There’s been big trend lately to chamber full-sized, steel-framed 1911s in 9mm. This makes the big gun a pussycat to shoot, with light recoil and tremendous accuracy. Remington decided to chamber the 1911 R1 Enhanced in 9mm this year, and the resulting gun impressed me with its handling characteristics and accuracy.
The pistol features a wedge-shaped, low-profile rear sight that is actually adjustable for elevation and can be drifted in its dovetail for windage. The front sight is also dovetailed into the slide and features a red fiber-optic insert. The slide has front and rear cocking serrations and a lowered and flared ejection port. The stainless steel barrel is fully supported and uses a standard recoil spring guide, as opposed to a full-length rod.
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The frame is fitted with a high-swept beavertail grip safety and a wide, extended, single-sided thumb safety. Our test sample shot to point of aim, and the trigger pull weighed 3.8 pounds. One amusing note is that, after more than 40 years of shooting .45 ACP 1911s, I find the recoil of 9mm variants to be almost inconsequential. This allows me to concentrate on the trigger and sights.
The best groups with Black Hills 115-grain JHPs, Federal 147-grain Syntech Training Match rounds and Hornady 124-grain American Gunner +P XTPs measured 1.23, 1.11 and 0.87 inches, respectively. My three-group average was just 1.07 inches, which makes the Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced a good choice for anyone looking for a 9mm 1911. Priced at a very reasonable $903, this gun will likely be the foundation for many competition shooters.
