The Rohrbaugh Forum
Miscellaneous => Other Guns => Topic started by: Jack_F on January 14, 2011, 06:48:00 PM
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I was at the gun shop buying my wife a new gun ;) and when I past the Kimber display I noticed a small pocket 9mm with their name on it!! Turns out they just got it today.It was not for sale but each dealer was sent one to accept orders on. Kimber has not even publicly announced the gun!
It has 1911 controls with an ambidextrous safety. Double action trigger, nice night sights and very well made. Price $700.
With permission I place my R9S on top of it for size comparison. The Kimber silde was only a half inch longer and the trigger guard about a quarter inch longer. It was a nice gun.
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http://www.kimber1911pistols.com/blog/kimber-solo-carry/
Link for picture
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What is the weight? Every mfg. is jumping on this train--Glock next?
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Looks like that's the case, everyone jumping on the train. The Kimber 9mm is good looking, and the 8rd mag that will be coming. Hmmmm!
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I like Kimber 1911's. I have several, but a Kimber DAO just doesn't sound right.
BTW Thanks for the link. It's an interesting looking pistol.
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a pocket nine from Glock. I got tired of waiting, that is the main reason I am here. ;D
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I like Kimber 1911's. I have several, but a Kimber DAO just doesn't sound right.
BTW Thanks for the link. It's an interesting looking pistol.
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a pocket nine from Glock. I got tired of waiting, that is the main reason I am here. ;D
And the reason I've been here for what will soon be seven years. 8)
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Very interesting and a two tone model and a stainless model.
Here is a link to a lot more pics and some comparisons.
http://www.kimber1911pistols.com/tag/kimber-solo-carry/
John
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Bunches of good features; I like the slide lock, mag release, and easy take down and reassembly, just to name a few.
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Here is a place taking Pre-Orders, price is $665, not bad.
http://www.gunsinternational.com/Kimber-Solo-Carry-9mm-Micro-9mm-NEW-.cfm?gun_id=100160320
John
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The ambi thumb safety seems to be a step backwards towards a perceived marketing edge over the R9. I would also question the internals such as MIM parts, etc. This price point will provide some stiff competition except for those of us who are loyal forever.
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I didn't see this once coming! Cool gun.
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Here is a place taking Pre-Orders, price is $665, not bad.
http://www.gunsinternational.com/Kimber-Solo-Carry-9mm-Micro-9mm-NEW-.cfm?gun_id=100160320
John
May have a price war going on as well!
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And the reason I've been here for what will soon be seven years. 8)
And also the reason I've been here for nearly two years! :)
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I think that I will give this one some proving runs and recalls before I jump on it.
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I'll wait awhile as well. Will be good to see some excellent reviews.
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Wow, you can buy one tonight!
http://www.gunsamerica.com/972148526/Guns/Pistols/Kimber-of-America-Pistols/Solo_Carry_9MM_Mini_Compact_NEW.htm
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It can go Solo. 17 oz. is way too heavy for me.
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Wow, you can buy one tonight!
http://www.gunsamerica.com/972148526/Guns/Pistols/Kimber-of-America-Pistols/Solo_Carry_9MM_Mini_Compact_NEW.htm
cwc. Can't get this one until 1/21/11. ;D
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Yep
I said buy, not get. 8)
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I know. Says can't be sold until after 1/21/11. ;D
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Come on, Cash is king for the right price they will not only sell it tonight but they will ship it Monday. ;D ;D
John
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The list grows. It is a grown up Colt Mustang / Sig P238.
I like the features. Probably good for a coat pocket, I don't know about a front pocket.
The explosion in carry permits in some parts of the country is driving this market. I do hope many of these people will help us defend against the grabbers.
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Come on, Cash is king for the right price they will not only sell it tonight but they will ship it Monday. ;D ;D
John
John, you could be right! Be one of the first to get one! :D
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I see there are three of them on GunBroker also. Kimber kept this pretty quiet.
