[Guardsman]

Hello all. Having had my worries put to rest since my last post, and having thus decided to hang on to my Kimber, I have this question: My Kimber is bone-stock, and other than tritium three-dots, what, if any, upgrades or smithing would be advisable for my weapon? I am looking strictly for anything that will increase the reliability or carryability of it. Also, does anybody have any suggestions for a specific brand or type of night-sights that I should consider or avoid? Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks.

John Szelog

 

[Kavall]

You are actually asking all personal preference questions. If your Kimber is 100% reliable how could it be made more so? It is really up to you to decide if you need new sights, ambi safety, new beavertail, some sort of grip enhancing (checkering, serrating, scallops, waves, conymids, etc)

My personal tastes don't suit everyone. I like the idea of hard chromed stainles guns with ambi safeties (lefty), Hennie straight eight sights, ground mag well. Add some 30 lpi checkering, scallops, or maybe a soft wave pattern and you have just about my ideal gun. Ohh yeah 4 lb short trigger with all tool steel firing components.

So the real question is what do you need? Not what would we like to see you have.

 

[JiminCA]

Shoot the gun to ensure that it is reliable. Several hundred rounds of ball followed by whatever you intend to carry (assuming carry is your objective). Similar logic for a target gun.

In my experience, Kimber's are plenty accurate and about 50-50 on reliability. On a bone stock classic that was reliable I'd just get some nice lookin' grips and better sights. If it's not reliable just get a reliability job done (or send it to Kimber). Often the chamber is a bit tight and that causes feeding problems.

I consider the sights to be the most glaring problem. "Glaring" is the right word IMO because under most lighting conditions I see a little band on light reflecting from the target area off of the flat in front of the opening of the rear sight. It looks like a light band at the bottom of the front sight, but is actually reflection off of the flat on the rear sight. Darned distracting to me.

At any rate a set of Heinies or novaks should solve the problem. Both work good. I have a slight preference for Heinies. For target work a bomar would be best.

Oh yeah, IMO 3-dot sights are distracting to the sight picture. Straight-8 or bar dot configs work for me. I find that my guns typically shoot to a different POA by aligning the dots versus aligning the tops of the sights. There's just too much going on visually for me with 3-dots.

With that said the Wilson 463 sights are the exception for me on 3-dot sights. The dots seem to "go away" in regular light and re-appear in night light. I think they make one for the Kimber cut. Nice looking sights and something "different" IMO.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JiminCA on 2001-10-17 15:22 ]</font>

 

[Guardsman]

JiminCA, thanks, I have had a few problems regarding the slide not always closing all the way when I release it, I've seen several different posts mentioning it here, and several different methods of fixing it, so I will have to deal with that one. Right now, I'm looking at the possibility of needing stronger spring, but the Wolff website says that the Ultra Carry already uses a 21lb spring. They have a 23lb spring for it, but I want to make sure that the spring will fix the problem. Also, where are you from in the DPRK? I'm up in the Central Valley, Tracy area.
Kavall, I'm not looking for everybody's upgrades, just trying to find out if there are any common problems or concerns with the Ultra Carries, or Kimbers in general, and what was done to fix or deal with them. Again, I'm only looking to make sure that the gun is reliable, and as comfortable to carry as a 1911 can be. Thanks.

 

[Andy]

Send or take the gun to either Dane Burns or Jim Hoag. Have them do a reliability pkg. and install the tritium sights of your preference. I would also recommend a set of Dane's tool steel ignition parts and a tool steel slide stop be made part of the reliability work.