I attend many media and shooting events across the country, and one company that has been impressing me with its pistols is Kimber. I am in love with their Rapide (ICE), specifically in .45 ACP, and that gun is currently sitting at the top of my “must-have” list. But until then, I have two new Kimber pistols to review, one of which is the R7 Mako Tactical Optics Installed (OI). If you are looking for a fully ambidextrous, high capacity, carry or defensive gun that can be used with a suppressor, look no further because this is the gun you need.
Kimber R7 Mako Tactical Features
Photo Credits: Kelly Zachary
Capacity
If you’re still carrying a gun that holds five to seven rounds, you’re living in the dark ages. Yet, if you’re toting around a full-size gun in your pants, well, kudos to you because that doesn’t work for most people. The R7 Mako pistol has a capacity of 15+1 rounds in a magazine that doesn’t leave your pinky finger dangling off the gun. The extended base pad on the magazine adds plenty of room for even the largest of hands to fit on. The goal of concealed carry is to have the most amount of capacity in a gun that is still concealable on your body. The next feature goes into how this is possible.
Slim Design
In my opinion, we are living in one of the best times for concealed-carry guns that don’t print, can be carried IWB Appendix or at 4 o’clock, and still have a higher capacity. The Kimber R7 Mako Tactical is only one inch wide, and yes, it still holds 15+1 rounds. Comparable guns are the 1-inch wide IWI Masada Slim, 1.1-inch wide Glock 48, and 1-inch wide Sig Sauer P365. These pistols carry 13+1, 10+1, and 12+1 rounds, respectively. So, with the Mako Tactical pistol, you’ve still got the slim design but a little bit more capacity. This makes this gun and the others extremely easy to conceal on your body.
Optics Ready/Installed
I am a big Holosun fan. I think they make some of the best reflex sights for carry, competition, or just for enjoyment. The Kimber R7 Mako Tactical is available in an optics-ready design, or you can go with the optics-installed pistol and have it with the Holosun 407k mounted and ready to roll. What is also nice is the rear sight stays on the gun whether you have a red dot mounted or not. The gun comes with 3-Dot TruGlo Tritium Pro Night Sights with an Orange front ring and White rear rings.
Suppressor Host
Any home defense firearm you have should be suppressed. I’ve been to various places, such as Gunsite, WOFT, and The Ranch, and have shot unsuppressed firearms with hearing protection in the shoot houses. If you’ve never experienced the reverberations and sound that walls and ceilings make when shooting indoors (yes, even with proper hearing protection), it’s an eye-opening experience. If you ever had to fire a gun indoors, you would concuss yourself and even potentially lose some of your hearing. I have a dedicated suppressed rifle I keep by my bedside and plan to dedicate a suppressor for the Kimber R7 Mako Tactical.
Ambidextrous Controls!!!
I recently reviewed the IWI Carmel and an AR-15 rifle from Dark Storm Industries, both of which have ambidextrous controls. However, it’s a first for me to find total ambidextrous controls on a pistol. Most pistols that advertise they are ambidextrous still require you to reverse the magazine release to the other side, for example, to set it up for a left-handed shooter. The Kimber R7 Mako Tactical has an ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. And when I shot a few hundred rounds through the pistol at the range, I had zero “accidental” magazine releases, so there’s no way your grip can accidentally depress either magazine release.
Kimber R7 Mako Tactical Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm
- Optics Installed (OI): comes with the Holosun HS 407K already installed
- Iron Sights: 3-Dot TruGlo Tritium Pro Night Sights with Orange front ring and White rear rings
- Height (inches) 90° to barrel: 5.3
- Weight (ounces) without magazine: 24.2 oz.
- Length (inches): 6.8
- Magazine capacity: (2 included) 15 Round
- Frame Material: Polymer with serialized steel central block
- Frame Finish: Molded Stippling
- Frame Width (inches): 1.0 at grip
- Slide Material: Stainless
- Barrel Length (inches): 3.92
- Barrel Material: Stainless
- Twist rate (left hand): 1:10 Left
- Barrel threaded for suppression (TFS)
- Trigger Factory setting (approximate pounds): 5.0 – 6.75 lb
- MSRP: $951.00
Consider Me Impressed
I rarely nerd out and get excited over pistols these days, but the Kimber pistols lately have been amazing to shoot. This gun was easy on the recoil management, had good ergonomics with the grip and lengthened base pad, and was accurate as well. The value of this pistol for the price is well worth it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kenzie Fitzpatrick is a professional competitive shooter and a published writer in the industry. Kenzie trains new shooters on basic firearm safety, brings new shooters to competitive shooting, and hosts some of the largest women-only events in the country. She has a passion for teaching people how to carry concealed and is a positive ambassador for the Second Amendment. Kenzie is also the host of the Reticle Up Podcast, where she interviews competitive shooters, hunters, anglers, archers, entrepreneurs, and outdoorsmen.
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