Kimber Micro Bel-Air Review

David Higginbotham Uncategorized

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This is the Bel-Air in bright sunlight. The color changes slightly depending on the light.

This is the Bel-Air in bright sunlight. The color changes slightly depending on the light.

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Check out the Micro Bel-Air: https://www.kimberamerica.com/kimber-micro-bel-air-special-edition-a

Buy a Kimber Micro on GunsAmerica: /kimber micro

In all of the reviews I’ve done in my career as a gun writer, I’ve never had the opportunity to review a gun that so embodies a specific season. This Micro is part of Kimber’s Summer Collection–a group of familiar Kimbers dressed up in unfamiliar finishes. This one is Bel-Air Blue. As if that wasn’t summer enough, the slide has been buffed to a mirror shine that picks up the sun in a glaring way that evokes hot days on the range. The size is also keeping with the theme. The Micro is ideal for summer carry, as the small size allows for effortless concealed carry.

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Specifications

  • Caliber: .380 ACP
  • Height (inches) 90° to barrel: 4.0
  • Weight (ounces) with empty magazine: 13.4
  • Length (inches): 5.6
  • Magazine capacity: 6
  • Recoil spring (pounds): 8.0
  • Full-length guide rod
  • Carry Melt treatment
  • Frame: Aluminum
  • Finish: Bel Air Blue KimPro II™
  • Width (inches): 1.08
  • High cut under trigger guard
  • Mirror polished small parts

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A 1956 Bel-Air. Back when cars looked good. Perhaps the inspiration for the Bel-Air came from the handsome Chevy.

A 1956 Bel-Air. Back when cars looked good. Perhaps the inspiration for the Bel-Air came from the handsome Chevy.

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Not this Bel-Air.

Not this Bel-Air.

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  • Slide: Stainless steel
  • Finish: Mirror polish
  • Ramped Barrel Length (inches): 2.75
  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Twist rate (left hand): 16
  • Ramped
  • Fixed Sights– low profile, fixed Radius (inches): 3.9
  • Ivory micarta Grips
  • Solid Aluminum, match grade Trigger
  • Factory setting (approximate pounds): 7.0

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Not Your Typical Blue-Gun

Let’s talk a minute about manliness. I’ve texted photos of this gun to a lot of friends and the reaction seems to be mixed. Some of the people I’ve shown it to have instantly proclaimed it to be an abomination. The other half think it is badass. I’ve yet to find someone who waffles.

I’d like to say that the response was predictable, that those most secure in their masculinity loved the color and were willing to admit that this is a beautiful gun. But that isn’t the case.

I’m in the badass camp. I think this is a handsome gun. I love the blue. But I’m a color snob. I just got into a knockdown argument with a paint monkey at Lowes when I asked for a quart of paint in the exact hue of Pantone Bachelor Button. The paint he mixed wasn’t Bachelor Button, but Delphinium. And he couldn’t tell the difference.

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I've tried to get photos in varied lighting conditions so the color variance can be seen.

I’ve tried to get photos in varied lighting conditions so the color variance can be seen.

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The Bel-Air, as I've found with all Micros, eats whatever you feed it.

The Bel-Air, as I’ve found with all Micros, eats whatever you feed it. The feed ramp feeds well and ejection is clean.

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If you’re into hues and shades, the blue in question is (according to Pantone, at least) Cielo Turquesa (Pantone 14-4809). It is a kickass shade of sky blue. It is the color of the New Mexico morning. It is the color of the turquoise the Spanish stole from the Pueblo and used in their royal crowns. I like it so much I’ve asked if they’d build me one with the slide and frame finished in Bel-Air.

In my biased opinion, I’m going to say this is a damn good-looking gun. But this begs a question that I must ask. I’ll preface it by saying this: I’m not a collector of firearms. I have guns I use, and family guns, and a couple of old relics I’ve picked up, but I’m not one for safe queens. So is this a gun that’s meant to be carried, shot, used and abused? Or is this a collector’s item? I hope to reach an answer before it is time to conclude this review.

So on with the damn review already.

