The Perfect CCW

[kashton]

After many, many hours of research and handling all types of handguns I had narrowed it down to a few handguns:

1. S&W M&P 340
2. Glock 36
3. SIG P220 Compact

I went to my local gun store one more time to decide between the 3 models. The S&W M&P 340 could be concealed in my pocket so I was leaning towards it, even though I wanted a more powerful round than the .38 +P. I looked at all 3 models and then stumbled across the 1911 section. I was
curious so I asked a friend who works at the shop to recommend a 1911 model for CCW -- and he whipped out a Kimber .45 Tactical Ultra II. I held it and immediately knew I had to have it. I slipped it in my pocket and it concealed just like a S&W M&P 340 -- It had the knockdown power of the SIG P220 and the Glock 36 -- and WOW was it more handsome than the Glock 36. I tried on a Galco IWB and it felt perfect behind my right hip.

So, I bought it and shot it the next afternoon. The kick was very manageable and it was extremely accurate. I am very satisfied with it (though it is kind of a pain-in-the-@ss to clean).

All I can say is, if you are considering a CCW, PLEASE do yourself a favor and check out this gun!

Kimber .45 1911 Tactical Ultra II




http://www.kimberamerica.com/pistols/tactical/tacticalultra.php

P.S. Don't make the dumb mistake that I did and spill Hoppes #9 powder dissolver on your perfect condition, beautifully stained coffee table =(

 

[DAdams]

Very Nice

Hope you have good luck with it. They are attractive. I would say overpriced, but hey, who am I to talk, I bought a 340.

25 oz plus rounds doesn't work well for me in the pocket, just pulls me trousers down mate. Good for IWB or OWB carry though.

You will find yourself longing for that M&P 340 before long. The Kimber becoming your pretty house gun.

Sorry about the coffee table.

 

[Majic]

Perfect? I don't know about that. It could do without that magwell and the bumper pad on the mag. If you are going to extend the grip frame with frills and wear it on a belt you might as well get a Commander sized pistol which will be much easier to shoot.

 

[kashton]

The full sized 1911 did not ride well with my frame

 

[MICHAEL T]

I agree ditch the mag well and bumper pad Will conceal even better. Their really not need on a pistol likr this.
I carry a Colt Defender and think these little 45 are perfect for carry. My Commander spends a lot more time at home.
I use Corbon compact DPX This is a non+P ammo thats made for short barrel 45's Should give it a try.

 

[kashton]

That's a good idea. I will get rid of the mag well and bumper pad. How is the Speer Gold Dot .45 HP Short Barrel ammo vs the Corbom compact DPX

 

[glockgod]

The "perfect" CCW is the one you are carrying when you need it. A Kel-Tec in pocket trumps a 1911 in the gunsafe at home!

 

[GotGlock]

The perfect ccw is that large lump of gray matter in your head. Guns are tools, your the weapon. Anyways, nice gun, i never took to the 1911's well but some are good firearms, wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[GunNut]

After buying many guns for CCW, I have finally settled on a S&W 340PD as my always gun.

Sure I've got other concealable guns, but I do not like to dress around my carry gun.

You must have some huge pockets and a great belt to carry that thing in your pocket.

Steve

 

[kashton]

I will admit it isn't light for a pocket gun. It weighs a few ounces more than a S&W 642 empty, and uses .45 ACP ammo. We'll see, I may use a S&W J-frame for a pocket gun, If I am going to carry this is will most likely always be IWB.

 

[sfmittels]

That's a beautiful firearm. It should do well as a CCW piece so long as you wear the right pants and belt to support it, and the right overgarment to conceal it. My 1911 is a Kimber Custom series 1, and I am very impressed with Kimber products.

I'm not trying to bring up another caliber debate, but I recently took delivery of what I consider the perfect CCW weapon, at least for Arizona summers (where we live in shorts and T-shirts for half the year). It's a Kahr PM9, modded by Cylinder & Slide to improve both reliability and accuracy. Below is a link to a thread on this forum that talks about it a bit. The bottom line is this thing is a 100% reliable sub-19 ounce PPK-sized pocket pistol that holds 6 + 1 rounds of full power 9mm+P (7 + 1 with the supplied extended magazine). It's not cheap, but quality rarely is.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=284242

 

[JaxNovice]

Pt145

 

[Lonestar49]

This man has choices

...

I have 5 different pistols to choose from: For what day, what I'm wearing, for different climates of the year. But mainly for the belief in (with lot's of practice) and ongoing practice, from my full size Sig P220R, P229 CT 9mm, Beretta Px4 40cal, to my latest love, (like your Kimber) my Colt Defender 3" 45cal, that it will be shot-placement/s that will be the deciding factor, bar-none.

The 5th gun, "our" (the wife's) Sig P232 SL 380 gets front and backyard duty, along with the Defender..

Again, depending on my mood..


LS

 

[Double Naught Spy]

The little Kimbers are accurate and Kimber's dual recoil spring system has seemed to quell most of the small 1911 cycling/timing problems, but I would be hard pressed to call it a perfect CCW. I have the Ultra Elite, a predecessor to the above Kimber.

