Last updated August 2026 · By Nick Hall, a Kimber 1911 shooter who has owned the Custom II, Pro Carry, Micro 9 and R7 Mako
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- Treat every gun as loaded
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
- Know your target and what’s beyond
Quick Answer: The Kimber Custom TLE II is the best Kimber 1911 you can buy in 2026 across the full lineup, a service-grade five-inch with night sights, an ambi safety, and the kind of fit and finish that historically separates Kimber from competitors at this price tier.
Best Kimber concealed carry: the Ultra Carry II, a 3-inch all-steel .45 ACP. Best Kimber competition: the Rapide Dawn, the company’s top-tier custom build. Best value: the Custom LW at around six hundred dollars. Best Kimber duty: the double-stack DS Warrior. Best Kimber 10mm: the Rapide Scorpius or the Eclipse Custom, both of which you can actually buy today.
The biggest mistake Kimber buyers make is treating the guns like indestructible appliances. Kimbers want a 200-500 round break-in, prefer Wilson Combat or Chip McCormick magazines over factory, and reward attention to lubrication. Skip the steel-cased range ammo. Every Kimber on this list was tested across at least 500 rounds of quality ball and defensive ammo.
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun. Where we have not shot a specific variant ourselves, we say so in that section.
Winners at a Glance
| Pistol | Best for | Caliber | Barrel | Capacity | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimber Custom TLE II | Overall winner | 45 ACP | 5 in | 7+1 | $1,000 |
| Kimber Custom II | Best value | 45 ACP | 5 in | 7+1 | $699 |
| Kimber Ultra Carry II | Best concealed carry | 45 / 9mm | 3 in | 7+1 | $800 |
| Kimber 1911 Rapide Dawn | Best factory custom | 45 / 9 / 10mm | 5 in | 8+1 | $1,500 |
| Kimber 1911 DS Warrior | Best double stack | 9mm | 5 in | 20+1 | $931 |
There is only one company that can truly take the fight to Colt in the 1911 sector. That’s Kimber America.
While others laid down at the feet of the Colt 1911 and tried to compete on cost, rather than prestige, Kimber came at Colt like a spider monkey.
The two are still going hammer and tong to this day in pretty much every category. Colt is the volume seller, but some of the Custom Shop guns are, in our opinion, the absolute benchmark for quality and engineering.
So what are the best Kimber pistols for sale in 2023, and where can you buy them? Well we got the full list down below, but you can check here if you know what you want and just can’t find it.
- the best 1911 pistols under $1,000
- Euro Optic: Massive selection of Kimber handguns. Great prices too.
Table of Contents
1. Kimber Custom TLE II
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 39 oz
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Capacity: 7+1
- Night sights and an ambidextrous safety as standard
- Now sold as the TLE/RL II, with an accessory rail
Pros
- Tritium night sights standard
- Ambidextrous thumb safety
- Full-length guide rod and flared ejection port
Cons
- Heavy on a belt all day
- KimPro II wears at the sharp edges
- Single stack, so eight rounds and done
The Kimber Custom Shop TLE II could be the complete battle pistol. If you’re sure you’re starting with a 45 ACP 1911 then really this is the gun you want as your official sidearm on the daily in the real world.
This Kimber Government Model 1911 is the sensibly priced consumer version of the custom gun that the LAPD SWAT team have on their hip when they go into action.
There is a stainless version, but the KimPro II coated matte black version is the most desirable among gun enthusiasts and collectors.
Technical highlights include a full-length guide rod, beveled magazine well for the single stack mag, lowered and flared ejection port. The usual for a home defense pistol in this price range.
It’s a tactical pistol, rather than a sport shooter. But truthfully it’s awesome at everything.
2. Kimber 1911 Rapide Dawn
- Caliber: 45 ACP, 9mm and 10mm Auto
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 40 oz in 9mm, 38 oz in 10mm
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Capacity: 8+1 in 45 ACP and 10mm, 9+1 in 9mm
- TiN-coated match barrel and stepped cocking serrations
Pros
- Match-grade barrel and a tuned trigger
- Stepped cocking serrations actually work
- Genuinely striking two-tone finish
Cons
- Fifteen hundred dollars
- The gold barrel is not subtle
- TiN coating shows handling marks
The factory custom Kimber 1911 Rapide Dawn is possibly the company’s best 1911 pistols of recent times
It’s a full size race gun, designed for competition and chambered in 45 ACP, 9mm or 10mm Auto. It also looks wicked bad.
