I ordered a Kimber Pro CDP II on September 2, 2010 after many hours of research and fact-finding. I was looking for a carry gun to use off-duty (it’s not easy to conceal a Glock 21, especially in summer time). I paid a visit to Premier Arms in Brownsburg and spoke with the owner, Bryce. I briefly discussed the CDP with Bryce and considered a few other Kimber models before deciding to stick with my original choice. I was told that the typical wait was approximately 4-6 months. While I was disappointed, I figured that would give me plenty of time to purchase some quality leather and stock up on ammunition without my wife seeing too much on the bank card at a time. 5 weeks after I placed my order, I received a call from Bryce telling me that my Kimber was in. I was in his shop paying the balance of the $1099 price (minus the $100 deposit) within about 20 minutes. In the 6 weeks since, here’s what I have discovered about my new gun.
Specs:
Low-Profile Night sights
Checkering on front strap
Melt treatment
.45 acp
28 oz
MSRP $1318
Pros:
Appearance: If looks could kill . . .
Accuracy: The 1911 platform just feels right. It points naturally and just fits my hand better than any other gun I’ve ever had the privilege to shoot. Accuracy right out of the box was superb. Focus on the front site and you’ll hit your mark.
Fit and Finish: Shake this gun all you want. You won’t hear a rattle. Everything fits tightly and snugly. The safety gives a nice click leaving no doubt that you’ve just (de)activated it. All the individual parts are finished nicely.
Trigger: The trigger feels great and does not exhibit any excessive travel. I have not measured where the trigger breaks but it breaks clean every time. This goes back to the gun just feeling right.
Melt Treatment: I have never had the gun snag on my holster or my clothing. When I occasionally have had to use my t-shirt to conceal, the gun does not bother my bare skin.
Reliability: The gun has experienced 5 failures in 490 rounds, 4 in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, and all occurring with the stock magazine. The one failure I experienced was having the slide lock back with 2 rounds left in the magazine while shooting from 50 yards. This was also with the stock magazine which I will touch on more in a minute. Overall, I would rate the reliability as excellent and I trust this gun as my daily carry should I ever need to use it.
Weight and Thickness: Despite not having a great holster yet, the weight seems to disappear after being worn for 5 minutes. The thickness is much easier to conceal than a Glock which is what started me looking at 1911’s in the first place.
Cons:
Stock Magazine: (Getting on my soapbox) Why does a gun that has a $1318 MSRP only come with one, crappy magazine? Kimber manufactures a KimPro Tac Magazine that has proven flawless in my gun. This magazine cost me $30 from Premier Arms. Would it kill Kimber to throw 2 of these into new gun purchases? Especially their higher-end guns? I don’t feel that my gun would have experienced any failures had I not continued using the stock mag for range time.
Plastic Back Strap: The finish on the back strap does not seem to match the quality of the rest of the gun. It seems like continuing the aluminum or at least using an aluminum or stainless insert would maintain the overall feel of the gun as being high-quality better than the plastic.
KimPro Finish: The KimPro Finish has already started wearing down. Under the slide is expected and not a big deal, despite being advertised as a very durable finish. My concern is the chips under the safety. I purchased this gun to carry on a daily basis so wear is not a huge concern, just not living up to what was advertised.
Take-Down Tool: Looks like a bent paper clip that I surprisingly haven’t lost yet. I found a take-down tool on YouTube that appears to be a plastic sleeve that fits over the guide rod to keep the spring compressed. Appears to be of higher quality than the enclosed tool.
I highly recommend this gun to anybody looking for a carry gun. I am proud to own this gun and have no regret for making this purchase. While the price may be too high for some, it really feels like a good value to me. This gun meets all the necessities (reliable, concealable, accurate) as well as providing some luxuries (appearance, comfort). I plan to add an Ultra CPD II in the future for easier concealment in summer. If you’re in the Indianapolis area and want to shoot this gun, send me a PM. I try to get to the range twice a month at least and have already allowed 6 or 7 people to shoot my gun. Thank you for reading this far, I hope this review has been helpful to you. I will add a few more pics to my profile, please stop by and check them out.
Specs:
Low-Profile Night sights
Checkering on front strap
Melt treatment
.45 acp
28 oz
MSRP $1318
Pros:
Appearance: If looks could kill . . .
Accuracy: The 1911 platform just feels right. It points naturally and just fits my hand better than any other gun I’ve ever had the privilege to shoot. Accuracy right out of the box was superb. Focus on the front site and you’ll hit your mark.
Fit and Finish: Shake this gun all you want. You won’t hear a rattle. Everything fits tightly and snugly. The safety gives a nice click leaving no doubt that you’ve just (de)activated it. All the individual parts are finished nicely.
Trigger: The trigger feels great and does not exhibit any excessive travel. I have not measured where the trigger breaks but it breaks clean every time. This goes back to the gun just feeling right.
Melt Treatment: I have never had the gun snag on my holster or my clothing. When I occasionally have had to use my t-shirt to conceal, the gun does not bother my bare skin.
Reliability: The gun has experienced 5 failures in 490 rounds, 4 in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, and all occurring with the stock magazine. The one failure I experienced was having the slide lock back with 2 rounds left in the magazine while shooting from 50 yards. This was also with the stock magazine which I will touch on more in a minute. Overall, I would rate the reliability as excellent and I trust this gun as my daily carry should I ever need to use it.
Weight and Thickness: Despite not having a great holster yet, the weight seems to disappear after being worn for 5 minutes. The thickness is much easier to conceal than a Glock which is what started me looking at 1911’s in the first place.
Cons:
Stock Magazine: (Getting on my soapbox) Why does a gun that has a $1318 MSRP only come with one, crappy magazine? Kimber manufactures a KimPro Tac Magazine that has proven flawless in my gun. This magazine cost me $30 from Premier Arms. Would it kill Kimber to throw 2 of these into new gun purchases? Especially their higher-end guns? I don’t feel that my gun would have experienced any failures had I not continued using the stock mag for range time.
Plastic Back Strap: The finish on the back strap does not seem to match the quality of the rest of the gun. It seems like continuing the aluminum or at least using an aluminum or stainless insert would maintain the overall feel of the gun as being high-quality better than the plastic.
KimPro Finish: The KimPro Finish has already started wearing down. Under the slide is expected and not a big deal, despite being advertised as a very durable finish. My concern is the chips under the safety. I purchased this gun to carry on a daily basis so wear is not a huge concern, just not living up to what was advertised.
Take-Down Tool: Looks like a bent paper clip that I surprisingly haven’t lost yet. I found a take-down tool on YouTube that appears to be a plastic sleeve that fits over the guide rod to keep the spring compressed. Appears to be of higher quality than the enclosed tool.
I highly recommend this gun to anybody looking for a carry gun. I am proud to own this gun and have no regret for making this purchase. While the price may be too high for some, it really feels like a good value to me. This gun meets all the necessities (reliable, concealable, accurate) as well as providing some luxuries (appearance, comfort). I plan to add an Ultra CPD II in the future for easier concealment in summer. If you’re in the Indianapolis area and want to shoot this gun, send me a PM. I try to get to the range twice a month at least and have already allowed 6 or 7 people to shoot my gun. Thank you for reading this far, I hope this review has been helpful to you. I will add a few more pics to my profile, please stop by and check them out.
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