By Whitney Lehman

This review is way overdue. Sometime around 1996 I traded for a Para-Ordnance model P14-45 1911 style pistol. I wanted a full size 1911-A1 and I had heard that Para-Ordnance made quality pistols. What a joke that was!! First of all, the pistol printed about 5″-6″ high. You had to aim at the bottom of the page on a standard pistol target to hit anywhere near the bull’s-eye. Secondly, the pistol had two feed failures with 230 gr. FMJ ammo. When I purchased the pistol, I admired the three-dot combat sights. Shortly after, the dot on the front sight fell out. It appeared to be a dried chunk of enamel. When I inquired about selling or trading the pistol, a gun dealer pointed out the amount of “slop” or looseness in the overall fit of the pistol. I remember reading a review in Handguns magazine where Jan Libourel praised the P-14. Even after he also noted that it printed about 4″-5″ high. If someone is going to pay $600+ (I think that’s what they cost in those days) it should shoot where it points! I’ve owned SIGs, HK, Glock , CZ, and countless S&W revolvers. Para-Ordnance doesn’t compare to any of them.

by Jan Haluska

Bottom line: get one with a PXT. For the full saga, read on.

Some people say that all compact 1911s are trouble. My gunsmith echoed the advice of many wise old-timers when he told me, “Anything smaller than a Colt Commander just isn’t reliable enough to bother with.” Still the idea of all that power in a tight package is pretty appealing, and for a couple of years I took every opportunity to shoot several of the “little beasts” as one gun article called them. In the process I learned some things.

Surprise: the recoil of a compact .45 isn’t bad at all. Yes, Colt Defenders, Kimber Ultra CDPs, and Springfield Ultra Compacts all bounce a bit more than full-size 1911s, but not one of them stings the hand like a comparably sized Makarov that still shoots only 9mm shorts. The result is more excitement from guns I can fire indefinitely without pain.

True, those little pistols all seemed to produce 30% wider groups than my target-tuned 1911. But a video featuring a master shooter who used a snubnose revolver to make hits at 200 yards gave me some hope. Maybe smaller barrel length and sight radius weren’t absolute barriers to accuracy after all. Apparently practice could lessen the problem, anyway.

Finally I saw a brand-new Para-Ordnance P12 at an amazingly low closeout price. It had a 3.5 inch barrel like those other compacts I’d shot, but featured 10+1 capacity with 12+1 as an option, in a shorter, slightly fatter grip. It felt good in my hand and the trigger was crisp, so I took a deep breath and bought the thing. The 10 months since then have been interesting, and now I know enough to make a report about what has become my favorite pistol.

After the rear sight was nudged very slightly to the right, the gun shot exactly to point of aim. Off a Weaver stance it could hit shotgun shells squarely at 10 yards, and sometimes hit them again where they had landed, when my technique came together. Of course that was rare enough at first, and one-handed shooting was a disaster. A day or two per week at the range for several months did make my accuracy a lot better, until I had learned to shoot IDPA-style double-taps with enough control to try a match with the P12. I wasn’t going to beat a lot of people, but the target holes might not embarrass me too much either, even with my weak hand.

Still, other problems had surfaced by then. Only one of the two original mags was new, and the used one was a balky feeder, even with a new Wolf spring. A ProMag from Midway replaced it, and the feeding problems were over—when the pistol was clean. After about 30 rounds feeding would start to get sluggish, and cartridges would occasionally get stuck halfway into the chamber. I discovered that a bit of oil on the slide would fix the problem for a while, but by about 100 rounds, nothing would help. All the same, since one of our local IDPA matches requires something under 70 rounds, it might still work.

But as the gun had begun to break in, it had started jamming on empty hulls caught horizontally in the ejection port, backwards. Apparently it tossed them high enough to complete half a rotation, then jumped up and caught them again like a dog snatching a Frisbee. “Limp-wristing” was the term people used to describe the problem, telling me that I just needed to hold the gun tighter. But even a hand-trembling death grip didn’t cure the problem. My arms are kind of lanky; was I just too much of a girly-man for a P12?

I went to the next IDPA match anyway, and had reason to regret it. All that tapping and racking to clear jams blew my time to pieces, while there was no end of advice. “Those little guns never work right,” said a police firearms instructor. “Get yourself a Commander instead.”

