Remington 1911 pistol (SMK) - Mark Camoccio
- Last updated: 27/01/2017
CO2 powered airguns now represent a significant part of the airgun market, and it’s not hard to see what makes them so popular. Lovers of replicas and look-alikes can just enjoy them for their own sake, whilst the power source itself gives rise to all manner of exciting possibilities. Under the spotlight here is the very latest model from Sportsmarketing: the Remington 1911 RAC… and to be frank, it really is a corker!
It’s been closely modelled on the famous gun that was standard issue for American military forces from 1911 to 1985, and the authentic feel and functionality will be a major selling point for many, I’m sure.
All-metal construction is a good start, and with a high level of build and finish, there’s an air of quality about the 1911 that sets it apart from many rivals. All the exterior surfaces are matt black coated, whilst the fully checkered, precisely moulded grips contrast nicely. At two pounds in weight, it really feels the part too.
I was super keen to get started with this Remington, but careful preparation is required before any action takes place.
Firstly, the magazine assembly needs to be removed from the action, and this is achieved by first pulling the top slide (the top section of the chassis) rearwards and locking it safely in place with the slide stop bar, just above the trigger on the right. Next, the safety is applied, and the magazine release stud can be depressed. The mag can now be pulled clear from the base of the action. Next, unscrew the large hex bolt in the base of the magazine and push a fresh CO2 capsule into position. Now gently tighten the bolt whilst ensuring that the capsule sits central to the valve.
A small hiss of escaping CO2 can be heard at this stage, as the capsule is pierced, and further tightening, without overdoing it, sees the capsule sealed into the action and held in place.
Now we’re ready to fill the mag with 4.5mm steel shot. With the spring loaded slide pulled down with a finger nail, individual BBs can then be dropped and pressed into the small hole at the top of the mag, one by one, until 18 are chambered and the channel is seen to be full.
Keeping the spring loaded clip held back proved a little fiddly initially, but it soon played ball.
As for getting the BBs into the chamber, the preferred method seemed to be to push a BB into the opening whilst clicking the previous one downwards, causing it to then drop into place in the tube. With the mag fully primed, it can now be pushed home up inside the action, until it clicks and you’re ready to go.
I say ready, but a quick word of caution is needed at this point, for before using any type of BB gun ALWAYS wear safety glasses. BBs do have a high propensity for ricochets, so it just pays to eliminate any chance of an accident. Take precautions, protect your eyes, and let the fun commence!
Part of the immense attraction of this Remington is the blowback feature, and here it’s difficult not to break out in a huge grin. As the pistol fires, the top section of the chassis slides rearwards – semi-automatic fast-fire fun is what we’re talking, and the firing characteristics are indeed similar to live shooting. As on the original the grip itself features a safety pressure panel, so the pistol effectively only fires when the hand is fully gripped.
Blowback causes the pistol to flip upwards on firing too, so that authentic ‘feel’ is really quite pronounced; all part of the shooting experience and a big draw for many enthusiasts.
As usual when firing steel BBs, gauging performance is more about the fun element than group sizes. That said, to give some idea, I set up a target screen at 10 yards and adopted a fairly stable position. Deliberate aiming from a slight arm rest, I was able to get most shots within a coke can-sized target. Freehand saw them spread just slightly, but larger targets are probably the order of the day, perhaps to be shot through a timed practical pistol style course. Bear in mind that this Remington is capable of emptying the magazine just as fast as you can pull that trigger (a silky operation too for the record), and you can begin to appreciate what’s on offer here.
Maintenance is made simple with this Remington, with the barrel easily accessible to clean or rod through when necessary. The nature of CO2 means that power can suddenly die when the capsule is fully expended, so ammo fouling the barrel is probably inevitable at some stage when power becomes insufficient to propel a chambered shot. In addition to this, design is kept fairly simple so a full field strip is possible.
CO2’s popularity in general continues to grow, and having spent some time with this subtle beauty I can clearly see the attraction! The Remington 1911 RAC is a great addition to the SMK stable, offering as it does a high-quality feel and authentic functionality. It’s a gun worthy of carrying the famous name, and surely set to appeal to an army of fans who really do understand what fun is all about!