Today’s feature comes to us from our companion service, Shooting News Weekly.
In 2025, everything is expensive. Every month, our grocery bills increase, property taxes rise, and the prices of trucks and SUVs have soared compared to pre-COVID levels. Lots of people are feeling the pinch.
In the gun world, much is the same. Sales are relatively stagnant. Manufacturers are competing for a smaller client base and attempting to lure customers with rebates and discounts, but not much is moving the needle. So it’s rare, then, when a company offers a quality pistol at an affordable price that has many of the features of popular models in its class. It’s even rarer when that firearm is made in the USA.
There are plenty of “budget” guns out there. Many of them have a strong feature set, but they originate in nations like Turkey and Brazil. They’re more affordable because the cost of manufacturing is significantly lower there (despite the dreaded T-word). When Rost Martin, a firearm manufacturer in the great state of Texas, introduced the RM1C line of pistols, people took notice.
Who is Rost Martin?
As mentioned earlier, Rost Martin is a Dallas-based maker “with a heritage and spirit built on looking toward the future.” Their goal is to “expand the Second Amendment personal freedoms and rights to the next generation of gun owners, offering our unique perspective as a minority Veteran, and female-owned company.” About their original gun, “In development since 2020, our introductory pistol, the RM1C, embodies best-in-class features with reliability at the forefront of the platform, providing peace of mind when you need it most.”
Suffice it to say, Rost Martin is a 2A-first gun company (I know that should be expected, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case). They aim to build a legacy by offering a pistol they’ve spent time developing before releasing to the public. All high marks for a newer gun company looking to make a name for itself. Plus, it’s a company challenging the leadership status quo; they are truly living the American Dream.
Their New Gun
The RM1C is a modern, compact carry pistol targeting the concealed carry market. Its slimline design competes directly with popular models like the Springfield Hellcat Pro, SIG SAUER P365 XMACRO, Smith & Wesson M&P9 2.0 Compact, and the GLOCK 19. The RM1C’s main features include a 4.1-inch barrel, 1.1-inch width, an overall height of 5 inches, a black serrated rear sight, and white dot front sight. It comes with two magazines (15 and 17 rounds), weighs 21.1 oz with the shorter magazine, features a double action striker-fired trigger, and is optic-ready via plates (it ships with an RMR optics plate).
The best part? The MSRP is $469. That’s an excellent value, especially since it’s made in the USA.
Building on the popularity of the RM1C and adapting to current trends, Rost Martin recently introduced the RM1C-Comp. The pistol has all the features of the original, but adds a chunk port integrated into the slide. The port’s designed to vent gasses upward, reducing muzzle flip. Again, the best part is the price. The port only adds $20 to the pistol’s cost, bringing the MSRP to $489.
First Impressions
A few initial impressions, and observations follow. These are raw insights, having had the pistol for only a few days . . .
> Feel: It’s reminiscent of an IWI Masada or CZ P-10C. The grip has a deep beaver tail, allowing for a high grip. There’s a nice undercut on the trigger guard for your shooting hand. However, the pistol could use a double undercut for your support hand.
> Texture: Grip texture is there, and it’s in all the right places on the side panels, front strap, backstrap, and forward on the frame to rest your trigger finger…but I don’t find the texture to be particularly tacky. If anything, it’s a bit slick for my tastes. However, the slide has deep, wide serrations, making it easy to manipulate. The top of the slide also has anti-glare serrations, a nice touch in a pistol at this price point.
> Sharp Edges: All edges on the pistol are rounded, with no noticeable hot spots. Of course, carrying and shooting the handgun might change that opinion.
> Grip angle: The grip sits more vertically, especially when compared to a GLOCK 19. It reminds me of my SIG P365 XMACRO.
> Trigger Pull: It has 4 to 5 mm of takeup before hitting a noticeable wall. The trigger safety was easy to overcome. The break is crisp and clean, and the reset is very tactile and audible. There’s also a molded overtravel stop, which is a welcome addition.
> Pull Weight: The average was taken over 10 pulls using a Lyman digital trigger pull scale with the pistol secured in a vice. The average was 4 lbs. 7 oz.
> Sights: Serrated black, U-notch rear sight with a serrated, white-dot front sight. They’re made of metal and are durable. Unfortunately, the front sight was off center out of the box and needs to be drifted, something that should have been caught in quality control.
> Controls: As mentioned above, all controls are ambidextrous. Even the magazine release can be operated by both left-handed and right-handed users. As a dude with smaller hands, I find the mag release and slide release easy enough to reach. As for the slide release, it doesn’t protrude too much but has a nice, aggressive texture, making it easy to manipulate.
> Packaging: Not something I worry about, but Rost Martin uses heavy, wax-coated cardboard for packaging, which adds a more premium feel compared to plain cardboard. There’s minimal exterior branding, which I like—I’m not a fan of loud marketing. Inside, laser-cut foam is arranged in two layers. The top holds the firearm and magazines, while the bottom contains everything else—excellent packaging for an affordable handgun
> Package Contents: The contents are typical for most contemporary pistols. Two backstraps (small and large), a Ziplock bag with an RMR optic plate and extra screws, a lock, an owner’s manual, and the standard (for free states) single 15-round and 17-round magazine. It’s all standard, but in 2025, I encourage companies to switch to a three-magazine practice.
Zooming Out
The RM1C Comp appears to be a high-quality pistol that offers substantial value compared to other options on the market. This is a USA-made pistol, which will appeal to many shooters and 2A advocates. While first impressions are promising, the real test is whether they hold up after shooting.
The following article in this series will focus on the RM1C Comp’s build-out. Yes, I’ll shoot it without adding anything, but like many firearm enthusiasts, I can’t leave things alone. Following that, there will be a post focused on shooting, drills, carry, and my overall conclusions. Stay tuned . . . .
— Cory Ross