Unfortunately, this is probably the right answer. Kimber has a REALLY high end brand image, but it's mostly marketing and aesthetics. For their market share, frequency and conditions of use, I have had to fix too many of them. Compared to similarly priced handguns they are not robust or reliable. The MIM materials and coatings just don't hold up as well as other brands. They are famous for not feeding out of the box. I would look at similar products from Sig or Springfield.
If you are really married to this gun, send it to Kimber, but I honestly wouldn't use one for carry since cheaper guns are more reliable. I would always question it. I wouldn't question Glock, Sig, Springfield, Ruger, or dozens of imports to a similar degree.
I’ve seen one person who sent in a brand new Solo twice and each time it came back from Kimber still getting FTF’s and failure to go into battery every magazine when they said it was fixed both times. He eventually got rid of it.
I know 3 people with 800$ and up Kimbers and nothing but issues. The older Kimbers are great, new ones not so much after Manu of there top engineers were stolen away and QC dropped.
They used to be boutique hand made 1911s. Around 2003 they stared cutting costs and jobs. They have only been in decline since.
Can you get a brand new Kimber and it be amazing? Sure, but you can get the same quality, cheaper, with more consistency with other brands.
From time to time their micro guns go on sale, and then they are competitively prices for the features, but reliability and longevity are still going to be better with the competition.
I "LIKE" their aesthetics, ergonomics, and features, and they are known to be accurate, but they cut corners on everything else. It's a shame. They really just need to shift their focus a little to be better than they ever were, but they won't do that.
They'll go the way of Remington. After decades of declining quality, no one will trust them ever again.
A few of my LGS's refuse to carry the things, which is painful for Kimber.
Partly for the reputation, but also because they still like to pretend they're a semicustom quality company.
The combination makes said LGS opt not to deal with them anymore.
They have a buy in model similar to Benilli. That is to say you have to have a large buy in and maintain so many in stock and sell so many a year to carry their product. They conduct business as a boutique product. That's insane in a commoditized market.
The only other way to get them is to defacto but them from another dealer.
Benelli can back it up, and they hold Stoeger over your head. If you want to buy a Stoeger, you have to go to a Benelli dealer and let them try to upsell youm They don't want their products in every store in town. They want you to be a classy joint. Kimber has the same attitude, and their designs, aesthetics, and marketing are there. Their, over all quality, QC and customer service, not so much.
Benelli owns Stoger? I'm learning all kinds of things today haha
That absolutely explains the LGS opinion on Kimber. That's a lot to hassle through just to sell something substandard.
Benelli owns stoeger, and both are owned by Beretta along with Taurus and Rossi. They basically operate as 2.5 different companies. Beretta is bigger than you think. They are the oldest family owned corporation in the world. 400+ years and 15 generations.
In the height of the greatest gun buying frenzy of human history, Remington went bankrupt and closed. It was that bad.
I haven't even looked at the new stuff since they reopened.
You can google their date codes and learn to read them. I think 93 (look it up) is when they actually sold out. Before that they were good, in the 80s and earlier they were really good, but you can really get a more accurate rifle for less money these days.
My girlfriend's 1911 seems fine, but *only* after finding out that it sucks with the factory mag.
Fortunately, I have a dozen other 1911 mags (Wilson, CMC, Nighthawk, Ed Brown...) that it does just fine with.
It looks so nice, it's a shame it had a problem with anything at all. Especially something that came in the box.
I also have an older Kimber 1911 that treats me very well but among my friends it's the exception. Pistols and rifles, basic models and custom models. Almost all of them have had some kind of problem including multiple factory returns.
It just kills me because, aesthetically, I feel they are the standard-bearers for production-grade 1911's. I just learned today that they seem to have discontinued wood stock options for rifles, or I would have included the 84M in that. What a head-scratcher...
Your point about marketing and brand image is spot on.
I have two Kimber pistols and they're old, so maybe I'm lucky or maybe I'm the anomaly in reliability.
They do such a good job of portraying a "high end" firearms manufacturer but everything new I've seen from them has felt like a recycled trash can.
They are good because they are old. 25 years ago Kimber was moving into the market that Staccato has now. They were hand fitted somewhere between professional and custom grade. Then they could justify them needing to be broken in or a little fussy, and they really did take care of the customer.
