As mentioned in another thread, I bought a KDS9c with the intent of putting an optic on it and seeing if my old eyes can finally adopt to what appears to be a better way of aiming. Especially with bifocals.
So I'll lay out my growing thoughts on this pistol over a couple of weeks. I'll add photos as I go.
Initial Impression:
I've very familiar with 1911s, but I only have a few experiences with 2011 style pistols.
Size:
This feels big for a 1911 pattern gun. The grip feels blockier than I'd expected:
I can't tell why yet, but the KDS9c feels like it's the chunkiest of the bunch. Maybe it's a combination of how well I can grab it and how well textured the grip is, so it's less "bigger" and more "I don't feel like I have as firm a grip." I'll try and quantify this perception a bit later.
Build
I've seen titles that ask "is this a legitimate competitor to the Wilson 9mm double stacks?" The answer, unfortunately, is a firm "no."
If I had to rank the build quality of the double-stack 1911 I have it works like this:
I picked it up today and put all of 30 rounds through it onto steel: half TNJ, half Winchester bonded JPHs, both 147gr as reviews I've seen suggest it likes those best. It shoots like a 9mm 1911 - nothing too surprising. Rounds went where I sent them, the trigger worked beautifully (because we can be really picky when dry firing but the differences don't always translate to shooting the way we'd expect), everything fed and shot fine. No complaints - exactly what I expected based on 1911s in 9mm.
Overall Impression
I'm a bit disappointed. I'd hoped it would feel a bit more like the SFX9 and not feel so blocky. The safety is workable, and hopefully is something that will loosen up with a few hundred actuations - it's not bad, but it's more force than I'm used to so I notice it every time I throw the safety off. At least it won't click off accidentally when carrying it.
But for a $1,099 aluminum-framed 1911? It's right where it should be quality-wise. My impression of this is certainly better than what I read about the Springfield Prodigies when they were released - this does everything well, I just expected a bit more refinement. But, honestly, that expectation is probably unreasonable - everything I'm comparing it to is much more expensive or much more broken in so things like safeties and triggers have had time to be a bit more, well, broken in.
That said, I still have high hopes for this thing. The optics plate are undergoing a redesign (the original plates had a rear sight that blocked the bottom half of the red dot optic, so version two is in production) but the nice salesman at Kimber told me mine should ship out in 2 weeks. We'll see.
So I'll lay out my growing thoughts on this pistol over a couple of weeks. I'll add photos as I go.
Initial Impression:
I've very familiar with 1911s, but I only have a few experiences with 2011 style pistols.
Size:
This feels big for a 1911 pattern gun. The grip feels blockier than I'd expected:
- On my 1911s with the thickest grips the tip of my thumb reaches to the first knuckle of my middle finger, barely.
- On a Wilson SFX9 my thumb reaches about 3/4ths of the way to the first knuckle on my middle finger.
- On a Stealth Arms Platypus my thumb reaches maybe halfway to the knuckle on my middle finger.
I can't tell why yet, but the KDS9c feels like it's the chunkiest of the bunch. Maybe it's a combination of how well I can grab it and how well textured the grip is, so it's less "bigger" and more "I don't feel like I have as firm a grip." I'll try and quantify this perception a bit later.
Build
I've seen titles that ask "is this a legitimate competitor to the Wilson 9mm double stacks?" The answer, unfortunately, is a firm "no."
If I had to rank the build quality of the double-stack 1911 I have it works like this:
- Wilson SFX9
- Stealth Arms Platypus
- Kimber KDS9c
- On both the Wilson and the Platypus, the manual safety is both light and positive. The Wilson is smooth and out of the way and easy to operate, whereas the Platypus' safety is extended and a bit more coarse feeling - if you force your thumb to maintain downward pressure on the safety like they taught us at Gunsite, you'll start to feel it after a while. With the Kimber, the safety is very positive, very crisp, and requires more force to actuate than either of the others. It actually requires more force than any of my other 1911s with the exception of an old RIA I don't want to go find. The finish is between that of the Wilson (smoooth) and Platypus (a bit rough, but not too bad). Not a bad safety, but not something I would call "refined."
- Overall they've done a good job of dehorning the gun so it's nice and smooth overall. The (not really) checkering provides a decent grip without being uncomfortable. Take something like 20 lpi checkering that feels like sand paper but offer a very firm grip at the top of my personal scale, then a step down is the Platypus, then the SFX9 (grippy-ish but comfortable), then at the bottom comes the KDS9c where the grip is smooth, but still probably grippy enough. I never plan to shoot this with my hands covered on slimy nasty things so I'm not terribly concerned, but it's a difference.
- Sights are a bit weird (a proprietary design) but the 147gr I shot today (both TMJ and hollow points) hit point of aim at 7 yards and the front sight is as visible as you'd expect from a fiber optic front sight, and the blacked out rear works very well - the spacing you see to the side of the front sight is about perfect. Very similar to the sight picture on the Platypus.
- Trigger: This is where everyone gets uptight, but I can't be scientific here. A tuned 2.5 lb trigger this not, but it's very workable. There's the take-up, the wall, the tiniest hitch, then with a bit more weight the hammer drops. My Platypus is supposed to have a 3-3.5 lb trigger, and that feels about right on the Platypus. That puts the Kimber at around 4.5-5 lbs. Not super clean, not super light, but very shootable. Not exceptional for a 1911 trigger - I'd call it average.
- Miscellaneous: the serrations on the slide are quite usable and not rough at all. The front sight seems well protected, but I can't tell if the cage around it is plastic or aluminum. The mag release is elongated in a way that I suppose is designed to make actuating it easier with your right thumb. It doesn't get in my way at all. The magazines take all 15 rounds with any real effort, which it nice (it's a shame they cost $50 - hard to beat the G17 mags in the Platypus). This fits fine in a standard leather Commander magazine, though I may need to order one designed to fit a slide with an optic mounted. On my hip it feels fine - it's a < 30 ounce Commander-sized 1911 with a thick grip, but it's smooth and the right length so it rides perfectly.
I picked it up today and put all of 30 rounds through it onto steel: half TNJ, half Winchester bonded JPHs, both 147gr as reviews I've seen suggest it likes those best. It shoots like a 9mm 1911 - nothing too surprising. Rounds went where I sent them, the trigger worked beautifully (because we can be really picky when dry firing but the differences don't always translate to shooting the way we'd expect), everything fed and shot fine. No complaints - exactly what I expected based on 1911s in 9mm.
Overall Impression
I'm a bit disappointed. I'd hoped it would feel a bit more like the SFX9 and not feel so blocky. The safety is workable, and hopefully is something that will loosen up with a few hundred actuations - it's not bad, but it's more force than I'm used to so I notice it every time I throw the safety off. At least it won't click off accidentally when carrying it.
But for a $1,099 aluminum-framed 1911? It's right where it should be quality-wise. My impression of this is certainly better than what I read about the Springfield Prodigies when they were released - this does everything well, I just expected a bit more refinement. But, honestly, that expectation is probably unreasonable - everything I'm comparing it to is much more expensive or much more broken in so things like safeties and triggers have had time to be a bit more, well, broken in.
That said, I still have high hopes for this thing. The optics plate are undergoing a redesign (the original plates had a rear sight that blocked the bottom half of the red dot optic, so version two is in production) but the nice salesman at Kimber told me mine should ship out in 2 weeks. We'll see.
