Finally got rid of my kimber solo.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on February 9, 2012 at 1:27pm

Just curious, what types of ammo did you try to run?  Also, they say not to shoot 115 grain bullets - do you know of any reason for this?

One more thing, I heard that the finish was rubbing off - did you see that?

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Permalink Reply by Ed on February 9, 2012 at 4:44pm

The October 2011 edition of the NRA magazine "American Rifleman" has an article by Field Editor Wiley Clapp that mostly praises the Kimber Solo, but does cite the need to "tap-roll-rack" when a primer does not ignite because of the striker mechanism, "long, sweeping trigger pull", long trigger reset, and "very sharp" recoil. Commenting on Kimber's requirement to change the recoil springs after 1,000 rounds, Clapp states that "when dimensions, angles and cam surfaces are minimized to the point of short margins, malfunctions result." Based on the comments here and on several other comment boards, it would appear that Clapp received a thoroughly factory tested weapon to review. He notes that "although the pistol I examined worked well, earlier samples were troublesome." Perhaps later ones, also.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on February 9, 2012 at 5:09pm

Ed - what Clapp said about the short angles and cam surfaces is so true - especially when you take a traditional design and compress it to its limits.  For example, the slide stroke.  On a really small pistol, such as the Solo, if the stroke is short, and the slide spring is stiff (as it has to be for locking delay with the light components), there is very little time for the cartridge to pop up under the extractor before the slide starts its return trip.  Making the slide spring very strong will help this.  I have measured the time it takes for a cartridge inside the magazine to lift into position with a high-speed camera.  With the XR9-S, it is about 3 milliseconds.  I'm guessing that with other guns, with their much stronger mag springs, it is between 1 and 3 milliseconds.    Having the slide bounce off the back stop has to take more time than that or things won't work.  In the XR9-S, the time window for the magazine (total trip time of the slide) is about 28 milliseconds.  So basically, we have greatly elongated the feeding cycle to the level approximately to that of long-stroking semi-auto rifles.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Lundholm lu on February 9, 2012 at 5:19pm

I've hesitated to do this but since Arne asks about the Solo I will pass on my extensive attempt to make my March 2011 purchase of Solo serial # 14XX work. Arne you ask why 115 grain bullets aren't recommended, I think they just don't build pressure fast enough to cycle the slide against a very stiff recoil spring therefore you get frequent failure to eject and feed. My experience was about one out of five 115 grain bullets (all I could load in the mag) would fail to fully eject the spent round. About one out of ten 124 grain bullets would also fail to fully eject and feed a new round. I found 147 grain bullets to work all the time. The finish in the area of the recoil spring hood, slide track and takedown lever all were well on their way to being gone by November when I gave up making the Solo reliable and traded it straight across to a FFL for a Kahr PM9 black with night sights. The FFL made money selling my former Solo on Gunbroker.com and I got a GREAT, reliable out of the box concealed carry pistol that eats any ammo I put in it 100% of the time, well built with a smooth trigger. Granted I had an early edition Solo, but oh what a pain in the ass it was!

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Permalink Reply by Jose A. Montalvo on February 9, 2012 at 5:21pm

I got the distinct impression that the Solo is the product of "hack-weld-and-pray" design. Seems to me that the Kahr PM9 and the PM380 are the smallest that they can go on the 'ol "tilt and drop" Anything more svelte or petite, is operating on too little of a safety margin or "leeway" not to batter itself to death. I liken the solo design to a 400 horsepower 4 cylinder engine: good enough for one race, then it blows up. The Boberg is like a 250 horsepower V-8: something that will run fast without hurting itself.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on February 9, 2012 at 7:30pm

...there is no replacement for displacement.

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Permalink Reply by BretShooter on February 10, 2012 at 9:38am

Another benefit of your design is that you are not trying to fit a stouter spring into a lesser area, like all of the conventional barrel over spring designs.  The locking mechanism and the magazine all limit how far back the spring can be, and at some point, there just isn't enough room for a sufficient spring.  I would imagine that if your spring were in the conventional position, even your lesser spring needs would have come up short on room on the XR9S.

Arne Boberg said:

Ed - what Clapp said about the short angles and cam surfaces is so true - especially when you take a traditional design and compress it to its limits.  For example, the slide stroke.  On a really small pistol, such as the Solo, if the stroke is short, and the slide spring is stiff (as it has to be for locking delay with the light components), there is very little time for the cartridge to pop up under the extractor before the slide starts its return trip.  Making the slide spring very strong will help this.  I have measured the time it takes for a cartridge inside the magazine to lift into position with a high-speed camera.  With the XR9-S, it is about 3 milliseconds.  I'm guessing that with other guns, with their much stronger mag springs, it is between 1 and 3 milliseconds.    Having the slide bounce off the back stop has to take more time than that or things won't work.  In the XR9-S, the time window for the magazine (total trip time of the slide) is about 28 milliseconds.  So basically, we have greatly elongated the feeding cycle to the level approximately to that of long-stroking semi-auto rifles.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on February 10, 2012 at 9:44am

Actually, zero room for the spring under the barrel in the XR9-S

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Permalink Reply by Mark eberbach on February 12, 2012 at 3:14pm

Off topic, but how were you notified? I have paid, but not told of shipping day. Maybe I'm one that just missed on this round of production.

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Permalink Reply by Arne Boberg on February 12, 2012 at 5:54pm

Mark - your guns are at the tail end of this current batch.  They will be finished when we get our hammers in.

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Permalink Reply by Ed on March 8, 2012 at 3:48pm

Yesterday, while visiting a semi-local sporting goods store with a good gun section and a small range, I saw a two-tone Kimber Solo under the counter glass. The pistol they had was marked $735 and was not for sale, as it was for demo only. They were taking orders. I asked for the demo, and mentioned that I heard that the pistol had problems. I was impressed with the sight acquisition, trigger, ambidextrous manual safety, form, fit and finish, but was told to wait still another year for Kimber to resolve their issues.

It is good when you have a vendor that tells you that he wants your money, but just not now, as he wants you to be happy with your purchase.

BTW, since the Kimber Solo is 3.9" high, 5.5" long (2.7" barrel length), 1.2" width, 17.2 oz. empty weight with 6+1 capacity, I was impressed that the XR9-S at 4.2" high, 5.1" long (3.35" barrel length), 0.96" width,  and 17.5 oz. empty weight had a 7+1 capacity. That small difference in height gives you the capability to carry that extra round, while the XR9-S is almost a quarter inch thinner, which I like.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Cohee on April 10, 2012 at 8:02am

I have had a Kimber Solo now for 6 months and it is what I carry every day.  It has been 100% reliable with about 400 rounds so far of 7 different brands of self defense ammo.  It shoots 115 gr bullets as well as 124 and 147 gr.  I only know one other person who has one and his has been perfect also. My PM9 and Rohrbaugh have sat in the safe since I purchased the Solo.

 

I now have a Boberg and have shot it just once.  Once I got used to the trigger, I shot it very accurately.  A few more trips to the range and some chrongraphing and I might put the Solo away who knows.  But my Solo is avery good gun.

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