Following the studies of the distribution of M1 strength in the even-even N = 28 isotones 48Ca, 50Ti, 52Cr and 54Fe by inelastic electron scattering, the result of a search for M1 transitions in the odd-even N = 28 nucleus 51V is reported. No strong M1 excitation has been detected, in contrast to a recent (p, p') experiment. There is no immediate explanation for this discrepancy. Shell-model calculations indicate that a part of it might be accounted for by an interference between the spin and orbital term of the electromagnetic transition operator in the (e, e') experiment.