I mean this thing has the best trigger, lightening cuts, G10 grips and slide serrations…
The Collectible Rapide Black Ice
There is a collectible Rapide Black Ice, too, which arguably looks even better with its dark chrome finish. It is no longer in production and turns up secondhand rather than new. The silver-and-black Rapide Scorpius is the current sibling to the Dawn and has its own entry further down this page.
Even with the base gun you get the TiN coated barrel peering through the custom porting on the side and top of the slide. It doesn’t just look good, deposits wipe straight off that TiN finished match barrel.
It is a lot of porting, which drops reciprocating mass and lets the gun cycle faster. On a full-size steel 1911 that is a meaningful difference in how fast the sights settle.
There is textured front strap checkering, a flat mainspring housing, Tritium night sights and the G10 grips are aggressive without getting sharp. This really is a factory custom 1911 for off the peg money.
3. Kimber Ultra Carry II
- Caliber: 45 ACP and 9mm
- Barrel length: 3 inch
- Weight: 25 oz
- Overall length: 6.8 inch
- Height: 4.75 inch
- Capacity: 7+1 in 45 ACP, 8+1 in 9mm
- Sold mainly in Two-Tone and Stainless trim
Pros
- A 1911 you can genuinely conceal
- Alloy frame keeps the weight sane
- Full 1911 controls in a three-inch gun
Cons
- Short-barrel 1911s are fussy about ammo
- Recoil is snappy for a forty-five
- Seven rounds in the magazine
The Kimber Ultra Carry II is a custom pistol that comes with a price premium, but we all know by now that’s worth it. This is one of the best 1911 pistols for CCW and definitely one of the best 9mm 1911s you’ll see.
For this money you get to rock the Kimber two-tone finish on your Officer size 1911 concealed carry pistol. There are rosewood grips, rather than the high-tech shiz, but that’s homely and stylish too. Wood is life and all.
You get proper checkering on the back strap, and a smooth, rounded mainspring housing that you can easily get used to. It can make your gun easier to live with on the daily. As can the limited slide serrations on these great guns.
4. Kimber Custom II
- Caliber: 45 ACP, also built in 10mm
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 38 oz
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Capacity: 7+1, or 8+1 on the GFO version
- Frame: steel
- Sights: fixed low-profile, no night sights
Pros
- Cheapest way into a real Kimber
- Longest-running line in the catalogue
- Steel frame and full sight radius
Cons
- No night sights at this price
- Break-in period is not optional
- Plainest looking gun on this list
This page used to answer its own FAQ question about the Custom II without ever ranking the gun. That was daft, because the Custom II is the pistol most people should actually start with. It is the oldest continuous line Kimber builds, which means the tooling is mature, the holster support is total, and the parts are everywhere.
You get a steel-framed, five-inch, single-action .45 for around seven hundred dollars in GFO trim, rising to about nine hundred and eighty for the standard 3200001. That is Springfield Mil-Spec money for a gun with a better trigger out of the box.
What you do not get is night sights, an ambi safety, or any of the finish work that makes the TLE II and the Rapide look expensive. The Custom II is the honest baseline. Everything above it on this page is a Custom II with something added.
5. Kimber Stainless Pro Carry II
- Caliber: 45 ACP and 9mm
- Barrel length: 4 inch
- Weight: 28 oz
- Overall length: 7.7 inch
- Capacity: 7+1 in 45 ACP, 9+1 in 9mm
- Frame: stainless steel
- Bushingless bull barrel and a full-length guide rod
Pros
- Commander length balances carry and shootability
- Stainless holds up to sweat
- Easier to hide than a full five-inch
Cons
- Frame material varies by version
- Sight options are limited
- Not cheap for a mid-tier Kimber
The Kimber Aegis line was designed around 9mm ammo, although you can buy a 45 now too. Either one is like the Bentley of the concealed carry gun world…
It’s a big, heavy, luxury gun with perfect fit and finish. But it gets carry touches like the rounded heel that looks set for the carry crowd. But then it’s built on a heavyweight frame for durability, rather than aluminum for extra savings.
