Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

*Some of the external links found on this website are affiliate links. Those links use cookies to generate revenue and fund continuation of this website. By clicking an external link you are consenting to a temporary cookie, by purchasing from that link you are supporting this website. To opt out of cookies do not click external links.

Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

Kimber's adaptation of the Bubix Bro was one of our favorite micro compacts. Now, with the Carbon Compact line we finally have a compact-sized pistol using the same Bubits-improved action type, and currently the only one of its kind on the US market.

Kimber R7 Mako (front) and R7 Mako Carbon Compact

Bubits? Wilhelm Bubits is an Austrian inventor and designer with at least 40 patents of his own that I could find. As a designer he's had infleucne or made designs specifically for well-known names such as Walther, Canik, Glock, Steyr, Caracal, and many of his ideas have worked their way into pistols you likely already own. About a decade ago he made his own pistol, the BB Techs BB6 which showcased many innovative designs, but unfortunately was a commercial failure. Only a few were produced, and even fewer imported to the US before the gun disappeared into obscurity.

BB Techs BB6 (front) and Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

One of the features of the BB6 that I appreciated was the Bubits-improved Browning Action. By moving the locking surface of the barrel from the front of the barrel hood (think Glock or any other common handgun) to the rear of the barrel less barrel tilt is needed or created. The end result is a barrel can can and must sit lower, as well as less shifting of mass during the cycling of the firearm. Believe it or not, some of the recoil sensation you feel is the barrel moving back, down, up, and forward. The less mass of the barrel shifts, the less you as a shooter have to manage movement in your hand. To my knowledge only four pistols have used this action type. The original BB Techs BB6, the Taurus TS9 (not meant for the US market), and now Kimber's R7 Mako and R7 Mako Carbon Compact.

A side effect of this design is it requires the top of the slide to be closed. In the age of everyone wanting red dots on their pistols this has the added benefit of not spewing carbon-filled gas all over the lense of your optic. Less recoil, cleaner optics. Besides, with engineering and manufacturing capabilities improving significantly over the last century of tilting barrel designs isn't it time we update?

The top of the slide must be closed to engage the rear-mounted locking point of a Bubits-Improved Browning Action like the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact uses

What Is It? The Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact brings the main design cues such as the fore-mentioned action type, ambidextrous controls, an great ergonomics to compact size. It's called the "Carbon Compact" because the polymer is impregnated with carbon fiber, enhancing strength.

Excellent undercut on the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

Carbon Fiber? Increased strength is how Kimber explains the choice. I've not known many polymer guns to fail, but there is perhaps some longevity promise to adding cabon fiber to the polymer. All polymershave a tendency to want to normalize their moisture content with their environment. This is why polymer/plastics that have been through many temperature cycles, or cycles of humid to dry and back can bet brittle or soft. Reason stands that a polymer with carbon fiber inside would be less able to absorb or release moisture.

The other implied benefit of a stronger and stiffer polymer does translate to shooter experience: consistency. Because most polymers flex, the pins that hold trigger parts steady can experience a little bit of inconsistency when held by a softer polymer. Even chassis guns like the HS Produkt Echelon have a considerably better trigger once that chassis is put in a stiffer grip like an aluminum model from Icarus Precision.

Indentations on the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact's frame serve as memory points or a "gas pedal" if your fingers reach.

Who's It For? For the layman shooter, the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact is a premium compact pistol option. For those with an aquired taste, this is currently the only option on the market in this size class with an advanced action type, and rock-solid frame. Spoiler alert: on the range it almost feels more like a metal-framed gun, but without getting scalding hot form leaving it in the sun or frigid cold on a cold day.

Full Ambidextrous controls on the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

Take a Look at the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact in the tabletop video below.

Specifications:

• Height: 5.3"

• Weight without magazine: 24.4 oz.

• Length: 7"

• Magazine capacity: 15 Round (2 Included)

• Frame Material: Carbon Fiber infused matrix

• Finish: Molded Stippling

• Width: 1.16"

• Ambidextrous Slide Lever and Magazine Release

• Slide Material: Stainless

• Finish: FNC

• Barrel Length: 3.92"

• Material: Stainless

• Twist rate (left hand): 1:10 Left

• Sights :3-Dot TruGlo Tritium Pro Night Sights with Orange front ring and White rear rings.

