by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Remington’s 1911RAC is very realistic to look at and when held.
This report covers:
- Realistic
- Reviews
- Installing the CO2
- Loading
- Daisy BBs
- A puff of CO2
- Loss of gas
- Blowback is strong!
- H&N Smart Shot
- Shot count
- Trigger pull
- Where do we go from here?
Today we look at the operation and velocity of the Remington 1911RAC BB pistol. I will test it with both steel BBs and with the new Smart Shot lead BBs from H&N. I failed to mention in Part 1 that there is also a Remington 1911RAC Tactial BB pistol, as well.
Realistic
I commented on the realism of this pistol in Part 1 and several readers answered with their own comments. Those who have seen and held the gun agree it is very realistic. Nobody likes the white lettering on the sides of the slide and frame, but the heft of the gun probably trumps that for many shooters.
Reviews
I was surprised to see just 8 reviews of the pistol. It has been out for 2 years and should have twice that many. Two of the reviewers complained of gas blowing back in their face when they shot. That probably means it exhausts backwards after being used for blowback. The shot count should tell us whether this pistol is a gas hog or not. If it gets 50 good shots or less, it uses a lot of gas. More than 50 shots means it’s conservative. This is where a chronograph really pays for itself!
Installing the CO2
Push the magazine release button and the drop-free mag comes out of the grip. Both the CO2 cartridge and the BBs are loaded into this magazine. A couple reviewers complained that the magazine was hard to remove from the gun. I found that as well, and I will address it in a bit.
One owner complained of getting 2 different pistols that both leaked. One pistol I can understand, but 2 is stretching credibility. It sounded to me like the owner may not have known how to install the CO2 cartridge. Let me talk you through it. First, and foremost — put 2 or 3 drops of Crosman Pellgunoil on the flat tip of the new cartridge. Or drop it onto the piercing pin where the tip of the cartridge is going. That’s what I do.
The pistol comes with a separate Allen wrench to tighten the Allen screw that pushes the cartridge into the piercing pin. I found that I had to screw in beyond the point where gas began to escape to make the seal. I wondered if perhaps this is what that owner wasn’t doing? Once the gas stops hissing you can stop tightening the piercing screw. That will preserve the face seal that seals the cartridge. And the Pellgunoil will blow through the valve assembly, getting on every important surface.
Loading
Pull down the spring-loaded follower and it will catch at the bottom of the slot. BBs are then loaded into the top front opening of the magazine, one after another. Other BB pistols have a hole in the follower slot where BBs can be fed in, but the Remington doesn’t have that. I found by putting a finger behind the BB hole at the top of the magazine and pushing each BB straight in sped things up, though not as fast as some shooters would prefer. If you intend shooting action pistol matches with this gun, have several spare loaded magazines on hand, so reloading goes fast. If you follow the link you will see that the RAC uses the same magazine as several other BB pistols.
Daisy BBs
The first BBs tested were Daisy’s Premium Grade BBs. They averaged 306 f.p.s., with a velocity spread from 298 f.p.s. to 323 f.p.s. Remington advertises a 320 f.p.s. velocity, so the test pistol is right on the money.
I noticed while shooting the first string that stage two of the trigger is creepy. It feels a lot like a government 1911A1 that’s been living in an arms room for many decades.
I also notice that the velocity declined from the first shot to the last. This is very typical for a CO2 pistol. I gave a minimum of 10 seconds recovery time between shots to allow the gun to return to room temperature, because CO2 gas will chill the gun parts and lower the velocity as you shoot.
A puff of CO2
There is a small but distinct puff of CO2 that comes back at the shooter with every shot. I very much suspect this is the gas that is used to make the slide blow back and isn’t worth consideration. The shot count will tell us for sure.
Loss of gas
I also found that the brand new CO2 cartridge I had loaded two weeks before was completely exhausted when the test started. I had only fired the gun once with this new cartridge, so it should have been full. I will test whether the pistol we are looking at looses gas over time between the end of this test and the next one.