“It’s probably the recoil spring,” advised another veteran shooter. “They get weak pretty fast in compact .45s. Try a new standard one, or maybe a stronger one, or . . .” he paused thoughtfully, “maybe you should clip a couple of coils off this one to make it a little softer. . . .”

I did every one of those things without any improvement whatever.

Then a friend lent me his Warthog while he was on vacation. Although it’s the P12’s little brother, it did not jam or misfeed at all in 100 rounds, even in my weak hand. One difference I noticed was that the Warthog has a PXT, Para’s so-called “power extractor” which fits into the slide like traditional ones, but has a bigger claw and an internal coil spring to maintain tension much more reliably. My P12 was one of the last made with a normal 1911 extractor. Maybe changing over would solve my problem.

I e-mailed some questions to Derek Brodka, the wizard who runs Para’s custom shop in Sevierville, Tennessee ([email protected]). He answered immediately, confirming that all the problems could be coming from a malfunctioning extractor that pinched the cartridges on the way in, causing misfeeds, and then gripped them too oddly for clean ejection later. Powder fouling would make it worse all right, while extra lubrication would help only a little and for a short time. He offered either to adjust my present ejector or retro-fit a PXT for $99. I chose the latter, sending him the slide and barrel for the job.

One week later I received the finished product and took it to the range, rapid-firing the P12 on three roasting July afternoons with no cleaning or lubrication in between. After a total of 220 rounds, the dirty little pistol still ran like a sewing machine in every grip mode. Even the bad magazine now fed cartridges as smoothly as if they were lumps of butter, and the ejected hulls tended to group pretty well in one area.

So after 10 months the P12 is finally what it should be: a really fun little .45 with an energetic but manageable kick, reliable operation, and surprising accuracy. I can hardly wait for the next IDPA match.

By Al Hagan

Just a note about me – I have been shooting .45’s for 32 years (since age 8), and during a 4-year tour in the Marine Corps, managed to fire many thousands of rounds through all of the U.S. military smallarms – M-16’s, M-60’s, M-203 40mm grenades, and M-2 and M-85 .50 cals. One afternoon I even had the opportunity to burn off 3500 rounds of .223 – it being easier to turn empty brass hulls back in to the ammo supply point than loose, live ammo. I took 6 M-16’s, about forty 30-round magazines, and two privates to load the magazines. I practiced full-auto fire in every way imaginable – from the shoulder, from the hip, one-handed (uncontrollable), with an M-16 in each hand (really uncontrollable), etc. I currently burn off at least a couple hundred rounds per month, mostly .45 and .308 – real calibers. I am a big fan of the .45, and currently own a government M1911A1, a Combat Commander, a Springfield Ultra-Compact V-10, and a P10-45. I once even owned a Savage .45 – one of those submitted to the Army trials, which the Browning design won. So I do know a little about firearms. But enough about me –

When I bought the P10 a couple of months ago, I wanted a small, concealable piece. I am going through the paperwork for a concealed carry permit and briefly flirted with the idea of a Colt Pocket Nine. I just couldn’t stomach the thought of a 9mm, though. The P10 is light (24 oz.!) with the alloy frame and small – the smallest .45, according to Para-Ordnance’s literature; 6.5″ long and 4.5″ tall, vs. 39 oz., 8.5″ long and 5.75″ tall for the full-sized M1911-type.

One criticism is because it has an affliction that, as Jeff Cooper has pointed out, many of us do – a fat butt. Short and fat. I measured my other .45s with a tape measure and came up with 5-3/8, 5-1/2, and 5-5/8 diameter butts – these pistols have a variety of Pachmayr and wood grips and flat or arched mainspring housings. The P10 has a 6″ diameter butt, with slimline Pearce grips. That ½” makes a difference, but if you want the 10+1 rounds of .45, this is the place to go.

The shortness of the butt allows only 2 fingers – the little finger has to curl under the magazine well. I have fairly big hands and found that Pearce Grip, Inc. (P.O. Box 187, Bothell, WA 98041-0187, 1-800-390-9420) had the solution. They offer wrap-around grips (like Pachmayrs, only Pachmayr doesn’t offer them for the P10 yet) and a grip extension. For $9.95 suggested retail, the grip extension replaces the magazine floor plate and offers a rest for the little finger, and gives some leverage to control the little beast. I bought one, and use my (of course longer) P14 magazines when that mag is dry.

