The Kimber r7 mako is an excellent personal defense weapon. It is the first polymer gun Kimber had made. Considering its current price, you get a lot for your money, including a dependable and accurate handgun.
Not to mention it feels like future tech from some vantage points. However, it is not without flaws, which you should be aware of before making a purchase.
You will very certainly encounter issues like as low battery optic, gun locking up, trigger fail, and firing safety pin block. Aside from this, you shouldn’t be concerned because other issues only emerge in rare instances.
In this article, I’ll go into the Kimber r7 mako problems in further detail. I’ll even provide a few remedies to these common issues.
Features & Specifications of Kimber r7 mako:
| Height | 4.5 inches |
| Barrel Length | 3.37 inches |
| Frame | Stainless Steel |
| Capacity | 11+1 / 13+1 |
| Rounds | 9mm |
| Type | striker-fired, semiautomatic |
| Sights | TruGlo Tritium Pro |
Common Kimber r7 Mako Problems and Possible Solutions
| Problems | Solutions |
| Gun locks up | Keep the gun clean and lubed, Return to Kimber problem continues |
| Firing pin safety block | Send to Kimber if your serial number matches the list |
| Trigger fail | Check if there is a fault with the sear spring. |
| Not so good optics | Change to different optics |
1. Gun Locks Up:
There have been claims of the gun locking up due to different reasons. Even before locking up, there have been a few anomalies like slide auto-advancing, and slide locking up. And ultimately the gun got locked which is a critical failure.
There could be an internal component failure, QA failure, bad design, etc. But these are not the only reasons that can cause this problem. Not doing regular maintenance is another big reason for the guns locking up.
The Fix:
These problems usually happen when the gun is not taken care of properly. The dirt and ammo residue clogs up the internal parts and it causes critical failures which lock up the gun. Follow these steps to keep up the gun with general maintenance.
- Make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction and the pistol is empty.
- Clear the cleaning bench and surrounding area of any ammo.
- For the most thorough maintenance, field strips the handgun as directed in the owner’s manual.
- Clean each component independently.
- Lubricate the gun’s components according to the owner’s handbook.
Another issue could be poor quality control. So, you should try firing a few trial rounds before making the purchase to make sure everything works fine.
2. Firing Pin Safety Block:
There were big QC issues with guns with certain serial numbers. These guns often shot multiple rounds on one trigger pull, which is a big safety issue.
It is a major thing that tainted Kimber’s reputation in the community. They said it was due to a failure of is quality control issue about the firing safety pins.
Once Kimber found that out, they recalled all those guns. Check this site to know if your gun has the said issue.
The Fix:
Visit the site to check if your guns have a problem. If it does, then return it to Kimber as soon as possible. Kimber will do the necessary repair. Or, they will replace your gun with a new one if needed.
On a quick note, don’t try replacing the firing pin yourself as this is a serious safety issue.
If your gun is on their list, then send the gun to Kimber and relax till they send it back as it is not much you can do meanwhile.
3. Low Optic Battery Life:
The downside with the batteries of these optics is the battery life. Its battery will last about 500 hours which translates into around 21 days.
Remember that R7 Mako is a personal defense weapon. So, if you wish to carry it around, you will need to constantly be aware of the charge level of the battery.
For optics that use the shake to awake feature, the battery life should have been higher.
If you use the gun continuously, you will have to replace the batteries every once in a while. Which will be troublesome for those who would use it for personal defense.
The Fix:
The problem would not bother you if you intend to use it for hunting or sports. For these events, it is easy to be aware of the state of the battery. But as a personal defense weapon, it would be a burden to keep track of the battery state.
Depending on how long the first battery lasts, you could make an estimation and change the battery within that interval even if the battery still has some life left. There is no prevention for this problem.
The only cure available is to keep spare batteries close to yourself. Unfortunately, the optics do not allow installing bigger batteries. So, you will have to be ready with the spare ones.
4. Trigger Fail:
Trigger failing among the R7 mako users is not a common scenario but it happens from time to time.