This Kimber, like most all of the Kimbers I’ve shot, is a little ass-kicker. If you like the .380, and aren’t averse to carrying a single action, than this should be a no-brainer. But both of those issues are just as divisive as the color. And I’m not going to try to settle those debates here and now. Either you are fine with a .380 or you aren’t. You will trust your biscuits to a single action, or you won’t. And if you won’t, odds are you aren’t that interested in Kimber’s pistols to begin with.

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The big rear sight has been rounded over nicely.

The big rear sight has been rounded over nicely, but there are no extra dots for speed of target acquisition.

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The front sight is a clean black blade.

The front sight is a clean black blade. The mirror finish may reflect light well enough that there would be little need for night sights.

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Well I’m fine with the .380 and with the single action, and I’m able to meet the gun on its own terms. It is small, which means it won’t offer as much control as some of the larger .380s (the Browning, Walther, Taurus, GLOCK, etc.). But it is made of aluminum and steel, and isn’t a mouse gun, so it will offer more control than the Kel-Tec, Ruger, Beretta, etc. It fits nicely right in the middle. Controllable? Yes. Concealable? Of course. Not the best of either, as .380 goes, but not a bad mix of features. The bigger frames of some .380s are easy on the hands, but hard to conceal. The mouse guns drop in a pocket, but hurt like hell when you are practicing.

I’m not going to carry a single action in my pocket. That’s too much for me. But a gun like this is ideal for appendix carry, even in the hottest summer months.

How does it shoot?

I’ve worked out my fair share of Kimbers. I’m a fan of the brand. I’ve never run into a problem with one of their pistols. Their 1911s have a devoted following. They exist in the mid-tier of price points and offer a lot of custom options at reasonable prices.

The Micro line is no different. I find the pistols easy to draw and get on target. Accuracy is reliable and shot placement is predictable. Try as I might, I can’t get a full magazine into one ragged hole, but that has more to do with the size of my hands, I think. With the trigger breaking just over six pounds, I pull the occasional shot. I get too much finger on the trigger.

But I’m not looking for one-hole accuracy from a concealed carry gun. If I could reliably hit a playing card sized target from seven yards, repeatedly, than I’m satisfied. In a defensive situation, I’m not highly likely to try to get six rounds in one hole. I’d rather spread them out. Still, accuracy is accuracy. The Micro performs well.

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Accuracy is good for a gun this small. These six shot string is from the holster at 7 yards.

Accuracy is good for a gun this small. These six shot string is from the holster at 7 yards. Cheesy bad guy targets, but they get the job done.

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The six on the top are aimed right at the nose. I couldn't get one-hole groups with the Bel-Air, but that's hardly the point.

The six on the top are aimed right at the nose. I couldn’t get one-hole groups with the Bel-Air, but that’s hardly the point.

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After punching up my Birchwood Casey bad guys, I took the gun back to a bench at 25 yards. For kicks, I loaded up a magazine and took aim at a 10″ plate at the target line. Sitting at the bench, I could ring the steel every time. Standing, I averaged 4 hits from every mag.

Controls

I’ve never liked that I can switch the safety on when the hammer isn’t cocked. That’s about my only complaint about the platform. Otherwise, the gun is a typical single action. Here’s where I start leaning toward the safe-queen/collector’s gun answer. The front strap isn’t checkered. The micarta grips, while stunning against the blue, are slick. The mirror polish on the slide is also slick. There is a small strip of checkering on the back strap, and nice grooves on the front of the trigger, but there isn’t as much texture as I’d like on the gun.

As this is summer, and I live in the hottest place this side of hell, I was shooting for this review on an afternoon that was over 100 degrees. I found myself wiping sweat off my hand between magazines. I ran so many rounds thorough the Micro that the motion became almost habitual. As a summer-time gun, I’d like more  texture.

Still, wouldn’t that mess with the aesthetic?

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The mag well is slightly beveled, and easy to find.

The mag well is slightly beveled, and easy to find. You can see how the dirt starts to show on the blue.

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The safety is small, but easy to manipulate.

The safety is small, but easy to manipulate. The hammer’s polish makes has taken the edge off of the serrations there, too.

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The answer as I see it

I think it kill the aesthetic. And that for me places this into a rare category indeed. The gun is fully functional as is, and it is certainly engineered to be carried and used. Yet there have been some decisions made that make this gun look good. Some of those decisions, like the slick grips, are made to the detriment of function. Form, in this case, trumps function. That is my opinion.

