Ammo supplied by Target Barn

A new pistol manufacturer is in town and they hit the streets hard. They are Rost Martin, and if you have not heard of them, you soon will. As of writing, their premier offering is the Rost Martin RM1C pistol in 9mm. The RM1C is a compact pistol, think G19 size for reference. This pistol comes packed with features at an affordable price. Let us find out what makes the RM1C so good.

This new Rost Martin compact pistol comes ready to go. In the box with the RM1C are 2 magazines. One is a flush fit 15 round magazine. The second one is a 17 round extended one. Both have steel bodies. The 17 round looks like the 15 round magazine but with just a +2 extension. Extra magazines are only $24.50! Yeah, $25 bucks a piece for extra mags. Thank you Rost Martin for making affordable steel magazines. Also in the box is a plate to mount a RMR footprint optic. Plates for different foot print optics are available on the Rost Martin website. Lastly, there are 2 extra backstraps. A small and large one. The RM1C comes equipped with the medium size backstrap. The medium sized one seemed to fit a lot of different sized hands, mine included.

Now that we are off to a good start, I will start with the top side of the RM1C, the slide. The slide is constructed from nitrocarburized steel and has a deep black Tenifer finish. On top are non-glare serrations cut from the front to back. These are there to help reduce glare off of the top of the slide. They probably helped and I did not notice any distracting glare when shooting the RM1C. Another quick mention is that the RM1C is cut for Rost Martin’s optic plate. It comes with a plastic cover plate installed. The cover plate also has those non-glare serrations. I used the supplied RMR plate to mount an optic. Rost Martin’s optic plate centers up on a raised boss and locks into the slide at the rear. This system works out well. I have not had any problems with the RMR mounting plate or system. Also on the top are the iron sights. The factory sights are a front post with a white dot, and a serrated U-notch rear. The sights work, but I thought they were a little small and hard to pick up quickly. However, both front and rear sights are dovetailed in using a Springfield XD sight cut. So I proceeded to mount a set of suppressor height sights from XS sights. On the side of the slide are deeply cut, front and rear, slide serrations. These slide serrations work extremely well and look even better. Around the back of the slide is the end cover plate. It is also serrated to reduce glare. More important is that in the center of the back plate is a red safety indicator that tells you when the striker is in the firing position. It is basically the end of the striker, but it is still a nice feature.

It is time to get into the RM1C’s frame or grip. The frame comes in 3 different colors: Black, Stone Gray, and FDE. I chose the Stone Gray color. Probably the most notable factor of the frame is its grip texture. I just call it a sand paper texture, but Rost Martin calls it “Responsive Grip Texturing” or RGT for short. The RGT is a “proprietary graduated laser stippling designed to respond, or “grip back,” to the amount of grip pressure exerted by the shooter for an incredibly secure yet comfortable fit”. The texture feels smoothish at first, but as you use the gun, it becomes apparent that it gives you a better grip than you initially thought. I liked the grip texture of the RM1C. Rost Martin also textured the front sides of the frame, just above the trigger guard, where one would rest their thumbs. Rost Martin also designed the RM1C to have a large trigger guard. I really like this for a defensive handgun since one never knows when it might be needed, and you might have gloves on. Next feature is a front picatinny rail for mounting lights or whatever. I’m glad it is a standard pic rail and not some proprietary one. One of my favorite things about the RM1C’s frame is its width. It has a very thin profile. But unlike some “thin” pistols, the ergonomics of the Rost Martin are fantastic. The RM1C is noticeably thinner than a G19 or my Polymer80 19’s. The pistol is super comfortable in the hand.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the trigger. The Rost Martin RM1C has one of the best striker fired triggers I have felt in a while. It has a short smooth take up, a little under ¼ inch. Followed by a crisp 5 pound break. With very little overtravel. The reset is forceful and tactile. This trigger makes the RM1C easy to shoot. Rost Martin uses a flat faced trigger design to give the user a good feel. Yes, the trigger still has that common flipper safety in the center, but it isn’t very noticeable. Especially since the face of the trigger is pretty wide. When I first saw the RM1C, I didn’t know what to think about the trigger, at least visually. But after using it, I almost immediately started liking it. I really like the overall trigger feel of the RM1C.