This looks much expensive than it is thanks to 24 LPI checkering on the front strap, a two-tone finish and fiber optic night sights. Every edge gets the patented Kimber Carry Melt treatment, to round them to perfection for a snag free draw.
It’s a curious combination that somehow works out. It even comes with optic cuts for red dot sights. And somehow we’re fine with that contradiction too with these great guns.
6. Kimber Custom LW
- Caliber: 45 ACP and 9mm
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 31.2 oz, against 38 oz for the steel Custom II
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Capacity: 7+1 in 45 ACP, up to 9+1 in 9mm
- Frame: aluminum
- Optics ready on the Shadow Ghost and threaded models
Pros
- Six hundred dollars for a Kimber
- Aluminum frame, full five-inch barrel
- Shadow Ghost version takes a dot
Cons
- Alloy frame wears faster than steel
- Recoil is sharper than steel guns
- Sub-model names change almost yearly
The Custom LW is the gun this page was missing entirely: a full-size Kimber 1911 that starts at six hundred dollars. It is a Custom II with an aluminum frame, so you keep the five-inch barrel and the long sight radius but drop a serious amount of weight off the belt.
It sells under a rotating cast of names. Liberty, Shadow Ghost, Nightstar, KCB and plain black have all been current in the last two years, which is why a bare search for it turns up such a spread of prices. The Shadow Ghost and the threaded 9mm are the ones cut for an optic.
The trade is real. An alloy frame on a .45 will show wear at the rails sooner than steel, and the recoil impulse is noticeably snappier. For a range gun that gets shot every week, buy the steel Custom II. For a full-size 1911 you actually carry, this is the one.
7. Kimber 1911 DS Warrior
- Caliber: 45 ACP, 9mm, 10mm Auto and 38 Super
- Barrel length: 5 inch, or 6 inch on the LS long slide
- Weight: 33 oz
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Height: 5.5 inch
- Capacity: 13 in 45 ACP, 17 or 20 in 9mm and 38 Super, 15 or 18 in 10mm
- Also built as the DS Warrior LW on a lightweight frame
- Optics: slide cut from the factory on the OR models
Pros
- Double-stack capacity without leaving the 1911 trigger
- Factory optics cut on the OR versions
- Aggressive grip panels lock hand in
Cons
- Much thicker grip than single-stack
- About a thousand before the optic
- Holsters and spares still catching up
This is Kimber answering the question everyone kept asking, which was what happens if you take the 1911 trigger and give it a magazine that holds a serious number of rounds. The DS Warrior runs 20+1 in 9mm. That is more than double what a Custom TLE II holds, in a gun that still breaks like a 1911.
The grip is where you notice the trade. It is chunky next to any single-stack on this page, and if you have small hands you will feel it straight away. Kimber covered the panels in a coarse texture and moulded WARRIOR into them, which sounds like marketing until you shoot it wet and nothing moves.
Buy the optics-ready version. The slide comes cut from the factory, and paying to have one milled afterwards costs more than the difference between the two models. The 10mm version exists too, and it is a genuinely capable woods gun, though 18+1 of 10mm is a lot of pistol to carry all day.
Best For: Shooters who want 1911 ergonomics and trigger feel but refuse to give up capacity, and who are happy to run a red dot on a duty-size gun.
8. Kimber Stainless Raptor II
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 38 oz
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Capacity: 8+1, 9+1 in the 9mm version
- Frame: stainless steel
- Scale-pattern slide serrations and grips
- The 4 inch version is sold as the Stainless Pro Raptor II
Pros
- The raptor scaling is unmistakable
- Night sights included
- Stainless build with a proper match barrel
Cons
- Those scales chew through cover garments
- Premium price for a cosmetic package
- Looks divide people sharply
The Kimber Raptor Stainless II is one of those big, shiny Government sized 1911s that look just about perfect from every angle. It’s a great gun.
It’s actually pretty hard to make a 1911 that is so instantly recognizable that it becomes an icon and a niche in its own right. There’s not so much you can do that’s different with the basic John Moses Browning design.
Of course, those feather-style serrations are what truly mark out this big, solid hunk of handgun. The steel slide and grip work looks amazing, as does the extended safety, slide release and mag release.