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John, you could be right! Be one of the first to get one! :D
kj, OK, I'll get this one and you get this one. ;D
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=206871796
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With a current bid of $82,625.00, this auction is really bringing out the heavy hitters. :o
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That is a nice paperweight.
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Although the Solo is longer than a R9 it looks like the R9's barrel is longer than the Solo's.
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Although the Solo is longer than a R9 it looks like the R9's barrel is longer than the Solo's.
From what I can see about specs:
R9:
- Barrel:2.9"
- Length:5.2"
SOLO:
- Barrel:2.7"
- Length:5.5"
you're correct - the SOLO is both longer - and has a shorter barrel.
The SOLO would interest and tempt me greatly IF I did not have an R9 - but since I do have an R9 I'm 99.999% sure I'll pass on the SOLO. My experience with Kimber has been good but not perfect. To me the SOLO is more compelling than the Kahr (BAD Kahr P380 experience) or any other small 9mm offerings (including the new SIG P290 and Ruger LC9 pistols), but it isn't the same as the R9 being both externally bigger and also heavier.
It might be more comfortable on the range than the R9 but I wouldn't consider it a range gun anymore than I consider the R9 a range gun.
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kj, OK, I'll get this one and you get this one. ;D
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=206871796
John! That's a beaut. And with 186 bids so far. I've got 5+ days to decide to bid! ;D
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I would also question the internals such as MIM parts, etc. .
Keep in mind all the naysayers that attacked Kimber's MIM parts back when started their 1911 business 12-15 yrs ago?
Kimber has just kept growing since then and is a force to be reckoned with.
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Kimber has a winner here that will sell a ton. If not for the new Ruger LC9, they would probably sell all they could make.
BUT - it ain't no Pup!
Everything else is just second best at best!
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Agreed, and we shall see on this one but the weight is a non-starter for me. I have not missed not owning a Kimber and will probably continue to be a happy non-owner camper.
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Agreed, and we shall see on this one but the weight is a non-starter for me. I have not missed not owning a Kimber and will probably continue to be a happy non-owner camper.
I think you will have a lot of pup owners in your camp with ya. :D
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The Kimber is a very nice gun -- different than the R-9 but quite nice. I am going to try to get one for review.
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First range report of the SOLO I've seen:
http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/1010034832
Doesn't look good - there appear to be some "teething" problems to sort out.
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As of this moment, I did not read the review in the above link.
I don't have to read any review on any of the new wonder nines that recently came out.
I have to say that I handled all the new nine milimeter pistols that just came out. I went to Ruger, Sig, Kimber and Kel-Tec and none feel as good as the R9. You can feel the difference in quality and how the R-nine is superior.
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I have personally not been a Kimber person-although they have some very nice looking guns.
This Solo looks very interesting,but I just can't see it as a replacement for my Pups..
Nice rounded looks.
I guess that I have gotten used to the best,and will be keeping my Pup as the EDC.. 8)
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Kimber was pretty clear at the show that you need to use hot premium 9mm ammo for optimum reliability in the Solo.
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I have 3 kimber ultra models that all run great, I will not be afraid to be a beta tester on this one....
Got one on order, here is a positive review.
This one may have been straight from the box and not a display model handled by the masses, like the fellow from the Sig forum got.
http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?118821-Kimber-solo-range-report-and-grips
I will give my report (good or bad) when I get mine.
J.W.
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I just returned from a gunshow where I hoped to see a Kimber Solo but none were for sale.
I did run into an old friend who is retired LEO who along with his wife have also had a gun business for 25 years. I knew that he was a top 300 Kimber dealer so I asked if he had received a Solo and he responded that it was in his pocket right now but didn't want to pull a gun out while working his tables.
I asked if he has shot it much and he said he had shot it alot before he would trust it for carry. He said he loves the gun and this particular pistol has been flawless with everything he has tried in it and he was currently carrying 115 Gold Dots.
