Striker-Fired Double-Stack Compact Duty Gun Exceeds Expectations

I tested the Rost Martin RM1C Comp, a striker-fired double-stack handgun that is the perfect configuration for a compact duty gun. It turned out to be one of the most unique firearms I have tested for law enforcement use. It also gives one of the fastest follow-up shots for a compact gun. 

When I first learned about Rost Martin, I was at SHOT Show 2024. I almost dismissed the Rost Martin RM1S as a bargain-priced Glock clone. However, my training as a police armorer took over. I am always fascinated by how a gun is put together. It didn’t take me long to recognize that this design was special. 

The RM1C Comp is a 15-round, optic-ready handgun with a 4-inch barrel and an integral compensator. It has several standard design features that are normally aftermarket customizations. These include an undercut trigger guard, aggressive texturing, a funneled mag well, front and rear serrations, and a short reset trigger. 

Rost Martin is a family-owned business. Chris and Stefany Toomer founded Rost Martin in Texas, one of the most gun-, family-, and small business-friendly states in the Union. Most of us recognize the complexity of the firearm manufacturing industry. It appears the Rost Martin approach is to include all of the desirable features of a handgun into one package, then make it comfortable to shoot. 

They definitely checked all the boxes. It has a full-sized accessory rail, ambidextrous magazine release, and sights sturdy enough for one-handed racking. My southpaw friends will love to know that the controls are mirrored on both sides of this gun. It even has reflection-dissipating cuts on the top of the slide. 

The compensator is an integral design. An integral compensator usually has compensator cuts in the barrel and slide, which vent gases upward, reducing muzzle rise. The other compensator method is a threaded compensator, which generally connects on the end. A threaded compensator adds length and weight. The integrally compensated RM1C Comp is the same size and weight as the standard model. 

Most integrally compensated guns have cuts in the top of the barrel and slide. I always wondered about this. If the gases behind the bullet escape before the bullet has completed its journey down the barrel, then wouldn’t this reduce its muzzle velocity? 

I got my answer by using a known standard. I used Black Hills Ammunition 115-grain FMJ bullets for most of the testing. These are standard pressure cartridges that run 1150 fps, according to Black Hills Ammunition. When I tested them in the RM1C Comp, the average was 1149.5 fps. It does not get better than that. I tried several other cartridges and proved that compensation does not mean reduced performance. 

From the first time I put rounds down range, the compensator made an enormous difference. The RM1C weighs 21.1 oz, which is a little lighter than most other duty sized guns. Logically, a light gun would have more muzzle flip than a heavier one. Not only is the is gun capable of fast accurate fire, but the other design features also complete the package. 

It took a couple of hundred rounds for the gun to break in a bit. After this, the trigger felt smoother, and I was used to the gun. The instruction manual didn’t specify a break-in period. As you know, the minimum number of rounds before a gun is sworn in is several hundred, just as the minimum number of draws from a new holster should be about five hundred. 

The RM1C has aggressive texturing and an undercut trigger guard. Where the web of the hand contacts, the beavertail is extended. I get to test guns on a regular basis. On the RM1C, the axis of the bore is much closer to the hand than most other guns. It points naturally, and the strategically placed indexing really allowed me to drive the gun toward the targets easily. The RM1C came with modular backstraps. The one already installed was perfect for my hand. 

One of the most intangible features on a gun is its ability to seek a natural "point." Some guns do a respectable job at mimicking the relaxed angle of the hand when simply pointed at a target. Others need a little practiced human redress for a level muzzle. A gun's "pointability" translates to milliseconds for the user. 

This is one of the best purposes for replaceable backstraps. They don’t just adjust the way the gun fits in the hand. They adjust the natural angle of the bore. 

The only way I can test the natural angle of the gun is to shoot it and try to get it into a variety of hands.  I did shoot it…a lot. There is a certain satisfaction in a gun that does 

The trigger has a short stroke for a striker-fired gun. It is flat faced, and it feels like the fulcrum is deeper in the frame than it appears. From an engineering standpoint, the trigger is a lever. The further the effort is from the fulcrum of a lever, the greater the mechanical advantage over the load. There is a practical limit to the length of the trigger, but other mechanics can make the trigger “feel longer." They did an outstanding job on the RM1C. 

As a police armorer, I like to look under the hood and guess what kind of thinking went into the design of a gun to make it perform. In the RM1C, it looks like the engineers strived to reduce wear and the number of moving parts. 

The first thing I noticed was the one-piece extractor. Many of the popular striker-fired setups have 3-piece designs that rely on the back plate and a spring for their tension. The Rost-Martin design resembles a modernized M1911 extractor. The striker is somewhat similar to others, except it includes an indicator in the rear. The striker/disconnector/ linkage setup is abbreviated compared to similar guns. This explains the crisp pull and short reset. It may look a lot like many handguns on the market from the outside, but this is a different design indeed. It appears that most of the design addresses wear during hard use and fewer moving parts. 

The RM1C comes with a 17 and 15 round magazine. The gun has a flared mag well, and the taper of their magazines allows for lightning-fast feeding. 

The RM1C is compatible with P10C magazines, but they seat better with their proprietary base plates.  Almost everyone sells P10C mags, and even the knock-offs are of good quality. 

One thing I did not do with the RM1C Comp was put it on the bench and shoot it at 25 yards. Instead, I shot it off hand. Everything I did with it demonstrated the accuracy, reliability, and superior ergonomics of this gun. It fit my hand. It was easy to shoot. I didn’t have to rotate my grip to access the controls. It hid rather well in the waistband. I could easily place bullets where I selected. 

The RM1C is approximately the size and weight of a Glock 19. Some users have claimed it even fits some (off-duty) holsters designed for the Glock 19. Your mileage may vary here. The MSRP for an RM1C Comp is $489. The price for most duty guns with similar features starts at $600. 

Is the one with the $600-plus price tag a better gun? Not really. The only real difference is the “bargain price stigma” attached to a sub-$500 gun. Perhaps they should raise the price a little.