At this point, I have run about 450 rounds through the pistol, using 5 different magazines and the following ammo: Winchester and UMC 230 grain FMJ, Federal 165 gr Hydra-Shoks, PMC 230 gr Starfires, Speer Lawman 200 gr JHP, and some miscellaneous lead reloads. It had trouble feeding one of the FMJs, but I loaded it in another mag and it fed OK. Don’t know why that was – maybe it was not seated all the way to the back of the mag. I had loaded the magazine at 7:30 one Saturday morning, after a night of too much beer and too little sleep (due to a friend’s birthday party), so I’ll take pilot error on that one. Also, the Lawman ammo bobbled on 2 rounds – this ammo has a huge hollow-point, and the bullet is basically short and has almost vertical sides. I have had difficulty feeding this ammo through my Commander also, and do not normally stock it. I was just burning off the remainder of the box. I don’t have a problem with these misfeeds, as I practice mainly with FMJ and carry with Hydra-Shoks. That means one misfeed in 420 rounds, subtracting the 30 or so rounds of Lawman ammo – I’ll accept that. The 50 Hydra-Shoks I have fired in this pistol have all fed flawlessly and delivered awesome accuracy.

The Hydra-Shoks offer about the same recoil, or maybe even a little less than the 230 gr FMJs. They are loaded hotter but have a much lighter bullet (165 gr.), so I guess the physics equal out. At 7 yards, firing double-taps, the bullet holes were either touching or within ¼ inch. This is from a standing position, starting with the pistol pointed down, pop the pistol up, get a sight picture, squeeze, haul it back from recoil and slam another round into the target.

This morning, using 230-gr. FMJ, I was introducing my brother-in-law to shooting (promoting our sport!) and, at the 7-yard targets, cut a 10-round smiley face in the target – 2 eyes and 8 teeth, with one misaligned by an inch (not intentionally). He ran 100+ rounds through the P-10 and was keeping them all in the black after some instruction, with zero prior experience, so it is a controllable piece. It shoots where you point it.

One comment here on those who disparage large-capacity pistols: many rounds just might be useful. No, I do not plan on missing a lot. No, I do not intend to lay down suppressing fire for an assault group. No, I do not expect to hold off a horde of (insert Mongols, Zulus, Nazis, Japanese, or whatever here). However, I can see situations in which many rounds without a reload would be useful. One situation would be where I was driving and had a serious problem with another armed driver or passenger. Figuring that I would be occupied with driving and would either have to shoot left-handed and one-handed (something which, incidentally, I do practice) or, at minimum, would have difficulty reloading, a high-capacity weapon might be a lifesaver. Another situation would be in a crowd scene, where 7 or 8 rounds just might not cover all of the potential adversaries, especially if you were firing double-taps. Think about it – a double-tap insures you have put your adversary down, but also effectively cuts your ammo supply in half. A third situation is where suppressive fire just might be suitable: Consider the difference between: (1) yeah, I shot and killed these 3 carjacking bastards, but their families are going to sue me for capping their “choirboy” sons, vs. (2) I blasted about a dozen rounds at them and they ducked and my wife and I got away unharmed. Think about it. Not that I am advocating spray-and-pray, but your goal in a defense situation is, realistically, to get away unharmed. I think the P-10 is a good choice for such a situation. You get a tiny package, with the caveat that it is fatter than a single-stack pistol, light weight, high capacity, accuracy, and reliability.

By Scott Smith

Firearms come and firearms go, and with that go changes in attitude. Many years ago, if you would have told me that I would brag about having a Les Baer Thunder Ranch over several of the factory custom 1911’s out there I would have called you crazy. Well I came across a deal on a used TR a couple years ago and have been giving it a serious road test ever since.

The LB Thunder Ranch Special started life as an out of the box blued TR. After a brief once over my personal tastes and likes came up with a few changes; the thin stocks that are spec’d out by Clint just did not feel right, and the front sight would glare out in bright or hazy sunlight since it is not serrated. The other thing, again a personal preference, an arched mainspring housings and mag wells – after all most magazines have mag pads so its not a conceal ability issue; I know the true traditionalist/martial artist will argue the need for mag wells or mag pads. Trust me, it’s not for my blinding sub one minute reloads that but pure vanity for the mag well. Fortunately, Brownell’s can solve all three problems with a phone call or a secure internet order.

So after the TR arrived with very little use, it was given a lot of scrutiny under the magnifying because there had to be something other than the previously mentioned items to complain about. Okay, the bluing was even, the 30 lpi checkering on the front strap was perfect save for a few dinged up diamonds from my regimental ring (US Army 75th Inf. Ranger). It has a crisp 5lb. trigger, no sharp edges, front and rear cocking serrations, nice extended safety and beavertail. Not bad, and for the $1100 I paid and a NIB MSRP of $1620 today, it’s a good deal.

After its thorough inspection, the only fault I found was that the pistol was very tight, to the point a GI press check could not be done. Well rumor has it that this does lead to a very accurate, but unreliable 1911. I had to check that theory. So it was off to the range with the TR and several boxes of ammo, including several reloads with various bullet designs. Yes the TR was tight, but it did not fail to shoot or cycle; and it was not magazine or ammunition sensitive, important points for a carry piece. After a couple more trips to the range and about two thousand rounds the pistol was loose enough to do a press check with no loss of accuracy. FWIW, offhand the pistol averages under 2.25” for eight rounds – more than good enough.

Okay, so what about the changes? Nothing major was done. Ahrends Green Diamond Stocks and hex head screws replaced the TR thin stocks. The 18lpi checkering makes these a great choice to aid in grip as did the new mainspring housing. The mainspring housing was replaced with an old Wilson AMSH/mag well that was in the parts box and is 20lpi. Trust me, the semi- modified TR does not move when fired.

For those aging eyes and since this is a carry/occasional IDPA pistol, I installed XS Sights, the 24/7 version. These are standard dot with a tritium front dot and rear tritium vertical bar for all weather/lighting conditions visibility. The XS 24/7’s are fast and accurate, at least they work well for me and a number of my shooting buds at distances out to 20+meters. Hits on 8” steel plates are no sweat and groups still ran around 2.25 – 3” at the same 20 meters. The bonus points of the sights are that they are fast.

After many trips to the range and being carried for many moons, the TR needed refinished, since it looked more like steel in the white than nicely blued. This was very easily accomplished thanks to KG Products and Gun Kote. Reader’s Digest version was just simply strip the remaining bluing, brush the frame/slide with fine steel wool, prep with alcohol to remove any oil, spray and bake. Total home refinish time was about two hours. Since the Gun Kote is applied with an airbrush the TR Logo and TRS engraving shows through on the slide. The finish has now been on the TR for two years and the only real wear is at the muzzle and leading edge of the ejection port from holster wear.

Overall the TR is well worth the money that is asked for it. It shoots well, the workmanship is excellent, and accuracy is more than what many shooters are capable of. Since it is a package pistol some things may not be exactly to your liking, but they are easily worked on at home by you or your local gun smith. The Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special is an unconditional buy.

By Leonard Bosh, Jr.

Well folks…as promised I said I would tell you folks the scoop from the start. No offense to readers, but there were not as many details available as I had hoped for about the TRS when I wanted to buy one (and now own). So here goes the tale that spans over a few weeks…

The TRS came E X A C T L Y four weeks to the minute of order. They promised 4-6, and they delivered right on time (early in my mind).

As expected the packaging is a cardboard box…nothing more than brown and plain. There is even a plain white sticky label with TRS and the serial number on it. I would prefer 5 bucks off a firearm, then a fancy case…I think the TRS pound for pound, is a good value over a Wilson CQB or another in its’ “class” but that is a whole other story. This is one of those places that they cut a few bucks off…but function is there.

After opening the box, there is some propaganda on Les’s AR-15, and a catalog. Baer includes these things with every order (even if you buy a magazine/clip) a stack of reviews done by magazines on the new AR-15…Also in the box is a gun lock, 3 seven round magazines, and a piece of paper with all the folks at Les Baer Custom Inc. signatures on them. A nice touch in my opinion.