The RM1C is a full ambidextrous (ambi) firearm. When I say full ambi, I actually mean full ambi. The slide release is located on both sides of the frame. It is also in a great location. Not back enough that you will inadvertently hold it down, but not too far forward to where you can not reach it easily. I like the slide release position. The magazine release is also full ambi. Not reversible like other manufacturers that claim “ambi”. Just push either side to drop the magazine free. This magazine release is kind of a teardrop shape. It is also radiused so that it doesn’t snag on anything. I would like an option for a slightly raised version, but the stock magazine release functions flawlessly.

I have been using the Rost Martin a lot. It has over 1000 rounds of various 9mm ammunition through it. Including 700 rounds supplied by Target Barn - 500 rounds of American Eagle 115 grain and 200 rounds of PMC 124 grain. All of the Target Barn supplied ammo ran flawlessly. As did the various 300 plus rounds of cheap ammo I fed it. I also ran a magazine of some old Speer Gold Dot +P’s I had lying around. The RM1C ate up every ammo I fed it to include: 115’s, 124’s, 147’s, and even some 165 grain subsonics. Did I mention that I also didn’t clean the gun? Yeah, there is that. I also only oiled the gun initially when it came out of the box. I guess I should go clean and oil the RM1C now. The pistol had about 450 rounds through it before I mounted up a red dot. All the rest were with a red dot mounted to the slide.

I just recently started carrying the RM1C around. Mainly because I did not have a good inside the waistband holster. That changed thanks to Werkz holsters. The RM1C carries really nice. It doesn’t feel as heavy as my glockish 19’s. Plus the rounded corners of the RM1C really smooth out its outline. Especially under just a T-shirt. There are plenty of good holster makers making RM1C holsters. Rost Martin even listed 3 or 4 when the pistol first came out. It is always nice when a new manufacturer has holster support from day 1.

The RM1C is a fantastic pistol. I really like shooting it. The performance has been astonishing. I always try to run review items in some sort of shooting match, if I can. So I ran the RM1C in a steel challenge match before I put an optic on it. This is when I realized that I didn’t like the small sights. Of course, the RM1C ran the match without any hiccups, which I can’t say about the shooter. When shooting the RM1C, it feels good. Recoil is controllable and the grip texture doesn’t seem to be overly aggressive. In fact, some may say it needs more texture. But since I think the RM1C is a “do all” pistol, which includes carry, I really like the grip texture. Everything on the RM1C exudes quality. It has top notch machining on the slide. The frame doesn’t have any molding marks. It is just a beautiful pistol. I also got usable accuracy out of the RM1C. At 25 yards, off hand, I would get around 3-4 inch 5 shot groups. It did not seem to care what ammo I ran through it either, the groups all seemed about the same. If you put it in a rest, I would bet the accuracy would be fantastic. If you have not figured it out by now, the Rost Martin RM1C is a great pistol right out of the box.

Rost Martin is going to be making waves in the handgun market. Their entry into the handgun market is a solid buy. The RM1C will only set you back about $450 dollars, which is really a fantastic deal for all the features you get. The RM1C has holster support and with its standard picatinny rail, will take almost any light you decide to install on it. If you are looking for a pistol that hits above its price range, definitely take a look at the Rost Martin RM1C.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Compact 9mm handgun with a decent feature set

Target Market:

Concealed carry, Home Defense, Target shooting, Personal Protection, or anyone just wanting a compact handgun

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

GRIP WIDTH: 1.1"
LENGTH: 7.1"
SLIDE: Nitrocarburized steel slide
BARREL: 4" hammer forged in 9mm
SIGHTS: Rear: Black serrated Front: White dot - Springfield XD/XDM compatible
MAGAZINES: (1) 15 - Round (1) 17 - Round
WEIGHT: 21.1 oz. with flush mag 21.5 oz. with extended mag
TRIGGER: 5 pounds, Double Action Striker (DAS)
HEIGHT: 5.0" with flush mag 5.5" with extended mag
Optics ready, RMR optics plate included with the gun - other plates available through the website
3 Back Straps included
Ambidextrous Magazine release and slide stop

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Black or Flat Dark Earth

What others are saying?:

TODD K at Guns.com

Excellent value and quality

Excellent value and quality, I would highly recommend this firearm. You can't find another pistol in this price range that's the same quality and has the same features.