Christmas Gift Idea #9
I got wood.
Nice, but I’ll stick with my M1911A1—finest close-quarter combat weapons system known to man.
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/17/2006 at 09:09 AM
Umm, This is a 1911A1 weapons system. Actually, little more than a bobbed Colt Commander with better machining and tolerances. Although, the slide to frame fit on my Remington-UMC 1911 - circa 1918 - is still tight after at least 25,000 rds of my use. Who knows how much prior to me.... Thats when steel was steel and 9mms were, well, European.
In any event - it is a .45 caliber deliver system. THATS what matters!
Excellent present!
Posted by armadefoc
12/17/2006 at 09:24 AM
My father’s favorite pistol is the SIG 226. However, since he’s been sick, he has not had a chance to fire it much.
I’ve got one of these, except mine is the earlier, slightly lighter first version with the aluminum frame and plastic mainspring housing. That little beavertail extension on the grip safety is a godsend. What sets the Kimber apart from almost all mini .45s is that it’s accurate! This little banger shoots just as good as most target modified full sized 1911s. Never jams, never stovepipes, feeds any ammo I can fit in the magazine. Doesn’t fail to cycle if you fire it with a soft wrist, which many semi-autos do. You pay a lot more for a Kimber but you get your money’s worth and then some.
About the only thing you’ll want to do to it is put in a shorter trigger if you have smaller fingers. Maybe find some heavier springs from Wolf if you’re going to feed it lots of +P ammo.
Yes, I understand what kind of pistol it is. It’s an M1911A1 clone with a lot of shit bolted to it.
Mine is a standard issue M1911A1 with the fewest possible “tweaks”—an adjustable trigger and a “throated” chamber. That’s it, plain vanilla, but I shot Army Expert every time with it and shot a perfect score for my Concealed Carry permit.
Best yet, mine cost $75 in 1971 when I bought it.
Still, it’s not the weapon, it’s the man behind it. Robert Heinlein said, “There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men.”
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/17/2006 at 02:21 PM
I’d be curious as to recoil in such a light frame/short barrel combo, especially using a
230 grain bullet. I’ve got three (and wanting more) 1911 full size pistols 1 Colt, 2 ParOrdance and they all deserve respect when fired. Shot some Hornady self defense rounds through all three and yeehaw, they do bark!.
Always thought that the recoil of an M1911A1 was over-rated. Proper grip and practice suffice for most any shooter, I’d think.
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/18/2006 at 10:14 AM
That is exactly right. One of the reasons it does so well in competitions is its excellent handling characteristics.
The only time I am aware of any significant recoil is shooting weak handed- and that is a result of not shooting enough with that hand.
There is never an excuse or replacment for bullets down range.
If every shot is not a learning experience - it should be.
Posted by armadefoc
12/18/2006 at 12:11 PM
I like that—every shot is a learning experience. That’s why we kept a shooting notebook for every firing sequence when shooting for the M-14 team.
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/18/2006 at 12:40 PM
I don’t have the Ultra Carry, but rather the Ultra Eclipse (main difference is the Eclipse has a steel frame vs. the alloy of the Carry). However, my previous carry gun (and now my mother’s main carry) was a Colt Defender, essentially the same thing as the Ultra Carry. Recoil, while present, is -quite- manageable. In my gun, it’s almost scary how easily you can double-tap, and accurately so at that. Even +P ammo doesn’t cause much fuss and ruckus to the wrists; which is very good, as tendonitis and carpal tunnel run in the family.
Any of the Kimber 3” guns or the Colt Defender will serve as an excellent carry piece, more than capable of handling just about anything you can hit. Both also seem to digest just about everything; never tried it in the Colt, but my Kimber even eats Corbon’s “flying ashtray” hollowpoints as easily as ball ammo.
It’s still sweet. My total preference is a CCO, but that’s sweet.