The thing I thought you all might find curious is the plastic baggie (zip-lock type thing) that the TRS was in. It was chock full of lubricant of some kind. I would not call it grease, because it was too watery for that. But it is definitely DRENCHED in oil. Cool enough, I actually would prefer that…keeps it clean in shipping. I however did not find it as bad as some other have. I guess I thought it was a good touch.

After I took it out of the box, and then bag, I wiped it down with a paper towel and gun cloth. Contrary to what I have read in the past, the dehorning job is done well. The edges are like butter. The finish was flawless, and fit was, well really tight. Nice and tight. In the best of all possible worlds one wants a tight gun, that can shoot accurately and function very reliably. As you will see the Baer did so on both accounts.

I being the person I am, took the slide assembly apart and went about cleaning it. I especially wanted to look at the barrel fit job, and instantly noticed that the slide, barrel, bushing , extractor and other are etched for matching up. My guess is they are working on several TRS’s at once, and want to keep the parts matched up. To me this is just an obvious example of hand crafted. There are plenty of guns that come with a few parts etched with numbers to match, but not most parts.

The barrel fit as it should. Tight on the bushing but not OVERLY tight. It fit against the ejection port as it should (no daylight between the end of the barrel – where the bullets feed – and the slide when in place).

Now as far as tight goes, the break away tightness was there. Once it broke free of the first little tightness, it was fine. For example when you let the slide go and the last 1/2″ is real tight, that IS GOOD…that is where once you shoot a 1000 rounds, the gun will loosen up. If it is tighter than that, I might not carry it. It is amazing how you can actually talk about degrees of tightness with a Baer. Other manufacturers DO NOT provide a gun this tight (Rock River Arms does – but they are Ex-Baer guys). I consider tightness good. Most circles consider tight as a problem for reliability but good for accuracy. Baer obviously defies this law.

After the cleaning with MPro7 I oiled it up with Mpro7 oil…I applied extra to the barrel, the bushing and the rails. When I say extra, we are talking just that. Almost drippy like extra pepperoni pizza. I was going to be pounding a few rounds through this puppy, and the last thing I wanted was to not be lubed up enough.

After pawing it for 6 hours on Saturday, I got my stuff ready for the range the next day. Like a kid on Xmas eve, I could barely sleep. I was up at 5am, and ready to go at 7am to the indoor range (open 24 hours).

I tried the 7 rounders at home, and they were timed well. Timing involves using a blank cartridge (no primer/powder) and slowly bringing the slide forward with one round in the magazine. The round should slide up with out jumping ahead of the extractor. This is a whole other science. I also tried some other Baer 8 rounders, and they worked well. All told, I could have 53 shots loaded each time I filled the mags up.

I would like to add that the night sights on this gun are also very bright. I like that. The other nuance I liked was the night sights were also grooved on the side for ease of grabbing the back of the slide.

On Sunday I took it to the range. I was nervous and excited, but the first shot quickly got me into the game. Four hours later I had shot about 750 rounds. I shot about 500 230gr Federal FMJ, 100 Federal 230gr Hydra Shocks, and the rest was two boxes of ANYTHING 45 I could find (mostly left over carry ammo-hollow points). You all must have that leftover ammo box, that you are always meaning to bring to the range and shoot off…well I saved mine for the Baer. About 100 rounds of just pure mishmash, hollow point, wad, semi-wad, Winchester, 3-D, Cor-Bon, the whole 9 yards.

I had only two failures. One was a jam on FMJ when the gun was hot and dirty (at about round 100) and another was a stovepipe (on about 175). I think those are good odds. That is rock solid.

At round 350 or so, I took the slide off and ran a bore snake through the barrel about 8 times. I then lubed it up as much as I did when I prepped it for the range. I was ready to keep the brass flying.

My excitement left early in the shooting. The gun clearly shot low and left. I did get the “brass” marks on the slide right where the ejection port is opened up. This “seemed” to go away towards the end. The shooting lower left though was disappointing. It happened to three others I let shoot the TRS a little.

I can tell you the ONLY part that is hurt, or sore, is the part of my finger I use to load mags .

The checkering was beautiful, and the memory groove on the safety was great. I could have easily shot more, but the people with me tired sooner than I so I had to cut the range time short.

Once home, I stripped it down and cleaned it. It cleaned up REALLY REALLY easy (I was surprised). I was disappointed, because I wanted it on my hip that week…and well, I set my mind straight quick, that I would send it back for site adjustment.

