Kimber’s R7 Mako CCW pistol was a surprise, but can the company’s baby shark compete with the rest?
Let’s get that earworm in your swede. While stagger-stack 9s are not new, this Kimber pistol is a rare find. This is a departure from their usual catalog of 1911s or hunting rifles. While they have dabbled with CCW with the Solo, Evo, and the Solo, this pistol is aimed squarely towards the most popular segment in the U.S. market right now, the micro subcompact category that was started by the SIG P365. Kimber’s previous attempts to make a striker-fired micro 9 were, shall I say, unsuccessful. The Solo was introduced last decade as a premium carry gun. It was visually stunning with melted edges and a two-tone silver finish, contoured night sight and a decent trigger. Accurate, too. It needed +P ammo to work reliably, but standard pressure rounds in order to keep it from dying. This was evident in a reliability test for Solo accessories. After a case of Gold Dots, the locking lugs of the gun were so worn that they had to be removed. It was a disappointing performance for what was supposed be a premium product. The Evo SP was replaced in the lineup. However, the gun’s shortcomings were addressed and the reliability test for Solo accessories revealed that the locking lugs of the gun were so badly peened that they had to be retired. This is a disappointing performance from what was supposed to be a premium product. It has a Teutonic aesthetic to it. This is probably due to Willi Bubits, whose designs can be found in the catalogs at Steyr, Walther and Caracal. Willi Bubits brought the Mako’s original concept to Kimber. It’s history, but does it fulfill its intended role?
The Mako is akin to the flashy Solo. Although the frame is made of a polymer-filled glass, it has been tried to mold some contours into it. It’s not as ugly as a Hi-Point, but it does have the same bulk and weight. The barrel of the R7 Mako locks using an unusual-looking square nub at its rear. This is in addition to the standard SIG/Petter shelf. This makes the slide slightly taller than you would expect and adds to its top-heavy appearance. The frame is not a bad looking thing. It handles the human/gun interface well, with texturing across all gripping surfaces and a noticeable palm swelling. There’s also a Wather-esque hump at the backstrap. Although it doesn’t have the lowest bore axis in the world, the undercut trigger guard elevates your hand high enough for recoil control. The pinky extension on the 13-round magazine gives you a full grip with three fingers, even with large hands. For those who need a shorter grip for concealment purposes, an 11-round flush-fit mag is also available. However, it’s likely that most users will choose to use the larger capacity. The controls are full ambi and specifically designed for the CCW role. The 13-round mag is large enough to grip even large hands. Lefties can be accommodated with identical controls on both the pistol’s sides. Slide release is pushed into the frame’s top surface by a raised plastic ridge. This means that accidentally locking the slide to its rear is almost as likely as accidentally dropping the mag. If.40 S&W makes a comeback, and isn’t just an annoying way to mess up a progressive reloading machine (thanks to XD shooters who mixed.40 brass and 9mm brass), then it could be possible to swap in a new barrel and breech face. This scenario is as likely as Biden’s second term. People who want to add a weapon-mounted light onto their carry piece will be disappointed. At least, until the aftermarket catch up. A proprietary rail will always cause a stir, but the alternative of a small, slim handgun with a mini cheesegrater sticking out beyond the slide profile will irritate just as many potential customers. After receiving assurances that the part was bar stock, we will be able to credit it with some of the most impressive machining we have seen in a while. That was a great achievement by the engineers and production crew. The top of the gun has a cut for an RMSc mini red dot. Our test gun was equipped with a Crimson Trace unit. The Mako’s undersized port protects it from oil, gas, and unburnt powder residue. There are two options for R7 Mako sighting options. The Walther-ish hump in the backstrap is an indication that the market wants iron sights. They have a large, red dot at the front and a U-notch at the rear. Both are tritium-illuminated and supplied TruGlo. To aid one-handed manipulations, the rear sight has a slightly undercut face. It’s also set as far back as possible on the slide to maximize sight radius. The manufacturer chose not to use a proprietary footprint and instead used the same slide cuts that the most frequently replaced, useless, plastic sight-like protuberances in the world. Glock, the Mako’s trigger is a great feature and outshines the P365. It weighs in at 5.5 pounds and has a quick, tactile reset. It’s also one of the few triggers that’s not made from the same material used to make the frame. Instead, it’s made from aluminum. The gas pedal safety on the trigger’s face is flush with the trigger’s surface when it’s depressed. This increases the surface area in contact your digits, reduces the perceived pull, and makes solid hits at longer ranges much more possible. The combination of sights and trigger, along with a red dot allows the user to extend the gun’s capabilities beyond what would normally be considered CCW ranges.
After negotiating with a few Kimber’s competitors we loaded up steel and paper, shot timer and a small handful of different ammo brands before heading to the range. Initial impressions were good. The R7 Mako’s slightly larger weight compared to the P365, Hellcat, and Max 9 meant that it absorbed a little more recoil. It’s a Micro 9, so it’s going be fast, but there was a slight difference between its siblings that could be attributed to the well-contoured and grippy frame. It’s hard to imagine how this would be perceived by the shooter when the gun is used for real. We were able to hit IPSC torsos up to two-thirds of their size beyond 50 yards, and kept shots within the 25 yard line. The gun handled every type of factory ammunition, including NATO-spec 124 grain ball, Remington 115-grain range food, and different varieties of hollow-points. The R7 became choked when we tried handloads. Although the R7 could run other guns, loads that barely made minor power factor for local matches wouldn’t go into battery. The Kimber product appears to have a shorter throat than CZ. This means that you may need to load rounds slightly longer than normal to reduce pressure. The R7 is tighter than CZ in this regard. Field stripping reveals the curious barrel Nub that acts as a lock to the action. This is a welcome entry by the Mako into a market that is rapidly flooded with worthy carry guns. Kimber has learned from other mistakes and created a handgun that ticks all the boxes in terms of features, at a cost comparable to the models it will share counter space with. You’ll love the sights, trigger, capacity, and optics of this handgun right out of the box. The holster will hide the homely aesthetics. Everyone’s a 10 with the lights out…Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the CCW 2022 special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.For more information, please visit kimberamerica.com.More Micro-Compact 9mm PistolsNEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDSThis impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains62 printable targetsfor rifle and handgun range use. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Get Free Targets
