Rost Martin RM1C Comp Gun Review

The Rost Martin RM1C. Let’s check it out. Available Here)

 

All right guys, we have the Rost Martin RM1C. When I first saw this at NRA, I took a look at it. I thought there’s another polymer striker for our pistols, probably a Glock clone. The booth was busy, and so I didn’t really ask a lot of questions.

I just walked on by. Then when Getzone put this in their holiday gift guide, I got a chance to really look at it. And guys, this is definitely something outside the box.

Very feature rich, and yet it comes in at a budget price. Again, this is the comp model. It shoots like a dream.

One of the things though that I’m going to mention right up front is the trigger is just excellent for a striker fired polymer pistol. Well guys, I want to give Getzone.com a big thank you for putting us together with Rost Martin for this review. Guys, again, this is going to be something that when I first saw it, I was a little underwhelmed.

When I got a hold of it, checked it out, took it to the range. There’s a lot to be said about this handgun. Well guys, the Rost Martin RM1C compensated.

I’m going to tell you, I’ve been kind of looking at these since they came out, and I just thought, well, there’s another striker fired polymer frame pistol. Once I’ve really looked over the gun, there are some things about this handgun that are absolutely pretty cool, especially for the price. It’s a polymer frame.

It comes in the black. You can get gray, OD green, or you can get the FDE color, which is typical for a lot of guns. These have gone through a 50,000 round torture test, drop test.

It has three different safeties on this firearm. There’s a lot that’s gone behind it. Before we get started, let’s go ahead and drop our magazine.

We have a 15 round magazine. This fits your CZ P10C pattern. You can use those mags.

We’re going to test that out at the range. It does have a green follower, and you have a base. One thing I like is these little divots right here that you can pull down on, especially for any kind of malfunction drill.

Also, it comes with a 17 round magazine, and it has a little bit of an extension. As we put it in, you just got a little more grip, and it gives you those extra rounds. These magazines come out pretty good.

I mean, they eject out. Let’s check the chamber. The gun’s empty.

Well, the serrations, very deep. I like them. They’re directional, and front serrations, same thing.

Press checks. The serrations on the top of the slide, that’s a great plus, and this is going to cut down on any glare. You see immediately that we are optics ready, so it has a cover plate.

This comes with a plate that fits the RMR. You can get additional plates from Rost Martin. They do offer a number of different ones.

I think it’s really cool that they come out with the plate, so this is ready to go right out of the box. It is compensated, and so that’s going to help with felt recoil. We’re going to check that out at the range as well.

Comp guns have become a big deal, especially when it doesn’t really extend that much past the muzzle. It doesn’t make it any longer. It is a four-inch barrel.

It is cold hammer forged. Now, the sights, which typically, that can be a problem with new guns, but these are XD or XDM pattern sights, so you’re going to have a lot of choices, and they do offer night sights right there on the Rost Martin website, but obviously, if they’re XD, XDM sights, you’re going to have a lot of choices. You have a loaded chamber indicator here at the top.

The slide is nitrocarburized. I like that. That is actually a metal treatment that goes into the metal.

It’s going to give it excellent corrosion resistance. Big plus. Also, with the barrel, we have a crown, so this is going to preserve your accuracy, and with that cold hammer forged barrel, it’s going to give you extended life.

It’s really flat up at the front. You have a three-slot Picatinny rail, squared trigger guard that’s angled, and we have a really nice high undercut. It’s going to allow you to get up on that handgun, gives you a very low bore axis, and now you see the loaded chamber indicator.

This does not mean the gun is loaded or unloaded. It just means that the striker is in the rear position, and so as we pull the trigger, it disappears, and you know the striker’s not cocked, but again, you have your loaded chamber indicator right here at the end of the barrel. The polymer frame, it has a very distinct feel to it.

It feels somewhat rigid, and yet, it has a very smooth finish on it. Then, the texturing is really nice. It’s well done.

It’s not too aggressive, but it does have some bite to it, and from what I understand, if you grip it and then you squeeze to it, it really locks into your hand, and I can feel that. We have front and back serrations. We have three different backstrap options as well, so I believe it comes with the medium, and you can put on the small or the large.

Magwell has a little bit of funneling here, so it makes those magazines go in just that much easier on top of the fact that they’re beveled at the end, just like all of your double stack magazines, and we have an ambi mag release, so here we’ve got a standard mag release, and then here on the other side, just pop those down, and it’s ready to go. You have your slide stop, ambidextrous, no frame safety, which I like, but there are three additional safeties on the pistol. Now, this is called a DAS trigger, double action striker, and so this is actually pretty cool, and we’re going to take a good look at the trigger now.

So here we have a flat face trigger. It is polymer. It’s fairly wide, and yet it has these bevels on the edge, so it’s really comfortable, and here you have your trigger safety, but it is, again, a DAS trigger, so the striker has not been fully cocked.

It’s only partially cocked. The feel, just a touch of resistance. We have a trigger stop and a really clean break.

