Kimber RCP (Refined Carry Pistol)

[TBT]

I’m interested to hear what you guys think of this new offering by Kimber. There is a possibility that I might be in the market for another carry pistol and am considering this one here.







This is a copy and paste sales pitch from gun broker.com:

“Yonkers, New York, June 26, 2003 – The new Ultra RCP II™ (Refined Carry Pistol) - Kimber’s smallest 1911 .45 ACP - establishes a new category of high performance carry pistols. Made in the Kimber® Custom Shop and loaded with innovative features it is an incredible value at the list price of just $1,210. Based on the popular Ultra Carry II, it features a 3-inch ramped match grade bushingless bull barrel and lightweight aluminum frame for an overall weight of just 25 ounces. Specialized features begin with an ultra-fast trough sighting channel machined the full length of the slide. No sights protrude so nothing sticks out to snag on clothing or a holster, especially important if the pistol is carried in an ankle holster or used as a backup. Custom Shop features include abbreviated beavertail and thumb safety, bobbed hammer, rounded grip heel, carry melt and slim grips. The hammer and thumb safety are bobbed, the frame heel is rounded and the beavertail grip safety is abbreviated to minimize the profile. The mainspring housing is smooth and the match grade trigger shoe is solid, firsts for Kimber. Matching bold flutes in the front strap and on the slim black micarta grips complete the elegant look and ensure a positive grip for just about any size hand regardless of conditions. The frame is machined from 7075-T7 aluminum, material that has been tested to 20,000 rounds without meaningful wear. The slide is machined from premium carbon steel and finished in black matte KimPro™, the hardest and strongest thermally cured finish available today. Sighting trench cannot snag, yet provides quick target acquisition. The Ultra RCP II features the new Kimber Tactical Extractor with a visual Loaded Chamber Indicator Port™ feature. When a round is in the chamber and light is available, the shell casing should be visible through the slot in the barrel hood. Additionally, the Tactical Extractor protrudes from the side of the slide when a round is chambered, providing the opportunity for both a visual and sensory chamber check. As with all Kimber pistols, the Ultra RCP II has the Kimber Series II safety system that blocks the firing pin until the grip safety is fully depressed. Unlike other 1911 systems that rely on an initial increased trigger pull to move the blocking device, the Kimber system does not increase or alter trigger pull in any way.”<br>


I’m a little “meh” on the looks of this thing. On one hand I really like it and the other, it is so unconventional that it kind of bothers me. The sights, I feel the same way about. They make sense, but would they be efficient enough because it doesn’t look to me like they could be altered if they turned out to be substandard.

This weapon seems to fall in around the $1100 range.

What do you guys think?

[Callahan]

Nice, but a bit too specialized for my tastes. If carry is all you want it for, fine, but I like pistols with adjustable sights, for instance. It is kinda oogaly, too. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

In my own honest opinion; I would prefer a 4" or the 4 1/4" Commander length with a strong alloy frame for carry ( If weight is an issue ). The 3 1/2 " length of the Officer's ACP works fine for carry also. That is too much money to spend on such a pistol.

[TBT]

That is the thing, if I were to buy this it would be strictly for carry reasons. I'm not sure that I want to stray from the 1911 frame quite yet and this looks like it might be one of the more carry-friendly 1911s out there. That is a steep price though IMO. A good $400 more than my Ultra Carry was.

I'll more than likely just grab another Ultra Carry II though, I'm just toying with a few options right now.

The situation is this; My wife has finally decided to carry and she is completely in love with my gun. She loves to shoot the UCII and that is what she says she wants. Now I can give her my Ultra Carry and buy something else, or I can buy her another Ultra Carry.

I'm actually pretty suprised that she likes the 45ACP round. I thought she would be taken back by the recoil, but not the case. She liked it more than my sister's XD9 Subcompact.

[TBT]

If I were to stray from the 1911, I think it would be for the Sig P239 though. I almost went with that gun when I bought my Kimber. I would want that in the .357SIG round.

[TBT]

DoubleAction said:

In my own honest opinion; I would prefer a 4" or the 4 1/4" Commander length with a strong alloy frame for carry ( If weight is an issue ). The 3 1/2 " length of the Officer's ACP works fine for carry also. That is too much money to spend on such a pistol.

But I'm very "finicky" with size and weight when it comes to carry DA. I wouldn't want to go any larger than my Ultra Carry II is. And even at that size, the but of the gun can be troublesome to conceal for me. I have no problem with it though ... just wouldn't want to go bigger.

["DoubleAction"]

TBT; Kimber makes some real good 4" models with full length guide rods, alloy frames, light triggers, lowered and flared ejection ports, and high ride beavertails. These 4" pistols from Kimber are very good for carry because they are fast, accurate, and very controllable from shot to shot. I would not hesitate to buy one, but I already have the 4" CQB and my Sig 239. Oh yeah; The factory Tritium sites on the Kimbers are highly visible. The 3" is one of just a few more which have been offered by Colt and others in the past. I prefer a pistol that will stand up to 500 rds of full loads in practice.

["DoubleAction"]

TBT said:

But I'm very "finicky" with size and weight when it comes to carry DA. I wouldn't want to go any larger than my Ultra Carry II is. And even at that size, the but of the gun can be troublesome to conceal for me. I have no problem with it though ... just wouldn't want to go bigger.

