American Handgunner Jul/Aug 2011 - Jeffersonian

Dave Anderson
Photos: Chuck Pittman, Inc.
The Kimber Solo is a pockeTSize automatic
piSTol intended for personal defense.
In teSTing, it proved to be completely
reliable and amazingly accurate.
Comparable in size to a compact
.380 blowback — yet it’s a
locked breech 9mm!
New
Kimber’s
Remarkable
Some time ago, Kimber
surveyed a number of
its nearly 2,000 Master
Dealers and asked:
“What type of new
firearm would you most
like us to build?” Topping the list was
a compact, lightweight auto. Armed
with that information, Kimber went
back to the dealers a second time,
asking: “If we build a small auto, what
features are most important?” The
response was clear once again — a
pistol capable of handling a full-power
service cartridge. It had to be reliable
with modern high-performance, personal
defense ammunition. It had to
be accurate, well made, affordable,
durable and safe. It had to be shootable,
with a decent trigger and good,
high-visibility sights.
Kimber designers and engineers said
this was a dream opportunity. Kimber
management gave them a free hand, and
the resources to be innovative and creative.
If you need time, they said, we’ll
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