I called Les Baer first thing on Monday and the lady was, as usual, pleasant. She said the brass thing might go away, and to use blah blah solvent on a cloth and it would come off…She said the sight thing they will fix, just shoot a target and send it back with the gun.

So during the day, I hit the range, and shot on some brown paper. The groups are about 12″ low and 6″ left…The lady had told me probably 1-2 weeks or so. I don’t mind and OF COURSE I have my theory.

Problem Coming to a Close

I talked with Les Baer himself – what service.

Les stated that he has not seen this wild of an adjustment needed but that he could adjust the sights in order to bring it to point of aim (POA) for the targets I sent him. Changing the front sight (putting a lower sight) and adjusting the rear will get me there.

He did mention that Shooters Choice Copper Remover would take off the brass marks. He said they most likely never go away. He said just soak a cotton patch with the copper remover, dab it on the slide. Then leave it sit for five minutes and then proceed to wipe it off. Make sure that you oil that part because the copper remover also removes the natural oils.

Les was nothing as I expected (as usual pre-notions are often wrong). He was extremely nice and super cordial. He was a great combination of professional, and leisure.

Folks will say “you spend that kind of money on a gun he should take care of you”…but I can tell you this…99.9% of all companies I deal with whether I spend 200k or 200 dollars treat you like garbage. There are a few elite companies that have good practices and treat the customers like they TOO would want to be treated. In my business my customers buy one piece for anywhere from 400 to 40k and they get the kind of service I got today. Les’s business is all 1200-6k…so one guy buying one gun is not going to make or break him. He was just a SUPER nice guy.

Well he said the gun would be returned on Monday (he just wants to torture me for the weekend without it). Any ominous feeling I had dissipated quickly today.

The gun came back with a small note from less and a target. There was of course no charge. Here is a 25 yard target Les sent to me.

This is nothing shy of PHYSICAL PROOF that Baer has solid service. Back from the range and all was perfect. It is as easy as that!!

On a Ransom Rest

The top LEFT of this target is simply the first 20 shots, warming up the gun…These are all shot at 25 yards. Notice the 3.1 BA10, these are 10 shots at 25 yards. This gun is amazing…it literally should sell itself. It only had the first hiccups (two) the first 200 rounds, and over 2000 later, not a burp.

By Andre

I purchased a new roll marked Colt M1991A1 Government Model in December 2001. The rollmark on this gun reads “Colt’s Government Model .45 Automatic Caliber” and is not to be confused with the older “Colt M1991A1” rollmarks. This gun is a bit different than the older M1991A1 because of a stainless steel barrel, 3-dot sights, (supposedly) better workmanship, and of course the new rollmarks. I chose it over a Springfield loaded parkerized and Kimber Classic mostly because of the Colt name. And at $550, it was about $50 cheaper than the others.

My first day shooting the pistol went very well. Two hundred rounds of 230gr. CCI Blazer FMJ through the gun with no malfunctions. The gun shot high at ranges under 30 feet (approximately 10 meters). This is a complaint that I have heard from several other owners of the new M1991A1. But the gun did shoot nice, tight groups – it was more accurate than I was. The 3-dot sights were easy to see and worked well.

The factory trigger pull was, and continues to be, excellent – about a 5 pound pull. There is the typical slack (take-up) before the trigger meets resistance, and a little bit of creep before the hammer falls. But well done for a factory trigger.

I would rate the fit and finish of the gun as good to excellent. The steel is blued and brushed on the slide flats, giving it a more refined finish than the old 1991’s all-matte look. An all-stainless steel barrel is standard. The slide to frame fit is good, but a slight rattling can be heard if the gun is shaken from side to side. I consider this normal. The feed ramp comes nicely polished from the factory. Moving parts like the slide, safety and mag release operate smoothly. The hard rubber grips are comfortable and flexible. A plastic trigger and mainspring housing are standard. A single seven-round magazine and trigger lock are included. There is no warranty on this gun, but an implied warranty in the owner’s manual basically states that if the gun breaks due to defects in manufacture, the broken parts will be replaced by Colt.