Air Venturi copper-plated BBs
Next up were some Air Venturi copper-plated BBs. These averaged 302 f.p.s. with a low of 296 f.p.s. and a high of 310 f.p.s.
Blowback is strong!
I suspected this gun would have powerful blowback and it did not disappoint. The weight of the metal slide, coupled with the long slide travel, gives the pistol a realistic jolt.
H&N Smart Shot
The last BB I tested was the copper-plated lead Smart Shot from H&N. These loaded well and did not suffer from the heavy follower spring. They averaged 264 f.p.s, with a low of 256 f.p.s. and a high of 272 f.p.s. They are not as much slower as the extra weight would suggest, which is because this is a gas gun and not a spring-piston powerplant.
Magazine problems and gas loss
I was finished with the velocity testing and about to see how many shots I could get on a single CO2 cartridge when I noticed that the magazine wouldn’t release. This is the problem several owners have reported.
I needed to load up for the next part of the test, so I tugged at it. When it finally came out, some gas was lost. I inserted it again and fired 10 blank shots, then tried to remove it again and got the same loss of gas. It appeared the valve stem is slightly too long and hangs up inside the gun. When it comes out, it drags on the inside of the gun — exhausting gas.
Shot count
My shot count really isn’t accurate because of the gas loss. Shot number 41 was a Daisy BB going out at 210 f.p.s., so the gun was off the power curve. The slide stopped blowing back 5 shots later. We don’t get a shot count from this one.
Trigger pull
I always test the trigger in Part 2, so here we go. As noted already, stage 2 is very creepy, but it’s not very heavy. It breaks at between 2 lbs. 3 oz. and 2 lbs. 6 oz.
Where do we go from here?
I am going to try to finish the test. If the gun finishes, we will know how accurate it is. Unless the gun starts functioning correctly, however, it will not make my list of recommended buys. I am installing a fresh CO2 cartridge now and will check it in a couple weeks when I start the accuracy test.
Sounds like it May be able to just squeak by. Also sounds like Remington needs a little help in the R &D department.
The pistol sure looks like my Colt Commander. The Commander is one of the most enjoyable bb pistols I have. I can’t help but wonder if the Remington has a faulty drop out magazine. The Commander holds C02 fine and I get around 40 – 50 shots out of each powerlet. I think all the big white lettering on this pistol has hurt sales. Also I am sure a lot of folks did not realize that Remington made 1911’s .Don’t give up on the pistol until you try another magazine .
Happy Thanksgiving
Harvey
Harvey,
I’m sure you are right about the magazine. But it is the chief complain of several owners who have reviewed the gun on the Pyramyd AIR website. The problem is larger than just one gun and one magazine. That is why I am reporting it the way that I am.
I want to gun to do well, too. I hope that it does. But I also want buyers to know what they may be encountering.
B.B.
Sounds like a little grind wheelin for existibg owners, take that bit off the valve stem? Striker? And it should be able to hold air at rest and in action going in and out without hitting itself, rhe only question is will that reduce valve movement? Probably not enough to be a problem.
I thought about that same mod and that should be what happens, a slight drop in velocity but may be negligible enough for owners who are exhaustedof exhausting their gas.
Harvey,
The TAC Remington looks even MORE like the Commander than does this version.
Michael
The allen screw to force the piercing of the powerlett caught my attention on this one. I like that, I think.
I have a Beretta 92FS pellet pistol. It has a thumbscrew set up that is used to take up the inital slack. Then, the butt of the grip swings up and does the final piercing of the powerlett. It worked great untill that thumbscrew began to sieze at the threads. Pulled, cleaned, never-siezed it,…better, but still tight. That was at around 1000 shots. At around 2500 shots, the feed/rotation began to jam in single. I shot double 99% of the time. At around 3000, the same thing was happening with double. Now the safety will not rotate on.
