bought a used Kimber Royal series I

[Tango Sierra]

I posted this at the Kimber section of the 1911 Forum last night but don't have any answers yet and as I'm an impatient guy I'll try here.

On my way home from work Friday night I stopped at a gun shop and found a used Royal series I for $599.00. I was comparing it to a new stainless Colt Series 70 but I just like the feel of a Kimber better so I put the Royal on lay-a-way.

It has a chrome magwell which I think looks out of place on the all dark Kimber so I may change that. Any recommendations?

The grip safety is the only thing that shows signs of wear. Who makes a decent looking drop in grip safety that will fit the Kimber?

I also may change the slide safety to a wider one. Again, I'm looking for recommendations.

It came with a really cheap looking mag. For my CDP I have a 8 round CMC Shooting Star and a 10 round Power Mag. I'm happy with them but should I consider something else when I buy more magazines for the Royal?

TIA

 

[Ken Rainey]

Congratulations on your purchase of a pre series 2 Kimber. I would give Kimber a call or email them and most likely they'll send you a new grip safety for nothing. I'd also try it out before replacing the manual safety, I've found the ones that they use to be just right for me. As for the magwell, thats just personal preference - is it going to be a game gun?? If not, I'd just take it off.

My Kimbers (pre series 2) will use any standard GI magazine like a Colt with the standard follower with a dimple. They also work great with Wilson Combat 7 rd'ers - I don't use the 8 rd'ers and they wouldn't lock open after the last shot when I tried some Chip McCormick 8 rd Power mags with the split level (shooting star) follower - I put standard GI followers in and they work fine and are now 7 rd mags. 1911Tuner recommends Metalform 7 rd magazines with the standard follower that has a dimple, with a Wolff extra power spring installed - which is a standard Colt mag except for the extra power spring - the Metalforms are just more cost efficient - Metalform makes some of Colts mags for them but when that horsie gets put on it raises the price. If needed you can put bumper pads on. After studying these things for a while, I believe I'll stick with the standard style mags in the future. Do a search and look for 1911Tuner's threads and posts concerning magazines - good info there.

If you replace any parts from another vendor - such as can be found in the Brownell's catalog - be sure you purchase the ones made from barstock or say forged steel. The Kimber parts (like Chip McCormick parts) are all Metal Injection Molded parts and can either be very good or snap like a twig. The pre series 2 Kimbers seem to have gotten the best of the MIM parts - mine have been excellent. Ed Brown makes good forged barstock steel parts but you have to read the descriptions very well to be sure of what you are getting! If Tuner don't chime in pretty soon give him a holler and and he'll set you straight.

As always, YMMV
Ken

 

[moorerwc]

That's sounds like a very good deal on a Royal--the polished blue and wood grips usually add to the price of the standard custom classic. Plus you are assured of having an all Carbon gun--unlike some generations of customs. Standard used series I customs usually go for around $600.

I don't like magwells, so my advice would be go with a standard Ed brown MSH--he has just about any texturing that you could want, the parts are machined from barstock and are nicely blued. I also recommend his standard short guide rod and plug if the gun still has the FLGR.

If there are no cracks in the grip safety, why don't you just see if a local gunsmith will just reblue that part when he does a batch.
There are a bunch of aftermarket GS's out there and most can be fitted to the Kimber b/c the original is such a moderate cut (one reason I prefer the Kimbers to Springfields)--I've heard that the STI and S&A units need the least amount of metal removal. Remember though that anything other than a Kimber grip safety will require cutting and a refinish of the frame.

Do a search here on magazines, there have been a couple of good threads recently.

-Chad

 

[TheDutchman]

I have a Kimber Pro Combat Series I from the custom shop It also had problems with mag Wilsons, Chips and Metalform works like a champ with Mec-gars

 

[Black Majik]

Hey Tango, congrats on your Series I Royal.

I also bought a Series I Classic Royal a while ago. Question though, does your Kimber seem REALLY tight for a Kimber? Sometimes mine is really tight when I first pick it up. But this does not affect reliability in any way.

IME, the Chip McCormick mags work really well in my gun. Honestly, this gun is my favorite shooter of the bunch. Accurate as hell and I find the bluing better thant he Series II Custom Royals.

