EXHIBIT 5.1


                   [LETTERHEAD OF RITCHIE & REDIKER, L.L.C.]


                               October 20, 1999



Board of Directors
Citation Corporation
2 Office Park Circle
Suite 204
Birmingham, Alabama 35223

Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Citation Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), in connection with the merger (the "Merger") of RSJ Acquisition
Co., a Delaware Corporation ("Mergerco"), with and into the Company pursuant to
the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Recapitalization dated as of June 24, 1999,
as amended, between the Company and Mergerco (the "Merger Agreement"). This
opinion letter is furnished to you in connection with a Registration Statement
on Form S-4 and Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on
Form S-4 (Commission File No. 333-86763) (collectively, the "Registration
Statements") filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for the
registration of an aggregate of 1,062,619 shares of common stock, par value
$0.01 per share (the "Shares"), of the Company to be retained by stockholders in
connection with the Merger in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.

     We have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, an executed
copy of the Merger Agreement, the Registration Statements, and the form of
Amended Certificate of Incorporation of the Company.  We have also examined the
originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records,
agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further
investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the
opinion expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we
have also relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and
representatives of the Company. In such examination, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified
or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents.

     Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations
stated herein, we are of the opinion that (1) when the stockholders of the
Company duly adopt the Merger Agreement and (2) when the Certificate of Merger,
as required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, has been duly filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and become effective under the
Delaware General Corporation Law, the Shares will have been duly authorized and
will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

     We are members of the Bar of the State of Alabama and we do not express any
opinion herein concerning any law other than the Delaware General Corporation
Law.  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to
the Registration Statements and to the use of our name under the caption "Legal
Matters"  in the proxy statement/prospectus included as Part I to the
Registration Statements.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        /s/ Ritchie & Rediker, L.L.C.

                                        RITCHIE & REDIKER, L.L.C.