What his Kimber Rep told him is that they have found the Solo to be 100% reliable with 147 gr ammo, 99.9% with 124 gr ammo, and reliability with 115 gr ammo varies greatly from gun to gun. Some would not function reliably with any 115's, some would function with 1 or 2 brands, and some would be like my friend's and shoot everything. Also he said it is important to use only premium defense type ammo which is loaded "Hot" for complete reliability.
My friend said he has tried all the pocket nine's, and this the one he has decided to keep. He has had a Rohrbaugh and liked it but he perfers a gun with more visible sights, a slide catch and an American style magazine catch. He has always carried a Seecamp 32 as a backup but prefers these features on a primary CCW
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Crimson Trace announces Partnership with Kimber for Solo Carry Laser Grips. MSRP for the grips $359.
http://www.ammoland.com/2011/02/11/crimson-trace-kimber-solo-carry-lasergrips/
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I held a "demo" Solo today at a gun shop and was very impressed with it. This is from someone who has never owned a Kimber but the Solo has a feel of quality about it that was a pleasant surprise in fit, form, and ergonomics. If the reliablity issues are resolved during the teething period I would definitely consider buying one despite the heavier weight. The trigger pull is very smooth and I would estimate at around 6# or so.
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I am with you tracker, the weight is not an issue for its size. Beautiful balance and ergonomics, its the waiting to see whether they have gotten rid of all the wrinkles already or whehther its going to take some time. I do have a Kimber CDP Ultra II that has been accurate, completely reliable and I have never had any kind of problem with it. The Solo is on my list of possibles.
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Balance is the word I omitted, Phil; thank you.
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This is looking better to me every day; the stainless. :)
http://www.impactguns.com/store/KIMBER-SOLO-SS.html
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I have 3 kimber ultra models that all run great, I will not be afraid to be a beta tester on this one....
Got one on order, here is a positive review.
This one may have been straight from the box and not a display model handled by the masses, like the fellow from the Sig forum got.
http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?118821-Kimber-solo-range-report-and-grips
I will give my report (good or bad) when I get mine.
J.W.
Well I reckon I will retract my statement about me being willing to be a beta tester... Gonna cancel my order until the bugs are out.
This just out! http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=309066
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Definitely best to wait. I'm sure Kimber will get it sorted out. :)
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This is merely ancecdotal -- but I was in my favorite gun shop yesterday and the gunsmith mentioned that he got to see a Solo 9. It had a round jamed in it to good that the owner couldn't get the round out or the mag out. They wound up disassembling the magazine while still in the gun to release the pressure and un-stuck things. ;)
I don't think this is indicative of anything, but just an interesting occurence.
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Makes one wonder if a 40 cal round made it's way into the 9mm round pile while loading ?
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What to do? Anyone fired a Solo yet? A local store has the two tone for $725 and holding it for me. Then there is the Sig P290 (don’t know the price)… Or I can get a R9S Stealth for $1200 within a week or so. I saw a YouTube review for American Handgun and they appeared to shoo the heck out of the Solo with no problems. I read one bad review, link on here someplace, but others were shining. I know the R9 will work, every time, no questions…..but I’m liking the slide lock, sights, ambi mag release and safety… Thoughts please….
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You cannot go wrong with the R9.
If you buy it, try it and like it, keep it.
If you buy it try it and don't like it, sell it.
Most guns don't hold their value, where the R9 does.
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Great advice! :)
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The R9 is not for everyone. Most forum members I hear have more than one.
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Well, not most, but several. ;D
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Thanks Wolverine, I do have one. And through many trials and having tried to get it to malfunction, it wouldn't. So I do swear by them. Always liked the look of the Stealth model so considering many trusted opinions, I'll put the Kimber on back burner and get my second R9. Life is good when that is the toughest decision I'm faced with at the momen....
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Toad, glad to see you back posting, its been a while.
