dk-corriveau
Member
Ok, so I just got my conceal/carry permit and I am thinking about getting a Kimber Pro Carry for daily use. What are your thoughts and opinions of the Kimber Pro Carry and it’s other Pro sized .45s?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Kimber Pro Carry...worthy carry piece or not?
- Thread starter dk-corriveau
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M2 Carbine
member
Personally I don't like the Pro grip on the small (ultra) Kimbers. I have three Ultra size and one Compact. I like the short grips on the small guns.
If your hands are big or you want the extra magazine capacity the Pro might be for you.
If your hands are big or you want the extra magazine capacity the Pro might be for you.
Lennyjoe
Member
I carry a Kimber Pro Carry II every day and I love it. Very accurate, reliable pistol. I use Wilson Combat 47D mags in it and it feeds just fine. 200gr +P Speer ammo is my selection for personal defense.
The pistol rides in a Galco Royal Guard IWB holster.
The pistol rides in a Galco Royal Guard IWB holster.
Tropical Z
Member
Just hope that a critical MIM part doesn't snap at the most inopportune time.I'll take a raincheck on the Kimber line.
My Pro Carry II HD was a real dog - major extractor issues. See posts often about other PCs (and kimbers in general) with similiar problems. I eventually went with a Colt XSE - much happier with it.
Heres a guy with 'same' problem...
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180935
Heres a guy with 'same' problem...
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180935
Monkeyleg
Member.
I don't think there's a manufacturer out there who doesn't produce a problem gun from time to time.
Kimbers are popular, and so they get mentioned more often--for good or for bad. It's like Harley Davidson: they produce more motorcycles than BMW, and get criticized more often. Go to a BMW rally, though, and you'll hear tons of complaints.
I'd put thousands of rounds through my Pro Carry (bought in 1999) before I realized I had a problem. That was while taking a two-day course in July 2002 in 90-degree heat, with over 500 rounds fired. Gun oil isn't up to that task. Use something heavier, like Tetra Lube.
The slide stop got bunged up and I had the slide not locking back after the last round. I managed to get a Wilson "Bulletproof" slide stop on the first night, but it didn't do any better. In fact, I wound up going back to the Kimber slide stop and made a point to count my shots.
I dropped the pistol a couple of years ago and really messed up some internal parts.
Whether you buy a Kimber, a Springfield, a Colt, or even a Charles Daly, there's a few things you should do.
Make sure the extractor is working properly. 1911Tuner can tell you in more detail how to do this (or you can search for his posts). Basically, chamber a round, drop the magazine, then pull the slide back slowly. The extractor should be gripping the case and pulling it to the ejection port.
Keep it properly lubed. I really learned my lesson on that one.
Put hundreds and hundreds of rounds through it before you trust it.
If you choose to keep the factory MIM slide stop, inspect it with a magnifier every time you clean it, looking for any gouges.
Don't use the Kimber mags. Some say to use Wilson mags, others favor MecGar, Shooting Star, other mags. The Kimber mags are a crap shoot, and I don't understand why they still ship them. On the other hand, Colt mags don't work at all in my Pro Carry, so
for Colt.
Once the gunsmith finished repairing all the damage I'd done by dropping the pistol, it functioned 100%. I tried to get it to fail, but couldn't.
Or get yourself a good revolver. I shot thousands of rounds in IPSC competition years back, and only had one problem: a handloaded round (my handload) with no powder. Bullet stuck in the barrel. If it had been a defensive situation, I would have had a shiney blued club.
Kimbers are popular, and so they get mentioned more often--for good or for bad. It's like Harley Davidson: they produce more motorcycles than BMW, and get criticized more often. Go to a BMW rally, though, and you'll hear tons of complaints.
I'd put thousands of rounds through my Pro Carry (bought in 1999) before I realized I had a problem. That was while taking a two-day course in July 2002 in 90-degree heat, with over 500 rounds fired. Gun oil isn't up to that task. Use something heavier, like Tetra Lube.