Still, I’m smitten. After putting a good 500+ rounds through this Micro, I want to clean it up and put it up. This feels to me like a special occasion gun. This would be a fantastic gun to wear with a tux. And it is the type of gun I’ve taken to handling in between the sentences I’m typing, as I’ve had it sitting on my desk ever since the shooting stopped.

Maybe its a companion piece. Perhaps I’d get a more aggressively textured Micro for everyday kicking around, and one of these for special occasions. MSRP on the Bel-Air isn’t as Bel-Air as you’d think. $810. For craftsmanship like this, it is hard to pass that up. If the Bel-Air isn’t for you, check out the other guns in the Summer Collection.

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This is indirect sunlight on a white background. Not a good photo.

This is indirect sunlight on a white background. Not a good photo.

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The fit of the slide and barrel is solid. Even though it looks like a showpiece, it shoots like the rest of the Kimber line.

The fit of the slide and barrel is solid. Even though it looks like a showpiece, it shoots like the rest of the Kimber line.

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The finish on the sold trigger matches that on the rest of the pistol.

The finish on the sold trigger matches that on the rest of the pistol.

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The silver shine is like jewelry against the ivory and blue.

The silver shine is like jewelry against the ivory and blue.

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This group is from the bench at 25 feet. Accurate enough for reliable shot placement.

This group is from the bench at 25 feet. Accurate enough for reliable shot placement.

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The mirror finish on the slide is stunning, but has its practical drawbacks. It needs to be kept clean in order to show off its true beauty.

The aluminum trigger has nice serrations and matches the stainless hardware and slide.

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Check out the Micro Bel-Air: https://www.kimberamerica.com/kimber-micro-bel-air-special-edition-a

Buy a Kimber Micro on GunsAmerica: /kimber micro

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  • RICHARD TYRELL February 3, 2024, 10:40 pm

    I like my Kimber micro 9mm Belair alot. If someone happens to spot it on my person, they always have good things to say about it, even though i never unholster it for them to look at. I have discovered that most people that have negative remarks about this little baby,, only wish they could afford to own one. But also, wearing a Kimber Micro 9 Belair and having a little class, is a great combination.

  • RICHARD TYRELL February 3, 2024, 10:20 pm

    most everyone that has smak to say about the Belair micro 9, really wish they could afford one. I like mine mucho! it really has class.

  • Mrs sherman February 28, 2018, 3:32 pm

    I am a kimber micro owner and I love this gun. I out shoot my husband and son in law every time on accuracy and both have hunted all their lives. It is compact and fits my hand perfectly. I don’t feel out of place or cramped at the range. If I am ever in the sorry position to have to shoot someone it won’t be a cop so they need not worry, but I do have the advantage of non recognition or the hesitation because it looks like a toy. I holster it in my bra for crime sakes. All of the men who commented that they hated my gun, don’t touch her. She isn’t a boy toy. This is the perfect gun for your wife or daughter. Get the seven round clip to lengthen the handle for your pinky and you are good to go. Perfectly weighted, sighted and 100% accuracy. Light on my sissy girly wrists and I never tire of it.

    Go pick something bulkier and heavier boys. This one is mine.

    With love,

    Malibu Barbie

  • D September 24, 2017, 4:44 pm

    BBQ gun. A gun that while definitely a capable shooter is reserved for special occasions and looking good/showing off.

  • Mrs Kaufman January 31, 2017, 3:07 pm

    I really want this gun. I love the looks of it and it fits perfectly in my hand. It has such a good expensive look and feel!
    The color of a gun has nothing to do with its performance. No one I know has the same color shirt on their backs every day. even though my state permits open carry I would never do it myself. I am glad some people do because it gives me an advantage. I know they carry..they don’t know I do. The color of your gun had no effect with concealed carry. No one will see it unless you have to pull it out.
    I really rely on reviews of any product that I am planning on spending big money on but I sure don’t like to see negative reviews trying to pretend you are a big bad man. YOU DO NOT NEED A HIGH CALIBER TO KILL ANYTHING! You can kill ANYTHING with a slingshot! You can give a negative review on a product that you don’t like simply saying you don’t like it and why. You don’t have to try to look big bad and ugly! “I wouldn’t carry this gun if you gave it to me” is not a very informative review.