The Raptor II is just different enough, while absolutely staying true to the 1911 traditions. It’s kinda brilliant when you think about it. If you think about it…
9. Kimber Stainless Target II
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Frame: stainless steel
- Adjustable target sights
- Kimber has pulled its product page, so there is no current published weight
- Sold widely in California-compliant trim
Pros
- Adjustable target sights out of the box
- Match barrel and a clean trigger
- Genuinely accurate at distance
Cons
- Target sights snag on everything
- Too heavy and too long to carry
- Built for paper, not for a holster
Never underestimate the impact of an additional inch. On the barrel of a gun or, well, yeah…
The Kimber Target is a great gun. Both the match grade barrel and slide are CNC machined steel and the trigger pull and rear sight are adjustable. Natch. You get Tritium night sights at the front and this is high quality, reliable, accurate and optics ready.
You can buy the best 10mm version that is making quite a splash as a hunting handgun and can take on the Colt Delta Elite 10mm American classic. But the 45 is much cheaper to run if you’re just shooting targets for fun at long range for handguns.
Either one is much more cost effective than the Super Jagare, obviously, but these are some of the best Kimber pistols and great guns too.
10. Kimber Pro CDP II
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel length: 4 inch
- Weight: 28 oz
- Overall length: 7.7 inch
- Capacity: 7+1
- Frame: aluminum
- Night sights fitted as standard
Pros
- Four inch barrel on aluminum frame
- Night sights and checkered front strap
- Kimber’s original carry package
Cons
- Increasingly hard to find new
- Costs more than a Custom II
- No optic cut at all
CDP stands for Custom Defense Package, and it is the setup Kimber built its carry reputation on: aluminum frame, four-inch bushingless bull barrel, night sights, checkered front strap, rounded butt. The Pro is the four-inch version, which is the one that makes sense on a belt.
It is getting scarce. EuroOptic’s whole CDP II category is down to a single 2017 Ultra, and the Pro CDP II now shows up at three merchants in our feed rather than the dozen you would have seen five years ago. Prices have moved accordingly, from about twelve hundred and fifty to nearly fifteen hundred.
If you want a carry Kimber with an optic, this is not it, and you should look at the Custom LW Shadow Ghost or a KHX instead. If you want the iron-sighted carry 1911 Kimber has been refining since 1998, buy it while the channel still has them.
11. Kimber 1911 Rapide Scorpius
- Caliber: 9mm, 45 ACP and 10mm Auto
- Barrel length: 5 inch
- Weight: 40 oz
- Overall length: 8.7 inch
- Height: 5.25 inch
- Capacity: 9+1 in 9mm, 8+1 in 45 ACP and 10mm
- Stepped cocking serrations and a skeletonised trigger
Pros
- Same chassis as the Rapide Dawn
- Three calibers on one frame
- Cheapest way into the Rapide line
Cons
- Twelve hundred dollars at the very least
- Plainer looking than the Dawn
- No optic cut on this version
The Scorpius spent this page’s entire life as a sub-heading under the Rapide Dawn, which undersold it badly. It is the same factory-custom chassis, the same stepped serrations, the same skeletonised trigger and hammer, in satin stainless with a black barrel and black slide top, where the Dawn runs a gold TiN barrel.
It is also the cheapest way into the Rapide line. Bass Pro lists the 9mm at twelve hundred against fifteen hundred for a Dawn, and the .45 and 10mm sit around fifteen hundred to sixteen sixty. Same gun, different jewelry, three hundred dollars less.
Buy the Dawn if you want the showpiece. Buy the Scorpius if you want the Rapide’s trigger and barrel fit and would rather not own a gun with a gold barrel.
The Rest of the Kimber 1911 Line You Can Buy Today
Eleven ranked picks do not cover everything Kimber has in the channel. These are the families that did not make the numbered list but are worth knowing about, with live pricing on each.
Kimber KHX Custom and KHX Pro
The KHX is the optics-installed line, sold with a Holosun fitted, on a stepped-serration slide with a G10 grip and matching mainspring housing. The Custom is the five-inch, the Pro the four-inch. Not on Kimber’s current filter list, but nine offers are live across our merchants from about eight hundred and fifty dollars, which makes it the cheapest way into a red-dot Kimber 1911.
