stans
Member
Range report: Initial firing
Firearm: Kimber Gold Match 1911-A1 (Series I)
Date tested: October 22, 2004
Well, I have not been completely satisfied with my S&W 4506 (an early model, a so-called transitional mode, mismarked as a 645). This pistol was big ( a wee bit too big for my hands), heavy and not all that accurate (4 to 5 inches at 25 yards). So I was looking for a replacement, something I liked better and something that fit me better. I am a fan of the 1911, so naturally, that is what I really wanted. I headed out to the range this morning for a practice session with my S&W 439 and 6 inch Colt Python. I also took my 4506 along since I decided to visit a gun shop as well.
I asked the clerk in the shop if I could see some used 1911's in 45 ACP with adjustable rear sights. I inspected three. The first was a Colt stainless 1991-A1. This pistol had been gun smithed. It had Bomar rear sights, a dovetailed front sight, aluminum trigger, skeletonized hammer, beavertail grip safety, extended thumb safety and slide stop, and a Smith & Alexander mag well/mainspring housing and skateboard tape on the front strap. The barrel was stock Colt and had vertical play at the chamber in lock up and was fitted with an Ed Brown bushing and a two piece guide rod. There was a fair amount of vertical and lateral play in the slide and frame fit, typical of Series 80 stainless Colts. The finish was a very even sandblasted surface, but the serial number and roll markings were faint. It was nice, but I am a bit leery of pistols that have been smithed by persons unknown.
I looked at a Kimber Gold Match Stainless II, pass, just don't care for external extractors. I also looked at a Kimber Gold Match Stainless, a first series pistol. This thing looked new save for a small scuff on the frame just below the slide stop. No visible wear, just a little powder fouling in the barrel and on the breech face. I checked it over very closely and could find no faults. The asking price was $800 and I felt that was a fair price for such a nice specimen. I managed to get the price down to $700 and a $250 trade on the 4506. Yeah, I know, I could have sold the 4506 for $300 to $350 on the open market, but this Kimber was not likely to sit for very long and I did not want to go through advertising and hoping for a sale.
The paperwork was done, guns and money exchanged, and I was off to Walmart for a 100 round pack of Winchester USA 230 grain FMJ ammo. Now, off to the range.
I loaded two rounds in the mag and took aim at the bottom edge of a paper plate set at 25 yards. POW, POW! The gun fed properly, brass ejected smartly, cases propelled horizontally to the right and at about 30 degrees towards the rear of the ejection port, landing about 10 feet from the pistol. Two hits at the very upper edge of the target and about three inches to the right. Sights were adjusted, firing two shots until the hits were centered on the plate.
Groups were good, the best being four shots into 0.75 inches with one flyer. The flyer was most definitely shooter error. There were no malfunctions in the 50 rounds fired. Now off to the house for a break down of the pistol.
This gun appears to have been fired very little, I would say no more than about 100 rounds. The extractor appeared to be machined, definitely not MIM or cast, but had almost zero tension. This has been rectified and I also gave the bottom edge of the hook a little more break away radius as it had almost none. The slide stop will need to be replaced, it is most definitely MIM and I don't expect it to last long. The recoil spring is about 16 pounds, the guide is one piece stainless steel. The bushing appears to be cast, has that just right fit in the slide and provides only about 0.001" clearance on the barrel. The barrel is in excellent condition, no fore or aft movement in the breech and no vertical movement at lock up. The lower lugs do have good contact with the slide stop pin and the upper lugs also appear to have full engagement with the recesses in the slide. The trigger has about 0.015" over travel and there is just a hint of creep in the pull. The pull is about 4-1/2 pounds. Slide to frame fit is good with about 0.005" vertical and lateral play.
I really don't care for the plastic mainspring housing, so a stainless model will need to be fitted.
Overall, I already love this pistol! It has no firing pin safety, something that I don't feel is really needed in the 1911. The trigger action is acceptable and the pistol seems to be very accurate. Obviously, far more testing will be required to prove this pistol and I look forward to this task.