  • Researcher March 4, 2016, 3:56 am

    U mm. Most people who show up in my ER die from 22 cal. Gun shots. That’s strange !! Gotta love people that know it all.

  • Me January 17, 2016, 12:42 pm

    I just purchased this exact model yesterday and can’t wait to shoot it! There are no pictures that do it justice, in person its beautiful. I understand the fear of colored guns being attractive to children, however in our home (and the one I grew up in) you teach your children from day one that no gun is a toy. We took our children out shooting while they were young in a safe environment as part of the learning process. I also understand that it would be difficult for an officer to know whether this is a toy or not. It comes down to education and safety for the owner of any weapon. For example, don’t wave a gun, toy or real, in front of an officer. Teach your children the same. Teach them to never point a gun at anybody whether its real or not unless they are in a situation where they have to and teach them how to use it. Can we ensure that every parent follows these rules? No, but we can’t ensure that people will be safe with knives, cars, etc. either.
    For me, a colored weapon is safer, because it stands out and I can see it in dark places (that’s the reason I like the polished slide as well.)

  • DBC December 7, 2015, 1:22 pm

    Is this the Brucie Jenner edition, should go great with his outfits!

  • Derek December 7, 2015, 11:30 am

    I agree with my wife, it looks like a hot glue gun!! LOL I wouldn’t carry it if you gave it to me.

  • william massi December 7, 2015, 5:58 am

    No Better Gun, Maid. In The World. ??? YES. I Love It, And Never Leave Home With Out It. And Thay Love Me At Wal-Mart.And, Win-Dixey. YES. GREAT GUN, That Is My 9mm That , I Take With Me Every Day,Some Times I Get Out Side, And Feel I Have Left My Right Arm, Home, If I Dont have It. So I go back And Get It. YES. And I Never Leave It In The Car, It Is Always On Me. YES. If You Get Car Jacked, You have Yor Gun, With You, Not In The Hand’s Of Some Ass Hole. Good Luck. And . Do Your Part, And Keep GUN”S OUT Of The Hands Of KID”S. YES.

  • Harry T. August 12, 2015, 6:31 pm

    One way I’ve found to make small or large handguns more “grippy” is shoe-grip tape. It’s sold as a product to apply to the sole of a shoe to give it some traction. It’s gray and comes in an oval shape to fit the shoe near the toe. It’s rubbery and has a sort of pebble texture. It is sold in the shoe department, oddly enough, at Walmart, etc. It can be cut to the shape you want and has a very strong adhesive. Applied to the front strap of a handgun, it helps get a good purchase on the weapon. I’ve used it for years on handguns that I didn’t have the cash to have knurling(checkering) done by a smith, until I could afford to do so, or guns I just didn’t want to have refinished after having them knurled. The stuff really sticks to a metal frame. I’ve never had it come loose, even when using cleaning solvent on the weapon. It is really hard to peel it off. The advantages are that it’s a cheap way to make the weapon easier to hang on to, and it doesn’t affect the finish. That pretty blue gun’s frame wouldn’t need to be redone as it would after it was knurled.

  • Kalashnikov Dude August 11, 2015, 1:39 am

    My old man didn’t leave me much in this world. But this gem, he did. The old man was a car guy, died in the wool. He was all about the 50’s, with a tangent toward the Fifty Eight Chevy. He was a deal maker though and wound up dealing with a diverse crowd of other interested parties. I recall being about ten or twelve, watching the 32 coups tail lights burning bright red as it was towed down our street, the result of another deal. Like kids in my neighborhood did back then, a thought came to my mind and got right past my still developing awareness regarding social matters and into speech. I said to my Dad, “you that guy is going to chop it and put some tiny wheels and a steering wheel made out of a chain on it.” That’s when Dad laid this on me. He said, ” It’s his car now, he’ll make his own vision of it. He then pointed out what he knew would have been my idea for it. Not exactly original. Probably something more like ZZTop’s Eliminator for me. That day he taught me the value of appreciating someone else’s perspective. I like cars, but it turns out I love guns. All of em. At least I can appreciate all of em for one thing or another. In this case, the color scheme on this one sent me into a flashback kind of situation which rendered itself into this rambling post…….

