Kimber can always be counted on for good looks and good performance.  The Ultra Carry II is no exception.

By Jerry Ahern

The Ultra Carry II from Kimber is accomplished with Kimber’s usual attention to detail. Weight of the pistol is 25 ounces, according to Kimber’s own stats, putting it at over three quarters of a pound less weight than a full size 1911. The weight factor is important, because in many ways we’re talking about a more compact version of a Commander size pistol. The Commander, when it was originally introduced by Colt, had an aluminum alloy frame.

There was much chest beating about aluminum alloy frames holding up, but aluminum alloy frames have proven to be quite acceptable for hard duty with a heavy caliber pistol.

The Kimber Ultra Carry II .45 is made for concealed carry needs, yet shooting qualities are not compromised.

Barrel length is where this pistol is quite radical. The barrel is only three inches long, making it 1-3/4 inches shorter than a Commander and a half-inch shorter than the Detonics CombatMaster. Magazine capacity with the pistol is a full seven rounds, as in traditional 1911 pistols.

Overall length of this pistol is 6.8 inches. The slide is stainless steel and the trigger is match grade aluminum. The added length in the grip in order to accommodate seven rounds allows getting the entire last three fingers on the grip frame.

Danny and I both shot the Kimber Ultra Carry II using Federal 230 grain Hydra Shok ammunition. I did my best shooting of the session with the Kimber and this did not surprise me. In my hands, it shot slightly to the left, which is a chronic problem with my shooting.

My group was nice and tight. It should be remembered that I would sometimes test fire more than thirty 1911-style automatics in a session, so that even with my lackluster marksmanship, I tend to do better with a .45. Danny is also a good hand with a .45 and got a better group than mine, both of us well within the parameters set for the test. The pistol was quite pleasant to shoot and perception of recoil was not a factor.

Kimber recommends that, with the Ultra Carry models, the recoil spring should be changed every 1800 rounds. I had asked one of my contacts at Kimber about swapping recoil springs as often as recommended in their manuals. It was made clear to me, as I had assumed, that once you hit the magic number of rounds you shouldn’t expect catastrophic spring failure. Instead, Kimber views this as a way to ensure there will not be spring failure. That certainly makes sense.

Sights on the Ultra Carry II are fixed and extremely rugged. They are left black and, if this pistol were mine, I would add white markings on the sights to assist my older eyes. The thumb safety is single sided, but extended, and the grip safety features a beaver tail. The beaver tail amply protects the web of the hand. The Kimber Ultra Carry II is a classy looking pistol and performed quite well.

This article is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed Carry Handguns.  Click here to order your copy.

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Resources for Concealed Carry

New! Gun Digest Buyer's Guide to Concealed Carry Pistols

The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry

The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery

Effective Handgun Defense, A Comprehensive Guide to Concealed Carry

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