I am a pro-choice kind of guy. The guns that we choose should suit our
individual tastes; nobody should have to tote a piece that is just “good
enough.” Even if I think your gun is an ugly chunk, it is not my business to
tell you what to buy for hunting, recreation, or protection. What gives me a thrill may do nothing for
you. Nobody is forcing you to follow my
lead and I should not need to follow yours.
When the Kimber Solo first hit the online-review-pages I was
infatuated at first glance with its looks but my lust fell flat when I found it
lacked a couple of items that I felt would have made it perfect. For me, it would have been a much better
design if it had a hidden/internal hammer instead of a striker, and if it had a
grip safety. Since it had neither of
these features, I chose to not add the pretty but pricey little 9mm to my
cache.
Recently The Firearm Blog ran this piece on the soon to be released new Remington R-51 single stack.
It is a slick 9mm redesign of Remington's old Pedersen Model 51; it has both
the grip safety and the internal hammer.
My quest for a “just right for me” carry piece may be over; this pistol
may just be what I want. The size looks right, the features are right, the caliber is right, and it has the looks that
I want at a price I can easily afford.
Choice it a good thing.
Looks like a Buck Rogers design. The review didn't say but I assume it has a polymer lower. Since it weighs only 20oz, it might be a little snappy. Wonder how hard it is to rack the slide?
ReplyDeleteDave
+1 Me too!
ReplyDeleteI will say I greatly enjoy my Solo and carry it often in the best holster I've ever owned, a Mitch Rosen but Kimber branded belt slide Holster. It just disappears under a normal sized t-shirt and although much of my carry with other guns is IWB, this is one belt rig that concels SO EASILY.
The solo shoots well. I agree that both internal hammer and grip safety would be very cool, but despite their absence, it does shoot well with much less recoil than I'd expect from a gun that size and weight. I think recoil is less with the Solo versus my PPK/S. Also, I have run all kinds of ammo through the Solo, even though you are supposed to run a certain range of ammo. I carry the recommended ammo for self-defense, but I note I've had no problems with 115 (or is it 110?) grain ball ammo.
I don't like the extended magazine. The extension is too long and could well be half the size and still be effective. It also looks bad and adds too much grip length to the gun. I carry an extended as a spare, but carry the flat mag in the gun. It really is a joy to shoot.
This R-51 I think would be a very popular gun at $600, but at less than $400, it's a screaming deal. I'm sure I'll get one when the initial rush is over.
Hey there Dave.
ReplyDeleteIn the comments at the blog site, it was mentioned that the frame is aluminum AND that the slide is remarkably easy to rack.
El Fisho, I may just rethink getting a Solo. I respect your opinion and was reluctant to get one because nobody I knew had any experience with one. Kimber has had plenty of time to work the bugs out; maybe maybe maybe I'll get one of them pretyy little buggers.
ReplyDeleteNice looking pistol with some feature I like but for the life of me I do not quite understand the allure of having a grip safety. Please let me know why you prefer to have that feature.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Glenn B