I want to try a 3" 1911 in .45 for concealed carry. Been thinking about one of the Kimber compact 3" models. The Raptor is nice but kind of pricy, around $1,400 or so. The have other models that are 3". Looking for one to carry when I want a change from my 2.5" model 19, or my Ruger SR1911 Commander in all steel.
The Kimber would be much lighter weight. Anyone here have any experience with them, good or bad??

I don't know how much research you have done on 3" 1911s, but you might want to check out 1911Forum. I do not pretend to be a 1911 expert, but I have a few and have read a lot over the years. Generally speaking, 3" guns have a much higher probability of being problematic.

When I was searching for a ccw 1911, I decided I did not want to take a chance on getting one with problems. I did not want to have to spend a bunch of extra money on a gun trying to figure out what would make it run 100%. For a gun that needs to work to possibly save my bacon or a loved one, 99% just ain't good enough for me.

I finally settled on a CCO (Commander Carry Officer) model, a SIG RCS to be specific. This style is a 4" commander barrel on an Officer size frame. I purchased the gun in 2011, and SIG no longer offers this specific model. There are a number of quality manufacturers who do offer a CCO 1911.

Obviously, lots of 3" 1911s are sold, and there are lots of happy campers that have purchased one. I just did not want to be the one that got one that insisted on being persnickety. I have been very happy with my CCO and it has never failed to work properly.

While I did not answer your question, I hope you take my thoughts and comments for what they are. And they are certainly worth what you paid for them. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck.

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SWCA 3297 SWHF 583

I had a 3” Kimber. Yes, it had a plastic MSH, but it didn’t hurt anything. The biggest gripe was taking it apart to field strip it. A lot of people will have difficulties getting them to run with hollow-points but mine did fine. I don’t know that I will ever buy an officer. If I get the itch I will buy a compact which is a 4” slide on an officer frame. They just run so much better as a whole.

One of my best friends has a couple of Kimber TLE II (I'm pretty sure that's the correct model) 3" 45's. They are great guns. I have shot them several times. He hasn't had any function problems with his at all. I have been seriously considering getting one myself.

J3

I purchased a Colt officers model at a gun show about 8 years ago. It carries well and I have put in the neighborhood of two thousand rounds through it with a total of no problems. The pistol is accurate and I am pleased with it. It is in my EDC rotation with two other pistols.

I have a number of 1911s, 3", 4" and 5". IMHO the ideal 1911 carry piece has an officer's model bottom end and a commander length (4") top end. The ultra-compacts have difficult physical geometry in what goes on inside as the weapon operates. That translates into significantly less reliability. The extra weight and size from the extra 1" of slide / barrel isn't that much, but it is worthwhile in operating reliability. My opinion, based on personal experience, for what that may be worth to you.

I have a Para 3 in and paid less than 500.00
It is a great gun and I have never had a FTF
May be something to look at.

mscook

I love my little 3 inch Springfield Armory Micros and one is with me almost every day all day. I bought my first one at the end of 2004. It took a bit of testing to find the self defense ammo that was 100% reliable, but found that Remington 185gr Golden Sabres worked the best. I use Wilson's 7rd Officers magazines and they work fantastic. I did have to send this gun back to have new sights fitted as the originals were poorly regulated for elevation. I also later sent the pistol back to the Custom Shop and had the front strap checkered. In 2008 I found another Micro on Gunbroker that was Like New and snatched it up, sent it back to the Custom Shop to have the front strap checkered. This second Micro is a spare in case my primary ever goes down and needs repair. I have shot my primary Micro with both standard 230gr ball, I tested a bunch of different self defense loads and have shot a ton of my standard 200gr lead and plated reloads using W231. If I had to guess, I would estimate probably 4,000-5,000 rounds and I do regularly replace the recoil spring units. These little 1911's cycle so fast, that as the heavier slide goes back forward into battery, it just seems to pull the rest of the gun back onto target.
I primarily carry IWB and on my frame they just disappear and make it easy to carry all the time. I also always carry 2 extra spare mags. The little short 3 inch slide is also very quick to clear a holster.
I always wanted to try one of the Kimbers, but have enjoyed these little Micros so much that I just couldn't justify the expense.
A couple years ago, I decided to try one of the SA 9mm EMP's with a 3 inch barrel. It gives me 9+1 9mm rounds and it has proven to be extremely accurate and reliable. I just need to do a bit more formal targeting on paper and then get it back to Springfield as it's sights are also poorly regulated for elevation.

