Kimber Solo 9mm Concealed Carry Pistol--Updated with Video Link

Video of Solo being fired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9QjK9OG4AY


Podcast review of the Kimber Solo:
http://www.handgunworld.com/


The Kimber Solo is causing quite a buzz amongst the internet and at the SHOT Show this past week.  Now hearing that the pistol was called the "Solo" I had to wonder if Kimber was marketing their version of Hans Solo's Blaster:

Or if they had reached back to the 1960's to bring us Napoleon Solo's pistol from "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.":

No, the good folks at Kimber have brought us a micro compact 6 + 1 round 9mm deep concealment pistol.  

It has more than a passing resemblance to one of my favorite designs, the Colt Model 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless:

The best description I can give the pistol is that is is a cross between the Colt Pocket Hammerless, and 1911, and a Kahr 9mm.  The grip frame, mag release, and slide stop is 1911, the slide profile is Colt Pocket Hammerless, and the firing system and barrel are Kahr.

While surfing the web forums this weekend there were a few people who are eagerly awaiting one of these pistols and a remarkable amount of people who are bashing them without having the advantage of even holding one in their hand, no less actually having fired one.  Most of the curmudgeons spouted the same rhetoric that has been passed along so many times before:

• Kimber produces poor quality pistols.  I have owned their basic target model, the CDP Pro, CDP Ultra, Diamond Grade, the RCP, and the new Super Carry.  All top grade in terms of reliability and accuracy.
• Kimber's customer service is poor.  I don't have a whole lot of experience with that since, as I said above, the six Kimber's that I have owned have all been top notch right out of the box.  When I owned the CDP Pro I did email them about tips on moving the rear sight.  A Kimber gunsmith suggested that I send them the slide along with a representative target and let them do it.  He even offered to send a UPS call tag so the shipping would be free.
• Kimber uses small part made by the MIM process (metal injection molding).  Yes, and I clearly remember that the Book of Revelations frequently states that the use of MIM parts is a sign of the pending Apocalypse.  This to me is kind of like people who refuse to buy a Smith & Wesson revolver because they fear that the side frame mounted lock will inadvertently lock on them.  Never seen a documented case of that happening and never seen a documented case of MIM part failures beyond the failure rate of forged parts.  (Now, you want to start a petition to S&W because the side lock is UGLY and useless?  Tell me where to sign!)

Interestingly though I did finally read a review tonight from someone who had actually purchased and fired the pistol.  He had so many jams with the pistol that he took it back and traded it in on a Kahr PM9.  Now, let me dissect this by first asking you to look at two You Tube Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfouKQKDtYo

The video listed above is an interview with a Kimber engineer.  The second one listed below is a review, including video of shots fired by the Kentucky Gun Company.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXn2BumoBxI

The guy stating he had failures used PMC, UMC, and WWB which are all 115 grain full metal jacket rounds.  The interviewer and the Kimber engineer both stated that the Solo should be fired with a minimum of 124 grain premium hollowpoint ammo.  Supposedly this is in the literature that comes with the pistol.  

The guy in the Kentucky Gun Company video used Hornady Critical Defense ammo which is still 115 grains but it is loaded to a higher velocity than regular FMJ 115 grain ammo.  If you go back to the video with the Kimber engineer he mentioned that they had to make the slide as heavy as possible of the slide's abbreviated length.  With a heavy slide they are going to need a higher velocity round to make it cycle properly.  A slide that is too light will cycle before the bullet has left the barrel allowing the pressure and energy to escape out of the ejector port rather than using the pressure and energy to project the bullet at the proper speed.  in 2003 I bought a Springfield Micro Compact 1911 chambered in .40 S&W and it had this problem; the slide cycled too quickly.  The report and recoil were like I was shooting a .22 rather than a .40 because all of the energy was escaping out of the back of the pistol instead of the front.  The bullet also keyholded the target meaning that it was tumbling end over end rather than spiraling which was another indication that there was not enough velocity to stabilize the bullet.  The weight of the slide is critically important in short barreled semi-automatic pistols.  If they just cut a full size slide back to the shorter barrel length it will cycle too quickly.

