Rost Martin RM1C Pistol: Texas-Based Upstart's Awesome Debut

The stated mission of the Starship Enterprise was “to boldly go where no man has gone before,” but the boldest move a new firearms manufacturer can make is to offer up a new product in the hotly contested polymer-frame semiauto pistol market. That’s the plan for Texas-based upstart brand Rost Martin, and its new RM1C 9mm semiauto is venturing into the most crowded field in firearms.

It’s certainly a tough road when major players like Glock, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, CZ, FN and several other established brands are already competing for sales and display space in gun stores. But despite Rost Martin being a new company, owners Chris and Stefany Toomer aren’t new to firearms or the gun industry.

Chris served as an infantry officer in the 3rd battalion, 3rd Marines, before he began working in research and development, production and other departments at Springfield Armory. His wife, Stefany, is the granddaughter of Frank Reese, the man who resurrected Springfield Armory in the 1970s and transformed it into one of the world’s top firearms manufacturers. Before Chris and Stefany launched their own firearms company, they had a firm grasp on the dedication, effort and capital required to successfully manufacture guns.

“Chris and I wanted to preserve the Second Amendment, and we decided the best way we could do that was by offering quality firearms,” says Stefany Toomer. “And even though the 9mm market is crowded, we thought there was room to offer an American-made, feature-loaded handgun at a competitive price.”

Methodical Approach

Despite having a leg up in the business thanks to their past experiences, the Toomers didn’t rush their gun into production. Part of the slow march from initial design to production was the global pandemic. Stefany says they initially started development in early 2020, just months before the first Covid lockdowns. Even deciding on a company name took time: Rost is a family name on Stefany’s side, while Martin is the maiden name of Chris’s great-grandmother.

They spent time researching which features shooters wanted in a pistol and finding partners who could help the Toomers reach their goal of producing a feature-rich American semiauto at a value price. It took four years of designing, prototyping, redesigning and tweaking the RM1C before the final product appeared in gun stores in early 2024.

With the name settled and the design finalized, the Rost Martin team shared its RM1C firearm with the shooting public. The risk, of course, was that the shooting public would be weary of new polymer-frame, striker-fired 9mms.

I’ve reviewed scads of new striker-fired 9mms over the last five years, and some have been poor imitations of the class leaders, guns built with the goal of carving out profits from the immense semiauto market. The RM1C is not a widget cooked up to turn profits. In fact, it’s incredibly refined for a debut firearm from a fledgling company.

Detailed Recipe

The recipe for successful 9mm striker-fired guns has been well established: polymer frame, steel slide and barrel, passive safeties, ample capacity and—most recently—an optics cut for mounting reflex sights. The RM1C checks all those obligatory boxes, but it does so with more attention to detail than many other pistols.

Let’s start with the frame. The grip angle is such that the hand rests in a comfortable position with ample forward cant to control recoil effectively, and there are recesses to accommodate the thumb and trigger finger of the strong hand.

There are also ambidextrous indentations on both sides of the frame just aft of the accessory rail that act as index points. But the team at Rost Martin molded these indentations so they offer an indexing point and also serve as de facto “gas pedals,” helping control the gun and keep the firearm on target.

The shape of the grip—including a generous trigger undercut—provides plenty of contact surface between the hand and the gun. The result is a frame offering excellent comfort and control.

Unique Ergonomics

“I believe the ergonomics are what set this gun apart,” says Stefany. “I’m obviously biased, but I shoot this gun better and am more comfortable with it than anything else."

Further enhancing control is a low bore axis. The phrase has been so often used in handgun marketing that it’s lost much of its zing, but the RM1C indeed has a measurably lower bore axis than other guns. The standard for most 9mm polymer-frame, striker-fired guns is about 1.2 inches from the top of the trigger opening to the centerline of the chamber. Guns with a bore axis of 1.3 inches or higher have a noticeably top-heavy feel compared to guns meeting this standard.

The RM1C measures 1.1 inches from trigger to bore, so it sits perceptibly lower in the shooter’s hand than many rivals, and while 0.1 inch may not seem like a substantial difference, it’s immediately noticeable to anyone who frequently shoots a variety of pistols.

These pistols feature hammer-forged four-inch barrels with a 1:10 twist and a target crown. The steel slide is precision machined and features deep, angular front and rear slide serrations. A smooth Tenifer finish on the slide helps protect the metal against damage and corrosion. The top of the slide is also beveled to cut weight and give the gun a more svelte look and feel. The angular cuts on the rear top portion of the slide and the wedge-shaped rear U-notch draw the shooter’s eye to the irons, and the top of the slide is serrated to cut glare.

Controls

A dovetailed front sight is also included, and the RM1C’s sights are interchangeable with Springfield Armory XD/XD-M irons, so there are a variety of other options available from manufacturers like XS Sights. RM1C slides are cut for optics and include a Trijicon RMR-footprint base plate. Rost Martin also offers plates for Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and other popular red dots on its website.

Rost Martin did a good job designing and engineering the controls so they are functional, and they’re also ambidextrous. The most irritating trend in defensive pistols, at least to my mind, is the shrinking and minimizing of essential controls like the slide stop. RM1C pistols have a far better slide stop than competing guns, with an ample shelf to control the slide stop without running the risk of hang-ups.

There’s a bright red cocking indicator that extends through the rear of the slide when the gun is cocked. A viewing port in the chamber allows the shooter to determine visually if there is a round in the chamber.

Rost Martin pistols feature its Responsive Grip Texturing (RGT) laser stippling on the front- and backstraps and flat side panels of the grip. It’s similar to other quality micro-texturing designs and provides a sure grip without an overly aggressive surface texture. Other key features of the grip include a subtle but effective molded magazine well and an extended beavertail. The gun ships with small, medium and large backstraps.

Trigger

A cutout in the rear of the backstrap acts as an anchor point for a tether, and the trigger guard is oversize. A three-slot accessory rail is located on the dust cover.

The trigger itself is a flat-face design with integrated bladed passive safety. It was a bit gritty on take-up, but after more than 100 rounds it has smoothed out nicely. There’s a defined wall, a clean, short break and a short reset. Rost Martin says its trigger will break at five pounds or less, and the test averaged exactly five pounds for 10 pulls on a Wheeler gauge.

A flush-fit 15-round and extended 17-round magazine come with the gun, both of which are metal and feature Rost Martin’s signature lime green followers. They’re also compatible with CZ P-10 magazines.

With the empty 15-round magazine in place, unloaded weight is 21.3 ounces and overall length is right at seven inches. Height from the top of the slide to the base of the 15-round magazine is five inches, and max width (across the controls) is 1.2 inches.

Dimensions

Overall, the RM1C is similar in size and weight to a Glock 19 Gen5—although it feels smaller and lighter, perhaps due to the RM1C’s contoured slide compared to the Glock’s boxy one, as well as the low bore axis.

Because it so closely mimics Glock 19 dimensions, the RM1C fits in all those holsters, including Bianchi’s new Cortona open-top, inside-the-waistband holster that I used for carry testing. The trim profile allows the gun to ride close to the body, and while slightly larger than some competing pistols, it’s suitable for carry.

The Rost Martin strikes a nice balance between portability and full-size pistol handling. The ergonomics of the RM1C are superb, and this gun feels very good in the hand, much like the new Springfield Echelon. It’s manageable to shoot quickly even with full-power defensive loads, and the grip angle and geometry, low bore and short-reset trigger allow for fast handling, smooth transitions between targets and quick, accurate follow-up shots.

I’m particularly impressed with the relieved index point/pseudo gas pedal on the frame that provides a landing spot for the shooter’s thumb and makes it easy to keep the muzzle pointed toward the target. Rost Martin deserves high praise for the gun’s overall design, and it’s clear that much of the four years this gun spent in development were dedicated to creating a pistol that fits well in the hand.

Sights and Optics Options

The iron sights are solidly built and well-designed with enough tactical ledge on the face of the rear sight for emergency one-handed cycling. The U-notch rear with serrations to cut glare is well-thought-out. The front sight works fine, but the white dot is rather rudimentary—although because it mimics a Springfield, you can easily swap it out if you prefer a night sight.

Mounting hardware for the optic is sturdy and fits like it should. Two wrenches are included. For testing, I mounted a Trijicon RMR HD, and the sight’s housing didn’t interfere with ejection of spent cartridges. The factory sights didn’t co-witness due to the optic’s relatively high deck height, but again, you can always trade the irons for suppressor-height sights if your chosen red dot results in the same issue.

Accuracy

Overall accuracy in 25-yard bench rest testing was good, with several five-shot groups smaller than two inches. Average groups hovered in the two- to three-inch range, which is on par with more expensive pistols in the class. But I believe the Rost Martin is more impressive off the bench when fired at typical self-defense ranges.

From seven yards, I ran both Mozambique drills and transition drills, and it’s here that the RM1C’s great handling and low bore axis shone brightest. This gun handles very well and allows for greater control than competing guns. Greater control, in turn, leads to shorter split times and better accuracy during high-speed drills. It was most notable during a plate drill where the RM1C slapped the targets down one after another with smooth transitions and a predictable trigger pull.

Internal parts are well-fitted and properly finished, including the smooth feed ramp. Not surprisingly, there were no failures to feed, extract or eject. However, there was a single failure to come to slide lock, although that may or may not have been the result of me placing too much downward pressure on the slide stop. The RM1C is equipped with a Glock-style transverse takedown pin, and the design allows you to disassemble the gun without pulling the trigger.

How does the RM1C rank among its many established peers in the market? Very highly, especially considering that this is the freshman effort of a new manufacturer and that this gun’s $459 price is far lower than more established rivals. The RM1C is also backed by a lifetime warranty.

Wrap-Up

Some new guns feel as though there are still rough edges that need to be hewn away before a pistol is ready to compete. Not the RM1C. The Toomers and their team spent plenty of time creating a gun that’s exceptionally refined and polished. There are none of the usual sacrifices that accompany buying a less-expensive pistol, and in fact this might be the best value in midsize 9mm carry guns. If Rost Martin can continue to produce guns of this quality in the future, the Texas brand won’t be a relatively unknown company for very long.

Rost Martin RM1C Pistol

• Type: striker-fired semiauto
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 15, 17
• Barrel: 4 in. hammer forged
• OAL/Height/Width: 7.0/5.0/1.2 in.
• Weight: 21.3 oz.
• Grips: laser-etched polymer
• Finish: Tenifer
• Trigger: 5 lb. pull (measured)
• Sights: dovetail notch rear, dovetail white dot front; optics slide cut, RMR plate included
• MSRP: $459
• Manufacturer: Rost Martin, RostMartin.com

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