I have since shot an additional 200 rounds of Winchester 185gr. FMJ through the gun, with no malfunctions. I am very satisfied with my new roll marked M1991A1 Government Model. I am going to replace the plastic trigger and mainspring housing and change the high-shooting 3-dot sights to some King’s fixed “hardball”, but no further modifications seem warranted. This gun is an excellent shooter and has provided the quality that I associate with the Colt name.

Andre
March 8, 2002

By Malcom Werner

I was looking for a smaller lighter 1911 pistol for concealed carry. I looked at the Colt Defender, Springfield Compact, and Kimber Ultra Carry in stainless.

I selected the Kimber based on all the positive reviews in all the gun magazines. I found that the reviews were both right and wrong.

My first disappointment was when it came with only one magazine. It was higher priced than both the Colt and the Springfield and they both come with two. I called Kimber to see if it was a an oversight but no “we only ship one to keep the price down.”

I found the pistol to be very accurate, better than most full size 1911’s out of the box and it shot to point of aim. I had problems with the slide staying back before the magazine was empty and wasn’t sure if this was a slide stop or magazine fault. I purchased two McCormick magazines which I’ve always found to be very reliable. The slide problem continued so I was pretty sure that it was the slide stop. I decided to wait until I had at least 250 rounds through it before complaining.

In Nevada you can only list two pistols on your CCW and must qualify with any new make/model you want to add. I shot a perfect score during qualification which again demonstrates the inherent accuracy in the Kimber no bushing barrel design. However, the slide stayed back twice and there was a single instance where the trigger pull had felt extremely light.

That night I stripped and cleaned the pistol and all three magazines. I took the pistol to the range the following day to see if I was still having slide stop problems.

It was and a new element of excitement was added when the pistol went full auto in three to four round bursts. I was very surprised both by this and the fact that I could keep all the shots on an IPSC target at 15 yards. I fired two more magazines in bursts and then decided that I better not attract too much attention.

I sent the pistol back to Kimber with a description of all the faults and to their credit it was returned two days after they got it. I haven’t had any reliability problems with it since.

I do now wish it had a selector switch.

Based on my experience and the experience of others on Syd’s site, I would recommend that anyone who is considering a Kimber Ultra Carry for concealed carry, fire at least 500 rounds through it and make sure all magazines are well tested before depending on it for your life. If there are any reliability issues, return the pistol to Kimber for repairs.

Bill Boyer

A while back the idea of one’s dream Kimber was brought up on the Kimber list. You know, the one that if the factory made it you would just have to go out and buy it. The fact that it was a dream Kimber doesn’t mean much to this list or me, it was just my dream 1911. Anyway, when I first saw this thread it got me to thinking on just what I would want for my dream carry 1911 and a couple days later I finally made up my mind just what that gun would be. Well I know Kimber, or any one else, will never make THAT gun, so I knew from the start that the only way for me to have that gun is if I built it. I also knew I had to have that gun! So a couple days later I bought a aluminum frame/stainless slide Kimber Compact to serve as the base for my dream gun. The first thing was to find out how the new gun worked. So I have been spending quality time with it. :) I bought the gun on Sunday and after a fast re-lube I was on the range about 5 minutes after giving the man behind the counter my money. I only had enough time for 50 rounds of ball but things sure looked promising. Monday, I ran 300 rounds of ball through it while I was out practicing for a match. Then on Tuesday I cleaned out my old ammo supply with it. All 200 rounds of my 182 PF 230 gr LRN match ammo, about 60 rounds of 190 PF 200 gr. LSWC and 30 rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok 230 gr. So far the gun has worked just the way I expected. It shoots to point of aim and has had zero problems! My only complaint is that the trigger is a touch heavy at close to 5 lb. but at least it is a very clean trigger for a production gun.

So far the only changes that have taken place all happened about a hour after I got the gun home. A arched SS Brownell’s mainspring housing replaced the straight plastic one that Kimber uses because I don’t shoot as well with the straight housing as I do the curved. A set smooth Pau Ferro (wood) Hogue grips were also installed because I like they way they feel in the hand as well as to reduce the chance that my cover vest/shirt may grab on to them, besides that they look so nice on it. For a holster I found that a Kramer IWB2 that I had for a Colt Defender that I owned at one time seems to work ok after I did a little work to it. I also had a pair of adapters by Round Edge that allow the use of full sized mags in the short grip frame. With these adapters there is no longer any problem or fear of over inserting a full sized mag in the gun when it is at slide lock. So far the gun has worked perfect with Shooting Star and Wilson 8 round mags as well as the 7 round mag that came with the gun.