The guy in the review is having the opposite problem that I had with the Springfield.  I suspect that because he is using ammo that is not powerful enough it does not produce enough energy to cycle the slide causing his jams.  He did not mention seeing the list of ammo that is recommended for the pistol.

Now, on the other had I have not shot one either!  We need to remember a couple of thing:

1. Some pistols (and all Kimbers) need a break-in period.
2. Sometimes new models are released before all the bugs are worked out.  This happened to Ruger when they introduced the SR9 and then had to recall them and it happened the very next year with the introduction of the LCP.
3. On any given day a specimen will slip through quality control that shouldn't make it to the public.  Makes not difference if it is a pistol, luxury automobile, or toaster.  SIG makes high quality pistols but I have two of mine had to go back to the factory after I purchased them.  On round 35 of shooting my brand new Para Ordnance PDA their massive (forged) power extractor broke off.  It happens.  It is extremely disappointing but you send it back and keep going.

The fact that the Solo should only be fed premium ammunition is a drawback in my opinion.  It is meant to be a deep concealment pistol but we should practice with our carry pieces as much as we can.  That will be difficult for most of us to do if we are shooting ammo that costs a buck a round.  Extreme ammo sensitivity is not a new thing however; for many years the ultra micro small Seacamp .32 ACP would only fire with Winchester Silvertip ammunition.

Rest assured that Average Joe will get his hands on one of these pistols as soon as possible and get the straight dope to you right away!

In the meantime I have copied some photos from the Kimber1911.com website to give you more perspective on the size of the Solo:

Just Hit 1 Million

At 11:15 PM Central Time Average Joe's Handgun Reviews received it's one millionth hit since May 31, 2008 when I first put the hit counter up!  Thanks to everyone for reading.

Glock Model 39 .45 GAP

As I was trying to decide what to write about first in the new year I thought "why not write about what I'm carrying right now?"  Ah, a small Glock in the maligned .45 GAP caliber.  I'm sure that everyone knows the story that the .45 GAP was born from Glock's realization that Americans love the .45 Caliber but their .45 ACP pistols were built on their 10mm frame causing their .45's to be larger than they needed to be.  Many people with medium sized hands and most everyone with small hands found the large Glock pistols in .45 ACP to have a grip circumference that was not conducive to their shooting grip.  Hence the .45 GAP round was developed to be shorter allowing Glock to trim that grip circumference down to a more universally user-friendly size.  The more compact grip gave police departments who wanted a .45 caliber weapon the ability to provide their officers a pistol in  the familiar Glock platform with a size that could accommodate everyone.  The .45 GAP is certainly not as popular with police departments as their .40 S&W and 9mm calibers but it is in use by the State Police in Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina as well as a small number of municipalities and State Park Police Officers.

One of the obvious questions at this point might be why not go with a Model 27 in .40 S&W or the Model 36 (which any regular reader knows I love).  I'll answer that question after we compare the specifications between the 39, 27, and 36.

Mode 39, 27, and 36 Specification Comparison

Model	Caliber	Height	Length	Barrel Length	Width	Weight	Capacity	Sights
39	.45 GAP	4.17”	6.3”	3.46”	1.18”	19.33 oz	6 + 1	Fixed
27	.40 S&W	4.17”	6.29”	3.46”	1.18”	19.75 oz	9 + 1	Fixed
36	.45 ACP	4.76"	6.77”	3.78”	1.13”	20.11	6 + 1	Fixed

So, why would I choose the model 39 over the model 36 in .45 ACP?  Well, the 39 is a little shorter in length and height making it easier to conceal.  It's girth is a little wider than the model 36 making it fit my hand and spreading the recoil just a little bit better.  Now, as for the model 27; it does give you three extra rounds of .40 S&W but....it's a .40, not a .45.  That may mean little in terms of ballistic numbers but it means a lot to me!  Also, for all of the baby Glock models I buy one "must have" accessory which is a Pearce grip extender to make the pistol easier to hold.  With the addition of the Pearce + 1 grip extender.  I now have 7 + 1 rounds of ammo at my disposal which does not make me feel under-gunned (especially when I carry a spare magazine).  The Pearce + 1 grip extender adds very little to the overall height of the pistol so it is still superbly easy to carry.

