Info needed on my new gun

I just purchased my first gun. It is a Kimber Custom TLE/RL II. I bought it used for $695. The gun shop told me that it sell for at least $1100 new. Did I get a good deal? They also told me that this one was special because of the mark on the grips. The second picture shows the symbol right above the watermark. They said it had something to do with the company Black Water that has Contracts with the US government for work in Iraq. The only problem is that I don't think the grips came with the gun. I asked to owner to show me how to take it apart and he couldn't. He said the grip was preventing him from dropping the release. He said I would need to remove the grips to take it apart for cleaning. It has glowing sights. I don't know if this gun comes with them from the factory. Any suggestions for add-ons or custom parts for this gun? I am so excited. I can't wait to go shoot it. Does dry firing it shorten the life? Thank you in advance.

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/438c84f2z6a2d30f3/mail/__sr_/9ce7scd.jpg?phwZe9EB4ObV8FQB

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/438c84f2z6a2d30f3/mail/__sr_/ff8ascd.jpg?phYpe9EBHcnJSqLz

Normal retail price is around $900. If the dealer didn't know how to take down a 1911, I suggest you buy elsewhere next time. He doesn't sound too bright.

$700 is not a terrible price.

Regarding the story you were told? Anything is possible..... But it sounds like BS.

Have you fired it? I'm not an expert, but with the external Extractor,
lots of kimber owners have had issues warranting the slide's replacement
to an internal extractor slide. I don't know what this would mean to the second owner.

When a gun that is know to model/design specific issues when new, and is put up for sale used, I am always skeptical.

That is not the Blackwater logo.
Grips are freely interchangeable between 1911 pattern guns.
The grips do not have to come off to field strip the gun for routine cleaning.
Conclusion: Your dealer is a Bozo.
I suggest you contact Kimber for a manual, their guns are sufficiently mutated from 1911 design that there are some differences.

I don't know if it came stock with luminous sights, there are so many dinky model variations in their lineup it can be hard to tell what is standard and what is optional and what is add-on.

You do not need any add-ons or custom parts unless for very specific use. What did you have in mind?

Dry-firing won't hurt it much. A snap-cap will protect it completely.

You can make your own snap caps too by stuffing a bullet on top of a spent round filled with sand. I use these to test the action after putting my guns back together after a good cleaning. Just be sure to paint the tips with a high impact color like orange or something so you dont confuse them with live rounds. Oh by the way welcome to the club, and your new addiction. Remember one is just never enough.

Thank you everyone. I love community forums like this where people are so willing to give you advice. I went to the local indoor range after I started the thread. I talked to one of the workers there and he helped me out a lot. First thing is the guy from the store told me I didn't really need to take it apart. No need to clean it for a long time. "If it aint broke, don't fix it." Yes he actually said that. The guy from the range offered to lube it up for me. He took it apart and told me it was bone dry. He said I should never take it out in that condition. He cleaned it up and added some oil and grease for free. He also told me about the grips. He said they didn't come with the gun. The logo is a knife company logo. I don't remember the name. He said they are nice grips and probably cost about $60.

Now the grips are universal but he had the same problem as the store owner. They ride a little high so you have to take them off to take the gun apart. He suggested either machining that one down a tiny bit or just living with the fact that I have to take it off to service the gun. For now I will just live with it. It doesn't really bother me to do that.

My wife and I shot 50 rounds total. No problems. I was kinda talked into this one because a few guys were saying how nice it was. I decided to guy it right away. I see some of the people on the "show me your arsenal" thread have like 6 handguns and they claim they only spent $1000. How did I buy one gun and it cost me $700? Are they just lying? That's super cheap. Either way my wife and I do really like this gun. It is comfortable and best of all it looks cool.:D

Is a snap cap the same as a dummy round? Is there a place to just buy a nice bright orange one?

Nathan,
I understand the one is never enough. I don't work well with hobbies. My other one is Reef Aquariums. I started out with simple fish tanks and now I own two aquarium related businesses. I have a $350 electricity bill this month and it has been more. Go to reefready.net if you want to see how much some of these stupid corals cost. I just hope more people buy some. I am going to be paying for THIS hobby with my other one.:rolleyes:

As far as spending too much goes for a Kimber you did fine on the price. Other guys that have "arsenals" for $600.00 have either a.) inherited many a piece, b.) bought thrifty at gun shows, or c.)bought a truck load of high points. Buying a fine used gun is like buying a fine used car, you can pay $20,000 for a nice used Cadillac, or $1000.00 for a old Toyota that has been around the block more than once.. The guy who claims you should never bother with cleaning untill something breaks........IGNORE HIM :what: , I am sure he means well but some guns you can get away with this on and others you cannot. Kimbers are fine tuned precision tools with exact tolerances. You should probably clean your weapon at least every hundred rounds. Be care ful when oiling a little bit goes a long way, too much can attract powder residue and cause failure. And yes a snap cap is basicly a dummy round.

Thank you very much. If I figure out how to take it apart and put it back together, I'm sure I will clean it more often than that. I love new toys.

http://www.bobtuley.com/45/index.html
http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm Here's field stripping but you might need a plastic bushing wrench because you have a full lenght guide rod I think. Mark

Yep, seems the dealer is kind'a off the wall by quoting a NIB price of $1100
for a NIB Kimber Custom TLE/II. I've got a NIB 4" Kimber Custom II TLE/RL
(blued model) in the showcase for $909.88; just so you can use my pricing
for comparison~!:cool: :D

BTW, the 4" Kimber Custom II TLE/RL's are a lot harder too get than
the 5" model.