Plan is to tear into it this winter, maybe this weekend,..see whats going on and go from there. It’s beautifull with great heft and feel. I will be dissapointed if I can’t get it back up and running. Umerex said they could swap the valve, the hammer and some other part for about 75$. That’s fine, but I want to tear it all the way down and go over it with a fine tooth comb. I suspect other issues will be found. Thumb screw for one. I have a video of a full tear down and a site that BD76 provided that I can get parts. We’ll see.
Even at 3000 shots in about 9 months, given the price, I would have hoped for better.
Good luck with this one B.B.,…Chris
Oooops! 🙁
Reverse the single/double wording above. I shot single 99% of the time. Manualy pulled hammer and then shot. Man,….I hate when I do that! Have a good day all.
BB,
You did not give velocities on the H&N Smart Shot.
RR,
Oooops! Thank you. I will correct it.
B.B.
I like mine very well, ignoring the white lettering. My teenage son can go through a lot of cartridges in an afternoon and empty soda cans beware.
The only issue that I have had is with the magazine follower not locking back for loading. I get 45 good shots before blowback gets weak.
Tabrown,
Thanks for that shot count. I was estimating somewhere around 50 shots. Maybe your slide not locking back and my magazine jamming are related, because the magazine is at the center of both situations.
B.B.
Re the Daisy Model 12-29. I dug out a couple of Daisy 101-36 Single Shots from my collection. These are a slightly updated version of the 12-29, probably made before WWII. I thoroughly cleaned the shot tubes and made sure they were securely mounted to the muzzle cap.
Dismal accuracy at 5 meters would have been an improvement. Best BB I tried was H&N 4.55 lead. ( I made sure all BB’s were all the way down the tube with a cleaning rod before each shot.)
I had high hopes but I don’t think it’s worth the time to keep experimenting with these particular guns.
Fido3030,
Thanks for sharing that. I plan to test the model 29 during another airgun test I’m running and I will only write another report is the results warrant it. otherwise, I’ll just make a mention.
B.B.
Hi to all, haven’t been around much lately due to some goings on @home. I’m a big fan of the blowback CO2 guns so here;s hoping for a quick & easy solution to the gas loss problem.
Happy Thanksgiving to all here and special good wishes to BB on this upcoming Holiday season, I know it won’t be ab easy one for you.
Kevin in CT
Kevin in CT,
Glad to hear you are still around and hope you are doing well. Have you done anything with that .22 TX yet? I hope so. If not, it’s still a beauty to just look at and hold. Still,…”She” deserves more ….. Chris
Did you get the picture of that group?
A lot of people may be able to do that on a regular basis and offhand at that but it’s been a while since I have with anything other than my 2400KT.
Reb,
I just looked at it. I got it this morning and it came through as something that I did not recognize. I don’t open stuff like that usually.
Shoot and See huh? Not sure I like ’em from the pics. I have never used ’em. I can see where it would be good at further out. Try the duct tape on the back of heavier paper, backed up by box cardboard. You will amazed. Very clean holes, even with domes.
But yes,…that is cool when that happens. Mine were the 1st three shots on 3 ten shot groups. Yea,…the first three shots, three times in a row. At 25yds. Let’s just say that the other 7 of each did not go as well. That would test the “steel” of any shooter to not get just a “little” excited. 😉
I started using the shoot n see targets when I got my Slavia 618 in .177 shooting at 25+ yds they don’t work very well for measuring small groups but cut way down on walking back & forth and sighting in.
Those were Ruger Superpoints by the way.
Dare I call that a 5/8″ group of 5?
Reb,
Yes, I can see them working quite well for sighting and longer distances. At 50 yds. I can have a hard time seeing pellet holes on 7 mag. American Airgunner had an episode that showed making them. Think plastic coffee can lid, spray paint bright,…..cover with clear tape,…spray paint dark,…add bullseye and shoot. It worked quite well. Bright poster board, clear tape sprayed dark, add bull,…shoot. That was the other version shown. Firearms at further distances would be an ideal usage for the shoot and see’s. They look fun, but a bit pricey for “stingy ‘ol me”. 😉
I pay about $5 for 10 of these 6″ ones and that’s what the smaller ones were running back then
At the time I had no idea the 618 was a smoothbore because it was so accurate out to 25yds. Took a lotta dove with that gun all one shot just below the skull.