I have excellent luck with my Colt Defender.Never a hiccup and accurate and easy to carry.

I've been wedded to 1911s since I was 14 years old in high school ROTC. Aside from my collection of GI models, I've assembled these particular guns from commercial sources for use as self-defense arms.

The top gun is a full size model from Colt. Although it had the Series 80 modifications, I removed them in the interest of a perfect trigger pull. Safety is not really affected, as it retains things as John Browning originally intended - good enough for me. I treated it to a number of personal tweaks that ensure perfect functioning with every type of load usually encountered, and which provide better handling.

The second gun down is a Kimber with an officer-size frame and a 4-inch barrel. It's totally reliable, and is my preferred carry gun, albeit a bit heavy with a stainless steel frame.

The one on the bottom is a Springfield Armory version with a 3 1/2-inch barrel. The officer-size frame is aluminum, which helps the weight situation a lot. The barrel is equipped with a longer integral ramp which eliminates a feed ramp built into the frame - this virtually guarantees perfect feeding and obviates aluminum frame battering. This one is ported to keep the nose down in recoil. It's been my experience that the shorter the barrel, the chances are worse that jams may occur for a variety of reasons. However, each of these guns has been tuned and I'd stake my life on them.

The top two have night sights, the one on bottom does not, as the gas from the ports tend to carbon up the front sight. All of these have had all sharp edges gently rounded. All are equipped with Wilson mags for absolute reliability and slam-in reloading comfort.

My favorite? The one in the middle!

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The Colt Defender has a very good reputation for reliability.

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Sure you did

While you are looking you may want to check out an S&W J frame for carry.

Early guns, 1980s, with 3-31/2 inch slides....... aka "Officers Models" didn't have a good rep. for reliability.........a lots changed in 35 years.

I've only got one 1911 pattern gun a Sig 1911 C3 which mates a Officers frame with a 4" slide

I did a quick search on google and it indicates that you can expect a 15% velocity in a 3" .45 ACP barrel compared to the 5" tube. As the .45 ACP fires a heavy bullet, it takes more barrel to accelerate it.

I do recall the "chopped and channeled" madness of the 1970s where gunwritrs who infested the then popular gun magazines of the day would whittle their guns down to nothing, resulting in an entire class of guns that didn't work to expectations. I would not go under 4" on a .45 ACP.

If you would consider going 3.5”, I would whole heartily recommend the Dan Wesson ECO. I’ve had a 3” Kimber Raptor and much prefer the fit, finish, no mim, no firing pin safety and reliability of the Dan Wesson.

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213th FBINA

My Colt Defender & Rig....





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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I have a colt defender and have had zero issues.
Plenty accurate and no failures....about 300 rounds so far....I know thats barely broken in, but I already feel like we were made for each other

My carry gun for quite some time has been a Kimber Ultra TLE. Never any malfunctions and I lost track of the round count a long time ago.

I had Kimber Super Carry Ultra+. Excellent pistol. Sold it to fund a trap shotgun purchase. Great for carry. Totally reliable.

I’ve have a Kimber Ultra CDP, since 2000. Had a slide stop issue which the department gunsmith rectified, its been flawless after that. It feeds everything without fail. I had the night sights changed a few years back after the originals went dark.

Another nod to the Kimber TLE II Ultra...****nning without failures is expected; what impressed me, was how accurate it was.

Keep in mind their customer service is pretty much non-existence. When your gun breaks they DON'T honor the warranty from what I've been told by several gun shops!
They always say, "their guns don't break" and it was the owners fault, I've been told this by many gun shops.
Get a Sig, Colt or S&W and at least you'll get service when you need it.
Good luck.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

My Kimbers. Both Are Superb Shooters. 45 and 9.

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I carry this Colt Defender everyday.. No hiccups.

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Eccentric old coot

I've owned two Sig 1911s and they were/are both 100% in all respects.

