My New Kimber Custom II Range Report

[Markis82]

Wow! What a gun! Wow again! If I didn't own one I would have to after having shot it. I went to the range with a 100 round value pack of WWB 230gr and an extra 50 round box of the cheap Federal 230gr. From the first shot I had one big smile on my face. The gun is unbelievfrickennominal! It just feels right in your hand. The trigger breaks clean with very little take up, if any. No over travel at all. It feels like around 4 lbs. All with very little recoil. "It's like butter." It is very accurate and is supposed to get more accurate as it breaks in. I felt like I could hit a dime at 20 yards. There is such a difference, in feel, between a gun of this quality and other run of the mill 1911s, that I've shot. I had no failures or hiccups of any kind. Even the mag worked fine. The mag was a little hard to load because the follower has no skirt and would hang up as I inserted the first round. But, I just push the follower down past that point with my left index finger as I loaded the first round and problem solved. I think this Kimber might be my new favorite gun. Below are some pics of my first target today. 2 gosh darn flyers. I hate the flyers! At least they are still in the 9 ring.

My first shot ever with this new gun. At 20 yards
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/IMAGE_243.jpg

After a few mags. At 20 yards
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/IMAGE_245.jpg

After 50 rounds. At 20 yards
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/IMAGE_246.jpg

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/photo-15.jpg

[downtownv]

My thoughts exactly!

[Bawanna]

Well done buddy, very well done. My spidey senses tell me you are in love with an inanimate object. And that is perfectly fine and dandy.

[gb6491]

Nice shooting! Congrats on the new "Old Slabsides":)
Regards,
Greg

[kerby9mm]

I have the Eclipse Custom II and it has been flawless as yours has. Beautiful weapon.

[TheTman]

I have a older Custom II with the external extractor, but she shoots wonderfully. Very accurate. And she sure looks a lot better wearing a pair of Bawanna's custom grips.
I got it by trading a revolver and some cash for it, the former owner let it get some rust pitting on the slide, Thinking about a new stainless steel slide with internal extractor. So many things I need and so little money.

http://kartalk.pccomps.com/Bawannaleftside.jpg

[Markis82]

I have a older Custom II with the external extractor, but she shoots wonderfully. Very accurate. And she sure looks a lot better wearing a pair of Bawanna's custom grips.
I got it by trading a revolver and some cash for it, the former owner let it get some rust pitting on the slide, Thinking about a new stainless steel slide with internal extractor. So many things I need and so little money.

http://kartalk.pccomps.com/Bawannaleftside.jpgThose grips look fantastic on the black gun. I'm sure the checkering looks better in person than it shows in the picture. I like the checkering pattern too. I have been thinking about grips but what I've seen, seems played out. But the grain on those grips seems to bring it all together. Is that burled walnut? As for your slide, a little pitting just adds character. If it really bothers you, perhaps just a refinish and keep it as original as possible. As for the extractor, "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Nice firearm you have there!

Maybe Bawanna can find me a dark wood with a blackish grain that somehow resembles this... It might just be his first set of paisley grain grips.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/photo-20.jpg

[Markis82]

Well done buddy, very well done. My spidey senses tell me you are in love with an inanimate object. And that is perfectly fine and dandy.It's true and I'm sure you are too with your SR. Check out my post from earlier and see if my idea about grips can inspire you.


Nice shooting! Congrats on the new "Old Slabsides":)
Regards,
GregThanks Greg! I appreciate it. Especially coming from someone of your respect and stature.

[Bawanna]

Those grips look fantastic on the black gun. I'm sure the checkering looks better in person than it shows in the picture. I like the checkering pattern too. I have been thinking about grips but what I've seen, seems played out. But the grain on those grips seems to bring it all together. Is that burled walnut? As for your slide, a little pitting just adds character. If it really bothers you, perhaps just a refinish and keep it as original as possible. As for the extractor, "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Nice firearm you have there!

Maybe Bawanna can find me a dark wood with a blackish grain that somehow resembles this... It might just be his first set of paisley grain grips.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/photo-20.jpg

I'll have to do a little research on that.

[TucsonMTB]

I have a older Custom II with the external extractor, but she shoots wonderfully. . . .
It's almost unfortunate the extractor works well. If you were having extraction problems and asked Kimber to help solve them, they would probably ask you to send the gun in and then replace the slide for you because the older extractor parts are in short supply.

Admittedly, it was several years ago when a used Kimber Stainless Ultra II followed me home. During the first range trip, I was bummed that it failed to extract at least once every magazine. I was a 1911 newbie at the time.

