Kimber Ultra CDP II my take after 2,000 rounds…

[kal0]

I been carrying the Kimber Ultra CDP II for 5 months now. (Before that I used to carry a PX4 Compact 9mm DA/SA)
Well, I finally broke the whole 2000 rounds count on the CDP II, so now I feel pretty confident talking about it.

Specs:
Kimber Ultra CDP II

• Caliber: 45 ACP
• Weight: 25ounces (empty)
• Ambidextrous thumb safety (one thing I will like to change in the future)
• Carry Melt finish (basically all edges are rounded)
• Magazine Capacity: 7+1
• Trijicon sights

Holsters I'm using:
1) Crossbreed Supertuck IWB (great holster)
2) The Kimber Leather IWB (one way belt loop) Two Tone Holster. (really quick to get on and off, been using this one a lot)

This is just my second 1911 type of gun, so I'm NO expert on this platform, but here it go…

General Stuff:
First the gun feels great, the checkering in the front strap and under the trigger guard helps a lot on having a great grip, even when I'm shooting one handed or weak handed.

In terms of the weight, even that is 25 ounces empty (not that light), when I put it on my holster the gun just disappears and I'm talking t-shirts and shorts (with a good belt) on summer (Texas summer)… I don't even think about it all day. The whole round corners (carry melt) helps a lot on making it a very comfortable gun to carry.

One thing I must say, that after carrying it for 5 months, you might notice some very small scratches and things like that on the finish of the gun (things that I really don't care) but some people might be sensitive about that.

Break-in period (not really just buy good mags):
I had 2 Failure To Feed on my first 200 rounds. After reading on the forums, I found out that #1 cause of failures on this platform is crappy Magazines! (I don't know why Kimber don't provide the Tac Mags by default, but that's another topic) I went ahead and change the magazine to Kimber Pro Tac Mags and Wilson Combat ones, after that, it worked like a champ. No more failures.

How it shoots?
AWESOME! this little gun (3-inch barrel) shoots great! Kimber advertise that the trigger pull is around 4-5 pounds and that's how it feels. You definitely need a firm grip but I was right on target in 15, 10 and 7 yards… This is the most accurate (3 inch barrel) gun that I can shoot (I imagine the light trigger and the weight are big factors on that).

When I hit the 1000 rounds I changed the recoil spring like mentioned in the User Manual (the manual says to change it every 800 rounds or something like that). I have a feeling that it was not necessary at that moment(it was shooting fine) but I did it anyway, so be aware of that WARNING on the User Manual.
Update: The actual round count to change recoil spring for ultra is 1800 rounds .. I was confusing it with the Pro models that is 800... so my spring change was not necessary at all :) but that went smooth!

I also tested 30 rounds of Gold Dot thru this gun and worked fine, that's my current carry ammo.

Other than that, I definitely recommend this gun to anyone that is looking for a 45ACP, single stack type of carry pistol.
The only changes I will make in the future will be to change the ambi-safety to single right handed only… and it's a 1911, so I need to keep changing the grips every other month right?

Thanks,
kal0

[RoyGBiv]

Thanks.!
I have this exact gun on my short list for my next purchase.

[TX Rancher]

My wife's favorite pistol is her Kimber CDP. She's had that pistol for ~6-7 years and it's had serious use. Throughout all that time it's been ultra reliable and never skipped a beat.

[USA1]

Thank you for your report.

Some folks might dump on Kimber for various reasons and that's to be expected with any manufacturer. Truth is, (based on my experience with Kimber), I think they produce some of the finest 1911's on the market.

From fit and finish to performance and accuracy, not to mention the outstanding trigger, I think they're worth every penny.

My Kimber Stainless Pro has been absolutely flawless. It's also the most accurate gun I've ever shot.

[Pawpaw]

Thanks for the good review for a great pistol!

I put a set of CT Lasergrips on mine and, of course, the required shortened right-side safety lever.

I agree the KimPro mags are good, but I noticed some minor damage to the (aluminum) frame feed ramp. I was concerned that the metal followers on the Kimber mags might be hitting it and causing the damage, so I finally took TAM's advice and bought the Tripp Cobra mags to eliminate that possibility.

