Some companies are putting out loads that wring every last drop of performance out of it when chambered in appropriate guns. Buffalo Bore has a .45 Colt standard pressure load that pushes a 255-gr. lead SWC bullet at 1050, and a 200 gr. hollowpoint at 1100. They also have a +P 260 gr. SWHP at 1500 fps and a 325 gr. Hardcast at 1325 for use in guns like Ruger Redhawks.
For me, the choice is simple. Unless the Kimber brings some substantial new capability, stick with what you already are comfortable and practiced with. The point of carrying is to be effective when you need to be. Introducing unnecessary learning curve into that without any real gain in effectiveness is pointless. The Kimber is a great looking gun, but this ain't no beauty contest.
Their fit and finish are not even in the same galaxy as their older guns. Their Quality Control stinks now; guns that hadn't even had fundamental manufacture completed have been shipped out to dealers. Others break due to poor fitment, and their customer service - once exceptional - is now horrible. Repairs that should take weeks are taking months, and when people do get their guns back the work either hasn't been done or it's done in a slipshod way that creates new problems. It's tragic, but such are the reports I've heard. I originally refused to buy a S&W once they put the lock in the sideplate of their revolvers; but I found one I wanted and went ahead and bought it (.45 ACP Model 22 Thunder Ranch). The trigger was gritty and coarse, so I sent it to one of the best gunsmiths in the country. It came back usable, but still nowhere near as nice as the pulls possible with the older guns. This is, of course, regarding their revolvers. They've put all their energy into pushing the M&P semi-auto line, so from what I understand the story is very different if you have one of that family of firearms.
Ed Brown 1911s are in their own class, but then, you get what you pay for. I have carried 1911s and provided tuning and customization services for them for over 40 years, and I, of course, like them. But, they are not without their issues, particularly the compacts that have their issues when you shrink them down from the original design balanced for the .45 acp. The variants most frequently brought to me for trouble shooting are compacts; Kimbers fairly frequently. Many times 1911s reliability issues can be traced to grip and limp wristing, something the compacts are particularly sensitive to. Then, with the compacts, I trace many problems to the magazines (Wilson’s seem to solve many issues), recoil spring Wt (Wolf has a multi spring packs useful for diagnosing), extractor related issues and even the slide stop. Some Compacts seem to be ammo sensitive. Of the few Kimber 9mms I have seen come across my bench, I have found issues with the mags and, again with the ammo. Like Kahrs which often require a breaking period with 150-250 or so rounds, I recommend not carrying a Kimber until it has been sufficiently broken in and you have put enough of your EDC carry ammo choice down range to satisfy yourself of its reliability. If you have issues with reliability and are sure it’s not you or your maintenance protocol, I’d first suggest trying different ammo and then have the mags evaluated. Regardless, Kahr or the Kimber, plan on putting a lot of rounds down range before carrying. Note I used to carry a Springfield Micro Compact I liked, but had I known the work I’d have to put into it from the outset to get the reliability I was satisfied with, I would have passed on it. Now, am sorry I sold it... but a judge bought it. As an aside, I have a Kahr PM 9 with a CT, that, once broken in, has had 100% reliability... It is my warm weather carry and when carrying tucked, I use a tuckable holster I made. In cooler weather, I carry it in a modified (for better retention than OTB) 5.11 compression holster undershirt.
Absolutely. I would never carry any 1911 other than a full size, as originally designed. My first kimber was a pro eclipse II. LOVED that gun. Never had a single issue. Next was a tactical full size with light rail. Bought several years after my first. Quality seemed to have gone way down hill at that point. Nothing but problems. Feeding issues, extraction issues etc. If I was to carry a compact 1911 style gun, it would The the sig 238 or 938. Not really a true 1911, but gives you the same feel. 45 acp is my favorite round. When I want to carry a compact 45, I carry my xds.
I have only had one Sig brought to me for trouble shooting; the fellow had been dropping mags on the cement range floor during mag reloads with predictable results. I have always had on or more .45 acps in my collection; my HK45c being the one I carry the most. I carry in route when packing to fly fishing excursions in the lower 48 loaded with .450 SMC 255 gr hardcast from DoubleTap which it handles well, without a hiccup and easily managed recoil.
I agree that the 5 inch 1911's are the most intrinsically reliable. However, I have been very lucky to have owned a couple of Commanders with the 4 1/4 inch barrel that proved to be every bit as reliable as any 5 inch gun I've ever run. I find them to be among the most comfortable carry guns ever made.
I will bet that you keep your guns well maintained and know proper grip technique. While I have done tuning, custom work and some trouble shooting of problems on commander sized 1911’s, the majority of problems I encounter are from those that have 3-3/1” barrels. Just as an aside, I find many that own 1911’s, particularly newbies, are not well versed in the manual of arms and some often don’t even clean their guns (I get quite a few bringing me guns for a cleaning service... after which I always offer to teach them proper cleaning and lub protocol). But, then, I have seen pretty dirty guns of all types...so bad at times you wonder that they work at all.
I had an Ed Brown cobra carry with the Ed brown bobtail mainspring housing that I absolutely loved. Very accurate and reliable gun. I ended up trading my uncle for his special forces full size.
I carry this and highly recommend it. it will require a bit of retraining your muscle memory, but since that is accomplished by shooting it, I see it as a positive
If it works for you, I wouldn’t argue for you. Didn’t fit me and I figured if I were carry something of that size concealed, I will stick to my HK45c.
Have they improved their quality control issues? I looked at the Rhino a few years ago, but was turned off by reliability issues.
I had to sand some minor burrs off of the cylinder catches that were causing it to turn roughly. It took about 10 minutes, a small file, a bit of 500 grit sandpaper and some Birchwood-Casey Liquid Gun Blue. I've not had any other problems, nor do I know if others have had this problem.
I decided on the Kimber. It will be delivered from Kimber sometime between Wednesday and Friday. I ordered it from a local store for $639. I think I want to change the grips to a good G10 grip, but this is as purchased. They might be a little loud for concealed carry, but I'm leaning toward these grips.
This is one I have been looking at. A little bulky but what a gun. https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=132
The AR pistols have had their versatility dramatically increased now that the arm brace option enables you to run them basically as a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) without the NFA Tax Stamp.
I can neither confirm nor deny the possible presence of AR pistols in multiple calibers in my gun safe. And actually, I'd be a bit concerned about that vertical foregrip with regards to AR pistol definition.
Flash suppressors are perfectly legal in free America. I’d add a small buffer tube and low profile sights. There’s no benefit in blindly “one handing” it, even if it looks cool.
According to the manufacturer, you aren't supposed to use a suppressor/silencer with the Rock River pistol. For some, that's an issue, given that the 5.56mm in a short barrel has annoying levels of muzzle blast.