KIMBER ULTRA CARRY II

GrizleyHunter

GrizleyHunter

New member
Does anyone own this pistol,I have a question about how to carry this gun with a empty chamber.Do I leave the hammer in a half cock position or full cock position. When in the full cock position I can completely engage the safety,when in the half cock position on a empty chamber the safety does not completely engage into the notch.
Just got this pistol today it is a 45ACP with laser and night sights and will be my carry gun.
Thanks for the help
Griz
 
I always carry my 45 with a round in the chamber, fully cocked with the safety on. Congrats on your new carry weapon.
 
1+ for what MTurbo said completely safe you will love the ultra carry they are very nice pistols Ron is it blued or stainless
 
My new little kimber is blued.
Do you guys feel safe carrying a gun that is loaded and cocked,that kinda give me the creeps I thought I would carry it with an empty chamber than if needed rack a round in.I know that takes time if needed quickley but this is my first auto carry pistol.
Just a side note just got back from Idaho and Montana and my son and I scored 1 elk and 2 antlope.
 
congrats on the critters killed, i carry a kahr and a glock alot neither one with safetys and 1 stoked in the pipe the kimber dont worry me at all carry locked and loaded Ron
 
GrizleyHunter,
If you are not familiar with the 1911-A1 -type pistol, I recommend you seek out a couple of hours of competent instruction in it's use. You will want to understand loading, unloading, "failure drills", safely holstering and safely drawing the pistol from holster (I recommend the Blackhawk Serpa, it is very fast and has a trigger-finger activated retention device and can be configured as paddle or belt holster).

The 1911-A1 is one of the safest pistols you can own, if you understand how it works and the various safeties the pistol has.

I have three of the high-end Kimber pistols and use them as training tools, as well as carry guns, all are very accurate and easy to shoot.

Remember your 4 gun safety rules:
1. Treat ALL guns as if they are always loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your trigger finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Best of luck with your new pistol.

Karl in Phoenix
 
GrizleyHunter,
I forgot to mention:

Best to carry your pistol as it was intended: Condition One (Cocked and locked). That is: loaded chamber and thumb safety engaged.

In order to fire the pistol in this condition, one only has to obtain a proper firing grip with the right thumb (for RH shooter) resting on top of the thumb safety (using the high-grip). One only has to flick the thumb safety down and you are ready to fire the pistol (keep thumb on top of safety).

When finished firing, just lift the thumb safety lever with the top surface of the thumb to re-engage (to make safe) the safety until you are ready to fire again or holster the pistol.

You have to have your mind fully on safe gun handling with this one and you will have no problems.

With some training and practice, you will be able to fire shots very quickly and accurately, with the 1911-A1. Shot-to-shot times can be made around 0.10-0.12 seconds. A smooth draw and two shots can easily be made in under 1 second, with good technique and lots of dry-fire practice.

Best of luck to you,

Karl in Phoenix
 
GH, From a practical side,,, Cocked and Locked with one in the chamber is safe for the 1911...It's considered as "Condition 1"

Drawing and firing safely requires that you start really slow and work to speed up the process, so you don't wind up running one down the side of your leg..

You need to build your "Muscle Memory", but it needs to be done with precision and care.

I've seen officers that tried to do the "Draw, Aim, and Fire" drills when they started to click the safety off during the draw as it was coming out of the holster... Not a safe practice... Delay taking off the safety until you get the pistol almost to eye/aim level and you'll be okay..

It's just a mental habit you have to maintain...
 
Thanks to all you guys for the help and the web sites,I put a few rounds thur late yesterday and going back out today with some targets and shoot some more today.shooting yesterday at 50' and all I can say is that kimber sure shoots well.
It just felt wrong to cary it (locked & loaded)but I am sure to get used to that condition.
Used a tree to lean on and put most hits in a 2" circle using laser only,today I will check sites also.
Thanks All
Griz
 
Griz,
You will find it faster to hit your target by using front and rear sights and better accuracy at a distance.

There are many situations where you will not see the laser "dot" but the sight alignment will permit a quick and accurate hit.

For self-defense situations, the projected laser beam will reveal your position to any "threats". The laser gives you additional options.

I have lasergrips on a couple of my "J" frame revolvers and find them useful but to actually hit a target at long range, the proper sight alignment will get the job done.

