Yep, that is what I said. I hate Kimbers. Every single one I have fired was a preening safe queen that would only work if you use the most expensive magazines made of meteorite and unobtainium, or hipster vintage artisanal 45ACP ball made from reclaimed virgin copper and brass. Did I mention that the ammo needed to be non-GMO? I have friends who swear by them and have tried to educate me on the virtues and the reason why I needed a Kimber in my collection. I would just blow them off and go back to shooting my Sig Legion, which is made from real operators, or so I have been told.

Over the past few months, I have been pining for another commander sized 1911. To me, the Commander is the best 1911, with a rail making it perfection. After letting go of my Sig 1911 TacOps Carry, I kicked myself for days, and knew that I would need another one soon. I almost broke down and bought a Rock Island, because I have had a few in the past, and other than needing to have the feed ramp polished, they run nicely. They just didn't look that good, and they are heavy. I was trolling a few shops in my area, looking for my next piece when I came across a Kimber Pro CDP II. It was the only 1911 that I had see that fit my criteria. It was lightweight, with a Commander frame and night sights. Since it was a Kimber, I passed it up to look at a Ruger Commander that he had next to it. It was okay. Not as nice as my Sigs, and only cosmetically better than the Rocks.

I then asked to see the Kimber. You know, for shits and giggles. Just at that moment, the skies opened and there was the singing of angels as I picked up this piece of aluminum and steel. I racked that slide and was almost sold at that point. It was smooth. Smoother than my Sigs were, but the trigger was a little heavier. I looked at the price. He was asking $850 for with, which was only $100 more than the Ruger. Since the Kimber came with night sights and the Ruger didn't, I figured I would see what I could do on the price. I got him down to $800 with 3 mags OTD. I bought two more mags while I was there, just to see what mags work best.

I went to the range with it this past Saturday. I wanted to run it to see if it would make a carry piece, or if I was going to throw it into the safe for a future sale. I had 150 rounds of Winchester Service Grade 230 Ball, 50 rounds of Tula, 100 rounds of 230gr FMJ reloads and 50 rounds of assorted JHP. I broke it down at home to take a quick look to see if it needed a cleaning, and it barely looked fired. I wondered if it had even gotten through its break-in period. I wiped it down and put it back together. It must have been trying to be on its best behavior because it only had two failures. That was due to my son limp wristing it, and that was only with a Kimber ProTac 8 round mag. I was amazed at how well it ran, because it ate everything I fed it, and was accurate. This one Kimber has me rethinking what I feel about the brand. Hell, I may even by another one day, if I can find a railed Pro somewhere.