  • Scotty Gunn August 10, 2015, 8:36 pm

    Well, it’s different. Guess Kimber won’t mind when they only sell a few of these. I am guessing it is to be a showcase promo model soon to be followed up by a nice basic black subdued model (hoping). That or they’ve been in New York too long…
    I won several Kimbers and carry one daily. This isn’t it!

  • larry August 10, 2015, 8:06 pm

    Too pricy. The blue looks awful in my opinion anyway.

  • David Hayes August 10, 2015, 4:44 pm

    had a Kimber Ultra Covert II 45 ACP Loved it

  • L August 10, 2015, 3:53 pm

    Children, Please

  • Ken Endter August 10, 2015, 2:59 pm

    As a former Deputy Sheriff and Chief of Police, I am appalled at the new trend to color guns.
    There were many times in my service that a young adult would pull a “colored” squirt gun, or
    play rifle at me. At those times, the color of the weapon would infer it was a toy. Those of you who grew up with toy, colored guns can relate. I’m sure the color subconsciously caused us to hesitate a fraction of a second while evaluating the situation. This prevented the accidental shooting of many young kids who were “playing cops & robbers”. In my opinion this new trend is irresponsible and could lead to innocent children being harmed, and officers being put in many
    compromising situations.
    In view of the many recent, accidental shootings, by law enforcement personnel throughout the country, colored guns may result in officers being shot by real “colored” weapons in the hands of actual criminals.
    Please re-evaluate your decision to add to the already difficult decisions officers on the streets have to make.
    Sincerely, Ken E.

    • Ray Taylor August 10, 2015, 11:25 pm

      Well said. Thank you.

    • WiscoGunner December 7, 2015, 10:58 am

      I agree with you, Ken. The bright colors really do create the potential for hesitation on the part of an officer…and that could be the difference between a bad guy living and a good cop dying.

  • Joe Williams August 10, 2015, 2:11 pm

    Somebody above noted that it looks like a toy and I agree. Is it pretty? Yes. I have a lot of pretty ties. I like my guns to look mean and be mean. That is their purpose. I see a lot of colored weapons at gun shows now. I suppose the makers think they will attract more women. But it attracts the attention of young kids also and that can lead to tragedy. Sure, we all have a responsibility to keep our loaded weapons out of the reach of kids, but the makers also have a responsility to make them look like they mean business. Yes, high priced guns with engraving and mirror finishes are works of art, but they still look mean. I’ll put my Kimber TLE II .45 and 9 mm target up against the best of them. But I would not own this tacky piece of trash.

    • Will January 2, 2017, 9:10 pm

      We should just ban all guns, for the children of course! If the color is that dangerous to the inherent action of leaving a loaded firearm unattended around children, maybe the color scheme isnt the real problem afterall? Its thinking like yours that is detrimental to safe responsible lefal gun ownership regardless of what they look like, be it color form or function. I suggest a reevaluation in your line of thought.

    • duncan June 5, 2017, 9:09 am

      fickle….this is a great gun ….apparrently people on this site don’t like the bel-air because of its color…too f—king bad…..
      you know there are people out there that have what we call disposable income…which means i don’t care what it costs i’m buying….why because i can and don’t cry about it….dont like the colors go to taurus or sig sauer…..now back to me….. i believe a selective group of todays pistols are tomorrows collectibles…these 3 special edition pistols i believe fall into that group…..i will buy the other 2 , never fire them and put them in the display case and just enjoy them for their aesthetic beauty….because i can

      me

  • Jim August 10, 2015, 11:08 am

    I like the color scheme on it and I wouldn’t mind owning one, but $810 for a .380 is INSANE!! If I were to spend $810 on a pistol, it certainly would not be a .380 nor a gun that is best suited in a shadowbox frame as a show piece.

  • Truth Hurts August 10, 2015, 10:41 am

    If you think the color of anything you wear or carry affects your manhood, then you weren’t a real man to begin with.

  • Martin M August 10, 2015, 10:34 am

    Pantone Bachelor Button is almost a dead-ringer for BMW’s Laguna Seca Blue. The best color ever.

    Personally, I love the gun. I wouldn’t purchase or carry it, because I prefer DAO. But, the gun is beautiful.

