My New Kimber (with apologies to USA1)

[gregthehand]

How old is that Black Talon ammo? They haven't made that stuff in years.

[Backslider]

I bought it back in 1993. Still has the McBride's tag on it and everything.

[texjames]

I have almost talked myself into a Grand Raptor II...will see after the Gun Show this weekend on what happens there.

[TxDrifter]

I've always loved the 1911, largely due to my dad's nightstand Colt. I received an early-model Para-Ordnance for my 18th birthday back when I was young and impressionable by what I read in gun magazines.

Now that I'm older and impressionable, I found myself ogling Kimbers after a recent range session. I couldn't get over how well the new Super Carry fit my hand and after a week of stalling, I gave into my impulses for once and walked out with my new baby.

It's going to be an agonizing week or so before I can carve out the time to get back to the range, so I took some pictures to tide me over.

I picked up one in the Ultra size a few weeks ago when Shooter's Station in Conroe had one on the shelf. I couldn't let it go either. Now I think I want the Custom (full size) version as well. I love the bobtail and the "checkering" on it allows grip, but not as severe as a 30 LPI or the like.

[bigred90gt]

That is a beautiful pistol! I'm in the market for one at the next gun show (28th-29th), and am having a hard time making a decision. I was actually looking at the Ultra Carry II, but the slightly longer barrel of the Pro carry might be a better choice. It is between the Kimber, Para PDA, or Colt Defender. I'll have to just put each one in my hand and make a decision on the fly.

The fact that you had feeding issues is a bit of a concern to me, and that is precisely why I sold my RIA.

[OldCannon]

USA1 beat me to it, but the self-lubricating and "anti-tipping" characteristics are exactly the reason I like this follower. I suppose that, over time, the follower may eventually wear out (but so do metal followers). If it does wear out, a replacement costs $6.95. That seems pretty reasonable to me for what is a relatively low production item. And, Tripp Research, the manufacturers of Cobra Mags, does offer other all steel followers of a more traditional design for the same price. But since these are the ones that they include in their very high quality magazines, there must be a reason for that since price does not appear to be an issue.

They're polymer-based, and knowing who is behind the work (Virgil Tripp), I'd trust them 100%. Virgil is also well known for putting in motion a company that makes a line of impeccable 1911s: STI.

By the way, if you're an Austin Rifle Club member, Virgil will be speaking at the ARC Education Building tomorrow (Aug 19th) at 7pm.

[Backslider]

That is a beautiful pistol! I'm in the market for one at the next gun show (28th-29th), and am having a hard time making a decision. I was actually looking at the Ultra Carry II, but the slightly longer barrel of the Pro carry might be a better choice. It is between the Kimber, Para PDA, or Colt Defender. I'll have to just put each one in my hand and make a decision on the fly.

The fact that you had feeding issues is a bit of a concern to me, and that is precisely why I sold my RIA.

Definitely let us know what you come home with.

I am now 420 rounds into the break-in period. I've cleaned and lubricated at 0, 150, and 300 rounds, using more lube each time. Rounds 1-400 were WWB bulk packs, with the last 20 PDX1.

I had 9 failures to return to battery. One with the Kimber Tac-Pro magazine, two with the Wilson 47D (once on two occasions), and six with the Wilson Elite Tactical Magazine (one, three, and two from three separate full magazines). I attribute at least a couple of the failures to improper grip.

The PDX1 (8 rounds in the 47D and ETM, 4 in the Tac-Pro) had no problems at all. I'm hoping that through break-in, grip re-education, and lubrication I'm about at the end of the issues.

[SlickTX]

Great pistol. I just bought a CDP II Pro and haven't been to the range yet.

I'd be interested to know if you bought your pistol new or used. If used, you may be experiencing why the previous owner let it go. It certainly isn't up to personal defense specs yet. I hope you get it worked out, but if you don't a trip back to the Kimber "birthing room" may be in order.