The slide stop got bunged up and I had the slide not locking back after the last round. I managed to get a Wilson "Bulletproof" slide stop on the first night, but it didn't do any better. In fact, I wound up going back to the Kimber slide stop and made a point to count my shots.
I dropped the pistol a couple of years ago and really messed up some internal parts.
Whether you buy a Kimber, a Springfield, a Colt, or even a Charles Daly, there's a few things you should do.
Make sure the extractor is working properly. 1911Tuner can tell you in more detail how to do this (or you can search for his posts). Basically, chamber a round, drop the magazine, then pull the slide back slowly. The extractor should be gripping the case and pulling it to the ejection port.
Keep it properly lubed. I really learned my lesson on that one.
Put hundreds and hundreds of rounds through it before you trust it.
If you choose to keep the factory MIM slide stop, inspect it with a magnifier every time you clean it, looking for any gouges.
Don't use the Kimber mags. Some say to use Wilson mags, others favor MecGar, Shooting Star, other mags. The Kimber mags are a crap shoot, and I don't understand why they still ship them. On the other hand, Colt mags don't work at all in my Pro Carry, so
for Colt.Once the gunsmith finished repairing all the damage I'd done by dropping the pistol, it functioned 100%. I tried to get it to fail, but couldn't.
Or get yourself a good revolver. I shot thousands of rounds in IPSC competition years back, and only had one problem: a handloaded round (my handload) with no powder. Bullet stuck in the barrel. If it had been a defensive situation, I would have had a shiney blued club.
Kimber's quality control seems to have disappeared. Lots of people are having problems especially with FTFs.
Even Guns & Ammo tested a faulty Kimber Raptor II recently and tried to hide the problems, if you read the report you'll see what I mean.
Avoid Kimbers, it's not like there's a shortage of other high quality 1911s to choose from.
Even Guns & Ammo tested a faulty Kimber Raptor II recently and tried to hide the problems, if you read the report you'll see what I mean.
Avoid Kimbers, it's not like there's a shortage of other high quality 1911s to choose from.
ewb45acp
Member
I've been packing a pro-carry 1 for almost 4 years now. I have total confidence it will do what it needs to, if I should ever need it.
waterhouse
Member
These are the (almost) commander sized guns with a 4" barrel and full sized grip correct?
I've got a Pro Elite. It has been pretty fantastic for nearly 1000 rounds and I wouldn't hesitate to carry it. I've also got a Compact, which has the 4" barrel and officers size grip. I haven't shot it much, but when I do I'll think about carrying it as well. The officers grip conceals a lot better under a t-shirt for me.
All of my kimbers are older series 1.
I've got a Pro Elite. It has been pretty fantastic for nearly 1000 rounds and I wouldn't hesitate to carry it. I've also got a Compact, which has the 4" barrel and officers size grip. I haven't shot it much, but when I do I'll think about carrying it as well. The officers grip conceals a lot better under a t-shirt for me.
All of my kimbers are older series 1.
USPCompact45
Member
I like the para carry lda. It seems more concealable than the kimber because it's shorter and it doesn't have the 1911 hammer. It is also reliable and it uses the power extracter now so less failures to eject and it didn't have feeding problems.
pistolwhipped
Member
I had a Kimber Pro for a while. The Wilson mags made the weapon work. No other mag would work efficiently. Shot well. Carried well in Sparks VMII.
Sold it.
Now I'm after a Colt XSE.
Sold it.
Now I'm after a Colt XSE.
Jayb
Member
I've carried a Pro CDP for 5 years now, and have yet to have the first problem of ANY sort. I carry the pistol daily, and have fired over 3000 rounds thru it. I'm using the original factory mags. The gun has been fired in rain, snow, and been almost too hot to pick up by the barrel, and functioned with no problems at all.
On the other hand, I've got a couple of friends that bought new series II Kimbers, that almost quit talking to me. They've had some nightmare issues with the newer pistols.