    Sorry for some of the rude, personal, derogatory comments others have left. Clearly some people have nothing better to do than to lash out at people for no reason. Their parents must not have taught them how to be kind and respectful. Shame…

    • Candy1hot67 December 29, 2015, 4:28 pm

      I purchased this gun and it is my daily CC. I am an Ex Sec for the VP of a large firm and it is perfect for my ‘wardrobe’, small, sleek and deadly accurate. I just put another 100 rounds through her two days ago at the range and she performed magnificently! If they don’t want a pretty gun, fine. She is also an accurate, dependable workhorse.

  • ButchnJax August 10, 2015, 9:39 am

    YUCK, is one ugly gun IMO. Never had trouble w/Kimber? Ever hear of the Solo? Nothing but problems all over the internet. Really wanted one until I read the reviews. Most that have them do not carry them because of problems and won’t depend their lives on one. Which is the purpose of carrying a handgun, IMO….am I wrong?

    • Norm March 23, 2016, 2:39 pm

      Some of the Solo models were and are troublesome. not sure why. Most Kimber products are awesome. But I have two micros and both are incredible – consistent and reliable. I had a Solo for a week and quickly got rid of it because of jams.

  • John Arden August 10, 2015, 9:18 am

    Thanks for a great review, and sorry for the negatives. Kimber makes great guns but expensive. I love the ’56 Chevy comparison, and the ’57 turquoise Bel-Air was also a classic like that. Every few years, Harley goes back to those colors to keep them classic. I own one and now have to buy this gun to match. Then I have to move to an open-carry state or city to show off. If one likes the color so much, you can have your personal gun(s) cerakoted like the guns from CZ Armory in Phoenix and elsewhere.

  • B. Goldwater August 10, 2015, 8:35 am

    Worst review I’ve ever read. You are a poor writer. Several typos plus misuse of the word “than”. Buy a dictionary.

    The gun is a piece of crap. It is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. It is the quintessential pimp gun. If you think this is a good-looking gun I have a portrait of Elvis on black velvet I’d like to sell you.

    • Special Editions December 6, 2016, 4:47 am

      Magnificent. Great accuracy and good looking. It’s a GUN. It does what it’s suppose to do. I wonder why are some men concerned about the color? Too femenine perhaps?…Maybe.
      But then there’s others comparing it to a TOY!? Must’ve forgot they have also made toy guns look like “the real deal”. And that’s beside the point. Teach your kid about guns and safety and you won’t have to be concerned about it. And if you are a concerned cop that doubts who’s drawn a real gun at you well perhaps you should not be a cop. Because you SHOULD be able to assess the situation first before making any radical desicions. Don’t just assume, get to know your surroundings. More so if you already know about certain guns looking real and being fake or vice versa. Just don’t make a big deal out of it because you feel some type of way towards the guns color. Ha,ha. Got to get with the times. It’s practical. Good gift for a girlfriend or wife in my opinion. (Protection is important.)

  • Mike K August 10, 2015, 8:19 am

    GREAT comment! Thank you. “I’m not going to carry a single action in my pocket.” As a long time police firearms instructor this thought should be second nature to all. Condition 1 (cocked and locked) in a pocket is just plain stupid. But carrying a single action for defense any other way isn’t too bright either, This is a holster gun if you are carrying a .380 for protection in the first place. But now that micro sized 9 mms are readily available, why would you?

  • Wayland August 10, 2015, 7:42 am

    That is the most bada$$ gun I have ever seen, for a drag queen or a “I’m scared of guns but it’s so pretty,” girl. If one can get past the whole namby pamby coloring likely to attract children because it looks like a toy (bad bad bad idea) then let’s ask two other questions 1) How would your average murderer that you might be defending yourself from feel if confronted with a low caliber firearm by Tiffany’s nightmare? I’m guessing that they wouldn’t be all that intimidated. Maybe you could run away as they laughed. This firearm is not all that likely to advert the need of escalation AND then you stuck firing a suboptimal rd from a suboptimal barrel length. 2) If you shot someone and were called upon to justify your actions how serious of a person do you believe you will seem carrying Elton Johns’ handgun? Please don’t buy this gun.

    • Administrator August 10, 2015, 7:54 am

      This from the guy who uses cheaperthandirt in his tag line. They stopped selling guns after sandy hook and gouged people on ammo and shipping more than anyone online. Why is it that the tough tards think a pretty gun is not manly? The most expensive factory guns in the world are engraved with flowers.

