I used to shoot a full size 1911 quite a bit. I packed a Les Baer Premier II for several years. As I grew older, the arthritis in my hands was getting worse and my lower back was trash. Packing a full size 1911 was raising heck with my sciatic nerve and it was just not worth the hassle, so I bought a lightweight commander size 1911. The difference in weight was noticeable. A few years later my arthritis and tendonitis were becoming a literal pain. The tendonitis would come and go (still does) but the arthritis is here to stay. My handgun shooting skills were in decline and shooting a .45 ACP was becoming more and more difficult. The answer seemed to be to drop back to a 9mm pistol.
As an IPSC/USPSA shooter I had the opportunity to try several production offerings from various manufacturers, and to discuss the merits of each with other shooters. I settled on a G19 with a grip reduction for carry. One day I was browsing the local gun counter and I saw a Kimber Pro Ageis. I had owned two Kimbers previously. One of them had proven to be very problematic, the other ran fine. While there are many fine Kimbers on the market, it seems the company has had issues with quality control from time to time. I also know the 9mm 1911 guns can be finicky and magazines can be fussy. I am also not a fan of the firing pin block mechanism. I bought the gun anyway. Here is a stock photo of the Pro Ageis for those who may not be familiar with the gun.
I know some of you will cringe, but I removed the firing pin safety mechanism before even shooting the gun. I also made the grip safety a bit more sensitive. I bought some 125 grain defense loads from a couple of manufacturers along with some 147 grain offerings. The Remington 147 grain Golden Saber rounds grouped fine and corresponded to the point of aim. The pistol runs fine with several factory loadings and it also digests hand loads from 115 through 147 grains without complaint. I am well satisfied with the reliability. Accuracy is acceptable as well. I video taped a couple of drills and posted them on YouTube.
I don’t have a high quality camera and the aspect ratio went south (or is that wide) when I uploaded the videos. Still, you can get the idea. The first video is simply a five shot group shot standing without support. The distance was around 12 yards…give or take. Both the paper and the steel targets are metric USPSA/IPSC targets. I don't know how to embed a video so here is the link to a video of the group.
Ageis Group Shooting
The second drill was to shoot a couple of “controlled pairs” on the steel target. The holster is an inexpensive kydex paddle holster. I used a timer and the times were typical for me. The distance is 10 yards. Here is the video.
A pair of pairs
Out came the white paint and onto the next drill. The last drill was a “Bill Drill” to check for the timing, tracking, and other rapid fire characteristics. Here is a “Bill Drill”.
Bill Drill
In conclusion, the Pro Ageis is reliable, good handling, and accurate enough for my needs.
Before leaving the range, I retrieved my Glock 19 and a holster from the console in my vehicle and shot a group on the head of the steel target and a Bill Drill. Here are those videos:
G19 Group
G19 Bill Drill
Yeah, the Glock works too but I really do prefer the Ageis. I hope you enjoyed the videos.
As an IPSC/USPSA shooter I had the opportunity to try several production offerings from various manufacturers, and to discuss the merits of each with other shooters. I settled on a G19 with a grip reduction for carry. One day I was browsing the local gun counter and I saw a Kimber Pro Ageis. I had owned two Kimbers previously. One of them had proven to be very problematic, the other ran fine. While there are many fine Kimbers on the market, it seems the company has had issues with quality control from time to time. I also know the 9mm 1911 guns can be finicky and magazines can be fussy. I am also not a fan of the firing pin block mechanism. I bought the gun anyway. Here is a stock photo of the Pro Ageis for those who may not be familiar with the gun.
I know some of you will cringe, but I removed the firing pin safety mechanism before even shooting the gun. I also made the grip safety a bit more sensitive. I bought some 125 grain defense loads from a couple of manufacturers along with some 147 grain offerings. The Remington 147 grain Golden Saber rounds grouped fine and corresponded to the point of aim. The pistol runs fine with several factory loadings and it also digests hand loads from 115 through 147 grains without complaint. I am well satisfied with the reliability. Accuracy is acceptable as well. I video taped a couple of drills and posted them on YouTube.
I don’t have a high quality camera and the aspect ratio went south (or is that wide) when I uploaded the videos. Still, you can get the idea. The first video is simply a five shot group shot standing without support. The distance was around 12 yards…give or take. Both the paper and the steel targets are metric USPSA/IPSC targets. I don't know how to embed a video so here is the link to a video of the group.
Ageis Group Shooting
The second drill was to shoot a couple of “controlled pairs” on the steel target. The holster is an inexpensive kydex paddle holster. I used a timer and the times were typical for me. The distance is 10 yards. Here is the video.
A pair of pairs
Out came the white paint and onto the next drill. The last drill was a “Bill Drill” to check for the timing, tracking, and other rapid fire characteristics. Here is a “Bill Drill”.
Bill Drill
In conclusion, the Pro Ageis is reliable, good handling, and accurate enough for my needs.
Before leaving the range, I retrieved my Glock 19 and a holster from the console in my vehicle and shot a group on the head of the steel target and a Bill Drill. Here are those videos:
G19 Group
G19 Bill Drill
Yeah, the Glock works too but I really do prefer the Ageis. I hope you enjoyed the videos.