Future plans call for the underside of the trigger guard is going to be relieved kind of like Colt does to their top end guns. The grip panels are going to get rounded a bit also and grip tape will be installed on the front strap. I also plan on installing a Caspian “speed bump” grip safety because they work so well for me and because almost all of my 1911s now wear them. I did all of these changes to a couple of my other 1911s and love what the way they work. You can see one of my Norincos with these changes at http://homes.acmecity.com/rosie/awards/21/ (by the way, the Norinco received the grip tape treatment not long after those pictures were taken)

By the way, all these parts can be had at Brownells http://www.brownells.com/ except the grip safety. That I got at Caspian http://caspianarmsltd.8m.com/

By Scott Smith

My first visit to the SHOT Show several years back brought rumors of a new 1911 company with an old firearms tradition, Kimber. What was real big news was the price and included features on this 1911; all the neat things: good sights, extended safety, full length guide rod, F/R cocking serrations and under $600. Well production woes got them off to a slow start. All that has changed, believe you, me.

At the 2000 version of the SHOT Show, Kimber debuted the Ultra CDP series, nifty OM or Commander sized 1911s with all the best in custom shop features. The list included tritium inserts, ambi-safeties, checkered front strap, excellent trigger pull, and a complete bevel package (break all and I do mean all sharp edges) to the entire 1911. What is surprising is the price the full SRP for a pistol you can take delivery of now, $1100. Before you faint lets see, $200 + for the tritium, checkering on alloy, another $200, ambis, $75-100 installed, bevel job + refinish $125-200, plus cost of 1911, and minus the two month to a year wait from your favorite pistol plumber; deal.

After extended conversation with Kimber’s rep., and having down a review of the Kimber Gold match for a major publication, it was decided that I would have a CDP delivered. The goal to see if the alloy frame would hold up to abuse, not just a gunrag review’s idea of abuse.

So how’s it shoot? After nearly 500 rounds of mixed factory and 500 rounds of reloads, excellent. Factory loads included Federal 185gr JHPs, Sellier & Bellot 230grFMJ, Winchester SXTs, Triton HiVel, CorBon, and Black Hills; the last three in various weights. This little Ultra CDP shoots as well as a number of full-sized GMs that I own or have shot.

The Ultra CDP shot seven groups off hand at 20 yards under 2.5 inches, for a 3.5 barrel. This little 1911 handled all rounds well, but the recoil was stiff, to say the least with CorBon and Triton Ammunition because of the alloy frame. This particular Ultra CDP liked 185gr Federal Hi-Shoks the best, dropping seven rounds in under an 1.25 inches–for an OM sized 1911; outstanding.

So how does the Ultra CDP really hold up? After the better part of two years, it is still running. This baby 1911 has traveled in a Blade-Tech rig or a fanny pack from Eagle Industries.

The Ultra has digested nearly 3000 rounds from many manufacturers and a mixed heritage of reloads. The frame is holding up well and shows no sign of cracks, of “peening” at the feed ramp.

If you are looking for a great carry 1911, the Ultra CDP is the way to fly. Match grade performance out of a baby sized 1911. Kimber has added a Commander size 1911 to the Ultra line, it should be another great addition.

By P. Allen

I recently bought a Kimber Ultra Carry. My primary interest was its size and weight (one of the smallest 1911-style .45’s made). The gun is very accurate, considering it has a 3″ barrel. But it leaves plenty to be desired as far as reliability goes, particularly with the factory magazine. Takedown is a pain, you have to stick this little allen wrench into the guide rod to keep the recoil spring assembly intact. Its size and weight make it ideal for concealed carry. I tried various brands of ammo (all FMJ), but had feed and ejection problems right out of the box. Not to mention the inability of the slide to lock back after firing the last round. I got an Officer’s size magazine from Wilson Combat and the problems almost entirely disappeared. It’s hard to believe I had these problems after all the QC inspections Kimber claims they perform on their guns. I guess their magazines don’t get these inspections. IMO, it’s a nice piece but a $650+ gun really should be able to fire reliably out of the box. Shop around.