Savvy About Survival: The New Remington 1911R1 10MM Hunter

The Remington Arms Company began making firearms in 1816. Specifically, the founder Eliphalet Remington made his first handgun in that year. Later, in 1830, the original factory armory building was constructed in Ilion, New York. Other buildings were added in 1854 and again in 1875. As you can well imagine with an arms company that grew to be such a comprehensive manufacturer of firearms, the total history is complex and multi-faceted. It would take a book to outline it all, and in fact there are many books on the Remington Arms Company for those interested in such things as firearms history. The study of Remington is a good one.

Remington Arms just celebrated their 200th Anniversary last year. The company remains in a strong market position, though arms making these days is in a constant mode of flux as the markets and politics constantly changes. And Remington has changed with the times, too.

Perhaps Remington is best known for their long guns including their benchmark bolt action rifle, the Model 700, as well as the 1100 Shotgun which became the 11-87 with enhancements, and their quintessential pump action shotgun, the 870. But since 1816, Remington has manufactured countless models of handguns, rifles, and shotguns, not to mention ammunition, their famous Bullet knives, and other trademarked accessories.

Remington was also a huge manufacturer of military arms from the Civil War’s 1861 revolver, various Derringers, pocket pistols, Calvary 1875 Army Revolvers, Rolling Block pistols and rifles, numerous percussion rifles, the US 1911 Remington UMC pistol, and rifles for World Wars I and II. Their production of sporting arms is likewise legendary. Their imagination and engineering creativity continues today.

Recent Remington Renditions

Remington Arms Company has never been an industrial firearms manufacturing company to be satisfied with sitting on their laurels. In just the past few years, Remington has gotten back into the pocket pistol, self-defense, personal protection and concealed handgun weapons business despite how crowded that marketplace is these days.

First, Remington brought out their new .380 ACP semi-auto pocket pistol dubbed the RM380. Next, they produced a pocket sized 9mm labeled the R51. Finally, is their newest rendition, the RP9, a full sized personal protection 9mm that holds a fully stocked 18-round magazine.

Check Out: Hiding Home Guns in Plain Sight

But along the way and besides these pistol introductions, Remington has stormed the classic 1911 pistol market with numerous variations on the 1911 frame theme including government models, commander models, enhanced versions, threaded barrel models, and more. The 1911s come in blued steel and stainless versions in .45 ACP with limited models offered in 9mm and 40 S&W.

One of Remington’s latest 1911 renditions is the 1911R1 10mm Hunter Long Slide. It is their first entry with a fully dedicated hunting 1911 version as well as a first semi-auto pistol chambered for the awesome 10mm round. It’s not only handsome, it is totally purposeful for hunting, prepping, survival, and protection.

The Remington 1911R1 Long Slide

Long slide? Yep. Out of the box, the very first thing you notice if you are a true 1911 aficionado is that the muzzle tips over a little quicker than usual in the grip of your hand. Why, you may ask? Well, because this slide is six inches long, one inch more than a standard 1911 slide. This extra inch of barrel and slide contributes to a number of enhancement performance features for the 1911R1. Catalog specifications for this new 1911 besides the obvious six inch tube and slide includes the chambering of the 10mm Auto round. The pistol’s magazine capacity is 8+1 rounds. The barrel itself is stainless steel, six grooves with a 1:16 inch left hand twist. Trigger weight pull is set at around 4.75 pounds. Some say too heavy but it is completely manageable.

The trigger is a 3-hole design. There is a beavertail grip and ambidextrous thumb safeties, a very nice feature. The extractor is of the HD heavy duty type. The pistol’s grips are the VZ Operator II type for durability, long lasting wear with aggressive checkering for firm gripping.

The overall length of the pistol is 9.5 inches. The gun’s carry weight is 41 ounces. That is slightly over 2.5 pounds, so it is no lightweight. The sights are fully adjustable, a match type with a serrated rear sight panel to reduce glare. The front sight is a post type with an orange-red fiber optic insert. They are highly visible and easy to line up. The accessory rail under the frame can handle mounting a light or laser.