Also, with reset, really fast. I mean, that’s a really nice trigger. We’re going to check the trigger pull weight with our Lyman trigger gauge from Brownells.

They say five pounds, and we’ve got 5.8, five and a half pounds. Five pounds, 4.6 ounces. One thing that I thought was interesting is where you have your pin that holds in your back strap.

You can actually use this for a lanyard if you want, and I guess it’s according to the situation. We do have the front edge cut, so it has a little bit of a bevel, and we have cuts here, so it’s not so squared off. We do have memory pads here.

I love memory pads. I like to put my finger, I like a place to remember, and they come out just a touch, not much, but actually, you can take that thumb, put it on there, and it will give you some recoil management, which also, we have a nice beaver tail. That’s just going to spread that against the web of your hand, and it’s just going to be better recoil management.

There’s a lot of thought that’s gone through this handgun, but one gun that this really closely follows is the Erex Delta. The Erex Delta is just one of those handguns. It’s so thin.

I love this gun. This is really one of those that is really underrated. Erex Delta actually worked with Rost Martin to develop the Rost Martin handgun.

The parts interchange. The magazines interchange. Now, this magazine’s a little bit shorter, so it doesn’t fit the Rost, but if you take the Rost magazine, it fits, it works, and so if you have an Erex Delta, you can have extra magazines, or you can use these magazines for this handgun, and so it just gives you some more options, and we’ll look at it when we break it down.

There are a lot of similarities. Now, the Erex designers actually helped, and they furnished some of the parts and the part designs for the Rost Martin. The CZ P10C mags also work in the Rost Martin, so we’ve got some compatibility, which means that the CZ P10Cs will work in the Erex Delta too, which means that the CZ P10Cs should work in the Erex Delta, but the Erex Delta has a little more angles going on.

The cuts are not quite as fine, not quite as smooth as it is with the Rost Martin, and honestly, it’s a very elegant looking gun, and the name is definitely elegant. Now, when it comes to a new firearm, a lot of times it’s difficult to find holsters. It takes a while for the holster companies to catch up, and it’s one of the things that Rost Martin has done, and they are offering a number of different holsters on their website, but a number of companies have come in, and there are holsters available, and there’ll be more coming.

While this is the comped model, they have just the standard model. They have a subcompact model. There’s a number of different ones that they’re offering already, so it’s really good to see a company coming along that’s already starting to put out a number of different models.

So guys, with the handgun, you do get the 17 round magazine and the 15. You get the two back straps. You get your optics plate for your RMR, and you get screws, and you get your torch wrenches, and weight on the Rost Martin RM1C, 21 ounces.

Big thank you to Fiocchi for sponsoring our ammo, All Made in the USA, one of the biggest suppliers of ammunition in the country. Also, a big thanks to Lula Loaders for the Maglula, makes this easier to load. All right guys, we have the Rost Martin out here at the range, the RM1C.

This is the comped version. Again, I have not had a lot of experience with this gun, but we have shot it quite a bit today. It’s been just super reliable.

This does have the compensator, which just makes it shoot really flat, and that’s just one thing that’s really become very popular. Of course, this optic’s ready, but we’ve just chosen to use the standard sights, which work fine. I’ll tell you guys, the trigger on this is surprising.

It’s plastic, and it’s wide. Once you start shooting it, and the more I’ve messed with it, once it breaks, it has a very definite break. Really well for a polymer striker for our pistol, and this is that double action, single action.

So, you know, you’re pre-cocked hammer, but then when you bring it back, it hits that wall. Man, it’s crisp. Texturing’s really nice.

The molding on the polymer, you know, it’s that glass-filled nylon, so it’s really smooth, but it feels almost, not really fragile, but it’s just got a different feel to it, but I really like the texturing. I think they’ve beefed it up from some of the original models. Of course, you got your three-slot picatinny rail.

I like the little bit of a beaver tail. We’re using a 17-round mag. Again, this does use your CZ P10C mags.

That trigger, the reset is really fast. It’s tactile. It’s audible.

The serrations on the top, we’ve been shooting it some in the sunlight, and that helps keep the glare down. I like the nitro carburized slide on it, because it’s going to have a nice finish. I’ll be honest, I saw this at NRA last year, and I was looking at it, and I was kind of like, eh, okay.

I thought it was a Glock clone. It’s anything but a Glock clone, and I was a big fan of the Erex Delta. I really like that gun, and this has a lot of the same controls.

In fact, you can interchange parts. I meant to bring it with me, because I had switched the slides, and it actually works, but I left it. Guys, I’m telling you, I mean, for the money, this is a very impressive option, and I think a lot of that has to do with their background, being able to come together and really put together just a great package, and for the money, it’s definitely above its pay grade.

I’m impressed. What do you think? I like it a lot. I was a little worried about the trigger, but it actually feels really nice.

I like how wide it is. It feels really good. I like how there’s not a whole lot going on with the grip, because it just kind of fits right in my hand.

