Shield .45 vs Kimber Ultra CDP II?

[gen3guy]

Who wouldn't want a Kimber? But you can probably get 2 Shields for the same price.

 

[Bonephish]

Who wouldn't want a Kimber? But you can probably get 2 Shields for the same price.

Or maybe 3 Shields.

 

[Bonephish]

But Shields are not this handsome, or as accurate.

 

[Rastoff]

Who wouldn't want a Kimber?

Go say that on the 1911 forum.

 

[dudester]

I have a Shield 9 and a Kimber Ultra Carry II. I love them both for what they are and carry them every day. I definitely shoot the Kimber better though.

 

[kthom]

Guys, we ain't really talking about target match accuracy here, are we? Yes there are guns that will measure group accuracy that is slightly better than the striker fired Shield models. But the purpose for the Shield models is personal protection accuracy. The operating platform of these guns is totally different when you compare them. The 1911 is, in my mind and experience, not the easiest and best choice for a relatively inexperienced shooter. Yes, it can be learned, but the learning curve for the striker fired weapons is an easier task, for me at least. I'm a very long way from an inexperienced shooter, and I have owned both platforms. For an every day carry gun, I have found only one other platform that is as readily acceptable for a new shooter and that is the plain old S&W revolver (yeah, I have a huge preference for the brand!). There is just more to understand about the 1911 platform as well as more that needs to be just right and then left alone with it, in my experience. As always, your mileage may vary, but when it comes to an every day carry that can become acceptable to the majority of shooters in the quickest time frame, it's really hard to beat the striker fired auto if you don't want to carry a revolver.

I personally don't think there is a better choice than the Shield platform in which ever caliber you shoot best and feel comfortable with. It's very easy and comfortable to carry and in my experience, has been a very reliable platform. Then again, which ever platform, brand, style fits your hands the best, and which ever one you can shoot the best and the easiest (under extreme pressure!) is what you ought to get for yourself. Only you can decide that for yourself. We all have our own preferences, and many of us have spent some time wandering around trying to find what is best for us. That can be fun as well as expensive!

To me this choice involves two basically radically different platforms. How long are you willing to spend getting to know a new platform to the extent that you arer completely comfortable with it's operation so that you can hopefully use it under extreme stress if that should become necessary? Are you willing to trust your life to a relatively new operating system? I can tell you that under stress, you are going to default to what's most programmed into your subconscious mind! For me, for minute of bad guy, the Shield is my choice. You gotta decide for yourself, and you gotta take my advice and opinion FWIW to YOU! Same with all the other advice and opinions given here. Any smaller model (read shorter barreled model) of a semi auto firearm is more sensitive to spring weights and ammo choices in order to be reliable. The Shield is purpose built for the purpose for which it is intended. It's not just a full sized model that's sized downward. Anything mechanical can have difficulties, and it's important for me to be able to deal with those as much as I can for myself to keep my EDC's running reliably. Thankfully, that has not been any kind of problem for me with my Shields. Good luck in your choice. I just encourage you to hold, handle, and shoot as many of the different choices for your own self before you make up your mind about this very important choice!

 

[V0OBWxZS16]

Hi, I have both, and love both . . . though the Kimber Ultra CDP is at another magnitude of "finer" as a handgun.
(snip)

Is that a CDP or an Ultra Elite?

 

[b_san]

Anyone may take any chance they want. I'll continue to tell people to be careful with it.

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

Question 11.a. Actual Transferee/Buyer: For purposes of this form, you are the actual transferee/buyer if you are purchasing the firearm for yourself or otherwise acquiring the firearm for yourself (e.g., redeeming the firearm from pawn/retrieving it from consignment, firearm raffle winner). You are also the actual transferee/buyer if you are legitimately purchasing the firearm as a gift for a third party. ACTUAL TRANSFEREE/BUYER EXAMPLES: Mr. Smith asks Mr. Jones to purchase a firearm for Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith gives Mr. Jones the money for the firearm. Mr. Jones is NOT THE ACTUAL TRANSFEREE/BUYER of the firearm and must answer "NO" to question 11.a. The licensee may not transfer the firearm to Mr. Jones. However, if Mr. Brown goes to buy a firearm with his own money to give to Mr. Black as a present, Mr. Brown is the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm and should answer "YES" to question 11.a. However, you may not transfer a firearm to any person you know or have reasonable cause to believe is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), , or (x). Please note: EXCEPTION: If you are picking up a repaired firearm(s) for another person, you are not required to answer 11.a. and may proceed to question 11.b.

 

[Bill ch]

The problem with Kimber is their customer service

If you have ever owned a kimber and had to send it back for warranty service and put up with the B.S. from the service department, you would never buy one again.

I have a 9 Shield and love it. Was thinking about a larger caliber carry weapon. Anybody have any experience with both of these? In California it will be harder to get a .45 Shield, and the Kimbers are readily available.

Obviously completely different platforms, love the feel and trigger of the Kimber, but thinking it would be better for consistency keeping same platform.

Help me decide.

 

[ditrina]

If you have ever owned a kimber and had to send it back for warranty service and put up with the B.S. from the service department, you would never buy one again.

Interesting.. can you give an example/personal experience.
Thanks..

 

[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.