Kimber Eclipse Custom
Stainless with a blackened, brush-polished finish so the flats stay bright and the rest goes dark, on a five-inch frame in .45 ACP or 10mm with night sights. Two offers live, around a thousand and twenty to a thousand and thirty-four dollars.
Holsters for a 1911
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45 acp Ammo on Sale
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Kimber Aegis Elite
The Aegis Elite came in Custom, Pro and Ultra sizes with a slide already cut for a Vortex Venom. Kimber has stopped listing it and EuroOptic’s Aegis category is empty, but four offers remain in the feed from about nine hundred and twenty-two dollars, and the optics-installed Pro at sixteen hundred and eighty-six.
Kimber Rapide Heat and Rapide Ice
The two optics-ready members of the Rapide family, and the reason to read the model name carefully before you buy. The Heat runs a 5.5-inch threaded barrel in 9mm; the Ice is the optics-ready sibling to the Dawn. Between them they hold five live offers from about one thousand three hundred and sixty-four dollars.
What Happened to Kimber’s 1911 Line
Kimber’s own website now filters its 1911s into thirteen families: Covert, Custom Shop, LW, Next Generation, OI/OR, Rapide, Raptor II, Rimfire, Special Editions, Stainless II, TLE II, Two Tone II and Warrior. Four names that used to anchor the catalogue are not among them.
The CDP II, the Aegis Elite, the KHX and the Eclipse have all thinned out. You can still buy every one of them, because dealers are still sitting on stock, but the depth has gone. EuroOptic’s entire CDP II category is down to one 2017 Ultra. Its Aegis II category is empty. Our own price feed, which pulls from eleven merchants, returns four Aegis Elites and two Eclipses against ten Rapide Dawns and ten DS Warriors.
The three guns this page recommended in previous years tell the same story from the other end. The Desert Warrior and the Super Jagare are both still catalogued by Kimber, with full published specs, and both return effectively nothing across the whole feed. A model can be current on paper and gone from the shelves at the same time.
What Kimber is putting its weight behind instead is visible in the same filter list. Rapide got four variants. The Warrior became the double-stack DS in four calibers. Next Generation and OI/OR exist as categories now because optics-ready is where the money is. If you want a Kimber 1911 that will still have factory support and spares in ten years, buy from the families Kimber still lists.
Kimber 1911s You Cannot Actually Buy Right Now
These three earned their place on earlier versions of this page. Kimber still publishes a product page for each one. What has gone is the retail supply: between them they return a single live offer across the eleven merchants we price from. That is a distinction worth understanding before you spend a week hunting for one.
Kimber Desert Warrior
The tan-finished, 5-inch .45 built off the Warrior contract gun, with heavy grip panels and night sights. Kimber still lists it at 40 oz, 8.7 inches overall and 7+1. It returns zero offers across every merchant in our feed, and EuroOptic’s Kimber Warrior category now holds nothing but double-stack DS Warriors. If you want the closest current equivalent, the DS Warrior below is the gun that inherited the name, though it is a double-stack and a different pistol underneath.
Kimber Gold Combat RL II
A Custom Shop gun with a rail, ambidextrous safety and hand-fitted match barrel. Kimber’s page for it is gone, there is nothing in the feed, and there is no measurable search demand for it any more. The nearest thing still catalogued is the Gold Combat II Limited Edition. The Rapide Dawn is the modern equivalent of the money Kimber’s Custom Shop used to charge for this.
Kimber Super Jagare
The 10mm hunting gun with the ported six-inch slide and the factory-fitted Leupold DeltaPoint. Kimber still lists it at 42 oz with a 9.7 inch overall length and 8+1. It surfaces at one merchant, at about two thousand six hundred and seventy dollars, and nowhere else. If you came here for a 10mm Kimber 1911, the live options are the Rapide Dawn, the Rapide Scorpius, the Eclipse Custom and the DS Warrior, all of which are built in 10mm and all of which you can actually buy.
Kimber Pistols That Are Not 1911s
Kimber sells several pistols that get searched for as 1911s and are not. This matters if you are shopping on holster fit, magazine compatibility or parts.
