By Bob Campbell | Contributing Editor
I suppose I am conservative when it comes to defensive handguns.
While I may miss out on the occasional really good pistol by being conservative I am able to deploy proven reliable handguns. Rost Martin is a new company that has gained my respect since the introduction of the pace setting RM1C a compact 9mm handgun. The RM1C is similar in size to the Glock 19 making it ideal for concealed carry. The pistol is compact but features a four inch barrel that generates good velocity. This is important for expanding bullet performance. The grip feels good and the trigger action is well suited to personal defense.
By the time I decided to try a handgun from Rost Martin they had introduced the new RM1S. This is a compact pistol with a barrel port. While I don’t consider the 9mm a hard kicker a compact 9mm may seem snappy to some shooters.
Barrel porting helps redirect recoil force and limits muzzle flip. But the pistol has good features other than barrel port. The barrel is shorter than the RM1C at 3.6 inches and the handle is about .6-inch shorter than the RM1C.
The Rost Martin RM1S features a nicely textured handle with a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. The pistol’s tang isn’t a beavertail but it helps keep the handgun in place during recoil, while the slide stop is ambidextrous and the controls are easily manipulated.
Rost Martin has developed a grip treatment they call the Responsive Grip Texture. It works well and offers a grippy but comfortable firing grip. The pistol is supplied with interchangeable back straps. Many handguns in this price range don’t have any backstrap options. This is a good touch that benefits those with large hands the most. The backstrap and front strap are nicely roughened for a solid hold. There are roughened sections on each side of the triggerguard as well. I like this as it reinforces the need to keep the finger off the trigger until you fire. Not when you think you will fire but when you fire.
Even the front of the triggerguard is serrated for those who prefer that type of hold. The overall treatment is more involved than the previous RM1C, which is still a viable choice for many shooters.
The slide features forward cocking serrations and the sights are low profile but well suited to snag free presentation from concealed carry. The trigger action is straight to the rear with a flat trigger with the usual blade lever safety set into the trigger. To fire simply press the trigger. There is no manual safety, the blade lever locks the trigger unless pressure is applied to close the lever into the trigger face.
After cleaning packing grease from the pistol and firing it a few hundred rounds the trigger settled into a decent 4.5 pounds. This is a good trigger for personal defense. In handling the RM1S I liked the ambidextrous slide lock. We should practice weak hand fire from time to time and of course left handed shooters shouldn’t be left out. The magazine latch is fully ambidextrous as delivered, a neat trick.
The pistol is supplied with two magazines, a flush fit 12 round magazine and extended 15 round magazine. The grip is shorter and more concealable than the RM1C, which makes sense in a concealed carry handgun, and the slide features an optics cut and is supplied with an RMR plate. Other plates are available from Rost Martin.
During the firing evaluation I mounted a Trijicon RMR, one of the new models with a green dot reticle. I like this set up a lot. The RMR is the gold standard for carry optics, and along with the Trijicon SRO is a popular service optic. Notably the slide top is serrated, a nice touch on a pistol that costs less than five hundred dollars. Barrel fit seems good, with no excess movement. The barrel features a nicely cut crown.
Disassembly is similar to the Glock but not identical. The pistol is unloaded, checking twice to be certain the magazine is removed and the chamber empty. Takedown tabs are pressed down and the slide is lifted upward to remove it from the frame, similar to Canik type handguns. The barrel porting is serious, one of the shooters firing this handgun remarked it looked like a bottle opener. That said it works as designed. The pistol proved remarkably flat shooting and tractable. Redirecting powder gas upward works well in reducing recoil.
Firing Tests
The pistol was fired with a variety of loads, including FMJ practice ammunition and defense loads using jacketed hollow point bullets. Most of the ammunition fired in this test program has been Federal American Eagle 124 grain and Blazer 9mm in 115 grain FMJ. To date the Rost Martin has digested more than 400 cartridges without a single failure to feed, chamber, fire, or eject. The pistol’s recoil is modest for a 9mm this size. The real advantage of barrel porting is in limiting muzzle flip. The pistol certainly does that well. With a good sight and trigger and sights well suited for defense use the pistol is a good choice for personal defense. Add a carry optic and you are well equipped for personal defense. I also tested the pistol off of the benchrest for accuracy. Firing at 15 yards, I fired five shot groups. Results were good.
5 Shot groups, 15 yards
Load Group in inches
Blazer 115 grain 9mm 2.0 in.
Federal American Eagle 124 grain FMJ 1.5 in.
Speer Gold Dot 147 grain 1.9 in.
Remington UMC 147 grain FMJ 2.25 in.
Carrying the Rost Martin RM1S
I don’t like to mismatch applications, however, the RM1S is a great fit for most holsters designed for the Glock 19 size handgun. The RM1S is a good fit for the Galco Concealable. This holster is a modified pancake. While a pancake style holster keeps the handgun close to the body for concealed carry retention isn’t ideal. The Concealable features outside molding and a good fit that neatly solves the problems associated with pancake holsters. The Concealable offers a good mix of speed and retention as well as a sharp draw.
Rost Martin RM1S Comp Specs
- Type: striker-fired semiauto centerfire
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Capacity: 12-, 15-round mags supplied
- Barrel: 3.6 in. hammer forged, ported, crowned
- OAL/Height/Width: 6.72/4.4/1.1 in.
- Weight: 20.6 oz. unloaded
- Construction: nitrocarburized steel slide, polymer frame w/interchangeable backstraps
- Sights: black serrated rear, serrated white dot front
- Trigger: 4.5 lbs at end of test
- Safety: trigger blade
- Price: $489 or a little less average