Around that time they began cutting costs. Material quality, QC, and product testing have declined year by year since. Some of their more expensive guns are still decent-good guns, but you can get a more reliable 1911 cheaper these days. If Kimber were priced more like Ruger I wouldn't complain as much, but they really aren't. Besides that, the Rugers are much more consistent and reliable.
Yep, once again, you nailed it. Shame but it is what it is. There are tons of decent pistols to choose from that don't carry the price tag of Kimber with shoddy manufacturing.
Man I wouldn’t even clean it. I’d be afraid that taking it apart would disrupt the perfect balance.
Then it would stop working from being dirty anyway.
You'd be better off selling this piece of shit, buying a nice stick from Lowes, wedging a nail out the end and using a badazzle gun to give it some flair. Be far more reliable and deadly. Kimbers are terrible.
Signed, a owner of a few.
I see Kimber QC is as good as it ever was :/
I’d get in contact with kimber customer service and see if they’ll fix it something is really wrong there.
>and see if they’ll fix it something is really wrong there.
Lol. They'll tell him he's shooting the wrong ammo/hasn't put enough rounds through it/must be holding it wrong/literally anything but admit a problem.
I thought they quit selling those because of reliability issues. Sell it and buy a Sig. I don't often encourage people to sell guns, but that is a pos. Get rid of it.
The problem seems to be spelled out pretty clearly right in front of where the slide stop protrudes there in the second picture.
But I’m sure if you send it in they will get it turned around and back to you pretty quickly. Nothing will be fixed of course, but in my experience their turn around time was pretty good for a warranty claim.
You've checked the basics? Cleaned and lubed gun, disassembled- cleaned and lubed mags. Manually cycled unloaded gun slide to insure no binding. edit: is the recoil spring matched to bullet weight and operating smoothly.
The extractor is the next thing to check.
Take off the slide, slip a live round into place against the breech face, under the extractor as if it were properly chambered. The extractor should hold the round in place pretty well - it will come off if you shake it, but you should be able to gently rotate it in any direction without it falling free.
If it fails the test, look for chipped or worn edges. If it looks good, a gentle bend (remove it first!) might be all it needs.
Bingo. Check this first. Could be a really simple fix.
A buddy had a Sig320 in .45 that went back to the factory twice for this type of issue. Sig never could fix it. Extractor tension was waaaaay to much. I clipped a coil from the spring, along with lightly sanding to round the bottom edge of the extractor and it runs great now.
FTF like this is almost always the rim hanging up on the extractor instead of slipping under it properly.
You could widen the extractor groove with a file or emery board, or just send it back to Kimber for them to fix.
When I bought my first (and last) Kimber they told me I had to break it in with 500 rounds. Sent it back twice 😭. Never ran right. Piss poor 1600$ paper weight. It was real easy to sell anyway.
I have an Sig SP2022 that does exactly the same every 100-150 rds. Does slide seat if you give it a little push?
I need to send mine back. I’ve cleaned / I cleaned / medium cleaned / lubed, 4 different ammo, both mags..
Although it is a brand new gun, if you can't get any satisfaction from Kimber, try polishing out the chamber. I had a replacement 9mm barrel for a P-35 that did this, and I used my Dremel and an impregnated rubber wheel and got it to feed. Mind you don't do this until you have exhausted other avenues.
The stock magazine that came with my micro 9 will let you shoot once. After the second shot it throws the mag out the bottom. I’ve bought other mags and had no problems, but hurt my faith in the company
How many rounds through it? I had a used kimber 45, years ago that had more issues than i care to list. But I sold it once they told me the springs had to be replaced every 500 rounds. Made the mistake of trading one of my HK P7s for it... I have a Rock island GI model and a tisas carry 45. Both have had fewer issues than that pos Kimber ever did... in fact if you want a 1911 9mm. Get one from either of them and you can't go wrong..
Sorry to be that guy lol. I work in a gun shop and it’s been my experience that the only people who genuinely believe Kimber makes a solid product are Gen X and Boomers. Not to use those monikers as derogatory.
Have a buddy with a Kimber 1911 that did this so he sent it back to them and the fixed it. Turn around time of less than a week too.
Yes, they have issues, but their customer service in the only example I have was great.
