Spotlight On… Kimber Solo Pocket Pistols, aka deep concealment or BUG (back-up gun), seem to be the focus of most manufacturers and consumers these days. Among the higher quality builders, Ruger, Kahr, Sig, and now Kimber have entered the field. Earlier it was the pocket 380 and now - meeting the demand of those who believe 380 is just not quite enough power – it’s the pocket 9. Kimber’s entry into this market is called the Solo Carry and is a DAO work of art. We took a display model out to our test chamber to give it a workout and see if its operation matched the superior ergonomics we had already noticed from handling the display piece. This gun simply reeks of elegance, and if its reliability and durability equal its fit, finish, and ergonomics, it will be a worthy addition to Kimber’s lineup. We could not find a single fault in the build quality, going through the gun with an armorers view on finding obvious design flaws we have seen in guns from other manufacturers. The first thing we noticed - on the very first time the gun went BANG - is that it is easy to be accurate with this piece. Most of us know our way around handgun operation and we didnt expect to be peppering the surrounding area with shots gone wild, but take a look at this first shot out of the Solo from 21 feet! IMPRESSIVE. Regrettably, I cant take credit for that shot. I cannot tell a lie. It was Lee who did it. Altogether, four of us tried the gun and everyone liked it a lot. Aside from being easy to shoot accurately, recoil is very manageable - lighter than you might think from a gun that weighs as little as this one does. The overall size and shape will make it easy to carry in a pocket, purse or very small holster for easy concealment with a variety of wardrobe options. The only downside we found - well one of us did - is that if you grip the gun high in the rear, the slide can catch the web of your hand with a noticeable bite. Only one of us noticed this feature and his grip method produces the same results with other guns that dont have a full beavertail. If you want a pocket gun and want something more stout than .380, you need to consider the Kimber Solo Carry! Being a dyed in the wool single-action shooter I like the Sig 938 better but this Kimber is certainly impressive. The gun will require a small amount of break-in. Im thinking 50 or 100 rounds should be sufficient. We had a couple of failures to go into battery in the first 20 rounds or so, even though we were using quality ammo of the type recommended by Kimber. That didnt happen with the shooters who came later - near the end of our session. I was not impressed that the gun came in a rather plain cardboard box, until we opened it to find a very nice, embroidered and padded soft case that will be provided in lieu of the plastic hard case other Kimbers and other brands usually come in. This piece was field-stripped several times before we shot it for examination of the procedure and familiarization with the parts. Apparently, the re-assembly just prior to our shoot resulted in getting the slide catch lever installed improperly, which lead to some problems. Once we identified our error and installed the lever correctly, the gun performed normally in this regard. Owners will need to be careful when re-installing the slide catch lever to get its spring in the proper place. This aint brain surgery, but does require you to pay attention. As with many 1911s, theres a way to install an idiot mark on the frame just under the slide catch lever - so owners need to be mindful of this feature as well.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 18:54:30 +0000
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