I make home made shoot and see targets. They are simple to make. For mine, I take brightly colored paper and tape over it with the cheapest packing tape that I can find then spray paint it black (using the $1 a can black paint). I have a wooden template made from 1/8″ plywood with with different size holes drilled in from 1/2″ to 1.5″ that I use to paint on a bull in contrasting color with a fan brush and cheap acrylic paint. Stiffer paper is better. I got a deal on florescent 3X5 index cards when a local office supply went out of business. Works great.
I also made templates with my scroll saw of the standard size silhouettes. I tape up the index cards, lay the template on it and spray paint it black. Depending on the size of the silhouette, I can get from 1 (ram) to 5 (chicken) on the card. They are a little fuzzy around the edge but make great practice targets.
When I run out of the 3X5 cards, I’m going to experiment with wax coated freezer paper. I believe that I can skip the taping step and that the wax coating will work like the packing tape.
BTW, elections are over in Louisiana and I have had several people give me old campaign signs. They make excellent target faces.
Jim
Jim, I’ve been trying to send the email I drafted but it’s not getting through.
I admit I’m new to electronic devices and fairly inept at sending anything electronically but I don’t generally have this much difficulty.
I left a message addressed to you on this blog earlier.
I’m not ignoring you by any means just can’t get through for some reason.
Reb:
Our posts crossed. Please see below for different email address.
Jim
The campaign signs sound like fun! Especially the ones with faces of politicians who are less than credible.
I had no idea you lived in La.
What part?
Reb:
Central Louisiana – the Alexandria Louisiana area.
None of the signs given to me have the politicians’ faces on them. If it they did it might give new meaning to shoot their eyes out.
Jim
Jim,
All good tips. I remember some of them from a previous post quite awile ago.
Ahhhh,…yet another winter project.
We did something similar in Art classes in High school; posterboard coated with crayons and India ink that we scratched our images into, the ink readily comes off to reveal the colors underneath.
Of course they had to be immediately framed under glass to avoid any new scratches.
I guess it’s a version of Scrimshaw because that’s what they called it.
Reb,
I can say with fare certanity that ” a lot of people” will never see that. Consider ourselves lucky! 😉
Yep, I got a good one!
Wish that happened every time.
B.B.,
Although it may assumed, I didn’t notice any mention of magazine insertion and/or release with the slide locked back. My Colt Commander definitely prefers the slide locked back for both.
~ken
You just might be onto something there Ken!
Does the slide not lock back on this gun? I don’t know how it would know the last BB had been fired so I’m guessing not.
Reb, it locks back after you fire the last shot from the magazine. If the problem is evident at this point then I expect something just isn’t right.
However, if the magazine has even one BB I need to lock the slide back manually to release the magazine.
On the other hand, if I have the magazine outside the pistol (with the slide not locked back) I need to lock the slide back to easily insert the magazine.
~ken
We’ll leave that question to be answered by B.B. in the next report. I feel this gun has a lot going for it but May have a few issues that need to be addressed before I would consider a purchase, I’ve already got enough projects and it’s just a BB shooter. However if I had a .45 I’d prefer a training gun with all the same features and feel.
Reb, the Tanfoglio Witness is for all intents and purposes the same as the Remington. The Colt Commander is black and has white dot open sights, but other wise is also the same.
What is odd about the Remington is that these three and at least a few others all are the same basic pistol manufactured by KWC. I can only wonder what the difference may be if the Remington is the only one customers have had this problem with. ~ken
Thanks Ken!
Kenholmz
Interesting comment. You sound as if you have done your homework. Assuming,…that the models you listed, and the others that you did not,….have slight external changes,…then the culprit may lay in the differences that the main bodies have,…even though they may all contain the same internals. How those internals all fit into a slightly different housing, may be all the difference. If the internals vary from model to model,…then it’s anyone’s guess.