Kimber Micro 9
The Micro 9 borrows the 1911’s manual thumb safety and its lines, which is exactly why people file it under 1911. It is not one. Kimber lists it under its own /pistols/micro-9 category, it is a scaled-down design with its own lockwork, and no 1911 part will fit it. It is a genuinely good 3.15-inch carry 9mm and it used to hold a numbered slot on this page it did not deserve.
For the full range, see our best subcompact 9mm pistols guide.
Kimber KDS9c and 2K11
Both are double-stack, 2011-pattern guns rather than 1911s. The KDS9c is a 4.09-inch 15+1 carry 9mm from about nine hundred and fourteen dollars. The 2K11 is the premium version, 20+1 and optics-ready, from around sixteen hundred and fifty. They share a grip module concept with Staccato and Springfield’s Prodigy, not with the guns on this page.
![KIMBER KDS9C [BLK]](https://www.usa-gun-shop.com/wp-content/uploads/ugs-pc-img/e129c7ddee19ea4bd732e65a9d210fe9.jpg)
They belong in our 7 best 2011 pistols round-up rather than here.
What About Parts & Accessories For Your 1911?
You might be looking for the best pistol red dot sights for your everyday carry if the white dot set-up on your Kimber pistols aren’t working for you quite like they should. Or Crimson Trace laser grips and other gear & accessories for your gun safes.
Or you might just want some grip screws, or better gun cleaning cloths in your range bags. Gun cleaning is important, you know, for a reliable concealed carry pistol…
For everything from the best red dot sights to a new recoil spring and a Crimson Trace laser, try these dealers.
- Brownells: Awesome parts section. From a new slide and frame to a coated barrel and range bags.
- Primary Arms: From a new thumb safety to a slide and frame.
- Our post of the best online gun stores.
Natural Rivals for the Kimber 1911
Colt and Kimber have been at each other for decades. Even law enforcement is split between them, let alone for home defense.
But there is another solid contender with the stainless steel frame and slide Springfield TRP, allloy frame Range Officer, the Springfield Loaded Operator and the Springfield Mil Spec.
Sig could also lay some form of claim and you could include everything, even the Metro Arms American Classic.
You can throw all of these into the mix honestly.
Colt vs Kimber
Colt and Kimber have been engaged in, well, a gunfight for decades. For every Kimber model there’s a direct competitor from Colt.
The Gold Combat goes head to head with the Colt Combat Unit, the Kimber Ultra Carry goes to war with the Colt Defendeer and there’s direct competition right through the model line.
In most cases it comes down to personal preference, but the Colt Delta Elite 10mm is the one that Kimber can’t compete with. The Colt Delta Elite was a law enforcement special that found favor with the general public and is now highly prized and hard to find.
Wilson Combat is an Obvious Kimber Rival
Of course we haven’t even mentioned Dan Wesson and Wilson Combat CQB. Both of these premium manufacturers feature heavily on these lists:
No post on 1911 is complete without a little part on the Wilson Combat CQB, which is one of our favorite handguns ever. We’ll let the video do the talking and when you’re done there then you might want to just go here.
The Wilson Combat CQB is a great gun, and we like the smaller carry gun options, although our favorite is the Wilson Combat EDC9 XL.
Yes you’ll find the Wilson Combat on other lists, and you’ll find a Wilson Combat rifle on most of our high end AR-15 and AR-10 lists too. But mainly we like the single action Wilson Combat CQB and its off the charts accuracy, and the grip panels.
Dan Wesson is on there too
You will find plenty of Dan Wesson pistols on our best handguns lists. It’s a love affair that started with the Dan Wesson Bruin LS hunting handgun and the Dan Wesson Eco subcompact 1911.
Now we have the likes of the Dan Wesson Valor, the Dan Wesson Kodiak LA hunter and the almighty Dan Wesson Specialist to take on the likes of the Gold Combat. Look out for the Dan Wesson V-Bob carry guns with the elegant bobtail.
The new Dan Wesson DWX is an amazing tool, as well. that double stack 1911 9mm.Dan Wesson took the CZ75 and turned it into a proper competition spec 1911. And the resulting single action trigger Dan Wesson pistol is as good as it sounds.
The Dan Wesson ECP and TCP concealed carry pistols have taken over from the ECO, too, and those are solid pistols for the real world and a great price range. For the full line, and to buy a pistol online now. Go here.
Ruger SR1911 is Seriously Competitive, too.
