Kimber just came out with the all new R7 Mako. You guessed it, it’s another high capacity micro 9mm pistol. This pistol has a flush fit capacity of 11 rounds and an extended capacity of 13 rounds; very similar to the Springfield Hellcat of which the R7 looks eerily similar to. Beyond the looks the Kimber R7 Mako has some things that do make it different than most other 9mm pistols that we see on the market, most notably being the ejection port.
With Kimber offering an optics ready model (more on that later) they opted for an enclosed ejection port design like an AR-15 versus the traditional open top that we’re accustomed to on other semi-auto pistols. In line with that design, Kimber also opted to use an internal extractor like we see on 1911s. It’s take down is also different than what we’re used to with other striker fired 9mm handguns that are on the market. Once you pull down on the Glock-like takedown tabs, you lift up on the back of the slide (like a fixed barrel gun), and pull forward.
Kimber is going to be offering this pistol in two different variations. The first being a non-optics model that will have an MSRP of $600. The second one is an optics-ready model with the Shield RMS-c cut and it will include a Crimson Trace CTS-1500 optic, total MSRP for that will be $800. For those curious, the dimensions on this pistol fall in line with it’s competition. It’s 1″ thick, it’s 4.3″ tall, it has a length of 6.2″, with a barrel length of just under 3.5″
All around if the R7 Mako proves to be reliable it’ll be an interesting competitor. It has the ever desired flat faced trigger, the fan favorite TaloN Grip-esque grip texturing, the now industry standard capacity for it’s size, and the standard optic footprint for the micro optic market. However, it has a little bit going against it. It’s apparently using proprietary magazines, it has an internal extractor which is universally hated, and Kimber has never really been known for getting aftermarket support for their new pistols.
Image From Guns & Ammo