The gun itself is stainless steel, but it is factory finished in a black matte PVD-DLC coating. PVD is a “physical vapor deposition” coating and the DLC is a “diamond like carbon” coating that provides a low friction factor plus a high micro-hardness feature. So what does all that mean? It means the metal or pistol itself is virtually impervious to moisture sink impact. The DLC coating makes the moving parts of the pistol slick running.

Though the factory guns are black matte as mentioned, there is a special version available now through Davidson’s Gallery of Guns. This 1911R1 model comes with a special PVD oil rubbed bronze finish. The VZ Operator II grips on this special pistol are a bronze reddish brown color. It is not only unique but particularly beautiful. These pistols should become collector’s models, but still with every bit of utility as the black versions. Davidson’s also offers a full lifetime replacement warranty on guns bought from them. Good deal, Lucille, as BB used to say.

Factory delivery accessories includes a cool collectable Remington green box. In the box is a fitted foam insert for the pistol, two silver chrome magazines, a cable gun lock with two keys, a hard plastic barrel bushing wrench, a 200th year Remington sticker, and a factory owner’s manual.

The 10mm Auto Story

In 1983 the earth shook. The 10mm Auto and its first pistol, Crockett’s Miami Vice Bren Ten was introduced. The initial load used a 200 grain fully jacketed truncated cone bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1200 fps. The energy rating was set at 635 foot-pounds. This meant it was more powerful than the .357 Magnum and the rather lackluster .41 Magnum police load.

The Bren pistol and the 10mm came from development work by Jeff Cooper and his buddies trying to produce a new cartridge being touted as the ideal combat weapon’s load. Some federal agencies adapted the 10mm, but in rather short order, users began to complain of recoil and training issues. Ironically, the 10mm case was later shortened to create the .40 S&W, which is now nearly defunct in its own right.

The 10mm remains a good choice for defensive work and small game hunting up to deer sized game at reasonable ranges. Colt, Glock, and Kimber still offer pistols chambered for the 10mm in addition to Remington’s new 1911R1 Hunter Long Slide.

Factory ammunition is available from Hornady, Remington, Sig-Sauer, American Eagle, Armscor, Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, Double Tap, PMC, Prvi Partizan and Sellier & Bellot. Bullet weights vary from 135 to 220 grains. The standard is a 180 grain jacketed hollow point bullet. Plenty of reloading supplies are also offered for home brewed 10mm loads.

The Remington 1911R1 Hunter’s Purpose

So, what is this new Remington pistol and the powerful 10mm Auto round to be used for? There is no denying that the 10mm is a hummer, but having worked with a 10mm pistol for a couple years, I find it no more difficult to control than a full powered load in a .45 ACP. If the .45 Auto is not for you, then the 10mm may not be either. But try it before you dismiss it wholesale.

In this Remington 1911R1 long slide delivery platform package, the 10mm is even more tamed with the extra inch of slide and barrel. The increased sighting radius of this handgun also makes getting on and staying on target much easier. The weight of this pistol dissipates both excessive recoil and muzzle blast.

I look forward to further testing. The bronze model came too late for my fall hunting seasons to get the new pistol into the white-tailed deer hunting stands. Next year will not come soon enough for me.

I have experience with the 10mm and feel confident it is suitable for hunting and gathering at stalking ranges under 100 yards. I am not a proponent of long range shooting with a handgun or a rifle. In a hidden ground blind, or up in a tree stand over a woods lane or food plot, I fully expect the 10mm to perform well, and the new Remington 1911R1 Long Slide even better.

Personal defense? Once the shooter-gun handler gets accustomed to firing the 10mm and targeting with a 10mm handgun of any brand, then for sure this combination will deter threats with authority. So far, the edge in this regard fully goes to this new Remington.

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