The short barrel and light weight make the gun quick out of the holster, no doubt, but there are issues...

First of all, the aluminum frame means a shorter firing life which means less practice or replacement. Aluminum frames can last for various amounts of time. Mine cracked at 9600 rounds and Kimber replaced it. They claim they won't wear in 20,000 rounds, but don't claim they won't break due to stress fatigue.

The shorter barrel also means reduced velocity to go along with the possible cycling issues. The short sight radius makes the sights quick on target and just as quick off target. While the gun can be shot accurately, it takes a lot more practice or skill to become as proficient with a short sight radius gun as with a gun with a longer sight radius.

The hard part of the gun to conceal is the grip/frame, not the muzzle. So I am not sure why you would put a mag well extension on such a gun instead of simply going with a full-sized grip/frame. If you are going to go with a magwell extension, then why not go ahead and get a commander length barrel and get some extra velocity and reliability from the package?

The ambi safety is nice if you are a lefty, but they bulk up concealed carry guns. I like them, but they do work against you in that regard.

I would go with thin grips as well as they help reduce the profile of the gun and actually make it easier to reach all the controls without changing one's shooting grip.

In the end, I decided my Kimber Ultra Elite was a much better trail gun when loaded with Speer shotshells. They cycle just fine and the short barrel makes for a fairly large pattern (relative to range) and hence makes the gun a nifty snake gun.

 

[kashton]

Thanks for the kind words ; ) I'm impressed with the performance of the 3" Kimber.

sfmittels -- The Kahr is a great gun, I almost purchased one. It fit in my pocket better than the S&W M&P 340! I might purchase one for pocket carry sometime in the future.

 

[P97]

When I consider a CCW, there are three things I consider.
First: Carry, if I don't have it when I need it, it is no good.
Second: My accuracy with it. If I miss my target it is no good.
Third: The guns dependability. If the gun don't shoot it is no good to me.

My thoughts is find a gun that is dependable, that you can shoot well, and that you can carry continually.

If you have a favorite gun that you trust and can shoot well you can carry it if you want to. I carry a Ruger P97, which is close to the full size 1911, full time and have since I got my CCW several year ago. I carry in a Milt Sparks IWB holster under a loose untucked shirt. It is so comfortable that I'm not aware of it being on most of the time.

 

[JDGray]

Beautiful little gun! Good luck with it. 1911s are so flat, you'll have no problem hiding it. If you dont have one, get a good double thick gun belt

 

[JERRY]

if i could only have one semi-auto and it had to be of the utmost concealability and still yeild "stopping power", it would be a S&W 3913 LS.

im glad you liked your choice. its a fine gun too.

 

[mlandman]

+1

The hard part of the gun to conceal is the grip/frame, not the muzzle.

That's why my USPc didn't work for me.

 

[PhillyGlocker]

Nice pics. I'm a die hard Glocker but I do want to own at least one 1911 pistol, preferably the size of the one in your pics.

 

[.357 magnum]

kashton

Awesome gun! What do you use for ammo? I have a number of .45's, but the shortest barrel is a 4 inch. Kimber makes a reliable and accurate gun. I think you did well for yourself. Very curious though on defensive ammo in such a sort barrel .45/ Is the Gold Dot a 185gr or did you go down to a 165gr to ensure expansion? Congrats on your gun!

The Best to you and yours!

Frank

 

[Double Naught Spy]

For mine, I had also gone with Speer Gold Dots, but 185s. They seems to have a good history of penetrating and expanding at the slightly reduced velocity of a 3" barrel. That is what rides in the spare mag to the shotshell mag.

 

[Brian@ITC]

A Glock is a very beautiful gun I might ad. Just because it doesn't have all the curves doesn't mean it isn't beautiful in its own way.

Good lookin' gun, but I personally wouldn't carry it because it is too pretty. And because it's not a Glock!

Oh, and knockdown power is a myth!
__________________________________
Brian K. LaMaster
Innovative Tactical Concepts, LLC
"High Impact Training"
www.right2defend.com
www.modernwarriortalk.com

 

[GunNut]

Kashton,

How's that Kimber working out for you???????

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=725583

Welcome to the dark side GLOCK sorry it cost you so much.

Steve

 

[jAK-47]

I vary what I carry with the weather, etc. I have a G19 that I carry in the cold weather, a S&W 642 for hiking (no bears), and a KelTec PF9 for hot weather/deep concealment.

My consulting job started paying well this past winter so I went a little crazy and just bought a Les Baer Stinger. I intend to shoot it frequently and carry it IWB (as opposed to making it a safe queen) in the cool weather. BUT, it's the first gun I've ever carried that has a manual safety so I'll really have to practice and give it some thought.

I JUST ordered a Kimber Ultra II myself and can't wait to shoot it. Since it's lighter than my Les Baer it may see more CCW action and might become my primary CCW gun. But at 12 ounces my KelTec PF9 is hard to beat for concealment and comfort. No caliber war but that .45 just gives me peace of mind.

Good luck with your Kimber and please post more pics and a range report. I have some DoubleTap ammo in 165, 185 and 200 grains coming to see what the guns and I like.

jAK-47