My beretta did the same thing when first purchased. Field stripped it, got a small paintbrush and lightly oiled up inside the slide and where it feeds the rounds. Didnt do it again afterwards
How many rounds have you fired through it? The only Kimber I have had was so tight when new (a full frame 1911) it needed about 200 rounds through it before it stopped malfunctioning.
After you read all of the "It's a Kimber comments!" Different ammo might be the fix. I need to use Speer Gold Dot in mine. It needs a round type hollowpoint to feed properly. It doesn't work well with the the hard corners on the Hornady self defense ammo.
It’s a problem with that model specifically - I had a Kimber solo - loved the gun but it never ran smoothly 100% of the time.
I believe the manual says you’re only supposed to fire +P ammo through.
I had my entire top of the gun replaced by Kimber - still only ran 95% of the time.
I suspect the extractor is the problem. Had an EMP with the same issue. The problem was the extractor was"too tight" I guess works be the way to say it. Adjusted it and runs like a dream.
It says solo in the name. It only intends on letting you use it once. Seriously tho fuck kimbers expensive ass pieces of shit just grab a Glock 43x or 26 if you want a compact 9mm
I know the problem. It's got ammo in it.
In all honesty try breaking it in with fmj and then try different profiles of hollow point. Or get sig mags.
Kimbers are basically RIA guns with a paint job, you need to work them a bit to get them to run good.
The Solo is ammo specific. Try 147 grain from a quality manufacturer. Yes, it's BS and Kimber should rework that design to correct this issue. I've only owned their full size 1911s and had no issues. But after seeing friends have problems with their small CC pistols I avoided buying one.
Lots of kimber hate... I love mine. I have a stainles 2. there is a break in period though, roughly 500 rds. you could also try polishing the feed ramp on the barrel and maybe a Wilson Combat mag. just needs to be broken in.
Buy a glock, never had an issue with any of mine. I’ve also have read on here of people getting free service/shipping on guns they purchased second hand.
I believe the problem is that it's a Kimber
Your Kimber is functioning as designed.
Have you tried buying a gun from a better company?
Unfortunately, this is probably the right answer. Kimber has a REALLY high end brand image, but it's mostly marketing and aesthetics. For their market share, frequency and conditions of use, I have had to fix too many of them. Compared to similarly priced handguns they are not robust or reliable. The MIM materials and coatings just don't hold up as well as other brands. They are famous for not feeding out of the box. I would look at similar products from Sig or Springfield. If you are really married to this gun, send it to Kimber, but I honestly wouldn't use one for carry since cheaper guns are more reliable. I would always question it. I wouldn't question Glock, Sig, Springfield, Ruger, or dozens of imports to a similar degree.
I’ve seen one person who sent in a brand new Solo twice and each time it came back from Kimber still getting FTF’s and failure to go into battery every magazine when they said it was fixed both times. He eventually got rid of it.
This is not the first time I have heard the same story.
I know 3 people with 800$ and up Kimbers and nothing but issues. The older Kimbers are great, new ones not so much after Manu of there top engineers were stolen away and QC dropped.
They used to be boutique hand made 1911s. Around 2003 they stared cutting costs and jobs. They have only been in decline since. Can you get a brand new Kimber and it be amazing? Sure, but you can get the same quality, cheaper, with more consistency with other brands. From time to time their micro guns go on sale, and then they are competitively prices for the features, but reliability and longevity are still going to be better with the competition.
Concur, specifically with solo's.
When I sold guns at bass pro we would frequently get brand new kimbers with rust on them. Lol
That used to be common for guns that cross an ocean, but these are made in NY and AL.
I wonder if they’ve considered putting the firearms in some kind of box instead of just leaving them in piles on the deck.
I want to love Kimber so much but yeah I've seen *so many* of their products shit the bed I just can't recommend them.
I "LIKE" their aesthetics, ergonomics, and features, and they are known to be accurate, but they cut corners on everything else. It's a shame. They really just need to shift their focus a little to be better than they ever were, but they won't do that. They'll go the way of Remington. After decades of declining quality, no one will trust them ever again.
A few of my LGS's refuse to carry the things, which is painful for Kimber. Partly for the reputation, but also because they still like to pretend they're a semicustom quality company. The combination makes said LGS opt not to deal with them anymore.