Various forms of the Ruger SR1911 single action handgun can be found on our pages.
You’ll find the Ruger 1911 Commander competing with the likes of the Colt Commander and Kimber carry handguns. A triple recoil spring is a real USP in that sector and has won the small gun an army of fans.
Then you get the compact version of the Ruger SR1911 with the 4 inch barrel and the Ruger SR1911 Government goes against the Kimber TLE.
Custom Parts Give Ruger a New Life
You can find heavily modified Ruger SR1911 with Koenig Custom parts that is every bit a rival for the Kimber match grade guns.
They come with a new barrel, new parts from Koenig and are a match for anything when it comes to accuracy. A hand matched slide and frame are all part of the package at that price point and the singhle action trigger is sweet.
Smith & Wesson is Still a Market Leader
You can choose from a wide range of Smith & Wesson 1911 pistols, including the new Scandium alloy lightweight 1911 E Series that shaves serious weight off the final gun.
Also, the Smith & Wesson Performance Center offers top tier handguns & rifles that have been fettled by the best.
Les Baer is a Niche Choice
Some people will only shoot a Les Baer 1911. For them the Les Baer 1911 Custom Carry and Les Baer 1911 Boss 45 are the pinnacle of firearms technology and the best pistol in any price range.
The Les Baer 1911 Premier 2 model, meanwhile is considered the all round duty and tactical pistol line.
The compact carry Les Baer Black Baer is probably our favorite Les Baer pistol. Check the full line of 1911s in the Les Baer price bracket you can buy.
Springfield Armory Has Big Options
Springfield Armory has a 1911 for every occasion, too, and the Springfield Loaded Operator is currently one of our favorites. The cheaper Springfield Armory mil Spec was our best $500 1911, until a series of small price hikes. But it’s still one of the best pistols for sane money.
The aluminum frame Springfield Armory Range Officer is the lightweight gun and arguably the company’s most famous 1911. The Springfield Loaded Operator sells way more, as does the Springfield Armory Mil Spec with its white dot sights.
We love the Springfield Loaded, but the Springfield Armory Range Officer is a classic as well.
Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion Brings the Glamor
The Desert Tan Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion is a dramatic looking pistol with a sort of Flat Dark Earth cerakote finish and contrasting ambidextrous thumb safety, slide release, magazine release etc.
Honestly we love the Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion, and the smaller, compact Sig Sauer carry fastback with a rounded heel and 4 inch barrel. See the best 1911s under $1,000.
The Sig Sauer STX, 1911 Rail Gun, Sig P227 and compact 1911s are good as well. We do love the Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion honestly, if you don’t mind a fashion gun then this or several special editions of the Sig Sauer STX crop up from time to time.
Get a metallic flat dark Earth 1911 with contrasting accent colors at a really attractive price point.
Forget the Best Kimber, Nighthawk Custom is in a New Price Range
We have a few Nighthawk Custom semi-automatic pistol offers on the site, and a couple of Korth revolvers. We even have a post on the best ones here.
The prices are insane, but then so is the engineering and the feel in the hand is something else, even in the break in period. Even the mag release feels special.
Customer service, too, probably…
Have a look at every Nighthawk Custom model, ranked here for United States Special Operations.
Also have a look at our favorite Dan Wesson 1911 handguns.
Check These Posts Now
- Best Sub compact 9mm pistols for CCW.
- The best Glock for Sale in 2023, 45 ACP, 9mm and 10mmm pistol caliber.
Check your local gun laws too, not all of these are California compliant, Massachusetts compliant, Ohio compliant, yeah you know…
We are part of an affiliate program and every sale from links and purchase helps support the site as we can earn a small commission. You do not pay one cent extra for the services on this site.
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Kimber 1911 Buyer Questions Worth Asking
Why does Kimber polarize 1911 buyers more than other makers?
Kimber’s product strategy has historically pushed price-point envelopes, offering high-feature 1911s at the lower end of the premium market, while occasionally absorbing reliability tradeoffs in specific production runs. Owners of well-tuned Kimber 1911s report excellent results; owners of less-fortunate production-run examples report tuning or warranty work. The polarization reflects real lot-to-lot variation more than design flaws in the platform.
Is the Custom II series Kimber’s most-trusted starting point?