They used to have one called the Ultra Compact 1911 or some such, don't see it on their website anymore. You may be able to find a new one somewhere.

I'm not a Kimber fan- quality/functionality seems too variable for me.

Look for an old Colt Officers. 3.5" barrel and great shooters/PD guns and can be made to be completely reliable with just a few changes, i.e. the spring plug is the only weak link in these guns.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

I owned a Kimber Ultra Carry CDP II and carried it for uears. Light, small, and great caliber. I fired thousands of rounds of various handloads and a great many HP's from different manufacturers without any issues.
I will make one recomendation. When I bought mine there was concern over the steel mag follower chipping the feedramp. The solution was to replace the follower with a polymer version ( at the time I believe Wilson sold them) or do not shoot the mag dry. I replaced the followers.
Other than that, I highly recomment that gun for carry.

I have one of the first year (smooth on front) Para-Carry LDA's in 3.25 all Stainless (6+1) and a Para-Carry LDA 4.25" alloy frame (12+1). Fully loaded they are about the same as a Light Weight Commander. My preferred ammo is original Hydro-shoks (230 Gr.). Both guns shoot to the fixed sights and have had zero FTF's or FTE's! the 3.25 will accept Government model mags, so my reload is a Chip McCormick "Shooting Star" 8 rounder. (With 12+1, I should be able to disengage from trouble without reloading!)

Ivan

Plus, it's a Dan Wesson, night and day differences between a Dan Wesson and a Kimber!

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

I have to add that I have a RIA officers model 3.5" that will not malfunction with anything and doesn't seem to care what brand the mags are either. It is all steel so it isn't super light.

I have one of the Springfield Micro 45s 3" which I like a lot but it is more persnickety on ammo and mags. It's lightweight with it's aluminum alloy frame but I think it shoots pretty soft but I'm not as recoil sensitive as some.

I also have the Springfield EMP in .40. It's all steel and is a soft shooter.

Have had a Kimber UCII .45 for a dozen years.
Yes, I've read all the supposed problems of 3" M1911's.
Every bullet weight, 165 to 255 in every configuration with never a feed problem of any kind. Always used Wilson mags.
Honestly - I'm no Kimber fan-boy, but can't argue with results from this one.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Had a Colt New Agent for a while and it was a good gun, no issues.

Bought a 2 tone Springfield Micro Compact 3" around 2003-2004. It has been 100% reliable with all ammunition types, different shooters and shooting positions.

Took it to a Midwest Training Class taught by Jim Cirillo and his son. Ran great, many of the other classmates wanted to shoot it and had the same performance with them.

Carry it in a Milt Sparks VM II and use MecGar magazines.

S&W Compact 1911 45acp Pro Series here. No problems shooting hollow points or FMJ.

I had a Springfield Micro maybe 20-25 years ago, and I spent a good amount on change on it trying to get it to shoot HP ammo. It finally got there but something caught my eye soon after & it got traded off.

I had a Colt Defender soon afterwards and it shot everything well, but it got sold right after a divorce. Then about 3 years ago I traded into a RIA 1911A1-45CS, and have less than $400 bucks in it, and it feeds anything I stick in the magazine.

I really like that little 3.5" 45, except for those tiny military sights. For a CCW it point shoots good enough to get the job done. I think I'll keep this one.

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I have two Kimber 3” pistols. One is an Ultra Carry II 45 and the other an Aegis 9mm. Both have been 100% reliable with anything I feed it from SWC to HP bullets. Cast lead or jacketed make no difference. They’re very accurate as well.

I own one Colt Commander and several other Springfield and Kimbers and went to buy a 3” Colt both times I walked away with another Kimber. Features for the dollar, fit and finish are noticeably better in the Kimber. I bought my commander new and it’s loose and rattles and edges aren’t finished to the degree the Kimbers are. The Kimbers are blended nicely compared to my colt. In comparison the colt looks unfinished.

Another Kimber Ultra Carry II. I've had mine for about six years and bought it used. It's been 100% reliable with anything I've put through it. It goes to the range every trip and shoots better than me. It's sitting right next to me. It rides in a DeSantis 001 X7 nicely. I need to get an IWB for it.

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Dum vivo cano