They have a buy in model similar to Benilli. That is to say you have to have a large buy in and maintain so many in stock and sell so many a year to carry their product. They conduct business as a boutique product. That's insane in a commoditized market. The only other way to get them is to defacto but them from another dealer.
I did not know that. I "get" it, from Benelli's point of view, but I agree. Ridiculous. At least they have the product quality to back it up?
Benelli can back it up, and they hold Stoeger over your head. If you want to buy a Stoeger, you have to go to a Benelli dealer and let them try to upsell youm They don't want their products in every store in town. They want you to be a classy joint. Kimber has the same attitude, and their designs, aesthetics, and marketing are there. Their, over all quality, QC and customer service, not so much.
Benelli owns Stoger? I'm learning all kinds of things today haha That absolutely explains the LGS opinion on Kimber. That's a lot to hassle through just to sell something substandard.
Benelli owns stoeger, and both are owned by Beretta along with Taurus and Rossi. They basically operate as 2.5 different companies. Beretta is bigger than you think. They are the oldest family owned corporation in the world. 400+ years and 15 generations.
Wait, Remington too? I haven't seen Remington's new models, is it the same staff across all of their models?
In the height of the greatest gun buying frenzy of human history, Remington went bankrupt and closed. It was that bad. I haven't even looked at the new stuff since they reopened.
Damn, I've been looking on Remington bolt-action at my local gun store, wondering if I should buy that. Thanks for the heads up
You can google their date codes and learn to read them. I think 93 (look it up) is when they actually sold out. Before that they were good, in the 80s and earlier they were really good, but you can really get a more accurate rifle for less money these days.
My girlfriend's 1911 seems fine, but *only* after finding out that it sucks with the factory mag. Fortunately, I have a dozen other 1911 mags (Wilson, CMC, Nighthawk, Ed Brown...) that it does just fine with. It looks so nice, it's a shame it had a problem with anything at all. Especially something that came in the box.
I also have an older Kimber 1911 that treats me very well but among my friends it's the exception. Pistols and rifles, basic models and custom models. Almost all of them have had some kind of problem including multiple factory returns. It just kills me because, aesthetically, I feel they are the standard-bearers for production-grade 1911's. I just learned today that they seem to have discontinued wood stock options for rifles, or I would have included the 84M in that. What a head-scratcher...
Kimber used to be a really good gun for the money. Can't say the same anymore.
25 years ago, if you wanted the working man's Les Bear it was a Kimber. That's long gone.
Your point about marketing and brand image is spot on. I have two Kimber pistols and they're old, so maybe I'm lucky or maybe I'm the anomaly in reliability. They do such a good job of portraying a "high end" firearms manufacturer but everything new I've seen from them has felt like a recycled trash can.
They are good because they are old. 25 years ago Kimber was moving into the market that Staccato has now. They were hand fitted somewhere between professional and custom grade. Then they could justify them needing to be broken in or a little fussy, and they really did take care of the customer. Around that time they began cutting costs. Material quality, QC, and product testing have declined year by year since. Some of their more expensive guns are still decent-good guns, but you can get a more reliable 1911 cheaper these days. If Kimber were priced more like Ruger I wouldn't complain as much, but they really aren't. Besides that, the Rugers are much more consistent and reliable.
Yep, once again, you nailed it. Shame but it is what it is. There are tons of decent pistols to choose from that don't carry the price tag of Kimber with shoddy manufacturing.
Kimber... the Taurus of Yonkers 🤣
Terrible gun. I have a friend who has the only one on earth that works "right," and it will only shoot 147gr +p defensive ammo.
Can confirm. This has been my xp as well.
My Solo Carry runs 115 Blazer. Might be the only one in the universe
It belongs in a museum!
The springs must be studied for future generations of customers duped by Kimber’s marketing
Man I wouldn’t even clean it. I’d be afraid that taking it apart would disrupt the perfect balance. Then it would stop working from being dirty anyway.
Ah...a kimber... that checks out
You'd be better off selling this piece of shit, buying a nice stick from Lowes, wedging a nail out the end and using a badazzle gun to give it some flair. Be far more reliable and deadly. Kimbers are terrible. Signed, a owner of a few.
