Kimber Ultra Carry II

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

comanche

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2006
Messages
4
I'm thinking about purchasing this gun and wanted some opinions from people that already own it. Have you had many problems with it? Can you easily conceal it during the summer months? If you shoot both the .45 and .40 and which one did you go with and why? Also, what type of holster you use?

I've searched past threads and haven't been able to find any really good info on the UC II.

Also is there any other gun that you wish you would have gone with instead? I'm trying to find a good gun to conceal.

I'm also wondering what you paid, or better yet if these are pretty good prices for the gun. http://www.impactguns.com/store/kimber_ultracarry.html I always thought my local gun shop was kind of high.

Thanks
 
I have an Ultra Carry pre-Series II in .45ACP that is my regular carry piece. It didn't care for the stock mags so I replaced them with Wilsons. It has had a couple of thousand rounds through it with absolutely zero problems. Right now it's on my waist in a Sparks VM-2. In the summer shorts season, it's usually in a pocket holster made by Eric at hbeleatherworks.com. Based on my experience with this pistol, I wouldn't have any qualms about recommending it.

This pistol is surprisingly accurate and controllable. My wife even likes to shoot it.

Haven't noted the prices on the Series II's locally so can't really comment on Impact's prices. Note that Impact Guns doesn't have ANY of these in stock. If you factor in shipping and FFL transfer costs, your local store may not be so high.
 
i have a kimber 4inch compact. love it. easy to conceal, very thin, .. had to upgrade the sights though and get a better trigger. i use a kramer IWB holster.

sorry, it's not an ultra carry (too small for me) but i'll tell u that u can't go wrong with kimber. approx 2500 rounds now with no jams/misfires or anything.
 
I had a Kimber UC Series I, blued with rosewood grips and Ashley ( now 24/7) Big Dot sights. It had a great trigger, was very accurate, and worked with everything I fed it (factory FMJ & JHP). My only complaint is that it was sensitive to limp wristing [sometimes, with some ammo], and recoil was stout, as would be expected in and lightweight, short barreled, large bore pistol.

Nice gun, I don't know why I sold it -?
 
I have a new Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II in .45 ACP, and really LUV it~!:D Why .45 ACP? Cuz thats what most of my carry guns are chambered in. Its
bone stock, and without night sights. I just ordered a compact leather rig
(holster, belt, and double mag pouch) from Kirkpatrick leather of Laredo, TX.:cool:

BTW, I paid $645 NIB, and OTD for mine. I retail them everyday for
$739.88~!
 
Last edited:
I just bought my Kimber Ultra .45 today. Before I bought it I rented it from a shooting range in Bryan and the wife and I tested the Ultra out. I was really surprise that the Ultra did not kick much more than a full size .45. The muzzle flash and the noise was much worse. The accuracy for such a small barrel was also a surprise with very tight groupings at 7 yards out.

The best price I have seen for a Stainles Steel stock Kimber Ultra .45 new was $685.00.
 
Comanche,

Where do you live? You don't always save money by buying online. Handguns have to be shipped overnight and dealers will charge upwards of $50 to ship plus you have to pay for the FFL charge which is also upwards of $40 to transfer. Unless you are going to save more than $50 it's not really worth it.

I've seen UC II S/S online as cheap as $699. I paid $749 plus 6% tax. If you were able to fine one for $699, you would only save about $20. Pluse you don't get the expertise of the gunstore to show you how to disassemble the Ultra Carry.

The Ultra Carry is extremely easy to shoot and easy to conceal. The gun, itself, is very light, but with 8 rounds of 230 grain .45 ACP, it gets a little heavier so be sure to also find a good leather holster for the gun.
 
I just got mine, and have a second UC on the way from Gunbroker. I find it very comfortable to carry, and it conceals very nicely. So far, although I haven't fired many rounds through it, what I've fired has worked just fine.
It's pretty accurate also.
 
I had the stainless UC. I have never had more fun shooting a gun in my life. It was quite accurate and I could really hit with it. That's one gun I should of kept.
 
Thanks for all the great replies!!! Another question this will be my first handgun, I've shot many though and was wondering if a 1911 would be a bad first choice? I posted something like this on another forum and someone said that he'd recommend me getting sometihng else first. This will be my first and last handgun for sometime.

Thanks
 
That depends on what you are looking for and only you can answer that question. There are a lot of variations that companies put into there weapons; double or single action, Manual safety or no manual safety, poly or steel, common or uncommon parts, caliber, etc because everyone has there own preferences.
 
Maybe the poster on the other forum didn't know you've fired several guns? I would say if you're familiar with several different types and you know how they operate, disassemble, etc, why not a 1911 for your first?
 
Considering that millions of 1911s have been used by tens of millions of shooters in the last (almost) century, I would venture that anyone of average intelligence and mechanical ability would have no trouble using one now. Granted, there are handguns that require less attention and others that require less thought to use, but I doubt that there are many that have the flexibility and overall durability of the 1911 while retaining value like a quality 1911.
 
I have an UCII in stainless that I carry everyday in an Uncle Mike’s IWB holster. Many don’t like Uncle Mikes but their IWB for like $7 can’t be beat IMHO. Very comfortable and after three years of EVERYDAY carry its still holding up.

The pistol has been fabulous. Very accurate inside 15 yards (I can’t speak much for the accuracy beyond that because I don’t shoot beyond that with a defensive pistol) as I can usually print 2” groups off hand with it. Recoil is very managable. I notice little difference between the UCII and a full size 1911 if any. Also I would like to note that my UCII has little to no muzzle flip when firing. Which is great for a lite compact carry gun with such a proven and powerful round as the 45ACP.

