to the M1911, failed to secure a military contract due to wartime production priorities. The design later influenced inventors such as Ross Rudd, who prototyped a .45 ACP delayed-blowback pistol in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Italian firm Benelli, which produced limited numbers of B76, B80, and B82 pistols with an inertial locking system. In 2014, Remington released a redesigned version, the R51, in 9mm Luger. The Model 51's legacy is that of a well-regarded but niche firearm, remembered for its engineering and association with General Patton, yet never achieving widespread adoption.
Did You Know?
- The Remington Model 51 was designed by John Pedersen, who also designed the Pedersen device for the M1903 Springfield.
- Production ended on December 12, 1926, though assembled pistols were sold into 1934.
- General George S. Patton owned a Remington Model 51 and was thought to favor it.
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