Click pictures for a larger version.

The RM380 (left) is pretty much the same size as the Ruger LCP (right).

Textured grip panels.

Ambidextrous magazine release.

Slide lock.

Crimson Trace Laserguard.

Several months ago, I was invited to Gunsite in Arizona to shoot a pre-production model of the Remington RM380 semi-automatic pistol. The little pistol ran very well, was easy to operate, and performed as it should all week. We produced a video on this pistol, but have been waiting for the pistol to go into full production before writing a detailed review of the weapon. The RM380 is now in full production in Remington's new Huntsville, Alabama facility, and the pistol shown here was built on the Huntsville production line. I received this pistol about a month ago, but Remington did not want to announce that the pistol was in production until a quantity of pistols had shipped to distributors.

The little Remington feels good in the hand. If the pistol looks similar to the Rohrbaugh design, that is because it is the Rohrbaugh pistol, modified, tweaked, and improved to fire the 380 ACP cartridge. Remington did not rip off the design; they bought it. The slide is much easier to operate than on many small 380 pistols, which is important to those who do not have a lot of strength in their grip. With the RM380, there is plenty of area to grasp, adequate slide serrations, and a spring that does not feel as if it was requisitioned from a log truck. Anyone who can operate a semi-automatic pistol slide should have no trouble with the RM380 slide effort. The trigger pull is very smooth as well. The pull measured right at nine pounds resistance on my gauge, but the smooth action feels a couple of pounds lighter.

The RM380 is supplied with two six-shot steel magazines. One mag has a flat base plate, the other a finger extension for better control of the pistol. I found both to work well for me. The magazines load easily, and securely lock into the mag well. The magazine release is an ambidextrous unit, with release button at the rear of the trigger guard on both sides. They are easy to operate, but require enough travel that the likelihood of the mag releasing accidentally while in the holster or pocket is minimal.

The RM380 slide is made of 416 stainless steel, and wears a black oxide finish. The barrel is made of blackened 410 stainless, and mates snugly with the slide. Unlike most pocket 380 pistols on the market, the RM380 has a frame made of black anodized aluminum, instead of polymer. The grip panels are made of black textured polymer, and are removable and replaceable. The recoil spring is a dual spring setup, aligned by a steel guide rod.

Critical specifications for the RM380 are listed in the chart below. Weights are listed in ounces. Linear dimensions are listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed in pounds of resistance, as measured with my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. Height includes the sights and the flat magazine floor plate. Maximum width is measured across the top of the frame, and includes the slide lock.

Shooting the production version of the RM380 was a pleasure. Even when shooting Plus P Buffalo Bore ammunition, the pistol is very controllable, and the hand suffered no pain at all. Shooting standard-pressure ammunition, and especially the lightweight Ruger ARX ammunition, the felt recoil is very mild. The RM380 is easy on the hand, as the grip is angled and shaped perfectly for natural pointing, and the edges are rounded and smooth. Well done.

To test for velocities of various ammunition from the 2.9 inch barrel, I assembled together every type and brand of ammunition that I had on my shelves. Velocities were recorded ten feet from the muzzle, at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, with an air temperature of sixty-one degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of eighty-six percent. Velocities are listed in feet per second (fps). TAC-XP is a homogenous copper hollowpoint bullet manufactured by Barnes Bullets. JHP is a jacketed hollowpoint bullet with a lead core. FMJ is a full metal jacket bullet with a lead core. ARX is a copper-polymer composite bullet. LFN is a hard-cast lead flatnose bullet. Bullet weights are listed in grains.

As can be seen in the chart above, the Buffalo Bore Lead Free and the Barnes TAC-XP use the same Barnes bullet, but the Buffalo Bore is a +P rated load, with the bullet running approximately 236 fps faster than the Barnes load. Both use excellent bullets, and both loads expand well upon impact. The Buffalo Bore load has more recoil, but hits harder. This gives the RM380 owner a choice of power level, using the same fine Barnes bullet. Accuracy was very good. This is a tightly-built pistol, and it shows in the pistol's inherent accuracy. Practical accuracy was greatly improved for me by adding the Crimson Trace laser, because in dim light, I do not see black sights very well, and due to the overcast conditions and shooting in the woods, the laser helped me greatly, even at mid-day. The pistol could hold a pattern very well; limited only by my ability. Holding a tight cluster of one ragged hole at seven yards was easy with the laser attached, and I had no trouble at all keeping every shot within the vital zone of a human silhouette target at twenty-five yards, even with darkness fast approaching.

Reliability was perfect. Every brand and type of ammunition tested fed, fired, and ejected flawlessly, every time, and the slide never failed to lock open on an empty magazine. Perfect. The magazines are easy to load to capacity, and the RM380 is perfectly safe to carry with the chamber loaded, for a total loaded capacity of seven rounds.

The Remington RM380 production was delayed a bit, in order to get the pistol in production at the new Huntsville facility, but they are now available for purchase. The RM380 is a dandy little pistol, equally at home in a holster or carried in the pocket. It is light, compact, reliable, accurate, and made in the USA.

For more information on the RM380, go to www.remington.com.

To order the RM380 online, click on  the GUN GENIE at www.galleryofguns.com.

To order quality holsters for the RM380, go to www.crossbreedholsters.com.

To order high quality laser sights for the RM380, go to www.crimsontrace.com.

To order quality 380 ACP ammunition online, go to www.midsouthshooterssupply.com, www.luckygunner.com, www.armscor.com, www.lehighdefense.com, www.doubletapammo.com, and www.buffalobore.com.

Jeff Quinn

Click pictures for a larger version.

RM380 comes with lock, instructions, and two steel magazines.

Both mags hold six rounds each. One mag has a flat base, and the other a finger extension.

Cross Breed Holsters inside-the-pants holster.

Recluse leather pocket holster.

Disassembly is quick and easy, with no tools needed.

The RM380 uses a dual-spring system with a steel guide rod.