American Handgunner May/June 2007 Feature

May/June 2007

Kimber's Cool
Carry Combo

By Roy Huntington • Photos By Ichiro Nagata

Ultra Cool 9mm And .45
Carry Guns From Kimber.

Robert Heinlein, the science fiction author, is the man who coined the phrase most of us all hold near and dear: “An armed society is a polite society.” I’ve admired and respected both the man and his work since I was a kid.

Heinlein also said something else when referring to a well-rounded man: “Specialization is for insects.” I think anyone, man or woman, should be able to manage themselves with light mechanical work, ride a horse, swim, operate all manner of machinery, write some, know about kids, be well-read and a list of other things to keep themselves both useful and alive in this world.

Yet, after being introduced to the two tiny Kimbers at hand, I can see now perhaps our penchant for often expecting our guns to be jacks-of-all-trades is incorrect. How many times have you wondered things like “What’s the best trail gun?” or “What’s the most versatile deer caliber?” or “What would be my ultimate CCW gun for all situations?” We’ve all spent hours at it, and enough magazine space has been devoted to the subject to deforest a small state. But I think we’ve often misunderstood the question.

We are blessed with being in a country that — so far — has remained relatively free when it comes to our possessing firearms. So, we don’t have to pick one gun needing to handle all situations. If your budget allows, you can pick and choose, weigh the options and find certain models, calibers and features to fit a particular niche you may have. Dare we say, with some (many?) guns, specialization is a good thing?

The Job At Hand

There’s no need to launch into a history of Kimber at this point. If you don’t know Kimber, you’ve been hiding under a rock over the past ten years or so. I may be wrong, but I believe they are the current number one manufacturer of 1911-style handguns in the world. Upwards of 50,000 or so come out of the shops there yearly. Which means, Kimber understands 1911 design, and perhaps just as importantly, understands the needs of the 1911 user. And that would be us — me and you.

While some people actually do carry a full-sized all-steel Government Model on their belts as a CCW gun, most of us don’t. We probably own at least one, and like to shoot it, and might even carry it now and again. But the daily grind of gun-toting soon would have you pulling up your pants and wishing for a set of suspenders.

Invariably something else gets carried. There’s a reason there’s still a strong market for small, lightweight 5-shot wheelguns — it’s because people find them convenient. They offer adequate power and they’re easy to stow. But too many people forget it’s an expert’s gun. If you actually shoot your tiny wheelgun seriously (what’s this, you haven’t?), you’ll find out for yourself it’s very unforgiving.

So I ask, “Why compromise?” If you’re comfortable with the 1911 operating system, reach for a specialized design, custom-made (literally) to meet the CCW needs of discerning 1911 users. Kimber’s Aegis II and Ultra RCP II mange essentially the same ease of carry of a small frame revolver, but in a serious package. And rejoice — Kimber has done what a rare few custom pistolsmiths have been doing — they created the smallest, full-caliber .45 ACP 1911 in the world. All done in numbers that can supply more than two or three lucky fellows a year.

Two Options

The Aegis is a tiny, 9mm carry gun, with the features of any good 1911 — but literally pocket-sized. The choice of caliber makes good sense. With the right modern bullet design, anyone with a good quality 9mm is in no sense under-gunned. And the lower recoil impulse just might be the ticket for smaller people, or even burly guys who hate recoil. I’m not particularly immune to recoil, but I found both the .45 and the 9mm versions perfectly controllable. Just keep a solid grip on them and remember to relax your teeth after the first shot.

With 3" barrels and identical sizes, the Aegis and Ultra RCP weigh in at about the same 25 ounces or so. Height is 4.75" and length is 6.8", but the RCP might have a slight edge in concealability due to the unique “Groove” sight channel it carries, rather than the Tritium fixed-sights of the Aegis. Still, the difference is small enough to be moot in the real world, but if you’re a nit-picker, there’s a nit for you to pick.

Magazine capacity for the tiny 9mm is a robust 8-rounds, and the Ultra RCP still manages a solid seven. Today’s modern mag designs and miracle springs allow this kind of performance. Other features include a long list of the kinds of detail work you could expect from a high-end custom shop, yet come on this “factory” custom carry duo.

Aegis II

From the matte black slide to the silver-anodized aluminum frame, the Aegis II is compact and handsome. Slim, ball-milled rosewood grip panels keep the grip profile slim for small hands. The slide is finished with the KimPro II finish from Kimber. It looks to be a baked-on spray finish of some kind. There’s no forward serrations on the slide for a quick “press-check,” but there is a small hole in the top of the chamber to see if there is a case in the chamber. I honestly don’t consider such things “loaded chamber indicators” since all it really tells you is there’s a case there and hey, it might be an empty case. Keep that in mind.

There’s machined checkering at 30 lpi on the front strap, the mainspring housing is checkered, an enhanced grip safety, bushingless barrel assembly and a corresponding full-length guide rod are even more goodies. All the gee-gaws are there and it’s obvious the guns get a good deal of handwork when it comes to fit and finish. The carry melt job is done very well and offers the kind of smooth, buttery feel we’ve come to expect when done right.