      • Jack Carter August 14, 2015, 8:49 am

        PROPS to the Administrator. Calling out cheaperthandirt (which sure as hell, wasn’t) was great. If we – collectively – boycott businesses like that, it will not take very long before they are filing a Chapter 11 and hopefully a Chapter 13. Keep up the good work!

    • Kalashnikov Dude August 11, 2015, 1:17 am

      Kalashnikov Dude says: “He who laughs first at the life changing potential of a .380 caliber round, sometimes laughs his last….”

  • G.Downing August 10, 2015, 7:24 am

    Bought a Ultra Aegis 11 for my wife, in 9mm. As soon as you make a Eclipse Ultra 11 in 9mm, I’ll buy it for myself. Love the gun has a really good feel, haven’t had chance to shoot it yet but looking forward to it.

  • Flep Vandergaard August 10, 2015, 6:23 am

    Finished packing and moving to NH from MA today. Now I am allowed by the powers that be to lawfully possess one of these Kimber things, something verboten by the apparatchiks and commissars in the P.R. of Massachusetts. Thanks for the article! I second the motion to petition Kimber to move! Don’t know about the color, but the author offers alternates as suggestions. I will have to check one out.

  • Tim August 10, 2015, 4:50 am

    I love Kimbers. I would consider myself a “manly” man. I would own this gun in a heartbeat. That said, I firmly believe that this model is only for collecting i.e. “safe queen”. The hardest part about this article is that now I’m really considering getting this model instead of the Texas model, which is another model out of Kimbers summer collection.

  • Steve Hopkins August 10, 2015, 3:05 am

    looks like a Sig 238 ! Sure hope you can change grips, I gotta have more texture. Wish they’d offer something besides the shiny slide also ! In other words, let a guy design his own. Seems like a good shooter so that counts for a lot.

    • michael August 10, 2015, 6:02 pm

      Yeah, looks like they copied my P238 and just changed the color.

  • Will Drider August 9, 2015, 9:58 pm

    Dear Kimber,
    I have used several of your 1911 models, never bought one. I plan to buy a the Stainless Raptor as soon as you make them without the New York address. Please find a Patriotic, gun loving town with a catchy kick-ass name and relocate. Your products are exceptional, where you hang your shingle is not.

    The NY State Flag contains a discarded crown at the feet, representing freedom from Englands tyranny. It is appearent that NY now wears that crown.

    • cadu 1985 August 10, 2015, 7:27 am

      I live in this trash town NYC where there are more laws than corrupt lying politicians who want to take our guns away of the Jewish persuasion. Feinstein, Schumer, Bloomberg & a dozen other Jews, who you would think what supposedly happened to them in their own private Holohoax, they would be more understanding of gun owners & usage. But no & next year when I retire I’m heading back to Florida where I have already spent 15 years & plan on finishing my time on this earth. Florida- where you can carry a loaded gun in your glove box & with more freedom than most other states. (although the corrupt lying politicians are trying to crack down on that also) As for Kimber gorgeous guns of all types with a very expensive price tag that I don’t believe are worth the price of the gun.(almost DOUBLE most 911’s.) When the pistols cost way more than our German friends at H&K & Walther – which are in no way cheap- then i’ll steer well clear of the entire brand but for different reasons.

      • Steve Whitmer August 10, 2015, 9:13 am

        Your use of the term “Holohoax” tells us all we need to know about your IQ and credibility to dismiss any other opinions you might have, even though I agree with the other points of your comment.

        • Jack Carter August 14, 2015, 8:45 am

          My thoughts exactly, Steve. Apparently, all of the graves, bodies, photographs, videos, letters, innumerable other pieces of evidence and the testimony of numerous witnesses, survivors, and former Nazi/S.S. personnel (some during their trials) aren’t enough for ‘cadu’.

          Well ‘cadu’, how do you explain the testimony of former 3rd Reich regime personnel – who CONFIRM the death camps and ADMIT to being there while the Jews were executed? Don;t strain your brain, those were rhetorical questions.

          The bottom line is that it all comes down to the words of an esteemed man, ‘You can’t fix stupid’ and ‘cadu’, you are the epitome, thereof.

