I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for something new in the firearms industry, and I recently did—sort of. There’s a new firearms manufacturer in the heart of Texas making a go of it with its recent offerings. That company is Rost Martin. Currently, Rost Martin offers two pistol models, the RM1C and the RM1S. Each model has a few different variants with varying equipment and/or features, but they are essentially the same. In this review, we will take a look at the Rost Martin RM1C, particularly the Comped version. Does it have the goods?
The Rost Martin RM1C Comped
Everyone is familiar with the Glock 19. Well, the base RM1C falls basically into that paradigm. It’s a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol decked out just about as you would expect in today’s new releases.
There are quite ample forward and rear cocking serrations on the slide for easy manipulation. Likewise, there are ambidextrous controls for both the magazine release and the slide release. Up front on the dust cover resides a Picatinny rail for your favorite accessory. At the rear of the slide is a cocked-striker indicator for an extra bit of safety.
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The RM1C also fits into the same size category as the G19 with its four-inch, match-grade barrel with a slight reverse crown and its standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds. Despite looking a bit Glock-ish, interestingly, the RM1C works with CZ P10 magazines. However, the baseplates are a little different.
I have a ton of P10 mags. So, I made a note to try a few in the RM1C Comped when I took it to the range. Where they are allowed, Rost Martin ships each RM1C with a 15-round magazine as well as a 17-round magazine for a touch more firepower.
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The RM1C Up Top
The Comped model itself has one feature that distinguishes it from the other RM1C variants. Yeah, you guessed it; it has a comp on it. At least it’s dubbed a comp. More specifically, it has a single-port comp on the barrel and slide to help reduce muzzle flip for better accuracy and quicker follow-up shots.
Without a standard RM1C available for comparison, it’s hard to pinpoint whether the comp is doing much for muzzle flip. I did have an RM1S on hand, which is a sub-compact, and there was definitely a difference in muzzle flip. But that could have been because the RM1C Comped was just larger and heavier.
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Full-length serrations along the top of the slide add a nice touch for more visual appeal and help mitigate glare. The sights on the RM1C Comped model are pretty basic. There is a white-dot up front and a blacked-out and serrated rear sight. Other RM1C models have different options for the sight package, including a fiber-optic arrangement.
Both sights on the Comped model are dovetailed for easy replacement, and I believe I read that they are based on XD/XDM-style sights. Another interesting aspect of the RM1C is that it wears a Tenifer finish just like older versions of Glock pistols.
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The RM1C In Hand
I hate to keep bringing up Glock, but there are some real similarities with the RM1C. The take-down process is basically the same. However, it’s just a hair different in that you only need to move the slide forward an inch or so before you just pop it off.
Another similarity resides in the feel of the trigger pull. The RM1C comes with a flat-faced trigger for a better feel. However, it does have the Glock-ish sensation when you are pulling through to the break. There’s a bit of mush as you would expect, but on the bright side, the trigger pull feels a touch lighter to the break than a standard Glock when shooting offhand.
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My digital trigger gauge measured an average of 4.88 pounds before the break. That’s not a huge decrease in actual pull weight. So, I would attribute the lighter feel to the flat-faced trigger.
And while we are in the grip frame area, there’s a really nice undercut behind the trigger guard. It offers a more comfortable and higher grip on the pistol, which all translates to better control.
Also assisting with better control is the grip texturing, similar to a Springfield Hellcat, though maybe not as grippy. The texturing seemed to get the job done during shooting. Likewise, it was very comfortable in the hand as well as against the skin when being carried. It wasn’t abrasive in the least.
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Rounding Out the Platform
Other amenities found in the RM1C include a chamber port to allow inspection for a round in the chamber. So, press checks are not really necessary.
Another bonus is the inclusion of two additional backstraps, for a total of three. This helps tailor the fit of the pistol to the individual user.
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And, of course, the RM1C models are optics-ready. Each pistol ships with an MOS adapter plate for the Trijicon RMR footprint. Other plates are available for order on the company’s site.
RM1C Comped First Impressions
I met up with a few friends at the range to try out the RM1C Comped and several other pistols, including the RM1S. But that’s another article. We hit the firing line right in the middle of that heat dome that covered half of the US. It was pretty outside, but it was brutally hot and humid. We still intended to have some fun.
Right out of the gate, the general impression of everyone who tried the RM1C Comped was very favorable. Without a standard RM1 to compare it to, it was hard to say whether the comp made a substantial difference or not. However, everyone agreed that the pistol was very pleasant to shoot, even with +P loads.
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The grip was quite comfortable, with the texturing providing plenty of control. Our lady shooter, Ashley, said the RM1C Comped was her favorite pistol of the day compared to the other models we tried.
Accuracy Testing
Before everyone else got there, I showed up early to do my accuracy testing so others wouldn’t be standing around waiting and getting bored. I’ll be honest and say that I got a little frustrated with the RM1C’s iron sights. They were hitting about 6 inches or so high at 15 yards.