The Pearce + 1 grip extender in place on a Glock 39 resting in it's Remora IWB holster with a spare magazine in a Remora magazine IWB pouch.

Model 39 Performance At-A-Glance

Handling	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Fit & Finish	Terrible	Rough	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Sights	None	Too Small	Useable	Good	Excellent
Trigger	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent
Power Scale	.22LR	.380 ACP	9mm	.40 S&W	.45 GAP
Carry/Concealment	Too Large	Compact	Ultra Compact	Micro Compact	Pocket Pistol
Reliability	Unreliable	Somewhat Reliable	Fair	OK	Completely Reliable
Accuracy	Poor	Fair	Acceptable	Combat +	Bullseye

Let’s examine the individual characteristics of the G39:

Handling	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

This is a Glock so there is little surprise in the handling of the pistol, it handles like....a Glock.  There are no safeties or decockers to have to manipulate.  Another after market accessory that I find preferable on my Glocks is an extended slide release.  Fortunately the Model 39 came with one standard so I did not need to add one.

Fit & Finish	Terrible	Rough	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

Again, it's a Glock so it is finished like a Glock.  The Glock bluing is no worse than anyone else's and it is far superior to more than a few but the real Glock genius is the Tenifer treatment.  I have seen Glocks with the bluing worn off but I have never seen one with rust or pitting on it.

Sights	None	Too Small	Useable	Good	Excellent

The sights on Glocks are actually pretty darn good but my other "must have" accessory for a Glock pistol are night sights and this one is certainly no exception.

Trigger	Terrible	Poor	Acceptable	Good	Excellent

The trigger pull on Glock pistols is one of the most complained about features.  When I first started shooting them I felt the same way.  I had primarily been a single action 1911 type of guy and the Glock just felt weird.  But as my horizons widened and I began shooting more double action pistols my view changed.  The 5.5 pound trigger pull is just about perfect for a carry pistol and once I figured out how to work the fast reset of the Glock trigger I can produce bursts of two and three rounds that aren't full auto fast but fast enough to be controllable at conversation distances.

Power Scale	.22LR	.380 ACP	9mm	.40 S&W	.45 ACP/GAP

It's a .45, need I say more?  Yes there are some ballistic differences between the .45 GAP and the .45 ACP but they are hardly worth the discussion.

Carry/Concealment	Too Large	Compact	Ultra Compact	Micro Compact	Pocket Pistol

The G39 is built on what is commonly called the "Baby Glock" frame.  I find it a little too large and heavy for pocket carry but I know there are those who have found the right pair of trousers to accommodate pocket carry.  With my Remora holster she sits very easily in my waist band and I hardly know she is there.

Reliability	Unreliable	Somewhat Reliable	Fair	OK	Completely Reliable

Again, there is very little to discuss here.  She has eaten 230 Grain hardball, 185 grain hollowpoints, and 200 grain hollowpoints.  The basic drawback to the .45 GAP is ammo accessibility as not every gun shop or hunting department is going to carry it.  I am fortunate in that the gun shop/range that I frequent has a fairly large stock of Speer 185 and 200 grain hollowpoint ammo.

Accuracy	Poor	Fair	Acceptable	Combat +	Bullseye

I have it listed here as "Combat +" simply because, while not a bullseye competition pistol, she does shoot far better than what most would consider average combat accuracy.  For further discussion let's look at the targets:

Here's the first shot out of the box at 21 feet:

Here's three targets at 21 feet

50 Feet

Defensive Ammo:

185 grain Speer Gold Dot Hollowpoint ammo fired at 21 feet

Speer Gold Dot Hollowpoint 200 grain Ammo fired at 21 feet

Speer 200 grain Gold Dot Hollowpoint ammo fired at 45 feet

So, in summation while the biggest drawback to the Model 39 is ammo accessibility and cost (and it is available via internet sales) she is easy to carry, powerful, more accurate than she needs to be, and completely reliable.  Having one of these blasters at the ready makes me very comfortable in just about any surroundings.