An email to Dennis Madonia at Kimber with a polite inquiry about my options led to a quick return call from Dennis and, soon after, my sending it in. It came back with an internal extractor slide and perfectly regulated sights. Hasn't missed a beat since. :)

During our conversation, I asked about purchasing night sights (Meprolights, of course) and was told they would be happy to install them at no cost because it would necessary to remove and then reinstall my old sights anyway. I was floored.

An email to Dennis Madonia - Email: dennism@kimberamerica.com would be a good way to start. Dennis is good people, a New Yawker, but good people. He even suggested that I buy a few recoil assemblies that they could throw in the package so as not to have to charge me for shipping.

Turn around was less than two weeks.

Best of luck!

[TominCA]

I love my stainless Kimber - I have the external extractor - never has given me problems in over 6000 rounds. I changed the spring to a wolff heavy power for the extractor (difficult because it was heavy) only because I could do it and still haven't had any problems. Great gun!

[O'Dell]

As you can see, my UC II shoots high and slightly left at 35 feet. You can see where I adjusted and walked the rounds down and right over four mags. I don't know where the little guy on the lower left came from.

[Markis82]

As you can see, my UC II shoots high and slightly left at 35 feet. You can see where I adjusted and walked the rounds down and right over four mags. I don't know where the little guy on the lower left came from.Nice shooting! You've compensated perfectly. I guess if you want, you can replace the rear sight with an adjustable and you'd be set.

[O'Dell]

Nice shooting! You've compensated perfectly. I guess if you want, you can replace the rear sight with an adjustable and you'd be set.

Yeah, you're right about the sight. However, since I bought it as a defense weapon, I guess a inch and a half high and 1/2 inch left won't take me out of the 'kill zone'. :D

[Markis82]

Yeah, you're right about the sight. However, since I bought it as a defense weapon, I guess a inch and a half high and 1/2 inch left won't take me out of the 'kill zone'. :DYeah, I'd say you're in the zone!

[les strat]

Great shooting and sweet 1911! Brown grips would set that thing off for sure.

[Markis82]

Whoever said it, yes I'm hooked. Tomorrow I head into telephone negotiations for a Remington Rand. I'm told it is clean and functions perfectly. He wants $650. But I'm thinking not a penny over $500. Yes it will need a little work and replacing sights. But I think it is worth it for a classic. It will involve me driving 2.25 hours to pick it up. But, I'll have a chance to stop at Miami's South Beach for a spell. Any thoughts? About the gun, not South Beach :D

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Markis82/photo-23.jpg

[Bawanna]

I like it. Looks like it's been refinished. The trigger is different and of course the sights are modified. Might be a fine shooter just the way it is.

Like the over all look of it.

[Markis82]

I like it. Looks like it's been refinished. The trigger is different and of course the sights are modified. Might be a fine shooter just the way it is.

Like the over all look of it.Do you think $500 should be my ceiling or should I be a little flexible? I would replace the sights with original GI sights and investigate replacing the trigger with an original one. It won't be 100% original parts but I'm going for "time period correct"

[Bawanna]

Do you think $500 should be my ceiling or should I be a little flexible? I would replace the sights with original GI sights and investigate replacing the trigger with an original one. It won't be 100% original parts but I'm going for "time period correct"

Hopefully others wiser than I will help here but personally I'd remain a little flexible. If it was all original it would be worth a lot more than his 650 asking but being refinished and modified not so much. I guess how nice it looks in person would tell me heart how much to give.
If it was to be mine I'd have the same plan, I don't like the looks of the trigger but it might work fine, the sights aren't appealing either but not sure I'd go original GI's but something slightly better.
I love the hammer and the rest of it.

[Markis82]

Hopefully others wiser than I will help here but personally I'd remain a little flexible. If it was all original it would be worth a lot more than his 650 asking but being refinished and modified not so much. I guess how nice it looks in person would tell me heart how much to give.
If it was to be mine I'd have the same plan, I don't like the looks of the trigger but it might work fine, the sights aren't appealing either but not sure I'd go original GI's but something slightly better.
I love the hammer and the rest of it.GI sights it will be. My purpose of this purchase is to recreate a WWII 1911. I have the upmost respect for "The Greatest Generation," they saved the world. Being under 50, it is up to me and other like me, to have the youngsters understand. I want to be ale to put this gun in their hands and have them see, feel, and touch history. Plus my next door neighbor was a B26 pilot. He flew 39 missions over the English Channel. I want to be able to hand him this Remington Rand and let him feel the youth he once had. WWII stock is the way this gun will go if I can get it for my price.