Trigger failure happens when a gun doesn’t shoot or doesn’t fire off all the way.
It will take a few seconds for the bullet to exit the barrel after the primer fires and the trigger is pushed if the propellant in the cartridge burns slowly.
Even though there are not many users on the internet platforms that claimed to experience the same problem but it did happen on camera.
The Fix:
Usually, most of the time trigger fault is caused by the sear spring. So, checking up on that can lead to the cause of trigger failure.
Also, regular trigger reset can reduce the risk of trigger failure. Here is how you reset your trigger.
- Practice a good trigger press and, once the shot is broken, hold the trigger to the rear
- With the trigger pinned, use your support hand to cycle the slide while maintaining the trigger depressed to the rear.
- Re-acquire your two-handed grip and lift the muzzle to roughly the point where the muzzle flips while firing live ammunition.
- Release the trigger to the point of, or just beyond, the reset while bringing the muzzle back on target, then instantly squeeze the trigger again for the follow-up shot.
5. Not-So-Good Optics:
The optics of this gun is not of high quality and there is a good reason for that. The price tag on R7 Mako is cheap compared with the features Kimber said it offers.
And to keep the price low, they had to cut some corners. The optics in this gun suffered for this reason. The optics seem wobbly from different angles.
Although the laser is accurate, the optics could have been better.
The Fix:
You can try switching between different crimson trace optics. There are several options out there, and you can pick any from them. Install the one that serves you best.
On the other hand, there is the option to buy one without optics if you don’t need one. You will save yourself a couple of bucks that way.
User Feedback on Kimber r7 mako
The R7 Mako is a great choice for concealed carry. Not only does it looks futuristic but also its performance matches the price tag. The optical sight on this gun makes it easier to shoot at the target, which gives new users a great advantage.
An R7 Mako user on bushcraftusa said even though he has little problem with mag ejection but he was satisfied with the performance of the gun.
Due to the comparatively reduced-price tag of this gun, Kimber made some sacrifices. But, most of the problems you are likely to face will be solvable.
The gun feels big in the hand but small when concealed. The recoil was not too soft or too hard. This gun can shoot incredibly fast.
To sum up, this gun does not have many disgruntled owners fuming over the internet. Not only that, it probably performs more than it costs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Kimber R7 MAKO have a safety?
This pistol lacks a traditional manual safety and a magazine disconnect, and it will fire if the trigger is pressed while a live cartridge is in the chamber.
What is an R7 Mako?
Kimber’s first polymer-framed, striker-fired, high-capacity, subcompact pistol is the R7 MAKO.
When did the Kimber R7 Mako come out?
It was released on 19 August 2021.
What caliber is the R7 Mako?
It uses 9mm rounds.
Does Kimber have a lifetime warranty?
No, Kimber offers a 1-year warranty from the time of purchase.
Conclusion
If you have prior familiarity with firearms, the Kimber R7 Mako is an excellent pick. If you are a first-time gun owner, it would not be out of character to become tired of its troubles. But it is a very dependable gun once you have ironed out the kinks.
The majority of Kimber r7 mako problems are normal and can be resolved with minor effort. These are frequent issues regardless of the rifle you choose.
If you have some patience, this gun might be an excellent beginning place if you are interested in it.
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I have been around firearms my entire life. I have never experienced a pistol locking up with a live round in the chamber. And I definitely never experienced a round discharge by attempting to rack the slide to clear the firearm. Unfortunately that was my experience with my brand new out of the R7. Upon taking the gun to the range I was able to fire the R7 having loaded only one round into the magazine. Again, I was able to fire the R7 having loaded 2 rounds into the magazine. Loading up a full magazine, I racked the slide and found the trigger was dead. I dropped the magazine and attempted to rack out the live round and found the slide locked closed and was again unable to remove the live round. Based on my initial experience I believed that using greater than normal force would discharge the round as had previously happened. Now the pistol sits in my safe, slide locked closed, live round in chamber, dead trigger and too dangerous to use even as a paperweight. I love my Kimber 1911’s. Not so much my unusable R7. I wish I had better news.