Anyone shoot a Kimber Solo?

[itsthelaw]

I found a Kimber Solo at LGS for $630, which seems like a very good price. Does anyone have any experience with them? I know they have a safety and have read that they have had some issues.

[Barth]

I found a Kimber Solo at LGS for $630, which seems like a very good price. Does anyone have any experience with them? I know they have a safety and have read that they have had some issues.

Be advised that it's a striker fired gun that they (Kimber) call single action.
So it has to be carried cocked and locked like a 1911.
Muy malo for pocket carry - IMHO.

[itsthelaw]

Be advised that it's a striker fired gun that they (Kimber) call single action.
So it has to be carried cocked and locked like a 1911.
Muy malo for pocket carry - IMHO.


Great point, Barth.

[jocko]

well at first when it came out kimber stated the gun should beshot with only +P type ammo for propper functioning (defense ammo), not sure today if they have not corrected that issue or statement . It tome looks like a nice gun but the single action scenario just for me takes the pocket cqarry part away from me. It should be anice shooter for the trigger is damn near 90% precocked, sneeze on it and it will go bang for you, or betteryet, get a nice "hug" at a birthday party andit will also go bang for u. Just sayin

[yqtszhj]

sneeze on it and it will go bang for you,

An undocumented feature "Sneeze to Squeeze" :p

[jocko]

u think maybe I might have over exegerated that sneeze thing???Just sayin

[CJB]

Lots of Brownings designs were striker or cocealed hammer...single action.

[mser]

One of my shooting buddies has one and I've had the opportunity to shoot a few rounds through it. Trigger pull is light and smooth. Accuracy is respectable. As stated previously, when a round is chambered the stiker is approximately 90% "cocked" thus necessitating a manual safety. On our last range outing my buddy had several FTF / FTE malfunctions with Cor Bon, one round becoming stuck in the chamber and locking the slide closed. The various range ammo, as well as the 124 grain +P GDHP I gave him to try, all fired and ejected without any problem. Good to discover this problem on the range rather than in the middle of a "OH $#!+" moment.

A very nice pistol, but the single action striker fire makes me say no thank you. I'll stick with my tried and true PM9 and Shield 9, and if I'm in a cocked and locked carry mood I'll move up to .45 with my Ultra CDP II.

[gb6491]

Interesting the aversion to this pistol because it's 90% cocked. I have neither live fired or disassembled a Solo, but the one I examined had a long trigger pull similar in length, weight, and smoothness to a Kahr trigger. As it has a striker block that must be cycled by the trigger before it can actually touch a round off, why does it have to be carried with the safety on? I ask this having only handled the one Solo, but if that one's trigger is representative of the product, I don't see how it is any less safe to pocket carry with the safety off than a Kahr product with what I believe to be a very similar trigger.
FWIW, here's a video someone posted that shows the length of the Solo in good detail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooy48WzhZv4
Regards,
Greg

[itsthelaw]

I have to respect what I felt and have seen so far without shooting it. The gun felt GREAT and seems to push the engineering limits like Kahr does in each round. I asked the gunsmith to round one of my CM9s today similar to the Solo. It does have some nice features.

[Barth]

Interesting the aversion to this pistol because it's 90% cocked. I have neither live fired or disassembled a Solo, but the one I examined had a long trigger pull similar in length, weight, and smoothness to a Kahr trigger. As it has a striker block that must be cycled by the trigger before it can actually touch a round off, why does it have to be carried with the safety on? I ask this having only handled the one Solo, but if that one's trigger is representative of the product, I don't see how it is any less safe to pocket carry with the safety off than a Kahr product with what I believe to be a very similar trigger.
FWIW, here's a video someone posted that shows the length of the Solo in good detail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooy48WzhZv4
Regards,
Greg

http://www.kimberamerica.com/uploads/manual-download/Solo-Owners-ManualNEW.pdf

RULES OF SAFETY

5. Safe Carrying Condition: Never carry this
firearm loaded and ready to fire as this practice
could result in an unintentional discharge. Do
not carry a loaded firearm with a live round in
the chamber while walking, running or crossing
any obstacle, where there is any possibility of
slipping or falling as this could lead to a
possible unintentional discharge.

16. Keep safety on when firearm is loaded until
ready to fire. Immediately unload and clear
this firearm when shooting sequence has
been completed.

WARNING
The firearm is now fully loaded and ready to
fire. Keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction
and engage thumb safety until ready to
shoot.