Have fun!

 

[ARGarrison]

I just bought a Series I Royal this month. Are we going to have to start a club?

 

[Tango Sierra]

Black Majik,

I haven't picked it up yet but when I examined it, the slide and barrel had absolutely no movement when in battery. The slide action seemed smoother than my Custom CDP II, almost Wilson like.

I think your right about the bluing. The trigger action of the Royal was also better. It took almost 2000 rounds fired and countless dry fires to get rid of the grit in my CDP's trigger.

 

[1911Tuner]

Old Kimbers

...and Children...and Watermelon Wine

The very first Kimber that I ever saw was one of the very first ones that they produced. I was impressed with the gun. It was a Classic Custom that a friend bought...and he still has it. At the time, I was keenly interested in this relative newcomer to the 1911 clone market.

Other than the pistol comin' from the box way oversprung with a recoil spring that tested at 20 pounds Accuracy was astounding.
Interestingly, the gun came with a pretty bad trigger, which we cleaned up
over a pot of coffee that same day.

I credit/blame Kimber for the influx of MIM parts, but had to admit that it
was better than some of the investment casting that I had seen start to
creep into the picture in the early to mid-80s. Kimber's early MIM parts
seemed to be on a par with the stuff that Colt uses now, and nothing
on Robert's pistol has broken, except the extractor. That was a quick-fix
at the range, and there have been no more problems to date in about
10,000 rounds. If Kimber would just get that parts vendor problem corrected...and find a workable middle ground on the Schwartz system
they're using now...but that's meat for a whole 'nother thread.

Fit and finish...then as now...was very good to excellent, especially in the
slide to frame fit.

Luck!

Tuner

.

 

[Tango Sierra]

I figure as soon as I pick the Royal up I'll change the recoil spring. Might as well do it for my CDP also since it has the original one in it. What weight spring do you recommend? I usually shoot Win Value Pack or Blazer (both aluminum and brass).

 

[1911Tuner]

Which Spring?

Howdy Tango,

I have to admit to bein' biased toward lighter recoil springs.
For a 5-inch gun...14 pounds for carry and 16 pounds for range work.

For Commander clones...16 and 18, respectively.

For shorter than Commander...trial and error 'til ya find on the gun likes.

 

[ARGarrison]

I'm new to all this 1911 stuff, so forgive me, but...

Ken, why doesn't the 8rd Wilson magazines lock open the slide?

Tuner, why the lighter spring for carry? Is it related to the ammo carried or a general recomendation?

 

[Ken Rainey]

Sorry, I kinda worded that sentence in a misleading way - I said it was the Chip McCormick 8 rd mags with the shooting star follower that wouldn't lock my slide open after the last shot.....I replaced them with the standard GI followers with the dimples and now all is well - I have a 7 rd mag with a stout spring! I don't like 8 rd mags just cause they're gonna give problems sooner than the 7 rd mags - sometimes right from the beginning. Of course, some people swear by 'em, me, I just swear at'em!!

As always, YMMV
Ken

 

[1911Tuner]

Carry Spring

ARGarrison asked:

Why the lighter spring for carry? Is it related to the ammo carried or a general recomendation?

Howdy,

General recommendation...A slightly lighter recoil spring makes the
gun less prone to malfunctions with a less than ideal grip on the gun, and it also gives the magazine more time to get the next round into feeding position. This assumes that everything else is "right". Extractor tension,
ramp and throat geometry, breech face condition and width, etc.

 

[coffinhandler]

I purchased a Custom Royale from Gander Mntn., a few years ago. It was slightly scrathed so they knocked off $100.00. I took it to the range, and I could not believe how accurate it was. It led me to purchase a Custom Eclipse 2. I never liked the Eclipse. I dont know what it was, but I did not shoot it nearly as well. I certainly did not like the adjustable sights on it, The thought of it being a series 2 always sticks in my mind. I think you purchased a very fine gun, and I hope you are half as pleased as I am.

 

[Black Majik]

Dayam... a lotta Series I Classic Royal owners.

How bout' a picture thread?

 

[ARGarrison]

Thanks guys.

Black Majik, don't have a digital camera nor do I know how to post pictures, but I sure think my Classic Royal is worth posting a picture of it.