Striker fired with a polymer frame, the R7 Mako is just 6.2 inches long overall, 4.3 inches high, and 1 inch wide. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Weight, in its most basic form, is 19.5 ounces. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The size and weight are comparable to recently introduced micro 9s such as the Taurus GX4, Ruger MAX, Sig P365, S&W Shield Plus, and Springfield Armory Hellcat. Unlike some of these contemporaries, however, the Mako is optics-ready and has fully ambidextrous controls with a full wrap-around stippled texturing along with TruGlo Tritium Pro U-notch sights.
The R7 compared to the Taurus GX4, which is about a half inch shorter in overall length but lacks a factory optics cut and ambi controls. Both have a 13+1 mag inserted. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Takedown of the R7 is easy for those familiar Glocks and requires no tools. The internals reveal a captured assembly recoil spring, glass-filled nylon grip frame with an internal stainless-steel central block, and a 3.37-inch stainless-steel barrel with a 1:10 LH twist. The slide is also stainless, don't let the FNC hard-coat finish fool you. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Kimber's Performance Carry trigger comes standard on Mako models. It has a safety insert level in an aluminum shoe and breaks fairly clean and flat with a pull of around 5.2 pounds in testing. It has a short and audible reset that the user can feel. Note the undercut trigger guard and slim grip, which allows users with smaller hands to have better control. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Check out the trigger in action:
Both R7 Mako models ship with a flush-fit 11+1 magazine as well as a 13+1 magazine, so the gun is carry-ready out of the box. Additionally, 10+1 and 15+1 magazines will be available "in the very near future," says Kimber. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
With the 13-rounder inserted, it gives the grip a rounded heel. Note the sharp laser texturing, which is aggressive and extends across almost the entire grip frame. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The front of the Mako's slide is "melted" as well. The narrow "rail” on the frame doesn't appear to be usable – at least with any accessory I have – but the ledge where it meets the frame allows for a good tactile index point to rest the trigger finger on when not on target or with the off hand in a thumbs-forward grip. Note the front slide serrations. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Surface controls, to include a narrow slide catch that blends in with the frame and a recessed push-button magazine release, are fully ambidextrous. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Standard sights are TruGlo Tritium Pro Nights with an orange front ring and white rear dots, which have a retail of about $95 if purchased separately, so it’s nice that Kimber includes them with all models of the Mako. The slide uses a Glock-pattern dovetail should the user prefer something different. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The TruGlos co-witness with the Crimson Trace CTS-1500 3 MOA micro red dot, which is included with the R7 Mako O.I. (optics included) model. The CTS-1500 has an auto shut-off feature when not in use, is auto-dimming, and has a 20,000-hour battery life. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The R7 Mako O.I. has an MSRP of $799 while the standard model that ships sans red dot is $599. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Weight of the R7 Mako O.I., with the CTS-1500 installed, the extended magazine inserted, and 14 rounds of Browning 147-grain X-Point loaded, is 28.6 ounces on our scale. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The Mako uses a Shield mounting pattern and the MRD plate is polymer. It is secured with T10-pattern Torx screws. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Unusual in its class, the Mako has a hooded ejection port, rather than a wide port as commonly seen on other pistols. The idea is that the hooded port will vent gasses, carbon, and brass away from optic lens. It also cuts down on flash across the optic during the firing cycle and allows the top of the slide to be smoother. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Using an internal extractor, you can see brass as a default loaded chamber indicator. Kimber says they designed the R7 Mako's rear-mounted barrel-locking lug to reduce the unlock angle of the barrel, for consistent round presentation and low-felt recoil. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
We've been shooting the Kimber R7 Mako on the range with a mix of Winchester and Browning factory ammo, and carrying it in a new DeSantis Slim-Tuk (#137) Kydex IWB holster for the past couple of weeks, so stay tuned for a further review after we hit the 500 round mark. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