The Tripp mags are incredible and make the KimPro mags look like toys (which they are definitely not). I just purchased a Custom Crimson Carry and immediately ordered 3 Cobra mags for it. Those are all I will ever used in it.

[bikerbill]

Thank you for the good review ... I've been carrying an Ultra Carry II for more than two years, mostly in cooler weather because I prefer pocket carry on those endless 100-degree days when I'm in cargo shorts and a tank top ... mine has been perfect since new, it's probably the most accurate gun of the dozen or so I own and I love it ... haven't changed the springs and I don't think it needs it yet ... I carry in a kydex paddle holster which works great for me ... I also dumped the cheap factory mags for Wilson Combat and Tripp mags, have had no problems with either ... these 3-inch Kimbers are fantastic guns in every way and I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to carry a .45 1911 ...

[kal0]

Thanks for the feedback.. I'm actually still new to the 1911 platform and never heard of the Tripp Cobra mags... I will definitely will check those out... Thanks for the info.

[Pawpaw]

Here you go: http://trippresearch.com/

You'll want part number 7R-45-RO.

[SQLGeek]

Very good long term writeup. Thank you for sharing. That is a great looking gun.

[Skiprr]

Great review; thanks for writing it.

I had a little trepidation buying a 3” 1911 format pistol; all the other 1911s I owned were full-size 5-inchers. But after handling and shooting a CDP II, I decided I had to give it a try. That was April 2007. A couple of months and several range sessions later, it moved in to become my most-often carry gun.

As you note, the practical accuracy with such a short barrel and short sight-radius (4.7”) is outstanding. That, of course, is mainly because the mechanical accuracy of the pistol is excellent, and that I’m a 1911-preferred guy to start with.

For a while I kept second-guessing myself that perhaps I should have bought the Pro: an extra inch of barrel would be even more accurate and be no more of a problem to carry. What I found, though, is that silly little inch did make a difference in one respect: presentation and reholstering when seated. I’m not the most flexible guy in the world, and with a high-ride IWB I’d always had a bit of a struggle using a government-size in a seated position.

The first time I practiced drawing while seated, I realized that the shorter barrel made it much easier on me. Then, as I expected, when I started carrying it and had to leave the gun in a lockbox in the car when going into a 30.06-posted building, that whole process was much improved with the short barrel.

I’m with you on the ambi-safety. I’ve never done anything about mine, but I keep threatening to remove it. It’s a nice feature for those who want it (or are TAM and are “correct-handed”) but I learned without one, am comfortable using my left index finger when needed, and that ambi-safety is the one thing that sticks out on the outside of the frame that can catch on clothing, a seatbelt, etc.

Nowadays we’re seeing Ed Brown-style bobtails on compact 1911s, but with the shorter grip I don’t know that I would shoot it as well. Very nice feature on a full-size, but I rely on having the MSH pressing near the heal of my hand to get a solid grip on the short frame. Speaking of which, that original MSH is not something I’m a fan of. Works perfectly well, but I really think it should be made out of a different material.

I’m a fan of Wilson mags, and have never fed the Ultra CDP anything but, and it’s been every bit as reliable as my full-sized 1911s. Once, I even let a friend try it out. He had supplied his own commercial ammo, and all went well for many rounds. Then, in the lane next to him and shooting an XDm, I heard a funny-sounding report, and actually saw a round fly weakly left of the target and drop before getting to the backstop. I’m thinking a squib. I remove the mag from my XDm and lock the slide back, and another round comes out of the Ultra CDP with the same sort of squib-fire results. I step around to his lane.

Long story short, it turned out he had accidentally mixed in some .40 S&W rounds into the mag when he charged it. The Ultra CDP had fired, ejected the brass, and cycled another round...which surprised me. Not a healthy thing to do, for gun or person, shooting .40 S&W in a .45 ACP semi-auto. Obviously, shooting was stopped, and the gun came home and received a detail strip and inspection. I couldn’t detect anything damaged, and it went back to the range a few days later for a couple hundred rounds of .45 ACP for practical testing. She escaped the incident unscathed.

But it does demonstrate that ammo feeding in the small gun isn’t as picky as some might imagine...and that it’s pretty sturdy in the places that matter most.

