Solo Issues
Hi all I just joined the forum because I am buying a solo for concealed carry here in Florida. My local gun shop wants $720. I like to buy locally but is that a decent price? Are the newer solos having fewer issues? This will be my first Kimber. Thanks
I bought my Kimber Solo from a local dealer I have used for over 25 years. Based upon the new salesman's recommendation, Kimber's reputation, the local dealer, how the gun felt and trigger action worked in my hand and it's pocketability....I pulled the trigger and bought. $769. I did something I don't usually do, buy without 1st testing the gun and researching....dumb. Oh yes I 've owned a Kimber Pro Eclipse for the past 15 years.. shoots great
1st had problems with the magazines, 6 round and 8 round ..hard to load cannot load all the way to stated capacity. When I returned them and found ones that did the gun functioned well on 127 grain FMJ American Eagle,Golden Saber ammo etc. Before this FTEs.
2nd Read about multiple problems FTEs, FTFs etc. also I decided to put it through its paces before spending any more on it. After putting 300 rounds through the gun as break-in I decided to add Meprolight night sights and Crimson Trace Grips ( (another $400). I thought I had purchased one of the good ones
3rd Today, three weeks after purchasing and about 400 rounds later I returned the gun to my Dealer to have them send it back to Kimber to fix. It is unsafe. Started acting up in box 7 and 8 of 127grain ammo midway between two different ammo brands (Western 127 FMJ ball and Remington Golden Saber) . Multiple FTE's Every other round on one magazine, on others worked fine then FTE's and double stacked rounds, or FTFs I varied between my 6 magazines and different ammo brands all recommended by Kimber. Magazines and ammo that had worked before in the same shooting session no longer worked.
The gun may be accurate as heck to at least 7 yards when it shoots but it's no better than a brick right now. In fact it is dangerously unsafe. Any gun that does this is. It will get you killed if you ever pulled it out and it failed like this. Also even with range shooting working with failures like this is inherently dangerous. Because the little gun has such a strong recoil spring it is more difficult than most to grip and clear safely.
Oh yes I did clean it after each time to the range (100 rounds) as recommended and I made sure that the slide stop was reinstalled properly. Also made sure I was not "limp wristing"it It did bite me several times when I first took it out but I since learned how to hold it correctly. Once caused the gun to jam because my skin between my thumb and trigger finger got caught in the slide as t was going back into battery....my bad.
So is $720 a good price for a good looking firearm that looks super cool but you won't fully be able to trust...I leave that up to you. Try it out first. Do more research. Good luck...But if your are only looking for a good Safe Queen...go ahead...pull the trigger.