Yes, for most first-Kimber buyers. The Custom II is the longest-running production line, has the broadest accessory and holster support, and benefits from the most mature manufacturing tooling. It is the most-consistent Kimber production line for new buyers, and the upgrade paths to the Pro, Compact and Stainless variants are well mapped from there.
How does a Kimber 1911 compare to a Springfield 1911 at the same price?
Springfield 1911s have historically run more consistent across production lots than Kimber 1911s. Kimber offers more feature-per-dollar at certain price points but accepts higher production-run variance. A Springfield TRP or RO at $1,200 to $1,500 arrives ready for hard use. A Kimber at the same price wants a break-in period before it cycles ammunition consistently. The choice depends on whether you prefer feature-density or out-of-box consistency.
Should I carry a Kimber 1911 in single-action condition one?
Yes, assuming the gun has been broken in and runs reliably with your chosen carry ammunition. Condition 1, chambered with the safety on, hammer cocked, is the standard 1911 carry method and is what the platform was designed for. Carrying with the chamber empty defeats the 1911’s thumb-safety design advantage. A 1911 you trust enough to carry is one you trust in condition 1; if condition 1 carry feels unsafe, the issue is with training, not the carry method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Kimber 1911s good?
Kimber makes quality 1911 pistols with excellent fit, finish, and accuracy. They have had some QC inconsistencies in the past (particularly with the Micro 9 line), but current production is generally well-regarded. The Custom II and TLE II are their most reliable models.
What is the best Kimber 1911?
The Kimber Custom II is the best all-around Kimber 1911 for its balance of quality and price. The TLE II (Tactical Law Enforcement) is the best duty/defensive model with night sights and a rail. The Rapide is the best for competition with its lightening cuts and fiber optic sights.
Why are Kimber 1911s so expensive?
Kimber uses match-grade barrels, hand-fitted components, aluminum or steel frames (not polymer), and premium finishes. The manufacturing process involves more hand-fitting than mass-produced pistols. You are paying for tighter tolerances and better aesthetics than budget 1911s from Rock Island or PSA.
Do Kimber 1911s need to be broken in?
Yes. Like all 1911s, Kimbers benefit from a 200-500 round break-in period. The tight tolerances that make them accurate also mean the action needs to wear in. Use quality ammunition during break-in and expect a few hiccups in the first 200 rounds. After break-in, they run reliably.
Are Kimber 1911s worth the money?
For the most part yes, provided you buy the right model. Kimber sits above the entry-level 1911 makers on fit, finish and factory sights, and a Custom TLE II or a Stainless Target II gives you night sights, a match barrel and a tuned trigger without a trip to a gunsmith. Where the value argument gets thin is at the Custom Shop end, because a Gold Combat RL II costs more than twice a TLE II and the extra buys refinement rather than function.
Which Kimber 1911 is best for concealed carry?
The Ultra Carry II if you want a true 1911, because the three-inch barrel and alloy frame make it genuinely concealable. The Pro Carry Stainless is the better shooter of the two thanks to its four-inch commander length, and it hides fine under an untucked shirt. If you want something smaller than either, the Micro 9 gives you 1911-style controls in a pocket nine, though it is a scaled-down design rather than a real 1911.
Do Kimber 1911s need a break-in period?
Yes, and Kimber says so themselves. Their tight tolerances are part of why the guns shoot well, and the trade is that the first few hundred rounds can be stiff. Run around 400 to 500 rounds of decent ball ammo through a new Kimber before you judge it or trust it for carry, and keep the rails properly lubricated while you do. Most feeding complaints on new Kimbers come from guns that were never broken in.
What is the difference between the Kimber DS Warrior and a normal 1911?
Capacity, mostly. The DS Warrior is a double-stack 1911, so it holds 20+1 in 9mm where a traditional single-stack Kimber holds 8 or 9. You keep the 1911 trigger and manual of arms, but the grip is noticeably thicker, and holsters and magazines are less widely available than for the single-stack guns. The optics-ready versions also come with the slide cut from the factory.
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Dear Sirs: My Nephew sent me a picture of a Kimber Custom LW Night Patrol 1911 Semi-Auto Pistol. Is this a new or old product? I cannot find it in you catalog of Pistols(1911’s) thank you for any information