It doesn’t feel too complicated, and then as far as it shoots, it just felt steady the whole time I was shooting it, just like right on target, so I really like this. That compensator makes a big difference. Yeah, that helps a lot.

I love it. Yeah, I’ve been very impressed with it. Yeah, I didn’t know what I was going to think about it at first, but after shooting it, I like it a lot better.

Guys, whenever you add a new optic to your firearm, you need to sight it in, and you can walk it in. You can bore sight it through the bore, but the easiest way we found is the Sightrite 2.0 by Tactical Elites. It’s a green laser bore sighter.

Put a collet on it that’ll fit the caliber, then we slide it into the end of the barrel, and then we turn on the green laser. Check out Tactical Elites for the Sightrite 2.0, an excellent addition to your range time, and it’ll save you time and money, so go to tacticalelites.com. Guys, we’re going to shoot the CZ P10C mag. These are supposed to work as far as going in.

Yep, it hangs off just a touch, so we’re just going to try it out and see how reliable it is. That comp really makes this fun to shoot, and it just keeps that muzzle down, but these work so far. Well, disassembly, it’s a little bit different, but really fast, so we’re going to drop our magazine, check the chamber, gun’s unloaded, pull back on the slide just a touch, and pull down on your takedown tabs, very similar to your Glock as far as your takedown tabs, and just push forward.

You hear that snap, and then just pull the slide right off, very similar to your Canik pistols, but also to the Arex Delta. We have our recoil spring and guide rod. It is all metal, and it has that flat recoil spring, and then we have our cold hammer forged barrel.

Here we can see the cut for the compensator, very well done. I will say that we have put this on the Arex Delta slide on their frame, and their frame, and their slide on this frame, and they’re very interchangeable, and we may do some testing with that when we get to the range. Then here we have the Arex Delta side by side.

They are almost identical, if not identical. In fact, again, a lot of the parts are interchangeable, which makes this nice, because being a new firearm, you have a lot of parts interchangeability, and that’s going to be just great. Plus, this has been a real proven design.

Same thing with the slide. Even the barrels are cut in the same dimensions. Again, a lot of cues from the Arex Delta, but made right there in Dallas, Texas.

For reassembly, drop in your barrel, take your recoil spring and guide rod, and we’re going to place it in just like that. Here we go. Now, take your slide, and there are cuts in the slide that match your slide rails, and so we’re just going to take and push down, just like that, and that’s it.

I mean, it’s real simple. Test for function, and we’re back in business. Now, you get a cardboard box, but it has this really cool strip on it with Ross to Martin, and inside the box, we have closed foam padding.

You have your two magazines, and then here inside, we have an owner’s manual that is very detailed, very illustrated. I mean, there is a lot of information in this owner’s manual. You get your gun lock, which is mandatory, and also you get, again, your RMR plates, and you get your back straps.

While this box is cardboard, I really like this box. Now, the MSRP starts out at $469 for the standard model, and that’s a great price. Then you have market price, which is going to be considerably less, around the $400 range, but then we have the comp model, which goes up to $489.

Again, very reasonable, and the magazines are available for $2550, and it will take the CZ P10 model magazines, and the Arex Delta magazines. It is parts compatible with your Arex Delta, which has been an excellent handgun, so you do have a lot of pedigree, and you have Springfield Armory tradition that is behind it. Not owning it, but they are behind it, and they’re made in Dallas, Texas.

Nitro-carburized slide. The barrel is Colt Hammer forged. Texturing’s really nice.

Trigger is excellent. Trigger pull is really smooth. It’s crisp.

Takedown is really easy. Sights interchange with your XD, XDM sights, and it comes with an optics plate and back straps, so a lot of pluses. What are some cons? Well, it doesn’t come with a case.

I mean, there’s not really a lot of cons about it. I think they have addressed a lot of things that people have been looking for, and so honestly, it’s a new gun, and the big con is time will tell. As we see this with many more rounds through it, we’re going to know a little bit better about the reliability and the durability, but considering Springfield and Arex Delta have kind of come together on this project in a sense, it gives it a good pedigree.

I guess the one thing is when you have the magazine release on the other side, sometimes it’s a little bit difficult to get that index finger on it, but as you can see, I’m doing it well, but that was the only thing, and I’m nitpicking at this point. So honestly, Rost Martin RM1C. I’m pretty impressed.

Well, guys, the Rost Martin RM1C. Yes, it’s another polymer striker fire pistol, but I think there’s some really cool features on this handgun that really differentiate it from a lot of the others, and then when it comes in with the price, so it definitely comes in with some really cool options, and again, a big thank you to GetZoned.com for putting us together with Rost Martin, and I think this is going to make a great addition to our collection. Guys, when it comes to a good self-defense pistol, especially for the price, I think that the Rost Martin RM1C is going to be an excellent choice.

Be strong. Be of good courage. God bless America. Long live the Republic.

 

-Don