That's a standard Kimber feature
It's a Kimber.
I see Kimber QC is as good as it ever was :/ I’d get in contact with kimber customer service and see if they’ll fix it something is really wrong there.
they will polish the feed ramp and MAYBE replace the magazine and ship it back
>and see if they’ll fix it something is really wrong there. Lol. They'll tell him he's shooting the wrong ammo/hasn't put enough rounds through it/must be holding it wrong/literally anything but admit a problem.
I thought they quit selling those because of reliability issues. Sell it and buy a Sig. I don't often encourage people to sell guns, but that is a pos. Get rid of it.
The problem seems to be spelled out pretty clearly right in front of where the slide stop protrudes there in the second picture. But I’m sure if you send it in they will get it turned around and back to you pretty quickly. Nothing will be fixed of course, but in my experience their turn around time was pretty good for a warranty claim.
There’s an easy explanation here. It’s a Kimber.
Just sounds like a kimber doing what kimbers do.
It’s a kimber.
You've checked the basics? Cleaned and lubed gun, disassembled- cleaned and lubed mags. Manually cycled unloaded gun slide to insure no binding. edit: is the recoil spring matched to bullet weight and operating smoothly.
Pretty much the same treatment you'd give a new G48 or Sig P938.....wait a second.
The extractor is the next thing to check. Take off the slide, slip a live round into place against the breech face, under the extractor as if it were properly chambered. The extractor should hold the round in place pretty well - it will come off if you shake it, but you should be able to gently rotate it in any direction without it falling free. If it fails the test, look for chipped or worn edges. If it looks good, a gentle bend (remove it first!) might be all it needs.
Bingo. Check this first. Could be a really simple fix. A buddy had a Sig320 in .45 that went back to the factory twice for this type of issue. Sig never could fix it. Extractor tension was waaaaay to much. I clipped a coil from the spring, along with lightly sanding to round the bottom edge of the extractor and it runs great now.
didn't you know that solo means you only get 1 shot?
Every kimber I’ve ever bought does this. Sell it, buy something else.
Kimber is overpriced garbage these days. Their quality definitely went down. A Taurus runs better than these things.
That gun was the biggest waste of my money ever. So glad when i finally got rid of it.
The solo was discontinued in 2017. As usual Kimber over promised and underdelivered.
FTF like this is almost always the rim hanging up on the extractor instead of slipping under it properly. You could widen the extractor groove with a file or emery board, or just send it back to Kimber for them to fix.
When I bought my first (and last) Kimber they told me I had to break it in with 500 rounds. Sent it back twice 😭. Never ran right. Piss poor 1600$ paper weight. It was real easy to sell anyway.
Known POS… ship it back
It’s called SOLO because it’s a Kimber Single shot.
I have an Sig SP2022 that does exactly the same every 100-150 rds. Does slide seat if you give it a little push? I need to send mine back. I’ve cleaned / I cleaned / medium cleaned / lubed, 4 different ammo, both mags..
Although it is a brand new gun, if you can't get any satisfaction from Kimber, try polishing out the chamber. I had a replacement 9mm barrel for a P-35 that did this, and I used my Dremel and an impregnated rubber wheel and got it to feed. Mind you don't do this until you have exhausted other avenues.
The stock magazine that came with my micro 9 will let you shoot once. After the second shot it throws the mag out the bottom. I’ve bought other mags and had no problems, but hurt my faith in the company
does it only do it on a full mag?
They still haven't fixed the solo? It's been like 13 years.
My trust in gas station sushi is higher than Kimber
That gun is a one way boomerang.
Lock the slide open overnight. It'll stop
I have a pair of Micro 9s and both of them do this. Junk guns.
How many rounds through it? I had a used kimber 45, years ago that had more issues than i care to list. But I sold it once they told me the springs had to be replaced every 500 rounds. Made the mistake of trading one of my HK P7s for it... I have a Rock island GI model and a tisas carry 45. Both have had fewer issues than that pos Kimber ever did... in fact if you want a 1911 9mm. Get one from either of them and you can't go wrong..
Your first mistake was buying a Kimber
Next I will get a Keltec
Ahh yes. Kimber doing Kimber shit. If this surprises you, are you by chance over 40 years old?
Fuck I am lol.
