I am considering the purchase of a 9mm Kimber Pro Carry II. Not at all interested in a .45 acp. Any comments about reliably, function with various ammunition, fit and finish and ease of maintenance would be appreciated. I also want to stay with a Commander size 1911. This will be a range gun, a sometimes carry gun and and a nice gun just to have.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Kimber 9mm Stainless Pro Carry ?
- Thread starter tguil
- Start date
Theohazard
New member
When the name Kimber comes up, there tends to be two main groups of people with two very different points of view. The first group sees Kimber as the Cadillac of 1911s, and tends to think of them as super-nice, high-end guns. And the other group sees Kimber as a joke who puts out crap guns to unsuspecting gun owners. I think the truth lies somewhere in between these two views.
Kimber was the first major company to offer reasonably-priced factory-produced 1911s with upgrades that were normally reserved for custom 1911s. And over the years they've solidified their hold on the 1911 market by producing good-looking and feature-rich 1911s and spamming the market with constant advertising. Back when I used to read gun magazines, I remember it was difficult to find one that didn't have at least one beautiful full-page Kimber ad.
But Kimber's quality hasn't kept up with their carefully-cultivated popular image. Kimber has been plagued with issues of bad parts, bad functioning, and bad customer service. Are these issues any worse than other 1911 makers in the same price range? They seem to be, but it's hard to tell for sure. But I can tell you that Kimbers are no better than Colts or Springfields, even though they've managed to cultivate the image that they're much higher-end than those manufacturers. And too many of their guns have prices that match that high-end image.
I think most of the hatred for Kimber comes from the fact that they've managed to convince so many gun owners that Kimber is the 1911 manufacturer, and that no other 1911 comes close. They follow this up with slogans like, "What every gun should be" and marketing reps that claim their high-end models are the best 1911s money can buy (seriously, a rep actually told me that). It's amazing how many casual gun owners refer to 1911s as "Kimbers", and that's obviously a result of their successful marketing techniques. Heck, I have a friend who carries a full-house custom Colt Series 70 built by Jason Burton from Heirloom Precision, and he's constantly asked, "Is that a Kimber?"
Kimber was the first major company to offer reasonably-priced factory-produced 1911s with upgrades that were normally reserved for custom 1911s. And over the years they've solidified their hold on the 1911 market by producing good-looking and feature-rich 1911s and spamming the market with constant advertising. Back when I used to read gun magazines, I remember it was difficult to find one that didn't have at least one beautiful full-page Kimber ad.
But Kimber's quality hasn't kept up with their carefully-cultivated popular image. Kimber has been plagued with issues of bad parts, bad functioning, and bad customer service. Are these issues any worse than other 1911 makers in the same price range? They seem to be, but it's hard to tell for sure. But I can tell you that Kimbers are no better than Colts or Springfields, even though they've managed to cultivate the image that they're much higher-end than those manufacturers. And too many of their guns have prices that match that high-end image.
I think most of the hatred for Kimber comes from the fact that they've managed to convince so many gun owners that Kimber is the 1911 manufacturer, and that no other 1911 comes close. They follow this up with slogans like, "What every gun should be" and marketing reps that claim their high-end models are the best 1911s money can buy (seriously, a rep actually told me that). It's amazing how many casual gun owners refer to 1911s as "Kimbers", and that's obviously a result of their successful marketing techniques. Heck, I have a friend who carries a full-house custom Colt Series 70 built by Jason Burton from Heirloom Precision, and he's constantly asked, "Is that a Kimber?"
Love 'em or hate 'em, Kimbers do have a reputation of being finicky, especially when new. Some claim it's because Kimbers are built to tighter tolerances than other guns and need to be broken in. Some think Kimber buyers just have higher expectations because they're paying premium prices. My EDC gun is a Kimber Solo. I like it just fine now, but it took a trip back to Kimber to set it right. Contrary to the customer service horror stories, I have no complaints about the speed or (free) service.
Both my Pro Carry II (45) and Micro have performed flawlessly through many rounds of ammo, i have no complaints with Kimber. I also have dozens of other auto pistols that perform well and a few that defy the term reliable. I guess brand bashing has gone on since brand names were first applied.
joe-lumber
New member
Pro Carry II 9mm
I purchased a used Pro Carry II in 9 mm and it has operated beautifully. It is one of my most accurate pistols and I have never had a problem with it.
Since I didn't know how many shots it had I called Kimber for new recoil springs and they sent me 3 new springs Free. That to me is class. It is a wonderful firearm and if I hadn't purchased another 1911 45 full size I would have purchased a Kimber by now.
I purchased a used Pro Carry II in 9 mm and it has operated beautifully. It is one of my most accurate pistols and I have never had a problem with it.
Since I didn't know how many shots it had I called Kimber for new recoil springs and they sent me 3 new springs Free. That to me is class. It is a wonderful firearm and if I hadn't purchased another 1911 45 full size I would have purchased a Kimber by now.