Concealed carry KIMBER which one?? Are there any issues with 3" version

I would like a kimber 3" for a concealed carry. Are there any functioning issues you have found with the smaller kimbers? Which 3" kimbers do you have or like?

I would also like to see what others have to say. I have been eying the 3" Ultra-carry with the Crimson Trace grips for a while now.

Kimber Ultra TLE II.

I'd avoid any 3" 1911. You'd be better served with one of the Pro models, and better yet a 5" gun.

Agreed, had two & sold both. Still have my Compact CDP, it's 100% good-to-go but the 3" 1911's are anything but reliable from my experience.

This ^^^^ and take the time to read this> http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/02/06/971004/ales-pricey-guns-prove-unreliable.html

I wouldn't buy a Kimber unless it was built in Clackamas Oregon...

My kimber ultra covert II is very, very accurate. Especially considering it only has a 3" barrel.
It took over 500 rounds and one trip back to kimber to "break" it in. It runs fine now, BUT it will only cycle 6 round mags??
The factory kimber 7 round mag and my wilson combat OCX 7 rounders will not function right for some reason. They always have fail to feeds.
However, It will run 100% on cheaper Mec-gar 6 round mags? Go figure.

Personally, If I could do it over again, I would go with a commander length pistol.

I went to the range today though. Here is my trophy from 30 yards.

Carrying Tactical Ultra II everyday off duty. Love it................

I bought a Kimber Ultra Carry TLE II a couple weeks ago. I've only had a chance to put about 75 rounds through it, but 50 of them were factory reloads. The other 25 were WWB. I intend to carry this gun and as long as it continues to perform as it did through the first 75 rounds, I see no problems arising in the future.

I've owned 2 stainless UC IIs with thousands of rounds through them and never a single issue from the first shot.

I've used every variety of mag I own, officer and full size. All 230gr. Ball or HP has run 100% from different manufactures including +P.

Here are the magazines I've used


From left to right
Chip McCormick Power 8rd
Wilson 47D 8rd
Wilson Elite 8rd
Wolff 8rd
Stock Springfield Armory 7rd
Stock Colt 8rd
KimPro Tac 7rd
Stock Kimber 7rd
Act 7rd
WWII Colt 7rd
Metalform 7rd
Target Sports Chip McCormick 8rd knock-offs (same performance and quality as the real deal though)


Although these have been 100% through my Ultras, they have also been 100% with all my other 1911s as well. Must be a gift since I've never had a 1911 malfunction on me and they all have 1,000-10,000rds+ through each.

got 2 of the early UC's never a prob.

100% from both.countless # of reloads thru them.

clown

i am looking real hard at the Ultra CDP Crimson Trace...............real hard

I carry a ProCarry II

What holsters are you guys using for your Ultra series pistols?

Galco for OWB leather, Blackhawk paddle for quick on and off, and Comptac Minotaur for IWB.

I have an Ultra Carry II with Crimson Trace grips. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Ultra reliable, surprisingly easy to shoot. I have nothing but good things to say about it.

Get some 7rd officer length KimPro Tac mags.

wow WHAT?!?! Is that ALLL Kimbers or just the 3" model?

BRB NEVER BUYING A KIMBER AGAIN.

Thanks! I picked up one of the KimPro tac mags (7 rounder) and all seems good so far!
I guess I'll be picking up more...

I carry an Ultra Carry II with night sights.
It's very comfortable because of the thin profile.
Nicely built, you would be very happy with it.

Its all I use when carrying my UC or even my RIA compact. They are high quality mags which are overlooked most of the time.

And they're only $18 each if you order them from http://www.the-armory.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page64.html

Pro CDP II owner here.

It's my favorite gun and my main carry gun. Zero issues for over 2k rnds.

i use the kimpro mags as well! the stock mag that came with the gun is junk and i never use it. the kimpro have never had an issue! i have an ultra raptor and love it.

My Ultra CDP II has been my EDC for over a year and I've put 3500+ rounds throught it without any issues. Great little shooter!

I have an Ultra CDP II Elite as my primary carry gun. I only had a few FTF when breaking it in with the factory mags. With the Wilson mags I have never had any problems what so ever. I have heard more than one person say stay away from the 3" model but I haven't had any problems with mine so go figure.

Kimber Ultra CDP-II

Love it. Only problem I have is if you carry with a full mag, and one in the chamber, that first round from the mag may not feet correctly if it is an HP. Probably something that could be fixed, or worked out, or maybe just the bullet type (230 gr. Gold dot). I make sure the top round in the mag is ball, the rest are HP, and the round in the barrel is HP as well. It works.