Firearm: Kimber Gold Match 1911-A1 (Series I)
Date tested: October 22, 2004
Well, I have not been completely satisfied with my S&W 4506 (an early model, a so-called transitional mode, mismarked as a 645). This pistol was big ( a wee bit too big for my hands), heavy and not all that accurate (4 to 5 inches at 25 yards). So I was looking for a replacement, something I liked better and something that fit me better. I am a fan of the 1911, so naturally, that is what I really wanted. I headed out to the range this morning for a practice session with my S&W 439 and 6 inch Colt Python. I also took my 4506 along since I decided to visit a gun shop as well.
I asked the clerk in the shop if I could see some used 1911's in 45 ACP with adjustable rear sights. I inspected three. The first was a Colt stainless 1991-A1. This pistol had been gun smithed. It had Bomar rear sights, a dovetailed front sight, aluminum trigger, skeletonized hammer, beavertail grip safety, extended thumb safety and slide stop, and a Smith & Alexander mag well/mainspring housing and skateboard tape on the front strap. The barrel was stock Colt and had vertical play at the chamber in lock up and was fitted with an Ed Brown bushing and a two piece guide rod. There was a fair amount of vertical and lateral play in the slide and frame fit, typical of Series 80 stainless Colts. The finish was a very even sandblasted surface, but the serial number and roll markings were faint. It was nice, but I am a bit leery of pistols that have been smithed by persons unknown.
I looked at a Kimber Gold Match Stainless II, pass, just don't care for external extractors. I also looked at a Kimber Gold Match Stainless, a first series pistol. This thing looked new save for a small scuff on the frame just below the slide stop. No visible wear, just a little powder fouling in the barrel and on the breech face. I checked it over very closely and could find no faults. The asking price was $800 and I felt that was a fair price for such a nice specimen. I managed to get the price down to $700 and a $250 trade on the 4506. Yeah, I know, I could have sold the 4506 for $300 to $350 on the open market, but this Kimber was not likely to sit for very long and I did not want to go through advertising and hoping for a sale.
The paperwork was done, guns and money exchanged, and I was off to Walmart for a 100 round pack of Winchester USA 230 grain FMJ ammo. Now, off to the range.
I loaded two rounds in the mag and took aim at the bottom edge of a paper plate set at 25 yards. POW, POW! The gun fed properly, brass ejected smartly, cases propelled horizontally to the right and at about 30 degrees towards the rear of the ejection port, landing about 10 feet from the pistol. Two hits at the very upper edge of the target and about three inches to the right. Sights were adjusted, firing two shots until the hits were centered on the plate.
Groups were good, the best being four shots into 0.75 inches with one flyer. The flyer was most definitely shooter error. There were no malfunctions in the 50 rounds fired. Now off to the house for a break down of the pistol.
This gun appears to have been fired very little, I would say no more than about 100 rounds. The extractor appeared to be machined, definitely not MIM or cast, but had almost zero tension. This has been rectified and I also gave the bottom edge of the hook a little more break away radius as it had almost none. The slide stop will need to be replaced, it is most definitely MIM and I don't expect it to last long. The recoil spring is about 16 pounds, the guide is one piece stainless steel. The bushing appears to be cast, has that just right fit in the slide and provides only about 0.001" clearance on the barrel. The barrel is in excellent condition, no fore or aft movement in the breech and no vertical movement at lock up. The lower lugs do have good contact with the slide stop pin and the upper lugs also appear to have full engagement with the recesses in the slide. The trigger has about 0.015" over travel and there is just a hint of creep in the pull. The pull is about 4-1/2 pounds. Slide to frame fit is good with about 0.005" vertical and lateral play.
I really don't care for the plastic mainspring housing, so a stainless model will need to be fitted.
Overall, I already love this pistol! It has no firing pin safety, something that I don't feel is really needed in the 1911. The trigger action is acceptable and the pistol seems to be very accurate. Obviously, far more testing will be required to prove this pistol and I look forward to this task.