[Backslider]

It's a new pistol. I am definitely going to send it back if I don't get the failures down to about 2% after the next 100 rounds.

[bigred90gt]

Definitely let us know what you come home with.

I ended up buying a Para CCO off of a buddy.

[Pawpaw]

I bought a brand new Ultra CDP II. It had a few hiccups in the first 50 or 100 rounds.

I'm up to 300 now with FMJ and it's running like a clock. If the next 100 is flawless, I'm gonna start testing some JHP's.

[USA1]

I had 9 failures to return to battery. One with the Kimber Tac-Pro magazine, two with the Wilson 47D (once on two occasions), and six with the Wilson Elite Tactical Magazine (one, three, and two from three separate full magazines). I attribute at least a couple of the failures to improper grip.

I was talking to a Gunsmith about the Kimbers failing to return to battery and he said this is almost always cured by replacing the recoil spring with a Wolff Improved XP Recoil Spring .45ACP. The Wolff spring is rated for the same poundage as the Kimber stock spring but a side by side comparison shows that the Wolff spring is longer which translates into more travel therefore completely returning the slide back to battery after a shot.

It costs $7.89+shipping.

Although I've had no problems with mine, I replaced the stock spring with the Wolff spring and I can tell the difference.
When you release the slide, it snaps shut with a bit more authority than it did before. I took it to the range and ran another 100 rounds through it and it just seems to operate more solidly now.

I'm not saying you shouldn't return it to Kimber for work, but this may be an inexpensive and quick fix.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to send a gun back for "who knows how long" if I don't have to.

[The Annoyed Man]

When you say "failure to return to battery," are you saying that the slide locked back on a still full magazine? I'm asking, because there is an easy solution if the problem is what I think it is.

When I first bought my Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II, it would do that at least once, sometimes more than once, on every single magazine load. Needless to say, after having sunk over $900 into a pistol, I was a little tight-jawed about it. I posted here about it, and one of the members here (I don't remember who it was) advised me that this was a known problem at Kimber. Apparently, a bunch of their Stainless UCII pistols were shipped from the factory with a very slightly misshapen slide stop release lever. I guess that, with Kimber's tolerances, the part was just enough out of spec that it wouldn't allow the gun to operate properly. (More on that later.)

I was advised that all I needed to do was to call Kimber and describe the problem, and they would ship me the corrected part, free of charge. I did, and they did. I got the part 4 or 5 days later. It dropped right in, and the gun has functioned absolutely flawlessly - using the OEM Kimber magazine that came with it - for probably around 1,500-2,000 rounds now.

I kept the "bad" part as a spare, and it was in my gun's case with me one day at the range when my son's Taurus PT1911 snapped the slide stop pin snapped right in half at the barrel link, putting the gun out of action. We tossed the broken slide stop and dropped in the "bad" Kimber part just to see what would happen. That was easily 3,000 rounds ago for that Taurus. It is still in the Taurus pistol today, still working flawlessly.

That's why I said that the "bad" part isn't really bad by the standards of less expensive manufactures, but it won't function reliably in a tight Kimber.

So if I were you, I would give Kimber a call and ask them if there are any known issues with the slide stop on your model of pistol. Describe the problem, and see if they won't just send you a replacement slide stop first.

[Backslider]

When you say "failure to return to battery," are you saying that the slide locked back on a still full magazine? I'm asking, because there is an easy solution if the problem is what I think it is.

Not exactly, but I will start with a call before shipping the whole thing back. Every time I get home from the range, I wish I'd remembered to take a picture.

The problem I'm having is that the round feeds and the slide starts to close, but appears to bind up about 1/2 inch from closing completely. I can tap it in from the back to close it and then the pistol is ready to fire.

[USA1]

The problem I'm having is that the round feeds and the slide starts to close, but appears to bind up about 1/2 inch from closing completely. I can tap it in from the back to close it and then the pistol is ready to fire.

That's what I had in mind with my above post.