TBT; The 4" lengths are available with the shortened grip butts like the 3 1/2" Officer's; If you have trouble concealing that one, it might be wise to rethink your options in a carry holster. I have a couple of the Wilson Combat Lo-Profile holsers that work very well. I'll return with a photo of one.

["DoubleAction"]

Galco "Concealable"

[TBT]

DoubleAction said:

I prefer a pistol that will stand up to 500 rds of full loads in practice.

What exactly do you mean by this? My Ultra Carry wouldn't?

I carry in a cheap Uncle Mikes IWB holster in the small of my back. The butt of the gun can sometimes be uncomfortable when sitting. I really don't have issue with concealing it, just comfort level and that is at a minimum.

Those holsters ... they are comfortable for carry? I know they are popular, but they never looked comfortable to me.

["DoubleAction"]

TBT said:

What exactly do you mean by this? My Ultra Carry wouldn't?


Those holsters ... they are comfortable for carry? I know they are popular, but they never looked comfortable to me.

TBT; I'm referring to the little 3" model. I shot my steel frame Officer's until the front sight popped off, the plunger tube rivets popped loose, and the Colt medallion popped out of the grip panel. I've since installed a reverse recoil spring plug, a full length guide rod with a double buffer on the head, a heavier barrel bushing, and a dual crimped Millet front sight. The shorter slide recoil of a 3" would be even more punishing for extended range use. I have to have a list in front of me to interpret the barrel lengths to the names of the Kimbers and Springfields because there are so many on the menu, but if your ULtra II is a four inch barrel length,I'm thinking it's a 3", you should have no problem putting 500 rds down the tube during a single range session. I have shot 500 rds through a 4" inch Kimber, and it held up very well. The holsters I have here carry very well, and snug the pistol very close to the body.After an hour or so, I hardly notice I'm carrying the steel frames.

[XavierBreath]

TBT,
I recall that someone on the Kimber forum had ordered the RCP grips, grip safety, hammer, and thumb safety to install on his Ultra Carry. The result was the same pistol with traditional sights. Since you already have the Ultra carry, you might want to think about that route. Here it is, click the link.
www.1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9907

FWIW, I like this pistol, and if I ever buy a Kimber, it will be a lightly used RCP. I think it's a well thought out concealed carry piece, and would no doubt be easier to carry concealed than a larger pistol. That being said, if you can conceal a Commander, why not carry a Commander? Sometimes I have problems concealing a Commander, others might not.

I'll also add: 500 rounds down range with my three inch Para was a chore. 500 rounds with the Commander or Government Models is a pleasure.

[TBT]

XavierBreath said:

TBT,
I recall that someone on the Kimber forum had ordered the RCP grips, grip safety, hammer, and thumb safety to install on his Ultra Carry. The result was the same pistol with traditional sights. Since you already have the Ultra carry, you might want to think about that route. Here it is, click the link.
www.1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9907

FWIW, I like this pistol, and if I ever buy a Kimber, it will be a lightly used RCP. I think it's a well thought out concealed carry piece, and would no doubt be easier to carry concealed than a larger pistol. That being said, if you can conceal a Commander, why not carry a Commander? Sometimes I have problems concealing a Commander, others might not.

I'll also add: 500 rounds down range with my three inch Para was a chore. 500 rounds with the Commander or Government Models is a pleasure.

That is a great idea XB, installing those options on the UCII. I still have to buy another gun though whether it is for me or my wife. I can't find a used RCP yet ...

[Data]

Im sticking with my P239 in .40 for CCW. 8 rounds of 135GR JHP at 1350 fps and over 500 foot pounds of pressure in a gun than can handle it well.

However Id carry the RCP in a heartbeat if I was set on single action or .45.

I have seen them for just under $800 around here....not much higher than the ultra carry I think.

Id agree however that personally Id rather have the larger sized .45 in "all steel", for me the weight is not the problem its the size.

Ive been wearing my new Para P13 around the house without too much difficulty for several days so Im sure an Ultra carry etc would be a cinch.

However, Im still dedicated to keeping the .45s for "home defense" with the Para in the bedroom and the Kimber on the other end of the house (shh. dont tell my wife Ive got 3 still).

And carry the P239 (which feels like a "mouse gun" after carrying the P13 around the house.

I think Ill continue to ccw the para around the home but switch to the sig when I go out (its easier to run, move, carry the kids, and "adjust my cloths" with than the para) they fit the same holster pretty well also.

[Callahan]

That's funny. The P239 is my BIG GUN!

[XavierBreath]

$800 huh? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......................

["DoubleAction"]

The Sig 239 in .40 S&W is a very good choice in the smaller size pistols; It not only gives you the option of bullet weights, it also provides the option of dropping in the .357sig barrel. The .40 S&W is all about providing large bore/ large frame performance in a smaller/ lighter handgun. The Sig 239 is also my primo choice in a smaller pistol for carry.

[Data]

Perhaps I spyed a used RCP and didnt realize it?

That gun is long since sold so there is no way for me to verify.

[Data]

XavierBreath said:

$800 huh? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......................

Might have been along these lines:
www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976451176.htm

[XavierBreath]

Then we're talking $600 or so on the used market..... ;D


ooops, it IS used....