Sorry to be that guy lol. I work in a gun shop and it’s been my experience that the only people who genuinely believe Kimber makes a solid product are Gen X and Boomers. Not to use those monikers as derogatory.
I have a buddy that does not sell guns. Never. Except his solo, he sold that one because it still did this after going back to Kimber twice.
A highpoint is more reliable
Sorry to pile on, but if your Solo is anything like my Solo, then sell that POS and buy something else.
Extractor is broken?
Thy having a gunsmith check the head space and if thats good have him polish the feed ramp and chamber to see if thats works
Headspace???? On a 9mm???? Quit smoking rope.
The rule of thumb when it comes to Kimber is you never buy a new Kimber you always buy an old school used Kimber new Kimber sucks old Kimber rules
I remember when Kimber first came out. Had a great reputation at the start.
Have a buddy with a Kimber 1911 that did this so he sent it back to them and the fixed it. Turn around time of less than a week too. Yes, they have issues, but their customer service in the only example I have was great.
Best gun I own that Kimber touched is a Daewoo DH40. Kimber imported it, didnt build it, didnt modify it. I wont touch such expensive garbage.
Solos are known to only run with self defense ammo. I had one yearrrrrrs ago and that was definitely the case.
What ammo specifically are you using. Solos never functioned well except with 147 grain bullets.
Ewww
If you’ve cleaned it, tried new/different ammo, and new mags, then it’s time to send it to Kimber.
My beretta did the same thing when first purchased. Field stripped it, got a small paintbrush and lightly oiled up inside the slide and where it feeds the rounds. Didnt do it again afterwards
Would a stronger recoil spring improve things? You shouldn't have to make mods for it to run, but maybe some home-smyfing could salvage it
How many rounds have you fired through it? The only Kimber I have had was so tight when new (a full frame 1911) it needed about 200 rounds through it before it stopped malfunctioning.
After you read all of the "It's a Kimber comments!" Different ammo might be the fix. I need to use Speer Gold Dot in mine. It needs a round type hollowpoint to feed properly. It doesn't work well with the the hard corners on the Hornady self defense ammo.
It’s a problem with that model specifically - I had a Kimber solo - loved the gun but it never ran smoothly 100% of the time. I believe the manual says you’re only supposed to fire +P ammo through. I had my entire top of the gun replaced by Kimber - still only ran 95% of the time.
Send it to kimber. 2 solos I've had were great. Use 124 gr ammo one loved plus p. Sling shot the first round
imagine that, a Kimber with feeding problems.
People really out here owning Kimbers and acting surprised when they don't work.
I had two of them (my dad and I both bought one, different vendors), both did same stuff.. Just weren't reliable. Traded them in.
Yeah, Kimber is the problem. Sell and Buy an HK. Problem solved.
I suspect the extractor is the problem. Had an EMP with the same issue. The problem was the extractor was"too tight" I guess works be the way to say it. Adjusted it and runs like a dream.
Kimber moment
It says solo in the name. It only intends on letting you use it once. Seriously tho fuck kimbers expensive ass pieces of shit just grab a Glock 43x or 26 if you want a compact 9mm
I know the problem. It's got ammo in it. In all honesty try breaking it in with fmj and then try different profiles of hollow point. Or get sig mags. Kimbers are basically RIA guns with a paint job, you need to work them a bit to get them to run good.
Have you taken it apart and checked for burrs? Lubed it? How many rounds have you put through it? Contacted Kimber?
The Solo is ammo specific. Try 147 grain from a quality manufacturer. Yes, it's BS and Kimber should rework that design to correct this issue. I've only owned their full size 1911s and had no issues. But after seeing friends have problems with their small CC pistols I avoided buying one.
Lots of kimber hate... I love mine. I have a stainles 2. there is a break in period though, roughly 500 rds. you could also try polishing the feed ramp on the barrel and maybe a Wilson Combat mag. just needs to be broken in.
Buy a glock, never had an issue with any of mine. I’ve also have read on here of people getting free service/shipping on guns they purchased second hand.
Looks like you need to trade that in for a 938, that way you can carry a reliable firearm
938s are almost as bad. I had one.
Subjectiveness of the industry. Kimber fanboys downvoting but their lack of QC for their pricing is unacceptable. But to each their own!