I've only had my Ultra Carry II for about a month and only have about 400-500 rounds through it. But it has been flawless in terms of reliability and shoots very accurately for a 3" barrel. So far it has eaten 230 gr ball, 230 gr HPs and 225 gr LSWCs with near 100% reliability.

The sole failure was with a hard used dimpled follower GI mag where the last round popped up early and allowed the follower to lock the slide open. It was obviously a mag related failure.

The only issue I've noted is a tendency for some (shooting star, chip mc cormick, etc) spring style extra capacity mag followers to pick at the alloy frame, but those mags are easily a avoided and Kimber 7 and 8 round extra cap mags use a spring style extra capacity follower that won't pick on the frame. Probably sound advice to take care about the followers you use on any alloy frame 1911.

i have the original Ultra Carry and have a few thousand rounds through it. it is the most accurate gun i own and shoot it well. it hides very well but has some drawbacks. every once in a while it doesn't load a bullet, meaning the mag still has rounds in it but the slide locks back. drop the slide release and she is ready to go again. the only other issue i have with it is that when you go to the range and fire a lot of ammo it beats up the webbing in your dominant hand. i don't know if it is because i am hugged up on the grip cause it is so short or if it is just the design of the beaver tail. either way it doesn't really affect me till i get close to 100 rounds.

I have an original ultra CDP, after 500 rounds or so and Wilson magazines, it's been flawless.

Bought in 2001, my EDC every since, It usually rides in a Brommland Max Con V.

What is the issue with the other magazines ? is it spring only or the whole magazine ? Thanks

I own a Kimber Custom Target II . My friend used to own a Kimber Ultra Carry., He thought his gun shot great but he started noticing wear on the frame (aluminum) after about 2 thousand rounds and decided to get rid of the gun . I haven't owned a 3" 1911 so can't speak from personal experience but the gun smiths I know generally advise to stay away from 3 inch 1911's if you plan on shooting significant amounts of rounds through them.

if all you do is carry the gun, then a 3 inch should be fine.I'd recommend taking it to the range to make sure it feeds and fires properly and then just carry it. use another gun for range and fun shooting.

Kimbers testing suggests a frame life of least 20,000 rounds. When I shot IPSC that would have been only about 2 years so the advice to avoid alumininum frames if you shoot a lot is valid - but it is also a relative thing.

20,000 rounds is 400 boxes of ammo and even at only $10 per box that's 4K required to wear out a $900-$1000 pistol, assuming a gloom and doom scenario where you can't replace the frame.

I think it's the springs in the other mags? My ultra hates Wilson combat oxc mags. Maybe the spring is too weak?
It runs perfect now on mecgar mags and the kimpro tac mags.

I have a Ultra Crimson carry ll ive put about 300 round thru it so far with only one FTF Ive shot 100 Win 230Gr FMjs Perfect, 100 Fiochee (SP) FMJs perfect and about 100 200 Gr HPs reloads the FTF was on round about 80 of them and it was probably a light load, racked her and kept on running, these 100 were ran quite fast, good time for a failure drill

I find that the 3" ramped barrel fed better than a 5" standard with HPs, YEMD I trust mine with my life and carry it nearly everyday, used to carry 5" just too long for me,

I have carried an early Ultra CDP for 7 years as my daily plain clothes side arm. I have run thousands of rounds through it and it always goes bang. I have been looking at the SIS but I can't get away from this one since it works so well..

The SIS is a good weapon but it gets a little slick with sweaty hands.

I have an Ultra CDP II that's been chugging along without a hitch for quite some time now.

Funny, but the only UNreliable Kimber I ever owned was a Clackamas-made model. Wierd, huh?

I have a Ultra Carry, the first model with no firing pin nonsense. It has been a great gun for me, I have several hundred rounds thru it with the only problems with 30 year old reloads with split cases. The chamber on the Kimbers might be on the tight side, since my 1945 Remington Rand ran the 30 year old split case reloads with no problem, go figure.
My UC has run, 230 FMJ, both new and range reloads, 230gr HP of three different brands, 185 GR P+ and 230 LRN with no problems and excellent accuracy.
This is a great carry gun, very light weight and easy to concel and carry. I have the CT grips on it and it really shoots well, my only complaint is that the laser gets dirty after a few mags and has to be cleaned.

You'll have to replace the recoil spring sooner. The Clackamas, OR guns were the best. They were very well put together and were very reliable. That's what got Kimber noticed. Then demand took off and QC started to drop. I loved the OR built guns so I bought more Kimbers after the move to Yonkers, NY. My stainless compact and stainless Ultra would have feed issues all day long. Didn't matter what mags and ammo I was using. The NY guns went and like an idiot, I sold the OR built ones for something different. Get a 5" Warrior or Desert Warrior. YMMV

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