On the other hand, I've got a couple of friends that bought new series II Kimbers, that almost quit talking to me. They've had some nightmare issues with the newer pistols.
Grayrider
Member
Ditto to what Jayb said. Maybe the internal extractor models were better. Mine is my CDP Pro Carry is my constant companion. Only in winter when I can conceal a larger gun does it sit in the safe much.
GR
GR
Tom Servo
Member
No problems with my CDP Compact in over 1500 rounds. It's lived up to the hype, and I've had no problems with it. All I've changed are the magazines and grips.
MIM? No wear or breakage. External Extractor? No problems. Schwartz safety thingy? Whatever.
Has Kimber probably let a few lemons out? Sure. Given the volume they do, it's likely to happen. But when you hear all the complaints, bear in mind that a) the minority is always the most vocal, b) nobody's pickier than 1911 people, and c) most of the folks with "problem" Kimbers likely made them that way through kitchen-table amateur gunsmithing.
MIM? No wear or breakage. External Extractor? No problems. Schwartz safety thingy? Whatever.
Has Kimber probably let a few lemons out? Sure. Given the volume they do, it's likely to happen. But when you hear all the complaints, bear in mind that a) the minority is always the most vocal, b) nobody's pickier than 1911 people, and c) most of the folks with "problem" Kimbers likely made them that way through kitchen-table amateur gunsmithing.
Naa - I think most of the people with Kimber problems bought ones with the external extractors - no doubt we got to beta test them, as they have changed the design 3 or 4 times already. Of course, they have the normal QC issues too - but a poor design dumped on an unknowing public is pretty crappy.
You know, this is a particular pet peeve of mine. If you don't know what you are talking about, don't spout off.
MIM parts are perfectly fine, even in a Kimber. If an MIM part is going to fail, it will do so early on. That is the nature of MIM. Test fire a couple hundred rounds and if nothing breaks, it's as if you have regular old tool steel to work with.
I have 3 Kimbers (Pro Carry, TLE II, and a Custom Classic) and they are all fine. The latter is the only one without MIM parts.
Greg
My first pistol was a Series I. I had a few problems with it, nothing major. The plunger tube fell off and I had to replace the Slide Stop to get the slide to lock back consistently. But overall, just stuff that could be easily taken care of.
My real pet peeve is with the design though. I hated having to keep a paperclip handy to field strip it. There's nothing more fun than digging through the range bag hoping that I remembered to pack the paperclip!
My real pet peeve is with the design though. I hated having to keep a paperclip handy to field strip it. There's nothing more fun than digging through the range bag hoping that I remembered to pack the paperclip!
Demonstrably false. Case in point: My Series I Compact failed at 1100 rounds of standard pressure factory ammo (slide stop breakage). Figure the 500 rounds that Kimber Manufacturing Inc. recommends for "break in", and two to four hundred rounds for function testing of my chosen defensive load with my carry magazines, and my gun still failed catastrophically well into the "proven reliable" period.
At any rate, it's small comfort to the purchaser that his gun will fail "within a couple hundred rounds" if it turns out to have crappy parts in it, and even that you can't rely on.
The fact is that Kimber has a small parts problem. MIM is perfectly fine, if the quality control is there, and I have no problem with it, if the quality control is there. But Kimber, above all other manufacturers, has set the standard for cost-cutting MIM parts failures. And it's too bad, because they single-handedly put the fire back into the 1911 market back when they had their small parts QC under control.
All the other MIM parts in my Kimber performed superbly.
I gave my gunsmith my OEM Kimber recoil spring plug and his tool and die guy made me a standard type plug for $25. I dremeled a Commander guide rod in about five minutes and a had a tool-free take down Compact. It was well worth it. Just be sure the the guide rod is short enough, so it doesn't impact the custom plug as the slide cycles.
aaronrkelly
Member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2005
- Messages
- 1,087
I have a Kimber Pro Carry II and have carried it since January. A spot or two of rust has formed on the hammer and a few other places, they cleaned off. No failures and I really like the lightness of the alloy frame. Mine has an internal extractor. I paid $575 NIB and would buy it again.
