[killerb]

The Kimber I ordered back in February has finally arrived. It is the Compact Stainless II. I wanted the Commander length 4.25" barrel, but with the shorter Officers style grip frame. This is one of the few pistols on the market configured that way. It has very nice fit and finish. My only gripes are the chintzy plastic mainspring housing and the fact that when you spend $1000 on a pistol, they could throw in an extra mag for Pete's sake. The mainspring housing would probably last for the lifetime of the pistol, but I don't like plastic and will replace it with a steel one. I may swap out the sights for some XS 24/7 tritium Big Dots. I have yet to shoot it since I have worked every day for the last several weeks and I have no FMJ ammo to go burn up in it. All I have is some 230 gr. Hydra-Shoks I got a good deal on so I stocked up before the prices went crazy. No one has any 230 grain ball ammo in stock around here.

 

[Captn66]

Very nice. Let us know how she shoots.

 

[killerb]

Finally got some ammo. I paid too much for it, but I can't stand having a new gun to shoot and not being able to. I picked up a 250 round pack of Remington UMC 230 gr. FMJ. That is all I could find. I didn't want to buy that much at today's inflated prices, but it was the only thing available. A week after I bought it, the price dropped $20. Anyways, the pistol shoots great. Very accurate for a compact 1911 and the recoil is very manageable. As you would expect, there is some muzzle flip. Double taps will take some practice. I have ordered a set of XS 24/7 tritium Big Dot sights to install on it. They aren't precision sights, but they are fast to get on target and for a defensive fighting pistol, that is what I want. I still need to order a steel mainspring housing. I also need more mags. The Kimber mags go for about $25 no matter where you find them. I'm pretty sure Kimber uses Chip McCormick Match Grade magazines as their OEM mags. You can pay a little extra for the Kimber stamp on the base plate or just buy the McCormick mag. Everyone seems to be out of stock on the McCormick version. The best price I have found is at Midway for $16.99 apiece, but they are out of stock. I may try a Wilson Combat, but they are over $30 each.

 

[UncleFudd]

killerb
Good choice of handguns and I am sure you will enjoy a lot of good shooting time with it over the years.
I noticed your looking for mags for the gun and thought I would mention some others that you may look for that IMHO are better than the McCormicks.
I used to use and carry and sell a lot of the McCormick mags until he started the quantity thing instead of quality.
I and others in my area have experienced considerable problems with them of late and no one buys them as a first choice any more. At least not if you want a mag that will last for a considerable period of time.
We have all begun to use the Wilson mags for every model of 1911 as our first choice.
There are some others as well that are excellent mags and some of course just for practice. My point is, McCormick mags are not my first choice of a magazine if I want quality and longevity for the price we now have to pay for 1911 mags.
I'm sure it is not much of a qualifier, but I have carried and used almost exclusively the 1911 pistol since 1968, so I have had the opportunity over a lengthy period to use and abuse several different magazines in my travels.
I have been selling them now since 1978 when I first began my firearms business and then I opened the range in 88 and have sold lots of different kinds.
The important thing is how the better mags are holding up to uses more than just putting your gun in the holster and carrying it every day.
Guys I mentioned are "using" their guns. Meaning they shoot, drop, re;oad and shoot lots of times every day. Those are the mags that are being "used" and abused and still keep working when you need them.
Hope this sheds some light on the matter and helps you with your current dilemma.
UF
www.caswells.com

 

[killerb]

I'm going to try a couple of Wilsons. Right now, all I have is a couple of Kimber OEM mags that I am pretty sure are McCormicks with Kimber stamped on the base plate. I have read that Metalform magazines are good quality. Any opinion on them? I like to have lots of magazines for any pistol I own. I load them up while watching TV and then when I go to the range I just shoot without having to load mags all the time. Of course these are seven round mags, so unless I buy a whole bunch, I will be loading some at the range.

 

[Mike Wazowski]

killerb,

You're going to love that Compact Stainless. I have the exact same model but with the dreaded external extractor. I must have gotten one of the good ones because I have had absoloutely zero problems with this gun. I like the Wilson mags too. I find that the base plate gives me just the right amount of extension to get my pinky finger around for a real positive grip. Another thing about the Wilson mags, they are the smoothest loading mags that I have used. I ditched the cheap plastic mainspring housing right away, swapped it out for an Ed Brown 25LPI. I also changed out the original sights for the Kimber night sights, and the internals for Cylinder and Slide internals and hammer. Made a huge difference in the trigger pull. Slapped on a nice set of rosewood double diamond grips and I was a happy boy. This gun shoots soft and is extremely accurate.

After a while I sent the Compact to Gemini Customs for some work. I had an Ed Brown grip saftey installed, serated the rear of the slide, and cut 25 LPI checkering on the front strap. Mark did an excelent job and I was thrilled with the finished product. The checkered frontstrap makes grabbing the officer's sized grip very positive, and provide better stability for quick follow up shots, even with wet or sweaty hands. This is one handgun that will stay with me.

 

[WDBradley]

Nice looking Kimber KB, I'm jellous

 

[Captn66]

Nice looking Kimber KB, I'm jellous

Everytime I look at that picture - I need to restrain myself from picking up the phone and ordering one ....

 

[killerb]

Well, I now have my Milt Sparks VersaMax 2 holster, mag pouches and belt for the Kimber. It is a great concealed carry rig. I ordered it back in May and just got it after Christmas. I think the VM2 is the best IWB holster out there, hands down. I have one for another pistol and love it, so I bit the bullet and ordered one up for the 1911. People who carry crappy holsters and maybe more importantly, belts not designed to hold up a gun, don't know what they are missing. A good belt and holster combo not only conceals better, but it stays put better so you aren't constantly grabbing at and readjusting your gun, giving away the fact that you are carrying.

Good to see the spam cleaned up. Hope it stays that way.