Another beauty!
I actually own one of these. As a matter of fact, it was my first 1911 purchase. It is now my everyday carry piece. I really dig this weapon. First of all, it immediately caught my eye in the showcase at my absolute favorite local dealer, Dick’s Gun Room. My buddy Chuck, a longtime employee and smith at Dick’s locked back the slide and handed it to me. Game, set, match! Bring me the paperwork, Chuck!
This compact 3″ bbl 1911 just plain feels good in my hand. I have average size mitts, so a word of warning to you big pawed dudes – this one’s probably not for you. It makes for an ideal CCW, as the combination of the single stack profile and it’s compact design keep it close to the body. I holster mine in a Galco Concealable. Perfect in the colder months with bulkier clothes, but would probably work with jeans shorts or cargos, with a real loose t-shirt or one of those Hawaiian numbers. A very comfortable carry.
OK, now let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? How does it shoot? Well, as we all know there’s nothing like the 1911 trigger mechanism. The factory setting on the UR’s trigger is listed at 4-5 lbs. but to me feels a tad lighter. The drawback is crisp and clean, as is the release. The double-tap is a pleasure, as long as you concentrate on muzzle rise control, and that (to me) seems to require a minimal amount of effort with this weapon.
The slide racks easily, and despite rumours we’ve all heard about Kimber’s penchant for using composite materials in the construction of their firearms, the slide stop has performed admirably so far. Along those lines (reliability) I have now cycled over 700 rounds of both FMJ ball, as well as several types of HP. Not one single FTF so far. Granted, I field stripped, cleaned and lubed it as soon as I got it home from the dealer, and I do the same after each session at the range. Kimber suggests that a 500-round cycling constitutes the break-in period for their 1911’s. I partially broke the Raptor in (the first 150 or so rounds) with S&B 230 gr. ball. I did so with the thought that if I experienced any problems right off the bat, I could eliminate varied hollow point bullet designs as a possible offender. In closing, regarding ammo, I’ve found that besides the S&B FMJ, my Raptor seems to really like two loads in particular – Remington Golden Saber and Winchester SXT, both in 230 gr.
As for accuracy, it is important that one reminds oneself that this weapon sports a 3″ barrel. I would currently rate myself about a seven on a scale of one-to-ten with regards to overall shooting skills with a pistol. I’m a little better with most long guns, but aren’t most of us? With semi-autos, I have an annoying tendancy to involuntarily tighten my grip while pulling up on the trigger, which can cause my groupings to sometimes be a bit low and to the right of center. I just have to occasionally remind myself of this quirk while shooting. Anyway, with that having been said this little 1911 is dead on at standard distances of 3 and 7 yards. At fifteen yards, I can group (on a good day) at or around 3-4″ from center of impact. As is usually the case with all of us, my shooting skills have improved steadily with practice. I’m dead certain that many of you out there in 1911 land would be able to put my groupings to shame with this same weapon. In any event, I have every confidence in the performance of this weapon in my hands should a SD situation present itself. Frankly, I hope that day never comes, but as my CCW this little baby gives me a good measure of peace of mind.
And now for the “cons”, as opposed to the pro. The Raptor sports a bushingless bull barrel. Although it must be more than obvious that I’m nuts about this weapon, I must be quite honest in stating that I probably will never purchas another 1911 without a bushing again. Disasembly/reassembly requires a “takedown tool”, a little metal “L’ shaped number about the thickness of a paper clip. The tool essentially holds the guide rod/spring assembly captive while the slide and slide stop are removed and subsequently reassembled. Well, the tool is prone to fall out of the little hole in the guide rod, and equally as bad it must be centered just right, or it will prevent the guide rod from advancing or retreating during this brutal exercise. 
The final insult comes in attempting to snap the slide stop back into place. Trust me, you get better at this with practice, but the first couple of times for me involved a verbal barrages constituted of mostly four-letterwords. ):
Well, that’s my take on the Kimber Ultra Raptor II. Please feel free to comment with your own experiences with this gun, and also feel free to ask me any questions. I will answer to the best of my ability!
Sincerely,
yourgunguy