        • TOM DUNNE December 7, 2015, 11:18 am

          STEVE,i agree.CADU is part of the problem.

      • yougivegunownersabadname August 10, 2015, 9:17 am

        Wow, after the first few sentences of your inane and noncontextual rant, I was shocked that you preferred guns made in Germany and not Israel.

        Stop posting here, you’re perspective is not welcome.

        • Steve Whitmer August 10, 2015, 11:41 am

          So I guess you are the self appointed dictator of this site who determines which comments are welcome and which ones aren’t. Your ignorance is only exceeded by your ego. And actually, I do prefer the Tavor to other bull-pups. And I guess with your anti-Semitic views you have an explanation for why the Jews’ contributions to science and other intellectual pursuits far exceed that which would be statistically expected given their percentage of the world, population.

          • charlie August 10, 2015, 2:39 pm

            all these sites have a guy like steve on them, why get upset??? i actually think that he is secretly working for the anti-gun lobby???? why get upset??? why bother to answer him, or her??? just move on. i mean, you dont stop in the middle of the busy highway to pick up road kill do you guys???. so, my point here is the gun does suck and the only people that would be caught dead with it will have to have a belaiere connetion to it. ill not throw my kahr p9 out any time soon for that thing.

      • WiscoGunner December 7, 2015, 10:48 am

        Bigot, racist or just born with a tiny brain. You probably have already committed some stupid crime so that you are now banned from owning a gun. While tiny-brained people don’t usually know better than to follow the law, I would hope that you are kept away from guns, knives and other sharp or dangerous objects. Your comments dismissing the Holocaust are shameful, pathetic and disgusting. Get History Channel on Demand and watch some actual footage of the camps, the living skeletons and the piles and piles of corpses for men, women and children slaughtered by the Nazi’s. Maybe your parents taught you to be a bigot. Try to break the chain or ignorance…and should you have kids, please don’t teach them to be tiny-brained bigots like you.

    • Kalashnikov Dude August 10, 2015, 7:25 pm

      Say what you will about Jews. They are as diverse as any other subset of the Human race as far as politics, and our God given, constitutionally affirmed rights including those which are expressly codified within our founding documents. Unlike say, gay marriage, certain “taxes/fines”, judicial legislation, unchecked immigration………. I know this because I find myself on the opposite side of that spectrum, as a Jew. As much as I respect our 2nd Amendment, I also respect the 1st and all the rest. So it’s your right to speak your mind. I fully support your right to make a fool of yourself here and anywhere else in this still great nation. Carry on sir.

      • Steve Whitmer August 11, 2015, 10:17 am

        It was the “Holohoax” comment of cadu 1985 that set me off. People are free to have their prejudices and hate whomever they want, but when you believe the Holocaust was a hoax then you are either extremely ignorant or insane, or both. And why does anti-Semitism even need to be part of a discussion of guns? The site moderator should have dumped it IMHO.

        • Kalashnikov Dude August 11, 2015, 12:02 pm

          I think it’s mostly something some folks just say to get your goat. I recall being a child, watching scenes and looking at pictures in books showing Jews being led off to be gassed or lined up for machine gunners. To this day, I couldn’t imagine standing there waiting to be killed without a fight. That’ll never happen to this Jew. They better get me in my sleep. Otherwise, it’ll cost em and they better bring a lunch. I doubt the commenter above put that much thought into his words. I’ve been thinking about it since a child…….

      • david robinson December 10, 2015, 7:00 am

        I’d like to better describe what was once the greatest nation in the world as a now open border, constitution less land mass. When a quote, unquote president can take out his pen or pick up his phone, and without fear of impeachment. Completely disregard the legislative process while time and time again making unconstitutional laws, how else can you describe where we live?

        PS. Obama never could have achieved his dictatorial status without the help of John, the caveman Boehner, and his cohorts on both sides of the isle. Folks, this once great nation’s enemies are no longer at the gate. They are running our schools and universities, our justice system, including the ideologues who sit on the Supreme Court, Capitol Hill, and 1600 Penn. Ave.
        People who refuse to believe this will be the same people who, while waiting in long lines to have their heats removed from their bodies. These people still be talking to the person in front and behind them saying that he was a good guy, a great family man, he just didn’t know.

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