Just picked this up this afternoon...
the price was right, gently used with just one box through it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I do like the idea of a full sized, bobtailed, alloy framed 1911. On paper I'd say this is the most "right" Kimber that's come out of Yonkers lately.
No Schwartz safety, GI recoil system, nightsites with a "ledge" on the rear and an attractive 2 tone finish.
The nightsites are very well executed, possibly my favorite 3 dots in terms of day and night visibility.
The slide stop pin cut and frame countersinking is very nicely done, the end of the pin is rounded instead of cut flat (Springfield !!), so it slides back through the frame and barrel link with ease.
The wood grips are nicely checkered and offer very good traction. Which is a good thing, as the frontstrap treatment, whatever it's called, is purely decorative. ( '99 Elite Pro on top, SC underneath )
seriously it's rubbish, might as well be made out of greased eel soap. It offers no resistance in any direction. Thankfully the slide serrations are of a more traditional, ( how times have changed !), scale pattern, that's deep and offers good grip.
The bobtail appears more rounded than that on my CBOB or Wilson, but the difference is minimal, a fair bit of the "roundness"is an illusion from the cut of the grips, the bit that sticks in your hand is very similar. The fit is not though. Both my Wilson (well, yeah) and my DW had the bobtail MSH blended nicely with the frame... the Kimber, not so much....and the grip safety is the familiar MIM one with all its familiar gaps...
In pieces
It comes apart and goes back together very easily, thanks to the GI plug 'n' spring guide.
And no Schwartz. Yay !
The bushing turns easily and pops out without tools. There's a little front to back play in it.
I'll take it completely apart soon. The disconnecter feels very "sprung", there's a lot of interference running just the slide back and forth on the frame, way more than I've felt on other 1911's. The exterior of the barrel is also rougher than a badgers arse
but it seems to all work ok.
Except the extractor. 50 rounds downrange at 7yrds left a single 3"hole plus about 20 red dings in my forehead.
I'll put another couple of boxes through and then decide whether to keep it.
If Kimber stopped arsing around and trying to get fancy, made this gun with proper checkering and (rear only ) slide serrations, it would be about 500X better. If someone else made this gun, (with proper checkering and rear only slide serrations), and put a bit of time into each one, then it could be a perfect 5" carry gun. And yes, I know Wilson does. But I was thinking for about $1600 :supergrin:
Other bobtails and LWT Kimber brethren:
the price was right, gently used with just one box through it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I do like the idea of a full sized, bobtailed, alloy framed 1911. On paper I'd say this is the most "right" Kimber that's come out of Yonkers lately.
No Schwartz safety, GI recoil system, nightsites with a "ledge" on the rear and an attractive 2 tone finish.
The nightsites are very well executed, possibly my favorite 3 dots in terms of day and night visibility.
The slide stop pin cut and frame countersinking is very nicely done, the end of the pin is rounded instead of cut flat (Springfield !!), so it slides back through the frame and barrel link with ease.
The wood grips are nicely checkered and offer very good traction. Which is a good thing, as the frontstrap treatment, whatever it's called, is purely decorative. ( '99 Elite Pro on top, SC underneath )
seriously it's rubbish, might as well be made out of greased eel soap. It offers no resistance in any direction. Thankfully the slide serrations are of a more traditional, ( how times have changed !), scale pattern, that's deep and offers good grip.
The bobtail appears more rounded than that on my CBOB or Wilson, but the difference is minimal, a fair bit of the "roundness"is an illusion from the cut of the grips, the bit that sticks in your hand is very similar. The fit is not though. Both my Wilson (well, yeah) and my DW had the bobtail MSH blended nicely with the frame... the Kimber, not so much....and the grip safety is the familiar MIM one with all its familiar gaps...
In pieces
It comes apart and goes back together very easily, thanks to the GI plug 'n' spring guide.
And no Schwartz. Yay !
The bushing turns easily and pops out without tools. There's a little front to back play in it.
I'll take it completely apart soon. The disconnecter feels very "sprung", there's a lot of interference running just the slide back and forth on the frame, way more than I've felt on other 1911's. The exterior of the barrel is also rougher than a badgers arse
but it seems to all work ok.
Except the extractor. 50 rounds downrange at 7yrds left a single 3"hole plus about 20 red dings in my forehead.
I'll put another couple of boxes through and then decide whether to keep it.
If Kimber stopped arsing around and trying to get fancy, made this gun with proper checkering and (rear only ) slide serrations, it would be about 500X better. If someone else made this gun, (with proper checkering and rear only slide serrations), and put a bit of time into each one, then it could be a perfect 5" carry gun. And yes, I know Wilson does. But I was thinking for about $1600 :supergrin:
Other bobtails and LWT Kimber brethren:
