Kimber Yin Yang

[Amadeus]

I'm thinking of buying a Kimber Compact Stainless II (w/ four inch barrel). If I decide to go this route, it will be my first 1911. So what should I expect from this piece? Give me the good the bad, and that whatever other wisdom you have re: Kimber series II compacts.

Thanks.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I'm going to assume you're not going to carry it.


I think your first 1911 should be a 5 inch, like a springfield milspec. it's relatively inexpensive, and they seem to work. they also seem to be closer to the design as JMB designed it than the kimbers, and as a consequence are easier to clean and fix.

YMMV

 

[Amadeus]

Thanks for the advice. Not really interested in a 5 inch though.

 

[Obiwan]

Not just advice...but the bad that you asked for.

In general (read that twice) the short barreled 1911's are more malfunction prone than the full-size pistols

Less a problem with 4" than the shorter ones...but the full-size are more problem free.

 

[CWL]

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP which I bought for California. It is a Series II just like yours will be. Mine was a headache.

After gaining the market over Colt based on reliability, Kimber QC has dropped, this combined with the CA-required Series II safety 'feature', you have a higher chance of something going wrong with it. Especially in anything smaller than the 5in barrel.

There is very little difference in the 4-5 inch models in terms of concealed carry because the extra 1" length will make no difference being carried vertically on your body and you gain the added velocity and reliability of the full-size.

For home/personal defense, sport use, the full size makes no difference either.

If you do get anyone with the Series II safety, gunsmith John Jardine here in N. CA, can get it reliably working for you if need be.

 

[sm]

Honest.
To re-iterate and re-enforce what others have said and will say.
5" gun is just as easy to carry and conceal. The grip is the same b/t the 4" and 5", 1" really is not that big of deal IWB/OWB. RELIABILTY is priority in any gun , any platform. Commander Size / Pro Carry are ~4", these are the smallest that show reliable in the 1911 platform.

Comforting, not comfortable.

Now my gunsmith uses a Pro Carry often, why...because he can. He will be the first to admit the weight and "smaller" savings is not that big of deal. Maybe sitting/driving one notices, this is where he uses it, that and as a BUG to a full size. Plus, he is a gunsmith, so he often uses his as a teaching tool as to why one should stick with a full size.

Officers size, well yeah, many have and use, many are reliable, but paramount to reliability is the inspect and maint.

I like Commander size, it has its place, mine have always been reliable, I prefer the bushing,as opposed to bull bbl. Why did I want and use? Because I wanted it, it was different. I immediatly went to 5" and used the Commander in all steel for BUG, or other things. I trusted mine, kinda like collecting the "rest of the set".

MY gunsmiths Pro Carry has/is 100% reliable, he has had no problems. He did tweak the trigger, but being a gunsmith he has resources, parts, tools and such. He actually cleaned it after a 9 month giving it a hard run through the paces. He prefers a 5" all steel gun. With his experience and tens of thousands of competiton rounds...tho friends...I respect his judgement...seems to be mirrored by many others. I just argue I prefer the all steel with bushing ,or LW commander over the new stuff period. All my guns are "series 70s " type. No FP safety for me, I even avoid the series 80s . I'm just that way. Don't have much of a rear end, want to keep what little I have...and all attached is all.

 

[Amadeus]

The grip is the same b/t the 4" and 5", 1" really is not that big of deal IWB/OWB. RELIABILTY is priority in any gun , any platform. Commander Size / Pro Carry are ~4", these are the smallest that show reliable in the 1911 platform.

According to the Kimber website, the grip on the Compact Stainless II is slightly shorter than the full sized frames.

 

[go8dalejr]

look in to a colt carry kimbers are copys i'll take the real deal
1000s of rounds through a gold cup no jams just keep wearing
out shok buffers and thats aftermarket .

 

[dav]

Oddly enough it appears that most responses here are from people with opinions based on other than experience.

I actually have a Kimber Compact CDP II. I love it, but it is not 100% reliable. I'm in California, and do not carry. It is a target gun.

The 4" barrel requires a firm wrist when shooting, it "limp wrists" easily. The Kimber needed over 200 rounds to "break-in".

But it was amazingly accurate right out of the box. It still malfs about 1 in 50. All other problems have gone away since it is now broken in, but it will still fail to go into battery sometimes. I have to pull back on the slide 1/4" and release, then shoot. No problem on the range, h**l in a self-defense situation.

The Compact is much shorter in the handle and the barrel. It holds seven in the mag instead of 8, as in the full size. I still use 8 round mags, they just protrude out the bottom of the grip.

It was fussy about mags in the beginning, but that does not appear to be the case, anymore. The stock mag and my 2 wilson 47D mags all work equally well.

I mostly use the range's "factory reload" ammo. I've seen no difference among any ammo brands (as far as functionality).

I'll stick with my Kimber Compact, guys. I expect it to achieve 100% reliability before I have the option to carry. If it does, I'll carry it. If it does not, I'll be looking somewhere other than Kimber.

 

[Raz]

I guess this is a bit of the exception to the rule , but my Ultra Carry has been 100% reliable, even grimy. The biggest problem I've had with Kimber is with my Government size Eclipse, which, like dav said, fails to go completely into battery about 1 in 50 times. It was worse before I polished the feed ramp ... Wilson mags didn't seem to help. It still drives me crazy! I absolutely LOVE it ... the grip, balance, accuracy ... I just don't feel confident enough in its relability to cary it.