[jocko]

legal talk: IMO nothing more.. no doubt an unloaded gun can't go bang, but then it AIN'T A GUN. either. Just sayin. I would think the kimber with a visible external safety and loaded and the safety on, it should be a very safe gun. I would not feel good with it without a safety. The trigger travel like GB stated might be long but basically when it hits the bang area. that trigger pull I would think would not be 7.5# like a kahr is. I could be all wet on that to..

anyway it to me seems like a nice gun but they have had some discussed issiues that it just seems most new intro's seem to have. This being kimber first striker fired gun to. IMO probalby this gun should be waste band carried and then cocked and locked in no different than any other kimber..

to be honest, since its intro, I sure don't hear much about the solo, plus or minus.:19:

[JFootin]

The Solo sure is a pretty little gun, and you can put wood grips on it. Sweet! :D

[340pd]

Many have been brought into our range. Some were fussy about type/weight of ammo. Magazines were hard to find but I think that is getting better now. Nice looking gun for a lot of money. Kimber is good at that. I think the shooting world jury is still out on this gun. I do have a customer that is waiting three or more months for the Solo CDP out of the custom shop. That sucker better work as the MSRP is $1200. Remember anytime you deal with short barrel guns you will find a whole legion of people that have had issues with them. The M&P Shield seems to be the only exception that comes to mind in recent times.

http://www.kimberamerica.com/solo/solo-carry/solo-cdp

[ScottSouth66]

I had a Kimber .45 gov frame many years ago and was happy with it,sold it due to divorce. A couple weeks ago I was at the local range/shop and somebody was finishing up the 4473 on a new Solo. I was shooting my K40 a couple lanes over when I noticed an issue. The new owner was trying to figure out why it quit running. I looked it over and it seemed the trigger was disconnected.
Like a broke transfer bar or whatever. We took it back inside,the shop's smith concurred the transfer bar failed to engage/broken, and got an RA# from Kimber to return it. So far,it's the only personal experience with the Solo,not so good,sorry...

[muggsy]

A gun is only as safe to carry as the person carrying it. Having said that, the solo pistols have been reported to have had a number of problems. I'm sure that Kimber will eventually work the bugs out of their bug, but until then I would shy away from them.

[les strat]

A gun is only as safe to carry as the person carrying it. Having said that, the solo pistols have been reported to have had a number of problems. I'm sure that Kimber will eventually work the bugs out of their bug, but until then I would shy away from them.

I have heard and read of this as well. Maybe overblown, but maybe not. But I remember one of the articles was in print in a gun mag.

I think they are sweet looking pistols, but looks aren't much of a factor for me concerning EDC.

[Russ]

I shot one magazine through a Kimber Solo at Impact Guns and I immediately asked for my $50 deposit I put down at a competitor for when the Solo became available.

The gun is beautiful felt great in my hand and jammed every single round I fired.

Russ

[gb6491]

legal talk: IMO nothing more.. ..
EXACTLY (thanks jocko), they put the same safe handling mantra in their 1911 manual (probably just copied and pasted it to the Solo manual). I can see it with the 1911 platform that has a short, light, true single action trigger, but the Solo's trigger is a different beast.
Regards,
Greg

[jocko]

no doubt we have peole buying guns that should not own a gun. Stupid is as stupid does. Many knock the mag disconnet feature. I personaly dont need it on any gun I own but from a company liability standpoint it is a very7 safe thing on a gun. Smiart people know what to do evne with it on a gun, but dumb people think if they pull thge mag out thegun is safe. without the disconnet, as uwell know it wllgo bang. It si getting more today about litigation than practicality. Do we need a loaded round indicator??? IMO no but some people need to be slapped in the face sometimes to let them know the gun is loaded. again stupid is as stupid does. The thing is also that you just don'tknow that person standing next to you eiter. He cold very easily shoot YOU with his thought to ber unloaded gun. Put allthose safety things on those guns for that stupid fokker, just give me the opportunity to taker off what I don't like.

Most all of the loaded round indicators and magt disconnet freature give no issues either but we seem to not like um. that is shooter choice. same as an external safety. I think they are allgood features, just some that I don't care for. I am sure if you as a gun maker and owner of the company would do all that is ossable to keep lawsuits ou8t of ur business. Just sayin. Do you reall think har wanted to put that LRI on the top of their slides??? I sure don't, ...