Is the Kimber Solo realible?

[IMTHDUKE]

I have been noticing that the Kimber Solo seem to be lower price than when it hit the market. I do know that you have to use certain types of ammo and there were FTE, FTE issues at one time. Are that a dog or the market has cooled off?

 

[MedWheeler]

I can't begin to list all the guns that have hit the market in the last couple of years, then tumbled in price. But, the Solo is still running well north of $800 in the one store here that has them (actually, they're not really "running", but more like just sitting there.)

I'd say the market has definitely cooled.

 

[hAkron]

They are certainly not known for their reliability from what I've seen/read. I had one that I bought used. I sold it before I ever shot it and bought something else (not unusal for me), so I don't have any firsthand experience actually firing one.

 

[csa77]

I used one of my friends solos for a few rounds in a pin shoot, it worked flawlessly. They have a great trigger for a striker fired gun.

 

[Zerodefect]

How about, no.

 

[HexHead]

IF you actually read and heed the owner's manual instructions to ONLY use 124 or 147gr ammo it will be reliable. If you're one of those cheapskates that believes a gun should run the cheapest crap ammo you can find, and run 115 gr through it, you'll likely be disappointed. It's sprung too heavily for 115 gr.

In fact, the manual suggests you only run Golden Sabers, Gold Dots or Hydra-Shoks in it.

 

[5MinAlone]

Seen one going for around 6 bills used on armslist locally.

Didn't kimber have some issues with their mim or something?

 

[Predator55]

I like the looks of the pistol but reliability is a issue. Spend less than half and get a kahr CW-9. Reliable as hell and I have yet to have a functioning issue. Eats everything I put through it and the size is perfect for ccw.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

My wife has a Kimber Solo and loves it. We've never had a FTF or FTE that I can recall. My best guess is that gun has way north of 2,500 rounds through it. She carries factory ammo (I think 147gr but not sure) in it but we have shot hundreds of my reloads through it as well. It is a really sharp looking gun and in my experience has run flawlessly.

 

[orionengnr]

My LGS has some of the stainless ones for about $550. Of the ones she has sold, she has sent exactly one back.

I own one of the CDP versions (a fair bit pricier). At the very beginning it didn't like 115 grain ammo (go figure ) but after I ran a hundred or so 125 gr handloads through it, it works just fine with everything I've tried in it.

Great trigger, and quite accurate. Still hasn't displaced my Kahr PM9 as EDC, but it may, one day. That will take quite a few more rounds to be absolutely confident that it will work every time, as the PM9 has for the last ten years.

 

[MedWheeler]

Predator55 writes:

Spend less than half and get a kahr CW-9.

Funny, my LGS has one used, with two magazines, in VGC, for $250. If I didn't already have a Kel-Tec that does everything it can do (and can do it one more time before reloading) I'd have bought it. It looks very nice.

EDIT: Actually, thinking again, It's a CM9 they have there... I missed that you were suggesting the CW.

 

[Valkman]

Didn't kimber have some issues with their mim or something?

Long ago. Haven't had MIM problems in years. Lots of companies use it in their guns and for the most part you'd never know it was there.

 

[Zerodefect]

Except for the defective MIM parts? Is that what you meant?

Because Kimber's mag catches and thumb safeties disagree.