Sucks.


-Raz

 

[tex_n_cal]

I'd suggest you look at either a Colt XSE Commander, which has many of the same features as a Kimber, or a Colt 1991A1 Commander, which is more like a Mil-spec gun. I think your odds of getting a good Colt are better than a Kimber. Kimber's Series I guns were okay, but on one internet forum about 1 in 5 KImber owners were having trouble with the Series II safety.

That said, my brother has bought 3 Series II's, and loves each of them. I'd probably buy a 10mm Kimber myself, if they get approved in CA.

edit to add: both of those Colts are approved in CA.

 

[Zundfolge]

Is there any way to convert a Series II to a Series I (obviously this would be illegal in California but so is pretty much everything else ).

 

[Sven]

Actually, I think it is legal to covert a Series II to a Series I if you leave the receiver intact... no?

 

[DMK]

I have a Colt CCO wich has pretty much the same dimensions as the Kimber Compact (4" "Commander" sized barrel, 6/7 round "Officer's" sized grip). I don't find this gun more difficult to shoot than a full size Govt. when you take the lighter weight into consideration. The grip is very comfortable with my hand and I've never limp wristed it. However, it is much easier to carry than my steel framed Govt.

If the Kimber Compact is reliable, I'd say it would make an excellent carry piece.

 

[MK11]

I've got a Kimber Series 1 Pro Carry (four inch barrel, full size grip). I'm not hung up on being a purist and I much prefer the way it handles over my full-size Classic Target. It's at least as accurate as the full-size.

That said, the slide stop would hang up and the slide would lock back with rounds still in the mag. I filed it down a tad and haven't had any problems since but there's still some lingering doubts.

 

[critter]

I have an older Kimber compact all stainless (pre firing pin safety). It is my carry gun-very accurate and absolutely 100% reliable.

 

[RANash]

CWL wrote: I have a Kimber Ultra CDP which I bought for California. It is a Series II just like yours will be. Mine was a headache.

Sorry to hear that. I have the Ultra CDP Series II also, and it's flawless until it gets dirty. Then it begins to have FTFs until the feedramp is cleaned. I think if I polished the feedramp, it would keep feeding longer. As it is, it will do about 50 rounds of dirty ammo flawlessly. It also feeds anything I've fed it, ball, JHPs, etc. I would feel confident in carrying it, as long as it was clean, since it is 100% reliable up to about 50 rounds.

The Series II firing pin safety hasn't given me any trouble at all, I don't even know it's there.

CWL also wrote: If you do get anyone with the Series II safety, gunsmith John Jardine here in N. CA, can get it reliably working for you if need be.

No kidding! John Jardine is a master! I also own a Valtro, which is the result of John's work, and it's the finest gun I've ever seen and shot. LOVE IT! I'm sure he can do wonders with anything, if necessary.

Zundfolge wrote: Is there any way to convert a Series II to a Series I (obviously this would be illegal in California but so is pretty much everything else). And Sven wrote: Actually, I think it is legal to covert a Series II to a Series I if you leave the receiver intact... no?

It's actually perfectly legal for you as the owner of the gun to make any modifications you wish (short of silencers, converting to full-auto fire, etc.) It's not legal for the manufacturers to change things, but you can. In other words, take out the Series II stuff if you wish, no problem. You can sell it in its modified form as well if you wish.

How do I know? Because I researched this before I modified my Browning High Power to take out the magazine disconnect.

However, I believe the Series II firing pin safety had some problems when it was newly introduced, but now they seem to be fine. I know that I don't have any problems with it at all.

That's been my experience with the little Kimber. Your mileage may vary.

 

[sm]

According to the Kimber website, the grip on the Compact Stainless II is slightly shorter than the full sized frames.

Could be, I get all their names confused with the "line extension" they have. Does it take a 5" full size mag?

My Series I and my gunsmith's Pro Carry II "look" the same, mine is all steel, his is naturally steel and alloy. They use the same mags, grip is same, his bbl is shorter.

He took this gun, directly out of box, fired ~ 980 before a FTF. Cleaned it and we ran another 1500 rds before we ran out of ammo. We shot weak-handed, sidewise, upside down , holding with only 2 finger and the like.

See we run the guns in every imaginable way. Our CCW has to run everytime, in any position. We train to shoot on back shooting the gun "upside down" , sidewise with both ejection port up or down ( so your downed and only shot is under vehicle) Weakhanded, On purpose limpwristing.... We run min of 500 rds of any ammo considered for CCW.

Then he adjusted the trigger, cleaned,lubed, and smoothed one little place on safety . I then ran 2k the next day with 3 choices of carry ammo, while he was teaching a class. NO failures.

IME and his we test our CCWs this way. We ask ourselves will the gun run if I'm hurt/bloody/weak/ have to shoot weak-handed/ limpwristing any at all/ in any position. NOT all guns will, NOR do most even check their guns and loads to see. The 5" guns do this better-period. The second best is the Commander/Pro Carry size.

My guns will, will yours?