Karl in Phoenix
 
I agree with the above posts. If you don't have a round in the chamber, you might as well not have the gun loaded at all. The slim profile of the 1911 lends itself well to just stuffing it in my waist band. When I carry like that, I do not have the hamer back. I do this because there's nothing that I can do to keep me from accidently push the safty down. If the gun is in a holster, then I carry it in condition one. I use a Fobus paddle holster. Cheap, easy, and effective.

I have a pair of Kimbers, and I love them. I fell in love with the 1911 the very first day that I started shooting handguns. After having the chance to shoot a lot of different models, I decided to buy the Kimber. They were relativly new to the handgun market back then. Unless I come across a "great deal" on something else, I'll probably never buy another brand.
 
GH,
If you are uncomfortable with the 1911 in Condition One/Cocked & Locked, try this... Make triple sure it is unloaded. Check it again - UNLOADED! Then cock the hammer and set the safety so it is C&L'ed. Then pack it around the house empty in this condition. Do this for several days whenever you can. Notice how often the gun snicks the safety off and drops the hammer by itself? If you have a decent holster the answer to that should be - zero. The advise above about getting a few hours of training is spot on and will do you a world of good.
 
Grizz. Shooting the gun is easy enough. You may be missing the point of some of the previous post, especially karl in phoenix and old turtle. They are talking about what I call gun handling techniques. That is the loading and unloading of the gun, drawing, firing a shot and reholstering. Also operating the safety. Checking the chamber, etc. These are the areas where you are more likely to have an accidental discharge. Any holster you purchase must cover the trigger area when the gun is holstered. Most modern holsters do this. This is to prevent you from pulling the trigger when when you draw the gun. No modern holster can prevent you from firing a round along your leg if, when you reholster you have your finger on the trigger and the safety off. So until you get totally familiar with the gun, practice more on gun handling techniques and less on target practice. Also forget about speed, work on being smooth. Speed comes later.
 
I have been carring one and its always in condition 1. My farther has been carring a 1911 for a long time like this and never had a problem, and like said above practice handling your new gun.
 
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My first pistol was a Colt 1911 bought in the mid 70s, I still have that pistol and I still love to shoot it. My second 1911 was a Stainless Ultra Carry II.

I’ve found the UCII to be very accurate, I had serious doubts about the ability of a short barreled 1911 to be as accurate as my 5” colt but it is. In fact there are times I think it might be more accurate.

Additionally my Ultra has been reliable however I have to admit that I’ve been shooting mostly FMJ through it as that’s what I find around here and that’s generally what I can afford the most of. The little pistol can be pretty snappy when you put some of the hotter defensive loads in it.

There are some other things you need to know about the 1911:

Not all 1911 pistols like all 1911 magazines and like any auto loader a bad mag will pretty well mess up your day. Because the 1911 has been around since the invention of dirt there are some really nasty mags out there. Check out some of the forums recommended in the posts above and see what other people use in their Ultras, it’s a good place to start. I use Kimber mags and haven’t had a problem.

Its not a Glock,(I like my G19 too) it does require some maintenance but it will reward you well for taking care of it.

1911s don’t like to run dry, most pistols don’t but they can be especially sensitive to a lack of lube, you don’t need the oil running off them but don’t be too stingy either. Plus the Kimber’s tend to be a little on the tight side so don’t be surprised if you have a malfunction in the first 500 rounds, I’ve never had one but I probably tend to run my pistol a little on the too wet side.

3” 1911s are harder on recoil springs than their big brothers. Don’t think you can get by on worn out springs, you can’t. Go by the recommended change interval on your pistol. It’s your carry pistol and you want it to go bang or bang bang bang not bang oh @#$%$% when you need it to.

If you select a defensive ammo you want to use run a couple hundred rounds through it to make sure its reliable in your pistol. Or do like some cheap people do.... (me)and load it with ball ammo, if it won't run on FMJ there is a major problem.

Follow the directions when you take it down, if you use the little takedown tool the Ultra is a piece of cake to take apart if you don’t use it…well lets just say it can be challenging to take apart and get back together. Also don’t depress the slide safety when you are removing the slide…once again, read your instructions.

Take it out and shoot the heck out of it, you’ll be amazed at how the little blaster shoots.
 


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