Well, if it locks back on the final round that’s one of the features I’m looking for.
If B.B. can figure it out I’ll probably get one eventually.
I’ll probably wait to see what others have to say about it regardless. Just too many irons in the fire right now!
Absolutely, Reb. I have lamented more than one impulsive buy. Just as I have almost always been quite satisfied with decisions I made after doing some research, including the experience of others.
~ken
If it wasn’t for this review I’d probably have already bought one of the many already on the market with stellar reviews but since I already have so much else going on and it’s just not up to snuff yet I believe I’ll bide my time and hope it doesn’t just get discontinued.
Ken,
I inserted the loaded magazine with the slide forward. I think I tried releasing it that way, too.
If the problem continues, I will try it with the slide back.
B.B.
B.B.
When Remington first announced that they were getting back into airguns with the release with the release of this 1911 RAC BB pistol, I thought it might be one that I would add to my collection. I really like these 1911 style replicas and have several of them.
Blackwater BW1911 R2 BB
Umarex Colt Government 1911A1 Pellet
Umarex Colt WWII Commemorative 1911 BB
Umarex Colt Commander
Umarex Colt NRA Limited Edition 1911
All of these have worked very well and shot well. I remember being disappointed when I read the Pyramyd AIR customer reviews about the Remington. I chose not to buy one because of those comments. It looks like Remington hasn’t done anything to fix the issues.
Jim Qwerty123,
I’ve tried many times to send a email to you but can’t get it through for some reason.
I’ve still got it but I don’t know how much longer my phone will let me hold it.
Reb:
jballard[at]pmhcpa[dot]com
If that doesn’t work home email is susantroop[at]aol[dot]com. I’ll tell Mrs. Qwerty to look for it.
Jim
Reb:
Oops!
susantroop123[at]aol[dot]com
Jim
I just reread part 1 and I really do like this gun!
I hope we can get it figured out or at least point Remington in the right direction to make it as user friendly as it’s firearm counterparts.
I’ve been neglecting the PA catalogs while pressing them out flat so I could read ’em.
On the cover of volume 6 is a picture of the TX200 MK III only it looks like a sidelever. Certainly a good looking gun! But that’s the first time I’ve noticed the black piece behind the loading port. Is this something new or I’ve just been missing it?
Reb,
That is the “Bear Trap” safety that keeps you from getting your finger caught if something lets go.
Cock underlever fully, hold underlever, load pellet, press the side safety, return lever to full latch, safety off, shoot.
Thanks Jim, I’ll copy those down and try again.
That’s kinda what I figured.
I guess maybe it’s usually the other side of the gun that gets shown in pictures.
I do like the looks of the gun but that’s a lotta money for a pellet gun.
Reb,
The LGU has one as well. I believe that some years back that all sliding compression chamber designs were required to have this,…due to injured fingers. Some/all? older ones did not have this feature.
My QB-88 doesn’t have one and it’s evident that it’s slipped before due to the beartrap ratchet sliding sideways. It’s been welded in place now so I do feel better but having it scoped makes it take too long to get my fingers back out for my level of comfort.
Think I’ll try a Crosman peep on it instead.
Reb,
You’ve been missing it. It’s been there since the Mark II was born, over 20 years ago.
B.B.
Weather is finally cooperating!
My phone says 66℉ so I’m opening the back door to get some shooting in before 10:00
I have a 1912 BB CO2 pistol. When I insert a CO2 and screw it down and it’s tightened the whole CO2 air comes out.
kuriousxv,
Welcome to the blog.
Your seals are blown or there is a piece of dirt on the seals. Did you use Crosman Pellgunoil on the tip of the CO2 cartridge?
B.B.
Hi I have the Remington 1911 and four mags they all leak from top of mag at exit port I have replaced the co2 piercing end and seal still pisses gas out could this mean the release valve is gone f so where can I get some most gutted