Why was the Kimber Solo such a bad pistol?

[wally]

I've had both CZ and HKs fail to run cheap 115 grain ammo well. Bad guns then?

I'd get rid of them if it wasn't "break-in issue" that resolved, or was limited to only a single ammo brand. Cheap is generic and biased term. I'll tolerate some limited ammo sensitivity in sub-compacts ( i.e. needing 124gr instead of 115gr) as these are always running on the edge of the functional envelope as a trade off for being very small for their caliber, but if won't run with FMJ I'd not bother trying expensive JHP. YMMV.

My HK USP 9mm ran fine on Wolf WPA, CCI Blazer, & Monarch brass all of which I believe were 115gr. I usually run a box of several brands of "cheap" factory (not "factory reloads") 115gr ammo before trying my reloads in a new pistol, which is generally what ends up being the bulk of my shooting. I use the same load recipe for all my guns of a given caliber, occasionally making minor adjustments (usually in OAL) when a new gun is added. Been a long time since I've needed a change, most recently was when I started shooting suppressed with 147gr FMJ or plated bullets, needed a bit more powder to reliably lock back my Glock 17, but still well under max load.

 

[omega5]

I have 2 Kimbers, a 1911 Master Carry Custom and a SOLO Carry. The Master Carry Custom was new when I got it
and has never given me the first problem. The SOLO was used and the previous owner treated it horribly (tried to leach
out the black frame to make it look like an SS model, had the Slide Stop lever in with the spring on top of the lever instead
of in the notch made for the spring to be in, etc. etc.). You can see the black behind the safety in the pic. It's also black
under the grips and in the magwell.
But even with that kind of mistreatment, it's got the best trigger on a
small 9mm you'll ever squeeze, goes bang every time you squeeze the trigger and has never had a FTF or FTE and I have
well over 1500 rounds thru her. She's ugly due to the mistreatment but she performs great. That's not my only small 9mm
either. I have a Kahr PM9 and CM9, Sig 290RS and Sig P938, LC9, XDS9 and 45, Shield 9 and 40, so when I say it has
the best trigger I've ever squeezed, I'm comparing it to several other 9mm's of comparable size and design.
I don't suggest you use +P ammo, that stings after a couple mags, but like the Manual says, do use good quality SD ammo.
I wouldn't know how it would perform with the cheap stuff cause I've never used it in the SOLO.
Dano

 

[rick melear]

Only one I ever shot would drop the magazine after every shot. Liked the feel and it shot well, but it was basicly a single shot. It was a early one.

 

[SwampWolf]

Cheap or expensive gun, if it won't work reliably with Win "white box", CCI Blazer, etc. IMHO it isn't worth owning.

I agree. There's nothing about a 1911 type pistol that is all that complicated in getting them to run reliably. And there's nothing about Winchester "white box" ammunition in my experience that is all that different from other ammunition of its type. If a pistol is so finicky in terms of its reliability that it requires "premium", high-price spreads (butter instead of oleo ) to run right, especially a firearm intended for self-defense use, like wally; I really don't want any part of it.

 

[rskent]

It’s the name. Nobody likes to do it Solo.

 

[lonewolf5347]

A buddy has the solo it has been back 3 times for repairs and they still can't get it to run
More like the name should a jam o matic

 

[tarosean]

More like the name should a jam o matic

It is a shame as it is the perfect size and weight for a CCW gun. I've always wanted one but have held back due to the negative publicity.

 

[tkroenlein]

The best worst gun ever. My experience with one Solo was it would not reliably run a full mag ever, with any ammo in about 400 rounds. I loved the ergos. But man, it wouldn't run anything.

It's hard to justify any amount of money when it just won't work. To contrast, I have a CM9 that I broke in on 200 rounds of WPA steel case ammo with zero malfunctions, and remains malfunction free to date.

 

[Winkman822]

I can't speak for the SOLO, but I've had vastly varying experiences with Kimber 1911's. My Eclipse Target II wouldn't reliably feed JHP ammo and it was hit and miss with 230 ball ammo. My Royal II, while a stunning pistol on the aesthetic side, had a poorly timed firing pin safety that stopped operating properly after about 2300 rounds. I had a Desert Warrior that functioned well enough, but I did experience a couple of small parts breakages (right side safety lever sheared off as did the slide stop axle). Most recently I had a Custom TLE II that wouldn't consistently return to battery after about 200 rounds went through it; I chalk that up to poor slide to frame and barrel to slide fit. The reports that I've seen of the Solo seem to indicate similar inconsistencies on the quality control end.

 

[SwampWolf]

After reading your considerably less than stellar experiences with Kimber pistols, Winkman822, I have to ask the obvious question: Why do you keep buying them?

 

[Winkman822]

After reading your considerably less than stellar experiences with Kimber pistols, Winkman822, I have to ask the obvious question: Why do you keep buying them?

This was early into my 1911 buying years, so about 10 or so years ago when I was still relatively new to guns. Finally after the TLE II, I've just written Kimber off as too inconsistent on the QC side of the equation. After I sold off the last Kimber, I used the sale proceeds to plunk down on a Wilson Combat CQB Compact. That gun has been near perfect. Same goes for my Baer Thunder Ranch, the Springfield TRP that I parted ways with to buy the Baer, my Springfield MC Operator, and my Colt Series 80 CCO. That's not to say these guns are infallible, but they have been nowhere near the headaches that the Kimbers were. Most issues with these came from me being lazy and not replacing springs at the correct intervals, or over or under springing the gun. So, it was more of an operator error caused failure than the gun itself.