Review: Is the Kimber Micro 9 a Picky Eater?
Quick Answer
The Kimber Micro 9 is a single-action, 1911-style micro pistol chambered in 9mm — essentially a shrunken 1911 built for deep concealment. It carries 7+1 rounds, weighs a light 15.6 ounces with its stainless slide and aluminum frame, and runs a 3.15-inch barrel in a 6.1-inch package. Fans love its crisp single-action trigger and familiar 1911 controls (thumb safety, slide and magazine releases), which set it apart from the striker-fired micro-9s that dominate the class. MSRP starts around $699 for the base stainless model and climbs for two-tone and upgraded variants.
Kimber Micro 9: key questions
What is the capacity of the Kimber Micro 9?
7+1 rounds of 9mm — a 7-round magazine plus one in the chamber. Flush and extended magazines are available.
Is the Kimber Micro 9 a 1911?
It is a 1911-style single-action pistol scaled down for 9mm and concealed carry. It shares the 1911’s manual thumb safety and control layout, but it is a smaller, dedicated micro platform rather than a full-size 1911.
How much does the Kimber Micro 9 weigh?
About 15.6 ounces with an empty magazine, thanks to its lightweight aluminum frame and stainless steel slide — light enough for pocket or IWB carry.
How much does a Kimber Micro 9 cost?
MSRP starts around $699 for the base stainless model, with two-tone and premium finishes running into the $760–$800 range.
When the Kimber Micro 9 first made its appearance, gun snobs everywhere felt a little stirring in their front pants pocket … where we keep our deep-concealment holsters, of course. Upon its initial launch, some shooters complained that the Micro 9 was just as snobby as we are when it comes to its preferred diet. It’s a common complaint that some premium pistols don’t want to eat anything but the ammunition equivalent of bacon-wrapped filet mignon. Does the Kimber Micro 9 get a little too picky about its dinner? In this great review from TheFirearmGuy (you can subscribe to his channel here), he takes aim at the myth about Kimbers and ammunition.
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I have 2 Micros. Neither one has EVER failed to do as instructed.
My personal experience with the Micro-9 was different. While some ammo performed well, anything with a slightly harder primer (magtech, S&B) had frequent fail-to-fires. I contacted Kimber to let them know I was getting light hammer strikes and their answer was, “You need to buy quality American made ammo.” So the rumors about it being picky were confirmed to me by Kimber customer service. I was disappointed that this was their solution. I purchased mine in 2018 so it is possible they have beefed up the hammer spring. I enjoy shooting mine but will not carry it for self-defense.
Great article!