Kimber Solo 8 round mag...POS

[carmen fovozzo]

I bought the 8 round extended mag for my Solo and I can tell you that it is a POS.....there is no way you can get the 8th. round in it.....when I put a loader over it and push down the spring will go down but will not except the 8th round......
Regular mags hold 6 and 1 in the chamber.....I thought having 9 rounds would be great...the extended mag is also gross...I expect it to stick out more but not like this....live and learn....

[machinegunkelly]

CarmeN
Is it the Kimberl brand ? My 8 round loads ok.
I carry it as my second magazine.
Gun hides better with the 6 round.
MGK

[JimE]

Ditto here. No problems with either mag.
If it is new, load it with 7 and leave it for a few days. The spring will take a set.

[carmen fovozzo]

Yes it's Kimber brand..
I'll try the 7 rounds.

[carmen fovozzo]

Taking it to the range today...

[AlanM]

Ditto here. No problems with either mag.
If it is new, load it with 7 and leave it for a few days. The spring will take a set.

ABSOLUTELY FALSE. Springs DO NOT "take a set".
If one is stretched (or compressed) far enough to pass the metal's yield point then the spring's shape will be permanently changed.
It's impossible to compress a magazine spring to it's yield point.
As a matter of fact it would have to be a VERY unusual spring that could ever be deformed in compression mode.

The only springy object, that I know of, that "takes a set" is older bias ply tires that are on a car, on the ground, without being moved for a period of time. More often in the winter cold. Flat spots develop and it takes several miles of driving to warm up the tires and get them back to round.

[carmen fovozzo]

it seems that Kimber springs whether in mags or guns are very stiff...the guide rod spring is as stiff as any gun I have had...for a little gun it is hard to rack and the mags are no joy to use...

When I bought the Solo some years back new I had a problem with the mags not releasing...Kimber told me they would loosen up with use....they have, but still not easy.....the mag release was impossible to depress......with use it loosen up.....
The Solo is a pleasure to shoot...felt recoil is very good for a small gun and it is very accurate to a good shooter..(not me)...

Another thing......when I drop a full mag and rack the slide to eject the round in the chamber it never ejects...it pulls the round out of the chamber,then it's suspended so I have to turn the gun so the round will fall out...

[TSiWRX]

Carmen, have you tried disassembling the mag and making sure that some factory knucklehead didn't do something stupid in installing the magazine, or that there may be some kind of obstruction in there?


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Ditto here. No problems with either mag.
If it is new, load it with 7 and leave it for a few days. The spring will take a set.

ABSOLUTELY FALSE. Springs DO NOT "take a set".
If one is stretched (or compressed) far enough to pass the metal's yield point then the spring's shape will be permanently changed.
It's impossible to compress a magazine spring to it's yield point.
As a matter of fact it would have to be a VERY unusual spring that could ever be deformed in compression mode.

^ Question -

If springs do not "take a set," why does a new factory magazine, once you remove the magazine spring from the magazine and thus relieve it of its confines, show to be longer than a magazine that has been used, even for only a few cycles or is stored for but a few days, loaded/compressed? Why does that used spring then never go back to the length, as-new? This is demonstrably a real-world phenomenon.

I was under the impression that new magazine springs do "take a set," but that the "set" is simply within their operating specs, which it will then maintain through its useful lifespan, that this is why many magazines, especially double-stackers, can be so hard to load the initial few times, but will become noticeably easier and yet maintain full reliable function for most of its useful life.

The only springy object, that I know of, that "takes a set" is older bias ply tires that are on a car, on the ground, without being moved for a period of time. More often in the winter cold. Flat spots develop and it takes several miles of driving to warm up the tires and get them back to round.

Modern radials can also flat-spot. Some can flat-spot overnight, even in just mildly cooler weather. Ask anyone who favors modern "summer tires" if they've experienced this. A few miles' worth of driving, though, and it'll go back into shape.

[carmen fovozzo]

ALan..I have four Kimber mags.....they all sucked when they were new.....I'll take it apart after my range visit this afternoon.

[carmen fovozzo]

I just got those UpLULA that I bought on our forum....The 8 th round went in real easy.....sweet....

[carmen fovozzo]

Back from the range....top round in the 8 round mag would not chamber properly....it does with 7....what ever..

THe Solo is one fine shooting piece of work....never a issue other then that 8 rounder...oh well.

[WY_Not]

Stupid question, did you contact the mag manufacturer to see if there might be something more to the issue? Might be as simple as the wrong spring in the mag.

Back from the range....top round in the 8 round mag would not chamber properly....it does with 7....what ever..

THe Solo is one fine shooting piece of work....never a issue other then that 8 rounder...oh well.

[carmen fovozzo]

Kimber mags...std. answer...give it some break in time....I'll take it apart tomorrow.

[WY_Not]

Wow. Would have expected better of them. Mags are one of those items that should work straight out of the box and work every time.

[curmudgeon3]

Had a similar problem with a ten-round bolt action rifle mag; cut off the last wind at the bottom of the spring. Loads easy now.