That’s usually not an issue since it doesn’t matter where the rounds hit. It’s a measure of how tight the groups are to figure out a pistol’s accuracy. I don’t know if it was my eyes or something about the sight package, but I wasn’t having much luck with tight groups. So, I decided I’d put on an RMR later and come back at a different time to try again.
On the second occasion, things went much better. It’s much easier to put a red dot on the target where you want to hit than to try to perfectly align iron sights in exactly the same position over and over.
I tried three brands of premium ammunition and three five-shot groups each. The average group size for all groups on paper was just 1.22 inches. The single best group was .93 inches with Federal’s 135-grain Hydra-Shok Deep load. It had a three-group average of 1.12 inches.
I’m really liking that particular load since it offers a nice balance between 124- and 147-grain bullets. Likewise, it has proven exceptionally accurate in a variety of pistols that I’ve tried.
Feeding the RM1C Comped
During both occasions at the range with my friends and by myself, the RM1C Comped was exceptionally reliable with the factory magazines, with no failures of any sort. It didn’t matter if it was premium hollow-points, copper solids like those from Lehigh Defense, or the variety of range ammo like FMJs or truncated rounds; the RM1C Comped chewed through everything without hesitation.
I also tried out a couple of CZ magazines I had on hand as well. They were a 19-rounder and a 21-round variant.
For the most part, the RM1C Comped ran well with CZ’s P10 magazines. There were a couple of hangups where a round didn’t feed with the 21-round CZ magazine. I noticed these occasions were always at the beginning of a fresh magazine.
I think it was just the extra weight of the magazine and extra rounds that kept it from feeding properly with a fully loaded extended magazine. All I had to do was tap on the bottom of the magazine, and it would move up enough for the round to feed properly and for the slide to drop.
I don’t find this to be a big issue. I didn’t have any 15-round P10 magazines at the time, and it’s quite possible those would run just fine. Also, Rost Martin already offers the 17-round version. And I was told by the owner and CEO, Chris Toomer, that they will be offering higher-capacity magazines in the near future.
But the key point is that with the 15- and 17-round RM factory magazines, reliability was exceptional.
Overall Value
My friends had aspects of the RM1C Comped that they enjoyed. However, for me, it was the totality of the package, considering the fairly low MSRP of $489.
I felt like the comp was putting in the work, helping to mitigate recoil with +P loads since it was still very easy to shoot quickly and accurately. Also helping in this regard was the fairly short trigger reset, which allowed for faster follow-ups. It didn’t have the shortest reset I’ve tried, but it’s easily in the top 10 pistols I’ve reviewed.
The texturing on the grip was very subtle but still effective for recoil management. I also liked the texturing on the index points near the front of the frame. All of this made the RM1C Comped fairly easy to control during shooting.
The slide serrations were substantial enough for positive traction to manipulate the slide easily. Additionally, the ambi controls made switching from one hand to the other, to practice shooting with the weak hand, easy.
Throw in the excellent reliability and accuracy I enjoyed with the extra touches like the top serrations, the comp, and the roomy trigger guard, and I think the RM1C Comped packs a ton of value for such a low price point.
Final Thoughts
When Chris Toomer began the process of starting Rost Martin, he was inspired by the number of new shooters getting into the game. Not to mention the advances that have recently been made with Second Amendment rights. As a veteran and a proud American, he wanted to be part of that.
He recognized that a lot of people can’t swing $600 to $1000 for a defensive pistol. So, he wanted to provide a high-quality, American-made alternative at a lower price that would be chosen by users to reside in homes all across the United States. I think he’s already taken a huge leap and firmly planted his flag where that goal is concerned.
There are evolving plans to come out with different sizes and to possibly branch out into different calibers. That process is a marathon and not a sprint. Especially when trying to maintain the highest quality possible along the way.
Considering that Rost Martin started as an idea around 2019, what they’ve achieved thus far is quite impressive. I’m already a fan of their pistols. If you’re looking for a value-packed option that won’t bust the budget, I’d highly recommend you consider the RM1C Comped or other RM1C variants.
Rost Martin RM1C Comped Specs
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Barrel | 4 inches |
| Overall Length | 7.1 inches |
| Width | 1.1 inches |
| Weight | 21.1 ounces |
| Grips | Polymer |
| Sights | White Dot, Serrated Rear |
| Action | Striker-Fired |
| Finish | Tenifer |
| Magazine Capacity | 15/17+1 |
| MSRP | $489.00 |
Performance
| Federal 135gr. Hydra-Shok Deep | |
| Velocity | 957 |
| Average | 1.14 |
| Best | .93 |
| Hornady 115gr. Critical Defense FTX | |
| Velocity | 1098 |
| Average | 1.35 |
| Best | 1.12 |
| Remington 147gr. Golden Saber Bonded | |
| Velocity | 963 |
| Average | 1.16 |
| Best | 1.14 |
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second from the muzzle by a Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three, five-shot groups at 15 yards.
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