Kimber Solo..

[CNobbe]

What's the deal with these, heard they were nothing but trouble when they came out, are very picky on ammo, and etc.

Came across a new one today while out shopping and really started to like the thing. Fits my hand well, looks smooth, has a heck of a crisp trigger..

Watched a few youtube videos which make me think a $200 Taurus is of better quality/design but I recall most of the issues were ammo or operator related..

Any folks here have a Solo that's reliable, holding up nicely?

My EDC is a Glock 27 in winter, easy to hide the bulk, trust it completely and am thinking about a solo for summer as I like to pocket carry my p238 but with the demand for 380 ammo I figure a small 9mm would be nice. I owned a Shield once, but that's not ideal for pocket carrying to me.

If the Solo is a no go, my old trusty P238 will still get the job done.

 

[WRGADog]

I have a Kimber Solo and carry the gun frequently. I have had zero problems with the gun being picky feeding any ammo. The only issue I have experienced is that the mag release button is impossible to push if the gun has a round in the chamber and Remington Golden Saber in the mag. I have sent the gun back to Kimber twice without success. So, I just quit using Golden Saber (which Kimber recommends among other brands), and went to Winchester Ranger. The mag release button is still difficult to push with the Winchester ammo, but not impossible as it is with the Golden Saber. I am 6' 205 and not weak, but try as I might I can not depress the mag release button with Golden Saber ammo, which makes unloading the gun a PITA as you must eject each shell individually from the chamber.

 

[CNobbe]

I really would like to pick up a Solo knowing they're as good as they can be, they fit the bill in pretty much everything I'm looking for. My Kimber 1911s a Pro Carry and a Custom II are great guns, like them a lot.

A bit expensive compared to the XDS and Shield, but if I can find one at a decent price I might just give one the old college try.

They seem to have decent reviews on Buds' site.

Have you noticed any damage on the inside of the slide at all? There was one owner on youtube who highlighted obvious peening from the barrel lugs wearing down the internals of the slide, but then again this was right after they hit the market.

 

[larryh1108]

I have a Solo and it did need the premium ammo for it to "break in". Once I got the 200-300 rounds thru it, it handled anything without an issue. I've read and heard this has since been corrected. I believe it to be the strong recoil spring that needed the extra power to cycle until it wore in a bit, kind of like a new mag spring.

As for the stiff mag release, all you need to do is push up on the mag to make the release easy. I don't like this "feature" but from what I've read, the first mag releases dropped mags unexpectantly so they fixed it with this type of release. I also sent it in to Kimber for the mag release issue and this is what I was told. It does work.

It looks great, it shoots great and is a great gun. If you like how it fits your hand, it's worth at least shooting at the range to see if you like it.

 

[CNobbe]

Agreed, hoping to come across someone at the range with one that's willing to let me take a few shots with it. I love the trigger, safety, and overall feel. As I said, no rush as the demand seems to have slowed a bit around here for them. Look shop got 5 in last week and haven't sold one yet at $699.

Also concerned with how they hold up, I know Kim Pro finish is iffy at best as my Pro Carry is now covered in Cerakote after the slide started chipping but have read about some internal peening of the slide from the barrel lugs.

 

[WRGADog]

I have lubricated and pushed the mag release in excess of 2k times and it still is impossible to depress with Golden Saber.

 

[larryh1108]

Have you pushed up on the mag while you push the release?
Try it.
It works.
At least it did on mine, per Kimber's suggestion.

 

[C0untZer0]

The website says:

Solo is designed to function optimally using premium hollow-point self-defense factory ammunition with bullet weights of 124 or 147 grains.

I wouldn't say that's being picky about ammo. I think the smaller and lighter a manufacturer makes a 9mm, the tighter the range or window gets for what ammo will function in the firearm. Many of the pocket nines can't handle +P ammo. Some of the smaller nines are also designed around specific bullet weights or pressures. The Diamondback DB9 was designed to shoot less than 125gr bullets at standard SAMMI pressures, Kimber Solo was designed to shoot 124gr to 147gr bullets at standard SAMMI pressures. They're companies are basically telling you the ammo types that the pistols were designed around.

 

[WRGADog]

I have not tried that, but I will. Thanks for the tip.

 

[CNobbe]

You're right, it's not picky, and it wouldn't be too much of an issue only using 124 or 147gr ammo, but for practice, breaking the gun in...might get expensive..

I heard Kimber was bringing these out...almost two years ago...wonder whats taking them so long as Sig pretty much took the Colt mustang design and makes 238s, shouldn't be too much of an issue to copy sig and make these..

http://www.kimberamerica.com/1911/micro-carry

 

[Mltaylor]

My Kimber Solo Carry

Is my everyday carry, I've gotten over 300 plus rounds of critical duty 135 grain ammo through it with no problems. At ten yards I can keep all rounds in the 10 ring. I see a lot of postings about how hard it is to push the mag release button, with this gun and other small carry guns with a fully loaded mag, to release it just push up on the mag, then push the release button and out it will come. On a empty mag with the slide locked back the mag button can easily be pushed and again the mag will drop free with no problems. I carry it in a Descants U7 pocket holster, fits like a glove and rides great in jeans or slacks. When I bought this gun almost a year ago the counter guy tried his best to talk me out of it because of all the bad press the Solo had several years ago and was pushing a Sig. I had read all of the press, good and bad, and went ahead and bought the Solo. It's striker fired, no hammer in the way to get hung up in the pocket when pulling it. It's a great little gun and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a everyday pocket carry gun.

 

[WRGADog]

I have a Kimber Solo that functions perfectly using the recommended ammunition. I carry the gun fairly frequently. The mag button is very difficult to push, when fully loaded, unless you push up on the bottom of the mag. Great little gun.

 

[Olympus]

The Solo is my EDC. I think the people who have problems may be limp wristing. The recoil is snappy. But I've shot hundreds of my own very mild reloads and it eats them like candy. I love my Solo.

 

[bozzman3]

My EDC.It eats anything I put in it.Its incredible accurate.Its a snappy shooter so hold on tight.Its kinda cool that it shoot a 9mm and likes +p.

 

[shooter1]

Two of the guys I shoot with have the Solos. I've shot both of their pistols, and seen them used in BUG matches without problems. Theirs seem to run fine.
str1