Posted: 3/11/2008 12:19:20 PM EDT
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I have been seriously considering buying one of these but my concern was with the reliability of a 3" 1911. I have heard they have issues feeding, stovepiping ect. Could someone who has one please chime in because I really want one and need some hands on experience feedback. Or, should I stick with a officers length and call it a day? Thanks for the help. |
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I've had a series I CDP since 2001, for the first 300 rounds I had issues, I switched to Wilson Combat magazines and have not had a hitch since. I replaced the spring and followers in my old mags with WC kits and it cured them, I only carry the original WC's and use the others for range time with hardballs. My brother bought a SS ultra carry II in 2006 and had issues with premature slide stop, I'm not positive if that issue has been corrected even now. |
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I had one for years, carried it daily, and put 4,000 rounds through it. I finally sold it due to unreliability. In the time I owned it, I broke the ejector, the magazine catch, and the guide rod. Kimber fixed it all three times, but it was a pain in the neck. More importantly, I would get FTF's on a pretty regular basis, say one every 50 rounds or so. I stuck with the gun for a long time because I liked how it carried and shot so well, but finally quit trusting it so much I couldn't deal with it anymore. I'm now carrying a bobtailed 4" gun, and it has not bobbled even once. Sure it's a $2,700 Wilson, but I think the longer guns are just going to work better. |
| It must be with the 1911 design because I have a Spingfield XD Sub-Compact in .40 and it shoots like a dream. 3,000 rounds and counting without a single hiccup. I think im just going to get a plan jane Colt Officers and have it custmized to my liking. My father has been collecting Colts for over 35 years. He has a least 35-45 colts in his collection and never had any problems with his officers models except one, the defender model, (which is a 3" barrel anyway), which they dont make anymore. What a piece of garbage that thing was. He bought three different ones at different times. Every one was a p.o.s. Sold all three within a week of buying. |
+1! I too loved mine for the time that I had it, and when it wasn't at Kimber. My extractor was the first to go, then it wouldn't lock open. Replaced the mags and it ran well for a while, then one day after shooting I noticed the damn guide rod was bent... so yeah I had Kimber fix it again and then I sold it... Sad, cause I LOVE the 1911 so I'll just stick to my 5" STI Trojan and Kimber Custom II, and for carry I'll carry my Sig 239(.357sig) 
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Generally speaking... The design has a more demanding margin of error as the barrel dips below 5". The margin becomes extremely narrow past 4". This is of little consequence if the parts and workmanship match the demands of the design, and therein lies the problem. Production companies cut corners to keep costs down and/or profits up. Production companies make great numbers of pistols without paying enough skilled workers to keep up with QC. As such a company doing a half-assed job overall may churn out 1 bad 5" out of 10, but the same half-assed method may make 3 or 4 problematic micros out of 10. Bearing this in mind you have to plug the company into the equaton. If it's a science, it's not one we can apply very easily due to the difficulty of getting the statistics. Moreover, a decent company can drop the ball for 2 years (haunting it for 5) or a crap company can step up. So looking at large overall trends helps you judge (with no absolute certainty) whether buying such a pistol is a worthwhile gamble. Given the price of compacts and smaller 1911s (high dollar production) I think the soundest advice is to err on the side of caution. Small 1911s are rarely backups due to their weight... they are usually primaries, or your lifeline. Thus, I suggest you don't skimp and go with a semi custom or top quality production line for one of these if it is intended as a primary defensive weapon. As such I would not consider a Kimber for a compact or subcompact 1911. |
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I have an early model SS internal extractor (Series I) Ultra Carry. VERY accurate little pistol. The only problem I've had with it in roughly 1500 rounds or so is periodic premature slide lock back. No other jam's, misfeeds, or FTF's. Kimber sent me a new slide stop, so will have to see if that fixes the problem. IF I had to do it over again, and knowing what i know now, I'd go with a Commander length 1911 on an officers frame. Best of both worlds, in my opinion. If you decide to go Kimber, look for a Series I...they consistently seem to have fewer issues. Good luck. Fred |
| Thanks guys for the feedback, it has definitely helped my decision. And yes it will be my CCW. With that said, I dont want any pistol (for carry that is) I cant depend on to save my life EVERY time. What good is a gun, no matter what the cost, if it fails at the most crucial moment? Right now I carry a S&W j-frame airweight with +P .38 hydro shocks and switch between a Springfield XD Sub-compact .40 w/hydro shocks. For now I trust that with my life. |
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Repeat after me, there is no such thing as 100%, all mechanical things fail or break. Pulpsmack is right about the tolerances being tighter on the smaller guns though, The only falure I have had with my Ultra is with out of spec ammo (ammo that was longer than 1.250") This ammo fed fine in an old 1927 Sistema, because the feed geometry is more forgiving on the longer barrels. If you are really worried about it get a compact (which is what Kimber calls an ultra frame with a Pro slide) |