Monkeyleg
Member.
Just put another couple of hundred rounds through mine today with not a single failure.
I do have to agree with boing on his point about MIM parts. Parts like the thumb safety, which do not take a real beating, will either fail early on or probably never fail. A part like a slide stop can be worn down. That's what happened to mine. Which is why I check it every time I clean the pistol.
I also think--and feel free to correct me--that the Wilson mags don't gouge up the slide stop because they have plastic followers, while the factory mags have metal followers. When I looked closely at the slide stop that had failed on my, there was a pronounced gouge in it where the metal follower made contact.
I do have to agree with boing on his point about MIM parts. Parts like the thumb safety, which do not take a real beating, will either fail early on or probably never fail. A part like a slide stop can be worn down. That's what happened to mine. Which is why I check it every time I clean the pistol.
I also think--and feel free to correct me--that the Wilson mags don't gouge up the slide stop because they have plastic followers, while the factory mags have metal followers. When I looked closely at the slide stop that had failed on my, there was a pronounced gouge in it where the metal follower made contact.
Fly320s
Member
And now for my 2 cents.
I have a 4 year old Kimber Pro Carry .40SW, Series I, with an aluminum frame. It is my carry gun and my USPSA competition gun.
I don't keep a count of rounds fired, but I think a very conservative estimate is over 7,000 rounds fired through this gun. The only parts that have been replaced are the recoil, firing pin, and main springs as part of preventative maintenance.
Right now, I have the slide stop in my hand. I can see that the upper rear is very slightly rounded, but still squared enough to positively engage the slide stop notch. The slide stop notch is equally worn. But the gun functioned quite well today during a match with about 150 rounds fired.
Basically, dk-corriveau, I would recommend a Pro Carry, even the Series II. I don't personally like the Series II guns because of the Schwartz safety and the external extractor, but every other aspect of the gun I fully approve of.
If you like the gun, and it fits your hand, you'll be happy with it. It will withstand the use.
I have a 4 year old Kimber Pro Carry .40SW, Series I, with an aluminum frame. It is my carry gun and my USPSA competition gun.
I don't keep a count of rounds fired, but I think a very conservative estimate is over 7,000 rounds fired through this gun. The only parts that have been replaced are the recoil, firing pin, and main springs as part of preventative maintenance.
Right now, I have the slide stop in my hand. I can see that the upper rear is very slightly rounded, but still squared enough to positively engage the slide stop notch. The slide stop notch is equally worn. But the gun functioned quite well today during a match with about 150 rounds fired.
Basically, dk-corriveau, I would recommend a Pro Carry, even the Series II. I don't personally like the Series II guns because of the Schwartz safety and the external extractor, but every other aspect of the gun I fully approve of.
If you like the gun, and it fits your hand, you'll be happy with it. It will withstand the use.
dk-corriveau
Member
Well I have made my purchase...A Para LTC! 
I was at the gunshop yesterday and had a couple of Pro Carrys (stainless in both the HD and light weight versions) in my hand. Very nice and felt great. But, the also had the LTC there and in the end I pulled the trigger on it.
Since I already own a Kimber that I am very happy with (no FTE or broken MIM parts) I was comfortable with buying the Kimber. But something about the LTC was calling me. I hit the range this morning and I am very happy with my purchase. I will be posting a full report later today, probably type it up while watching some football.
Thank you for all the advice.
I was at the gunshop yesterday and had a couple of Pro Carrys (stainless in both the HD and light weight versions) in my hand. Very nice and felt great. But, the also had the LTC there and in the end I pulled the trigger on it.
Since I already own a Kimber that I am very happy with (no FTE or broken MIM parts) I was comfortable with buying the Kimber. But something about the LTC was calling me. I hit the range this morning and I am very happy with my purchase. I will be posting a full report later today, probably type it up while watching some football.
Thank you for all the advice.
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