The safety is bobbed somewhat and the hammer spur is cut completely off. Kimber says they nip the spur off to enhance concealability, but frankly, I’d rather they left it on. As a marketing tool, it certainly turns the profile of the small guns into something unusual, but in the real world of manipulations, I’d personally simply rather have an option of manipulating the hammer if I needed to. Does it really matter, or does it affect the ability of the Aegis or the Ultra RCP II to perform? Not at all, but for me, I’d retrofit a “real” hammer.

Takedown is typical of the breed and you need a small, bent paperclip to manage it. The factory-supplied instructions walk you though it neatly. Remember to keep it well lubed with lightweight oil, especially during the break-in phase (around 400-500 rounds). And something to keep in mind is the fact Kimber tells you to change the recoil spring after 1,800 rounds.

I shot the gun with factory 9mm loads, from one or two light-bulleted ones (115 gr. JHPs) to heavier 147s, and it seemed to run fine. With only around 200 rounds put through it due to time constraints, I didn’t even break it in, yet it ran fine when you kept your wrist stiff. Any of the small guns need a solid platform to recoil against or they can give you fits.

I thought the gun ran very smoothly, with a moderate recoil impulse when using Federal 147 gr. Sub-Sonic ammo, but still managed well with some hot Cor-Bon. Accuracy at the rock-tossing distance of 12 yards (why shoot it further?) hovered at the 2" mark. I’ll bet the guns can shoot as well as you can, but I’m not going jackrabbit hunting at 50 yards with it. Remember that thing about specialization?

At around $1,195 MSRP, this is a lot of little gun for the money. I’d guess to take a Colt Officer’s ACP you already owned and cut it down (if you could get Terry Tussey of Tussey Custom to do it for you!) would cost much more than the full retail price of this gun.

Ultra RCP II

Now comes the bruiser of the duo — but in name only. The full-bore .45 ACP is still comfortable to manage in this package. The bits and pieces mirror the Aegis II kit, with everything cut, bobbed, nipped and tucked. The slide is finished in KimPro II and the frame is anodized black and everything looks all black and tactical and such. The grip panels are changed to Micarta, the slide serrations are cut a bit differently and the front strap is grooved vertically instead of checkered. I miss the checkering on the mainspring housing since when the RCP goes off, it does try to get out on its own. I’d stick some skateboard tape there if I were to keep it.

All of which amounts to essentially the same gun as the Aegis but in the magic .45 ACP caliber. If I had my druthers, I’d druther have the RCP. That big bore — even if it’s only my imagination — instills confidence. It probably instills a loose bladder in the guy looking at it from the “other” side — and that’s a good thing.

Trigger pulls were around four pounds or a tad higher depending upon the mood of the RCBS gauge, with the Aegis a bit crisper. Both have Kimber’s firing pin safety, connected to the grip safety. Depress the grip safety, it moves the widget from in the way of the firing pin, and then when you pull the trigger it goes bang. Seems to work fine.

The RCP has no sights. Well, it sorta has sights, but they aren’t there. Kimber has instead machined a channel or gutter down the top of the slide. “To make it more concealable” they said. One thing it made it was harder to shoot well. At toe-touching distances it didn’t matter much, since you usually sort of index on the slide rear and can get a flash of the channel. If you really took your time at the 12 yards I shot it at, you could get some semblance of a group (which I won’t tell you about since it’s not anything to brag about), and the term “group” broadly interprets the meaning of the word. The gun can shoot, there’s no doubt, but hindering the job is that pesky lack of actual sights.

It’s about the only thing I think Kimber really missed with on these little guns. Put some sights on the .45, would you? That way if I want to shoot a tin can (or terrorist?) at 25 yards I can at least have a chance. Kimber says they both have match-grade barrels and chambers, but a match-grade barrel on a gun with no sights? Come again?

Some may recall the famous “Guttersnipe” sights on the old ASP pistols. If you ever used one, you probably came away as confused as I was. Never could hit anything with it, it did look cool. But why change something that works? Old fashioned sights (one on the front, one on the rear) get the job done. But hey, that’s just my opinion, and I could be wrong. Price on the Ultra RCP II in .45 ACP is $1,217 American, and is a deal considering the technology involved and solid workmanship from the Kimber Custom Shop.

Now What?

Both of these guns are for one thing and one thing only — to save your butt when things get ugly. Either will do the job with aplomb. They are small, light and seem to run fine, unlike many of the small 1911-type guns. Either would make a perfect backup to a cop who carries a 1911 in his duty holster, or as a main CCW gun for anyone else.

If it were me, I’d stick a regular hammer on mine, and some sights on the Ultra RCP II (even small sights) and I’d be happy as a clam. Why a clam, though? I dunno, but I’d be happy like one.

Specs

Aegis II

Caliber:	9mm
Height:	4.75"
Length:	6.8"
Width:	1.15"
Weight:	25 oz.
Magazine:	8
Frame:	Aluminum
Barrel:	3"
Retail Price:	$1,195

Ultra RCP II

Caliber:	.45 ACP
Height:	4.75"
Length:	6.8"
Width:	1.15
Weight:	25 oz.
Magazine:	7
Frame:	Aluminum
Barrel:	3"
Retail Price:	$1,217

American Handgunner
May/June
2007

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