• Optics cover plate: RMSc/Holosun K milled footprint

• Grips: Four interchangeable modular backstraps included

• Trigger: (approximate pounds): 5.0 - 6.75 lb.

• Product Code: 669278380162

• SKU: 3800016

• MSRP: $735

Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact kit

Prices around the web as of 20OCT24

(click links for current pricing)

From $668.49 at Bud's Gun Shop

Threaded Barrel option $748.06 at Firearms Depot

From $716.99 at Guns.com

From $748.06 at KYGunCo

At TriggrCon 2024 we got to try the R7 mako Carbon Carry out briefly, but with the best of intent Kimber was handing folks mags of carry ammo to try the gun out with. Everyone else was sampling with soft range ammunution so the Kimber of course felt snappier than everything else we shot that day. I respect Kimber's effort to give folks a chance to feel how the gun would shoot with defensive ammunition, but that also made it difficult for us to compare it against other guns of the day.

With a sample in our hands, the only fair way to get a feel for the R7 Mako Carbon Carry would of course be to follow the same GBGuns range protocol we've used to review hundreds of other guns:

• Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.

• Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.

• What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.

WFD for the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

For this gun we used the following ammunition:

Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written

65gr NOVX $21.49 . 20 at Ammunition Depot

100gr Fiocchi Frangible

110gr Koenig JHP $49.69 / 50 at Optics Planet

115gr Sig Elite Defense $39.99 / 50 direct from Sig

115gr Blazer Aluminum-cased FMJ $11.99 / 50 at True Shot

124gr PMC SFX JHP $22.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop

124gr Federal Premium Tactical HST $39.99 / 50 at Target Sports USA

130gr Federal Syntech PCC $29.99 / 50 direct from Federal

147gr PPU Defense Line JHP $23.74 / 50 at Sportsman's Guide

154gr RUAG Subsonic

Range Ammo Federated Ordnace 124gr

• Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.

• Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.

• After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.

Watch the Process and hear the feedback in the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact Shooting Impressions video below:

Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.

Perfectly-shaped magwell of the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

On the range ther ergonomcis of the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact came immediately into play. A deep and generous trigger undercut allows for high hand placement, supported by a second undercut of the trigger guard. The thumb ledge indentations accomplish the same recoil control as a "gas pedal" but without requiring a broader holster. Lastly the taper of the tang is very comfortable through recoil. We did not feel the need to try any of the three additional backstraps that came with the gun, instead running it right out of the box.

The magazine well is also smartly shaped in a way to help with control of the pistol via pinky finger pressure, but not unnecesary flair behind the gun.

The strong ledge of the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact's rear sight came in handy on the range.

We did experience one load that seemed perhaps too loosely spec'd for the tight chamber of the Carbon Compact, fortunately the steel sights with a pronounced ledge made force-racking the pistol easy. We also noticed that recoil felt a bit more abrupt than we were accustomed to. Not stronger, just more abrupt. I am not entirely sure what caused this, but cna venture to guess that either it's the carbon-fiber polymer grip transfering more feeling/absorbing less much like a metal-framed pistol and/or the Bubits action cycles through its movement process quicker than a tradtional Browning action. Could it be that since the barrel's back-down-up-forward movements are happening more quickly it translates to a higher concentration of sensation in hand? I also noticed that for some reason Kimber opted to run a shorter recoil spring than they could have; using a polymer plug to take up space that could have been spring. This might be part of the recoil sensation.

Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact top and BB Tech BB6 Bottom

It's nice to have another Bubits action pistol on the market, even the slide's internals with a steel breach face followed by an insert is true to the BB Techs BB6 and Walther PPQ SC. In those cases the insert was polymer which helped reduce reciprocating mass. I can not tell for certain what the Kimber insert is made of.

We grew to like the trigger of the Kimber R7 Mako Carbon Compact

If you'd like to see Teya and I compare the R7 Mako Carbon Compact against the original R7 Mako in the GBGuns Drill see the video below.