Shield .45 vs Kimber Ultra CDP II?

[Rastoff]

Perhaps this will help you so you don't give out any further unwarranted cautionary advice...

Yes, that's what it says on the form. However, the process of a parent, living outside CA, giving a gun as a gift to a child who lives in CA, involves more laws than just that form.

You're correct about a gift. This is just not that simple.

Edited to add: Caution where felonies are concerned is always good advice.

 

[gman51]

I have the Kimber Ultra Carry ll 45acp and that gun just fits my hand like a glove. I added Crimson Trace grips and total I have around $950 in it. People bash Kimbers for being so unreliable but I have not had that problem with mine.
I love the push instead of the flip recoil of the 45. As much as I like this gun I don't carry it because I just don't trust the cocked and locked with chances of the safety lever getting knocked out of safety. The trigger doesn't take much to fire this gun and if the safety went into fire mode it wouldn't take much trigger pressure for it to go bang.
I know I have heard all the hoopla about not feeling safe with it but to each his own.
I have heard a lot of positive reviews on the M&P and they are probably in short supply because of that. I think if you are going to use it as your main CC then myself I would go with the M&P for the reason above as well as cost is a good bit less.
I probably will never sell my Kimber I like it that much, but I doubt I will have it as my main CC. I use an LCR 357 for that.

 

[GKC]

Who wouldn't want a Kimber?

Me, for one. I've owned three Kimber 1911s, and all three were jam-o-matics. I couldn't run a full box (50) through any of them without malfunctions. Kimber's CS was non-existent. (I've owned 19 other 1911s, from various manufacturers, and didn't have those problems...so, I don't think it was me.)

I don't deny that they are pretty guns, but I won't own another one, ever. Given the choice, I'd take a Shield any day of the week and twice on Sunday over a Kimber.

 

[Rastoff]

People bash Kimbers for being so unreliable but I have not had that problem with mine.

How many rounds have you fired through it?

As much as I like this gun I don't carry it because I just don't trust the cocked and locked with chances of the safety lever getting knocked out of safety.

The safety will not get knocked out of safe. If you're right handed, it's up against your body and won't get bumped by anything. I'm a lefty. This puts the safety on the outside. In 6 years of carrying, the safety has never been bumped off.

Unload the gun and wear it for a week. This way you know it won't fire. You'll see that the safety won't get knocked off. Then, just to finalize the feeling of how safe the gun is, carry it with the safety intentionally off (unloaded of course). You'll see that as long as you have a proper holster, covers the trigger, the hammer will stay back even with the safety off.

The whole point of this is to show just how safe it is. I understand your fears and they are not irrational. I do think you can over come them.

 

[Rastoff]

Me, for one. I've owned three Kimber 1911s, and all three were jam-o-matics.
.............
Kimber's CS was non-existent.
.............
(I've owned 19 other 1911s, from various manufacturers, and didn't have those problems...so, I don't think it was me.)

This story is not new. I've heard it time and time again and not just with Kimber. In fact, we see it here with the Shield a lot. I do think S&W's customer service is better than Kimber's, but that's a discussion for another time.


Here's my Kimber story:
I spoke with a guy who had a Kimber 4" with an aluminum frame. This one malfunctioned a lot for him. He sent it to Kimber twice without resolution. I bought it for a song just to take a shot at getting it to work. When I got it, I put 200 rounds through it without a single issue. Then I sold it to a friend for what I paid for it. He's not had a single issue either.

I don't know what it is with Kimbers, but they just don't work for some people. The vast majority will have no trouble.

 

[b_san]

Yes, that's what it says on the form. However, the process of a parent, living outside CA, giving a gun as a gift to a child who lives in CA, involves more laws than just that form.

You're correct about a gift. This is just not that simple.

Edited to add: Caution where felonies are concerned is always good advice.

Except there's no hint of a felony or any other level of crime involved as long as the transfer is processed through a CA FFL. All that's required is for the out of state parent/grandparent (or the reverse) or spouse to include a note with the firearm to the receiving FFL in CA that it's a gift for the child/grandchild (or the reverse) or spouse and it's a legal interfamilial firearm transfer. Nothing in CA law says you can't buy a firearm for a gift and obviously, as referenced above, Federal law is completely clear that it's legal as well. Your paranoia is unfounded.

 

[AlphaSig]

Insightful comments here on these postings.
Thanks all - I'm a S&W revolver guy looking to get 1 carry "bottomfeeder" in @ the 3".
Was looking at both S&W and Kimber.
I think I really need to shoot them both to get an idea but
your experience/comments here are greatly appreciated.
I see where the M & P Shield was Rated #1 (imagine that ha) out of 10 in CCH mag Spring 2018 so I will take a look-

 

[Bonephish]

I own handguns by several manufacturers and had some issues with S&W, Kimber, Springfield, Beretta, Kel-Tec and the ammo-sensitive little Seecamp. Never had an issue with my Sigs or Rugers or Taurus or Rossi... The cost doesn't seem to matter for reliability.

I would rate S&W and Kimber customer service equal in customer satisfaction.

My .45 Shield is at the factory because the slide locks back before the mag is empty. My Kimber had a badly tuned extractor and a weak magazine spring.

My Shield isn't home yet but Kimber sent me an extractor and I bought some Wolff magazine springs and a Kimpro magazine.

I have come to expect issues with every firearm I buy and will do the research to diagnose and repair. If I fall out of like with a gun, I'll sell it but I won't ever sell a malfunctioning firearm.

My friend has several pistols which he shoots regularly but never even cleans. When they stop running he gives them to a gunsmith. I suspect there are a lot of gun owners out there who are the same.

 

[tom turner]

Is that a CDP or an Ultra Elite?

Gosh, good question that made me run to the safe.

The right side of the slide on this wonderful, early Yonkers Kimber
reads "ULTRA CDP"

When I decided to get out of competition shooting I traded my nice, 1st gen. Colt Combat Elite for it. I no longer needed a customized limited gun with a 1.4 lb. trigger on it, and tens of thousands of rounds through it. LOL

Thus, I didn't pay a cent for my new Kimber, but I wish I'd KEPT the Colt and bought the Kimber. I guess a lot of us have firearms we traded off that we wished we still had, but that's another topic. All the best, Tom

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

Gosh, good question that made me run to the safe.

The right side of the slide on this wonderful, early Yonkers Kimber
reads "ULTRA CDP"

When I decided to get out of competition shooting I traded my nice, 1st gen. Colt Combat Elite for it. I no longer needed a customized limited gun with a 1.4 lb. trigger on it, and tens of thousands of rounds through it. LOL

Thus, I didn't pay a cent for my new Kimber, but I wish I'd KEPT the Colt and bought the Kimber. I guess a lot of us have firearms we traded off that we wished we still had, but that's another topic. All the best, Tom

I thought the CDP series was introduced later. I looked it up and the Ultra Elite was a special edition from 1999 and the CDP series was introduced in 2000.

The only discernible differences I found are the lettering on the side and the front strap checkering is a different pattern.