Remington RM380 Micro Pistol

Remington Arms announced the release of its new Model RM380: an all-metal, semi-auto micro pistol. Specifically designed for concealed carry purposes, the Remington RM380 has potential as an on-duty back-up gun or a nicely compact off-duty gun. Though a bit late to the .380 caliber craze of 5-6 years ago, the RM380 still comes with some admirable features that can make the pistol a serious consideration. Remington expects the RM380 to be available at major firearms and sporting goods retailers around the country on November 14, 2015.

The RM380 is the first pistol designed and produced at the new Remington facility in Huntsville, Alabama. This new manufacturing facility has been outfitted with the most advanced CNC machining centers, enhanced assembly lines, and a full set of test-firing ranges.

Overview of the RM380

The Remington RM380 is chambered in .380 ACP, which continues to be very popular for CCW handguns, despite the latest trend in 9mm CCW pistols. Remington has faced a lot of criticism for the failed release of the R51 9mm pistol, which is still in limbo after a massive recall. However, I applaud Remington for not giving up on pistols altogether.

In addition to the all-steel construction, the RM380 is designed with the longest barrel in its class. The longer barrel provides a more optimized muzzle velocity and some additional stability of the bullet in flight from the rifling having more contact with the bullet before it leaves the barrel.

Despite the all-steel construction, the RM380 weighs only 12.2 ounces unloaded. Having an overall length of 5.25 inches, the RM380 is very compact and easily concealed. The RM380 has an extended beavertail grip, to assist with a smooth draw and secure grip while firing.

There are serrations on the rear of the slide to assist with function checks, and reloading. The sights consist of low-profile and contoured fixed sights to avoid snagging. In fact, the entire RM380 is rounded at the pivotal edges to provide a very smooth and sleek design, with a greatly reduced chance for snagging. This is perfect for a pistol designed to be carried in a pocket or compact holster.

The RM380 is reported to feature a smooth double-action-only (DAO) trigger, fully functional low profile slide stop, and an ambidextrous magazine release. There is one big drawback to the RM380 in my opinion – the trigger pull is about 8 to 10 pounds. Though it is not uncommon for pistols without external safeties to have a higher pull weight, a trigger pull that heavy is way too much for a pistol designed to be a self-defense firearm in close quarters.

The grip of the RM380 has a squared texture on the aluminum front, with a diamond-shaped pattern on both glass-filled nylon side grips. The trigger guard is undercut, allowing the shooter a higher and better grip than handguns without that cut. The slightly extended beavertail also enhances the grip for a sure feel while firing.

There are replaceable grip panels for customization of the grip to the shooter’s own hand size. The grip has an optimized angle for greater comfort and shoot ability. 

Key Features

The RM380 will come with two 6-round magazines – one with a pinky extension and one without. There are talks of an after-market 7-round magazine as an option. The magazine release is ambidextrous, and low-profile to the frame to avoid snagging.

• Fully Functional Slide Stop – locks open on last round
• All-Metal Construction – for durability and longevity (7075 Aluminum Frame)
• Precise Barrel to Slide Lock-Up – for accuracy and precision  
• Fully Ambidextrous, Low Profile Magazine Release
• Checkered Front Strap and Trigger Guard Undercut – for improved control
• Optimized Grip Angle – for comfort, recoil management, and better shootability
• Extended Beavertail – protects hand and promotes correct grip when drawing
• Wide, Positive Cocking Serrations
• Light Dual Recoil Spring system – for easy slide racking and lifetime use
• Includes two 6-round magazines – one flush fit and one finger extension

Specifications

• Action – Semi-Auto, DAO
• Trigger Pull – 8 to 10 pounds
• Caliber – .380 Auto
• Twist Rate – 1:16
• Material – 7075 Aluminum frame, 410 Stainless steel barrel
• Overall Length – 5.27″
• Barrel Length – 2.9″
• Height – 3.86″
• Width – 0.94″
• Weight – 12.2 ounces (unloaded, without magazine)
• Grips – Glass-filled Nylon, replaceable grip panels
• Capacity – 6+1
• Magazines – one flush, one finger extension
• MSRP – $417.00.

Field Stripping the RM380

The RM380 is easily field stripped for cleaning and other maintenance issues. Like most semi-auto pistols the RM380 should be gripped with the thumb underneath the beavertail and the fingers over the slide. The shooter then pulls back on the slide a short distance until the take-down pin is aligned with pre-drilled holes on the slide (above the front grip screws in the pictures above).

Once the take-down pin is aligned with the holes the pin can be removed, allowing the slide to come off the frame. Removing the pin can be accomplished with a punch or by lightly tapping the side of the RM380 on a hard surface.

When the slide is removed the recoil spring can be detached, allowing the barrel to be removed as well. This is as far as the shooter should go in field stripping, ending up with (5) primary components – the frame, slide, barrel, recoil spring, and take-down pin.

Once cleaning and maintenance is completed, the barrel is inserted into the slide, and the recoil spring properly reattached. The slide is placed back on the frame, and then the shooter grips the slide in the same manner as the take-down procedure. Pulling the slide slightly rearward until the take-down holes are aligned, allows the take-down pin to be reinserted. When completed the slide is allowed to return to its resting position, and safety and function checks should be performed.

RM380 Holsters

CrossBreed Holsters designed a couple of RM380 specific holsters, with Galco and DeSantis in line to do so as well. There is talk that in the near future there will be an option that includes Crimson Trace laser grips, that have proven to be highly popular with the concealed carry pistols.

Our friends at The Firearm Blog were able to conduct a live-fire review of the RM380 at the Gunsite Academy in Arizona. After firing around 750 rounds at paper, steel, and a shoot-house scenario, the RM380 performed flawlessly and with relatively good accuracy for such a small pistol. Katie even performed a 250-round “failure” drill (firing rounds as quickly as could be loaded), and the RM380 had no failures-to-feed, failures-to-fire, or failures-to-eject.

Final Thoughts

The Remington RM380 appears to be a well-designed, purpose-built handgun. It is a little late to the .380 caliber storm that was on fire 5-6 years ago, but that market is still strong. Having an overall length of just over 5 inches, and being less than an inch wide, the RM380 is a contender. The .380 ACP is the smallest handgun round the BlueSheepDog Crew can recommend for self-defense purposes.

The 8-10 pound trigger pull is a big concern. Pistols designed for CCW must necessarily consider that these firearms will be used in close quarters. Gunfights up close often require multiple shots, and a trigger pull that is too heavy can be very detrimental in those situations. Heavier trigger pulls can make even short distance shots move off target, as the shooter fights to maintain sight picture and pull the heavy trigger. In addition, a heavy trigger is a disadvantage to the shooter in the event that very close follow-up shots are required to neutralize a threat.