Going on three years of carry, mine has some noticeable holster wear, as expected. Something I’ve found is that the metal that has tarnished, despite my best upkeep efforts, is the hammer. No rust, but it looks like it’s always ridden hard and put up wet; at first glance it looks like it’s rusted. No biggie, though.

Last up, something I recommend Kimber Ultra owners look into is a product made by Richard Ketchum here in Texas. It’s a small, brass device called the 1911 UltraTool. It isn’t a necessary addition to the cleaning kit, but it’s one of those simple, elegant solutions that makes life much easier when it comes time to fieldstrip a bull-barrel Ultra for those of us who’d rather not go the no-tools route and risk the pistol flying out of our hands. Better’n sliced bread. It’s so handy, IMHO, that I use the hole in the front of it to clip it inside my cleaning kit to make certain I never lose it.

[youtube][/youtube]
(Note: the vid mentions the tool for the Kimber Pro models, but Richard has discontinued that product.)

Again, thanks for writing the review!

[kal0]

Here you go: http://trippresearch.com/

You'll want part number 7R-45-RO.

Thanks for the link I'm ordering two of this today ...

[kal0]

Hi Skippr,

That's right, as soon as I start shooting this gun and seeing the results I was a fan... the accuracy of it is something that everybody should try ... I don't know if it's the actual 1911 platform or what! but it shoots great.

Regarding the ambi-safety you are spot on...

It’s a nice feature for those who want it (or are TAM and are “correct-handed”) but I learned without one, am comfortable using my left index finger when needed, and that ambi-safety is the one thing that sticks out on the outside of the frame that can catch on clothing, a seatbelt, etc.

That's also what I think... but I must say, I have never encounter a problem with it while carrying but that's still on my mind,
I read some post about that safety engage (just that safety not the grip one) because of the seatbelt and things like that... let see....
at least if I don't take it down, I probably will change that side to a lower profile safety.... or something like that, let see.

I don't know what I will do if I find my friend shooting another cartridge through my gun.... lol Man!! .. and it still feed without problems that's great! Glad the gun was unharmed...

Thanks for the link on that UltraTool looks very practical, I will give it a try.

[Excaliber]

Hi Skippr,

That's right, as soon as I start shooting this gun and seeing the results I was a fan... the accuracy of it is something that everybody should try ... I don't know if it's the actual 1911 platform or what! but it shoots great.

Regarding the ambi-safety you are spot on...

It’s a nice feature for those who want it (or are TAM and are “correct-handed”) but I learned without one, am comfortable using my left index finger when needed, and that ambi-safety is the one thing that sticks out on the outside of the frame that can catch on clothing, a seatbelt, etc.

That's also what I think... but I must say, I have never encounter a problem with it while carrying but that's still on my mind,
I read some post about that safety engage (just that safety not the grip one) because of the seatbelt and things like that... let see....
at least if I don't take it down, I probably will change that side to a lower profile safety.... or something like that, let see.

I don't know what I will do if I find my friend shooting another cartridge through my gun.... lol Man!! .. and it still feed without problems that's great! Glad the gun was unharmed...

Thanks for the link on that UltraTool looks very practical, I will give it a try.

I've carried the alloy frame stainless Ultra Carry for about 6 years. It's really hard to beat as a very capable, concealable summer carry piece, and I can support the good things already said about accuracy and the superb trigger from firsthand experience. I've shot it enough to wear out a couple of recoil springs, and I consider it just broken in.

I usually select a longer barreled 1911 during cooler weather when concealment isn't an issue.

[The Annoyed Man]

My 3" Ultra is one of my favorite carry guns. I echo everything everyone has said. Given a litte extra cash, I wish I had bought the CDP, but I'm satisfied with the Stainless Ultra that I actually bought. The accuracy is truly very good for such a short gun. Mine has very good night sights. Also, it handles the .45 ACP recoil extremely well for a light alloy framed pistol, and is very easy to shoot, even one handed. My one complaint is that I would have really liked some checkering on the front strap. Even so, it is very controllable.

BTW, I have one of those UltraTools. It works very well and was worth the price.

[SQLGeek]

Well shoot...now this thread has me taking a closer look at the 1911 platform for a carry gun. Just when I thought I had it figured out.