The Kimber Solo seems like a slick gun but its teething problems ruled it out for me.
That said, the gun that I did pick, the SIG P290, also started out with some teething problems but has since become a favorite. My gun, manufactured in March 2011 was one of the earlier ones with a trigger issue. After 35 rounds the hammer would not fall to make contact with the firing pin. SIG sent a label and the turnaround was lightning fast. The trigger was fixed and upgraded also with a new mag release installed. The new trigger was noticeably lighter and smoother than the original. The gun has been flawless since. I should add that this is the original non-reset (RS) trigger. That doesn't matter to me as my training is tap-rack. Plus, if need be, the trigger can be reset with a minimal rearward movement of the slide of about 2mm. While I don't recommend that, it would be a viable option except being one requiring relatively fine motor skills. I would also note that some have commented that the older non-RS upgraded trigger is somewhat smoother and lighter than the current RS trigger, but I can't confirm that through any experience. Nevertheless, folks seem very happy with the RS. SIG did add a bit of a beavertail to the RS and seems to have included a bit more of a fingertip to the mag floor plate. I'm not sure what that improved as slide bite really isn't an issue and that mag floor plate doesn't look to me like it would improve grip. The pinky is still going to go under the mag. Increasing overall dimensions on a sub carry gun without a considerable payback seems questionable, but who knows?
As to size, the 290 is very deceiving. If you look at its dimensions listed above it is one of the smaller pistols in its class. It is much smaller than you would think if you just picked it up in a gun shop. Being short and rather stumpy gives the 290 the illusion that the gun is bigger than it really is. In a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster the gun carries extremely well in cargo pants pocket. The gun is on the heavy side but with the right holster the gun is forgotten. I have seen some reviewers criticize the gun as being too big, or not needing to be that big, and I have no idea what the heck they are talking about. In every dimension that a carry gun matters it is pretty doggone minimal in size. Weight continues to be an issue for pocket carry, but the right holster solves that issue for the most part.
The P290 is accurate for its purpose, and then some. At least it's accurate enough for me. The gun has the same basic sights that you would find on a P220. The optional eight round extended mag is a big bonus. I haven't worked much with it yet but would only expect handling and accuracy to improve.
SIG shot themselves in the foot releasing this one too early for general consumption which has lead to a rocky start and a gun that is now a real sleeper. My experience is that it deserves much more respect and consideration. Sorry to go on like this but SIG seems to be releasing so many subcompacts at once that the P290 gets left in the dust when it could/should be leading the pack.
One other gun mentioned is one that I liked quite a lot, but not enough to keep. The Kel PF9 is one that I shot well and found to be well sized for its task. I found it accurate and reliable but had overall concerns about its durability over a span of years. I traded it away to pay for part of my Walther PPS, a gun which is in a class by itself.
Is that what they really recommend, or did you mean 2000? That's more often than once every two sessions for me and my Kel-Tec.
:banghead:
