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The "Custom II"| M-1911 Models : Kimber |
Kimber is the company who changed the way people looked at M-1911 pistols. As Dick Metcalf wrote in SHOOTING TIMES, "...Kimber has rewritten the book on the 1911 and raised the bar so high for Model 1911 price/features packaging that Colt itself has acknowledged it's a major reason why that company's premium-priced basic 1911 line has essentially disappeared from the marketplace."
Kimber's pistols feature a frame and slide machined from steel forging and a forged barrel blank. They include such custom features as beveled magazine wells, dovetailed front and rear sights, relief cust under the trigger guards, and lowered and flared ejection ports. Many of the pistol's smaller parts are McCormick's, including the trigger group, thumb and grip safeties, magazines, ejector and extractor.
Their line includes the following pistols :
The "Custom II"
This classic carry pistol features:
McCormick designed forged frame and slide, national match barrel
and bushing. Chip McCormick Corporation parts include, low profile
combat rear sight, dovetail combat front sight, extended combat
thumb safety, high beavertail grip safety, skeletonized lightweight
composite trigger, skeletonized commander type hammer, elongated
commander ejector, extractor, and one eight round magazine. Lockable
padded, plastic carry case and bushing wrench.
Other features are: hard synthetic grips, bead blasted black oxide finish, checkered, flat main spring housing, short guide rod, lowered and flared ejection port, front and rear beveled slide serrations, relief cut under trigger guard, Wolff accurized spring set and beveled magazine well.
Barrel Length: 5"
Finish: Matte Black Oxide
Sights: McCormick Low Profile Combat
Weight: 38 oz.
Length: 8.5"
Sight Radius: 6.5
Magazine Cap: 8
Grips: Black Synthetic
Magazines Included: 1
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The "Custom Stainless II"Identical in features to the Custom with a satin finished stainless steel slide and frame. The perfect .45 for hard duty or use during periods of extended exposure to weather where regular cleaning is not possible.
Barrel Length: 5"
Finish: Satin Stainless Steel
Sights: McCormick Low Profile Combat
Weight: 38 oz.
Length: 8.5"
Sight Radius: 6.5
Magazine Cap: 8
Grips: Black Synthetic
Magazines Included: 1
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The "Custom Royal II"All the features of the Custom, but with a deep polished blued finish, hand checkered rosewood grips and long guide rod. Two eight round magazines are included. A beautiful and extremely accurate .45.
Barrel Length: 5"
Finish: Highly Polished Blue
Sights: McCormick Low Profile Combat
Weight: 38 oz.
Length: 8.5"
Sight Radius: 6.5
Magazine Cap: 8
Grips: Checkered Rosewood
Magazines Included: 2
There is also a model called Custom Target II, which features an adjustable rear sight, instead of the fixed one. This last one comes also in a Stainless Steel version.
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All the features of the "Custom Royal II" plus the Bo-Mar BMCS low mount rear adjustable sight, fancy hand checkered diamond pattern grips, one ten and one eight round magazine. Factory test target is included with each gun. Perfect for Limited Class IPSC competition or as a top-quality carry gun. It also comes in a Stainless Steel version.
Barrel Length: 5"
Finish: Highly Polished Blue
Sights: Bo-Mar BMCS
Weight: 38 oz.
Length: 8.5"
Sight Radius: 6.5
Magazine Cap: 8/10
Grips: Premium Walnut, Diamond Checkered
Magazines Included: 2
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Additionally, Kimber is also producing some models, based on the Israeli Bul M-5 frame, called Kimber Polymer and Polymer Stainless Polymer. Target models of the above also exist, in the form of Polymer Target and Stainless Polymer Target.
Lately, Kimber has start producing some compact models, which are:
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Kimber Compact
which features a 4 inch bull barrel, and a grip .400 inch shorter
than full size 1911. Designed for concealed carry, it has all the standard features of
the full size Custom, including matte black finish, black rubber side panel grips with
molded checkering, fixed blended combat rear sight, beveled slide serrations, flat
mainspring housing, high ride beavertail grip safety, and extended thumb safety. The
hammer, slide stop and trigger group are all match grade.
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Kimber Stainless Compact
which has all the features of the Compact,
along with a satin finished stainless steel slide and frame. Like the Compact, the
Compact Stainless frame, slide and barrel are machined from forgings for precision
and long life.
There exist also, the Pro Carry, Pro Carry Stainless, which are the same as the Compact, but with a full size frame. Also Ultra Carry, Ultra Carry Stainless, which feature a 3" barrel. Also, Combat Carry, Combat Carry Stainless and the Super Match pistols.
Kimber Aluminum Compact
which has all the features of the Compact, along with a
frame machined from an extremely pure and hard grade of aluminum called
7075-T6. The Compact Aluminum weighs 6 ounces less than the steel frame
Compact models. It is finished in matte black.
The new for 2002 Eclipse II series of Kimber was named the "Handgun of the Year" by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. Each Eclipse II slide and frame is machined from a solid stainless steel forging. After finishing the entire pistol in matte black oxide, all flat surfaces are brush-polished. This leaves inset and curved surfaces matte black and gives these pistols a dynamic finish that is both functional and durable. Black small parts and silver/black laminated grips add to this great look.
Designed primarily for carry and personal defense, each Eclipse II has Meprolight night sights. Three models have fixed three dot (green) beveled systems, and both Target models have the adjustable Bar/Dot system. Each of the five models includes Custom Shop features like 30 LPI front strap checkering and a Premium Aluminum Trigger.
The Eclipse Ultra II™ features a 3-inch bushingless bull barrel. It is also the only short-barreled Kimber pistol that does not have an aluminum frame. With a seven round magazine it is ideal for concealed carry and personal protection.
The Eclipse Pro II™ and the Eclipse Pro Target II™ are based on the Pro Carry HD II. Both have a 4-inch bull barrels and full length grip frames with eight round magazines. While the Eclipse Pro II has fixed night sights, the Eclipse Pro Target II has adjustable Bar/Dot night sights.
The Eclipse Custom II™ and Eclipse Target II™ are based on the Stainless II. Each pistol has a 5-inch match grade barrel and front slide serrations. The Eclipse Custom II has fixed night sights and the Eclipse Target II has adjustable Bar/Dot night sights.
Eclipse Ultra II
The Eclipse Ultra II has all the features of the Stainless Ultra Carry II, but the frame is machined from a stainless steel forging. Both slide and frame have a brush polished matte black finish. Small parts are black and laminated grips are silver/black. Custom Shop features include 30 LPI front strap checkering and fixed Meprolight 3 dot (green) night sights.
Eclipse Pro Carry II
The Eclipse Pro Carry II is based on the Pro Carry II. It has the features of the Eclipse Ultra II, plus a 4-inch bushingless bull barrel and full length grip frame. The Eclipse Pro Target II is identical other than sights. It is the first Kimber 4-inch barreled Kimber pistol with the adjustable Meprolight Bar/Dot night sight system.
Eclipse Target II
A competition oriented model with adjustable sights.
Of particular interest, are the pistols produced by Kimber's custom shop. Some of them are shown below:
Gold Combat II
Super Match II
LTP II
Kimber is also marketing a .22 LR conversion Kit for the M-1911 Pistols. Here is a picture of it:
If you want to read more about this kit (and have Adobe Acrobat installed in your PC), click here to view the manufacturer's leaflet about this piece.
Kimber Rimfire Target
The latest announcement of Kimber (March 2004) concerns a very special pistol. A 1911 in .22 LR. What distinguishes this pistol is that it is not a .45 ACP 1911 which has been converted to a .22LR one, it is made especially as a .22LR pistol.
Here is the Kimber Rimfire Target, as it is called.
Here is this lovely pistol, stripped down.
Here is the ejector of the pistol. Note that it is not mounted on the frame, per the usual 1911 method, instead it is installed on the barrel.
And finally, here is the plastic magazine that Kimber created for this pistol. This magazine is designed in such a way, so that it eliminates the problems that most user face, when using .22LR magazines in a 1911 pistol (with a conversion kit obviously).
Kimber will also offer a traditional .22 LR conversion kit, based on the slide of this pistol, so the kit shown above, would probably be discontinued.
If my financial situation would allow it, I would get one, as soon as possible. Oh, yes, I might as well calm down, getting a .22LR pistol, means that every year, I have to participate in at least 6 additional shooting matches, in order to maintain my permit. This means that I have to do 14 matches every year, which is kind of too much, given my limited free time.
One more thing, people have been asking: What is the difference between the Kimber pistols which are designated as "II" and the ones without the "II" in their name. Well, Kimber has addopted in their 2002 line, a passive firing pin safety, similar to the one used in Colt Series 80 pistols, only this device in Kimber's case is activated by the grip safety of the pistol, instead of the trigger. The device is based on a William Swartz pattent of 1939, and you can see two diagrams below, showing its operation:
This same safety device has been used by Colt in some guns produced before WWII. Why on earth they choose to use a trigger-actuated safety in their Series 80, is anybody's guess! Kimber's implementation does not alter the trigger pull mechanism (so important for the accuracy of fired shots), while still providing the desired security effect. Thumbs up Kimber!
A more technical article describing the Swartz safety mechanism, can be found here (a new window will open, close it to return here).
(The above information and the drawings have been kindly provided by Kimber, thank you gentlemen.)
Below, you can see a table with some Kimber guns specifications:
| Kimber Classic .45 Technical Specifications Summary |
| Custom II | Custom Stainless II | Custom Royal II | Gold Match | Matte Polymer | Stainless Polymer | |
| Caliber | 45 ACP | 45 ACP | 45 ACP | 45 ACP | 45 ACP | 45 ACP |
| Barrel: Length (inches) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Finish | Matte Black Oxide | Satin Stainless Steel | Highly Polished Blue | Highly Polished Blue | Matte Black Oxide (slide) | Satin Stainless Steel (slide) |
| Sights: Type | McCormick Low Profile Combat | McCormick Low Profile Combat | McCormick Low Profile Combat | Kimber Adjustable | McCormick Low Profile Combat | McCormick Low Profile Combat |
| Radius (inches) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Approx. Weight (ounces) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 34.4 | 34.4 |
| Overall Length | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.75 | 8.75 |
| Magazine Capacity (included) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 14 |
| Grips | Black Synthetic | Black Synthetic | Rosewood Double Diamond, Hand Checkered | Premium Rosewood Double Diamond, Hand Checkered | N/A | N/A |
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