Kimber Solo 9mm Review

[Plumbnut]

So I picked up this Kimber Solo Carry 9mm a few days ago and brought it home and read the owners guide from cover to cover.

Main features and technical specs are as follows:

caliber 9x19
barrel lenght 2.67"
weight unloaded 17.2 oz
frame material aluminum
slide material stainless steel
safeties ambidextrous thumb safety
magazine capacity 6 standard with 8 round available
sights 3 dot fixed

Kimber recommends and the solo is designed to function optimally using premium hollow point selfdefense factory fresh ammunition with bullet weights of 124-147 grains. Other ammunition may perform well but lighter bullets and inconsistant pressures may lead to decreased slide cycle time and comprimise function.

Break in period is 24 rounds

With premium ammo and a solid benchrest expect 5 shot groups at 25 yards of 3" or less.



Here is some of the ammo I used today.

[Plumbnut]

Last night I took the gun apart and wiped it all down and used some break free in locations and in the amount specified by the manual.

Re-assembly is simple but careful attention must be made to pick up the retention spring with the slide stop or the gun will lock open while firing.

Other than thats its just about the same as a breaking down a 1911.

The gun did not have any malfunctions at all. Every brand you see function flawlessly.

The gun had the best accuracy with the corbon ammo.

I was able to shoot a 5" group at 15 yards. A very experienced shooter was able to shoot a 2" group.

I shot up all the self defense ammo and decided to run some range reloaded ammo through the gun.......it was 115 grain but I do not know the powder or the make up of the reloads. I ran 75 through the gun without any issues at all and they were very accurate.

The mag release is stiff.......and the last round is difficult to load into the mag.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Nice compact. Kimber makes some nice weapons. I especially favor their 1911's.

The mag release is stiff.......and the last round is difficult to load into the mag.

Last round is a booger in many. Leave it loaded between shoots and it will lighten up on that last round. As far as the release I am not to familiar with the particular model but i am sure some one is here.

Congratulations and enjoy!

[Plumbnut]

Thank you,I believe they make the mag release hard to press so you dont drop your mag when you dont want it to drop. In other words their just made like that.

Its a straight shooter in a mini package with no sharp corners. After shooting .45's even the +p 9mm is no problem for me even in that small frame. I cant put fast follow up sots on the bullseye but center mass is not a problem.....it is for sure a defensive weapon or even a back up for a high risk job or location.

The grip is very small...its going to costme a fortune to get use to shooting it and get comfortable with a small gun like that.

Summer is coming though and I need a good carry gun for hot weather. The trigger breaks clean and smooth. I was expecting some problems after I read some reviews but thankfully its been very reliable so far.

[orionengnr]

Thank you. I have been eyeballing the Solo for a while. Handled on at my LGS probably 30 days ago.

I have a Kahr PM9, and have owned it for going on eight years. Carried it every day for 3 1/2 years before going larger. Still have it, and it is the only 9mm I own.

The Solo is very similar size-and-weight-wise. Price is another matter...I am especially attracted to the CDP model with CT laser.

Hickok45 has a fairly thorough review on YouTube--he puts a fair number (250-300?) through it, and had exactly one failure with a standard-power range round.

OP...your pics show as "moved or deleted"

[TSooner]

My Solo is one (1) week old. I took it to the local range Memorial Day, and tried to run some federal 124 grain fmj’s through it . . . had about 3 FTE’s per 50 round box . . . switched to the recommended ammo (Federal Hydra-Shok 124 grain, and Remington Golden Sabre 124 grain (both +p, regular, and bonded) and it functioned flawlessly through 200 rounds (don’t worry it was the old $9.95 stock from Cheaper Than Dirt pre-gouge era) without a hiccup. BTW, the retention spring pick-up is crucial . . . I can’t use my Idiot Scratch Prevention Tool (http://www.idiotscratch.com/index.shtml) while I do it . . . but do find that if I locate the slide stop at 3:30 (as recommended by a member) and bring it up and in to 3 o’clock it will pick-up the retention spring . . . a good test is to see if the slide stop resists upward pressure (i.e., doesn’t stay-up).
BTW, I found this 2.7 inch barreled weapon to be extremely accurate . . . the sights (while low-profile) are very easy to pick-up.

[arch308]

Congrats on the purchase! I have been eyeballing them lately, they are truly beautiful pieces. A little cost prohibitive, but if I ever get my hands on one....

[dajowi]

With the scarcity of 9mm ammo in general and the going prices for premium self defense ammo reaching $1 a round practice with this firearm could be expensive

[Red Dog]

What happened to the pics?

[LockedBreech]

As lovely as the pistol is - feels nice in the hand, seems solid - I have a real problem with a pistol that won't function with affordable practice ammo. I can't afford to spend $50-75 a month to stay proficient with my carry gun.

I hope it treats you well and you enjoy it.