John
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For those who care, Kimbers internals used to be provided by McCormick out of Texas (who was having most things investment cast in china). Then Kimber decided to cut out the middle man and went straight to china for a lot of their internals. Kimber makes a lot of gun for the money. Their barrels however are made by the Wilson Barrel Company. Not the Wilson in Berryville, Arkansas but the company in Southport, Ct near Ruger. They also provide rifle barrels to Ruger for their long guns. The barrel is the weak link in the Kimber system. Wilson is not known for high barrel quality. Many of the Kimbers I have shot are marginal in accuracy while others are a delightful surprise. Fortunately in their 1911's, if you get a bad one you can easily replace it with a Fred Kart barrel. Kart makes probably the best 1911 barrel in the history of the weapon. If Wilson is providing the barrels for this little gem, I would want to test fire it before I bought it. I'm not a big fan of Wilson barrels. Ruger made their reputation using Douglas barrels in their Model 77 rifles then promptly switched to Wilsons and their Model 77's sales went down hill fast. Not everyone can so easily snatch defeat right out of the jaws of victory. Before the change the model 77 was the most rifle you could get for any money in a sporter as far as I was concerned. After the change it makes an acceptable canoe paddle held in reverse for someone with very small hands. Kimber using those same barrels and my experience with Kimbers after they went to them left me with real doubts.
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I was in Austin several years ago, having grown up there, and decided to drive to Chip McCormick's place 20 miles south of Austin. I bought a couple of 1911 magazines there and was singularly unimpressed with the entire mediocre operation. Virgil Tripp's Cobra magazines are an entirely different product.
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I have about 20 Cobra mags. I am slowly converting over from Shooting Star and Wilson.
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I was in Austin several years ago, having grown up there, and decided to drive to Chip McCormick's place 20 miles south of Austin. I bought a couple of 1911 magazines there and was singularly unimpressed with the entire mediocre operation. Virgil Tripp's Cobra magazines are an entirely different product.
Chip McCormick always had good ideas but the execution sometimes lacked. The original Shooitng Star magazines were really a natural evolution of the Devel 8 shot magazine. They were pretty good. McCormick did a lot of things well when he was an IPSC top competitor and then success came and he got overcome and started having stuff made off shore and it, and in my humble opinion, it got to him more than a little bit. When Kimber jerked the rug out from under him it was a major financial blow and left him in a bind. I prefer the 70's Colt mags with the rampant pony and the M that were made by Metalform on contract for Colt. They can be converted with follower kits from lots of places that are still McCormicks design, to an 8 shot but the boxes are the best of all the mags in my opinion. I had a small problem with Tripp a few years ago over a pistol I built and sent to them for Hard Chrome plating. They sent it back with a thousand dollar COD bill on it for all the work I had done prior to sending it for Chrome plating and I had paid for the plating in advance. We eventually got it straightened out, after a protracted phone conversation that had some unpleasant overtones and he finally admitted his error, but I've never done business with him since.
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All busineses make mistakes. Its how ther rectify their mistakes that show their true Jude of character an keeps you coming back or looking for alternatives.
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Any gun company makes errors - there isn't much quality control in the industry. (In manufacturing, you have to focus on perfecting process, rather than units, and I think, either as a result of the "craftsman" tradition in the gun industry, or because the profit margins are too low, process never seems to be perfected.)
EG, I have had custom guns, which couldn't fire at all, I've had a batch of Virgil Tripp mags which couldn't be loaded (wrong springs in them), I've had brand new guns which wouldn't run, etc, etc.
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All busineses make mistakes. Its how ther rectify their mistakes that show their true Jude of character an keeps you coming back or looking for alternatives.
How true that is. I'm reminded of a story..............Hmmm! won't go there; however, very good point!
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All busineses make mistakes. Its how ther rectify their mistakes that show their true Jude of character an keeps you coming back or looking for alternatives.
That is something I Like about Nighthawk Customs, they go way out of thier way to keep the customer happy and the word has spread around that they are doing it.
But other 1911 Companies have the opposit reputation and that word as well has spread.
Chief
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When you spend that kind of money, is sure is reassuring about a company like Nighthawk.
That carries a lot of weight when it comes time to make that special purchase.
Thanks for reminding us Cheif.