Great fit and finish. You can tell Kimber really took their time with it. I’ve near 2500 rounds through mine and without failure save for a magazine issue I had that resulted in my switching to the Wilson Mags. The Wilson Mags stick out of the bottom a bit but they don’t hinder concealability much and IMHO they just look cool like that anyway.

I carry as I said in an IWB UM holster in the small of my back. For me this is the most comfortable method and I’ve become quite proficient drawing from that location with practice. I forget I’m wearing it. I’m actually wearing it right now as I type. Got home about an hour ago and haven’t thought to take it off yet. That should tell you something.

I’ve also on occasion used the IWB holster in my front pocket as well. I clip it on the lip of the pocket and the gun can be drawn from there without the holster coming with it. With a longer shirt this works as well as SOB carry for me though I rarely do it.

I would be nervous about Kimber right now though. With the issues that they have had with their external extractor I would wait on an internal version. Also it should be noted that while my experiences have all been utterly positive as have many others, there seems to be a predominant and present risk of getting a lemon with the 3” 1911s on the market. It can be a roll of the dice, so be warned if you decide to chance it. I did and it worked out famously for me.
 
OK, let me be the Grinch.

My rule, after much money down the drain, is no 1911 pattern pistol with less than a 4" bbl., preferably 4.25"

I have a Kimber UC II -- it took almost a year and a lot of money to get it to work somewhat reliably, and I still would not dream of using it for self-defense, as it is just not reliable enough. It is a safe queen and will remain there, because I would feel bad about selling it to someone who might use it for S.D. and then have it fail. I will simply take it out to the range every once in a while and think what 'might have been.';)

I have had similar experiences with other short 1911's.

From the above posts it is clear that it is POSSIBLE to get a reliable 3" 1911, but my experience and my conversations with others is that the shorter the bbl. the less likely you are to have a good experience.

In my opinion, it is no more difficult to conceal a CCO or a CMDR, so why buy the hassles?
 
I have a Pro Carry 2 which is a drop bigger than the one you refer to.

I love it, its a great shooter, feeds most any ammo.

HOWEVER,
I have a friend who bought the ULTRA, and he hates it. MAJOR problem for him is taking it apart, he does not like the guide rod, or the tool needed.

My suggestion would be to see if the dealer will let you, or show you how it breaks down before you buy it.

be well.
 
ultra cdp II roughly 8500 rounds down range

Problems:

OEM mag followers rocking foward...invested in wilsons solved

upgrades:

wolff 21 pound recoil spring... just did it to experiment, dramatically reduces muzzle flip / recoil and you get a little more life that the stock 18 pound / 800round setup

ed brown wide ambi safety...because i am a lefty and prefer the wider platform for thumb placment

Wilson extended slide stop... allows significant improvment on leverage allowing me to close slide (left hand trigger finger) without shifting grip also a nice rest for that trigger finger

houge grips (finger groove type)... needed the larger profile for my hand

lube slide rails with Lucas oil stabilizer (autozone)

as comfortable as my recliner and carried in a bob mernickle PS-2 The only place she does not go is thru metal detectors

without a doubt the best 1000 bucks I have ever spent in my life--bar none !!!

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/ .......... and no i have no financial interest in this company, just high quality hand made product that is designed for function well worth the wait and a canadian that saw the light and moved south !!
 
Ultra Broke

I have a Kimber Ultra SP II. On the 71st round, the trigger mechanism broke. It locked the trigger, the hammer, and prevented the magazine from being removed. Fortunately, the slide could be worked and the pistol was emptied prior to shipping back for warranty repair.

I've fired 200 rounds since the repair without a problem. It is a lot of fun to shoot and the recoil is not an issue. Hogue wrap-around grips keep it steady in the hand.

Be aware that of the 4 Kimbers I purchased new last year, 3 of them went back for warranty repair. One of them 3 times.

I only use them for target shooting.
 
+1 on what others have said. I had two Kimber UC SS II (the first I bought, second was a replacemenyt gun when they couldn't get the first to work, the second one they couldn't get working eitherBTW) that were nothing but problems. Some work fine. Lots don't. The potential for problems with the llttle guns is much greater than the bigger version. Regrdless of the maker. Lots of the 3" SA guns have problems also. Again if you get the UC look for an internal extractor model. They are making them again. The external extractors have had lots of problems. Also realize the little guns need more TLC to keep running.
 
p.s.,
realize also that the .45's ballistics go to hell in the 3" barreled guns. The .45 is a low pressure cartridge designed to be fired from a 5" barrel. In testing only a handful of rounds would expand out of the little tubes. For a 3" gun I'll stick with my MK40. The .40 and 9mm being hi pressure rounds lose little in the way of terminal ballistics in the short tubes. Just food for thought.
 
People make too much of the break down for the UCII. I can field strip mine in less than 30 seconds. It took me a bi to learn it, but its a non-issue to say the least when deciding on a gun.

The 45 does lose some of it effectivness in such a short barrel, but not enough to make it ineffective and I would still rather the 45 in a short than a 9 in a long.

If I was in the market for a CCW right now I would not be considering the 3" 1911 from any manufacturer. I feel that I dodged a "bullet" so to speak and got a good one. If I had to roll the dice again I would be looking at Smith and Wesson's great scandium commanders and not an Ultra Carry or the like.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Tough choice and need advise: Pro-Carry II vs Ultra Carry II
2
Replies
30
Views
7K
rbernie
rbernie
T
  • Locked
Kimber Ultra CDP II?
Replies
2
Views
299
CWL
C
L
  • Locked
Kimber Pro Crimson Carry II
Replies
3
Views
506
lostinrockford
L
D
  • Locked
Kimber Ultra Carry II
Replies
4
Views
665
The Bushmaster
The Bushmaster
H
  • Locked
Kimber Ultra Carry
Replies
13
Views
925
M2 Carbine
M
Back
Top