Gun Test Grade: A-
$709
Kimber hit the ground running with a pistol that covered many custom features previously found only on expensive custom items. While it is old news today, at the time it was introduced, the pistol was a sensation. The pistol tested was the “base” Kimber, the original Custom II with an optional aluminum LW, or light weight, frame. Potentially, an LW-frame Government Model might do very well against the steel-frame pistols simply because it was lighter, if nothing else.
Kimber Custom LW 37000597 45 ACP
Action Type | Short recoil-operated locked breech, single action |
Overall Length | 8.6 in. |
Overall Height | 5.5 in. |
Maximum Width | 1.32 in. |
Weight Unloaded | 31.5 oz. |
Weight Loaded | 36.5 oz. |
Slide Material | Forged steel |
Slide Retraction Effort | 17 lbs. |
Receiver Material | Aluminum |
Finish | Matte blued |
Front Strap Height | 2.6 in. |
Back Strap Height | 3.2 in. |
Barrel Length | 5.0 in. |
Grip Thickness Maximum | 1.32 in. |
Grip Circumference | 5.2 in. |
Magazine | One 8 round |
Rear Sight | Fixed drift adjustable |
Front Sight | Dovetailed post with fiber optic insert |
Sight Radius | 6.4 in. |
Trigger Pull Weight | 5.5 lbs. |
Trigger Span | 2.8 in. |
Safeties | Slide lock, grip |
Warranty | 1 year |
Telephone | (888) 243-4522 |
Website | KimberAmerica.com |
Made In | USA |
We noted the barrel was well fitted with a good, tight lock up. The lightweight-frame gun had the pleasant shooting characteristics of the steel Government Model 45. The raters noted that while it isn’t advertised as having a carry melt or any such alteration to the slide and frame, the pistol was practically devoid of sharp edges. The pistol featured a well-designed set of high-profile sights with a serrated rear sight against a fiber-optic front sight. This sight would not allow racking the slide against a belt, if this is important to you, so it suffers compared to the Springfield Ronin Operator.
On the other hand, it was snag-free in concealed carry. The finish was a dull black oxide, durable enough, if not overly attractive. Small parts are blacked out, and the grips are dark, and half checkered in common with the Ronin. Trigger compression was 5.5 pounds. This was heavier than some other Kimber pistols we have tested. The pistol featured a flat mainspring housing and long match-type trigger. The barrel bushing was finger tight, and the pistol featured a full-length guide rod. The magazine well was beveled, and the mainspring housing was nicely checkered. The grip safety didn’t have a memory pad, but it worked well enough during testing.
The single supplied stainless-steel magazine isn’t a Kimber type but was instead a stainless Metalform. It was a flush-fit magazine, which is better for concealed carry, less so for slamming the magazine home quickly. The pistol featured forward cocking serrations. The slide lock safety was slightly more upswept than the Springfield’s. It clicked into position with a firm indent. Kimber uses the Swartz-type safety to lock the firing pin, and a heavy-duty firing-pin spring is considered a safety feature.
The Kimber LW is a Custom II with a lightweight frame, so we paid close attention to recoil. The Custom LW was fired with the same ammunition and magazines as the Ronin. At 31 ounces, the pistol was 7 ounces lighter than the Ronin. Just the same, there was little detectable difference in recoil. Some raters noticed a difference with the +P load. The comments, in summary, were that the pistol isn’t more difficult to control well in recoil, but it feels noticeably lighter when worn on the hip.
Our Team Said: Fired offhand, the Kimber’s results were good to excellent. The pistol came on target quickly. In common with many 1911 handguns with a long trigger and flat mainspring housing, the pistol fired low in the hands of some raters. With effort, this tendency was corrected. The pistol was controllable, and turned in good combat results. There was little practical difference between this handgun and the Ronin in combat shooting.
As far as accuracy from the benchrest, the pistol turned in good groups, with an average virtually tied with the Ronin. We experienced a single odd malfunction with the Speer +P load. The pistol locked back on the last shot, it seemed, but a live round was laying in the ejection port. Perhaps the rater did not properly grip the pistol. We gave the pistol a half point demerit on this malfunction.
45 ACP Range Data
All groups were fired at 25 yards from a solid benchrest position using a Bullshooters pistol rest. The first chronograph screen was 10 feet from the muzzle of the firearm. We used a Competition Electronics Pro Chrony to record velocities.Black Hills 200-grain LSWC | Tisas Duty | Metro Arms Bobcut | Kimber Custom LW | Springfield Ronin |
Average Velocity | 877 fps | 854 fps | 860 fps | 884 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 342 ft.-lbs. | 324 ft.-lbs. | 328 ft.-lbs. | 347 ft.-lbs. |
Small Group | 2.5 in. | 2.3 in. | 2.0 in. | 1.9 in. |
Average Group | 3.3 in. | 2.7 in. | 2.3 in. | 2.3 in. |
Hornady XTP 200-grain JHP 9112 | Tisas Duty | Metro Arms Bobcut | Kimber Custom LW | Springfield Ronin |
Average Velocity | 987 fps | 960 fps | 980 fps | 959 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 433 ft.-lbs. | 409 ft.-lbs. | 426 ft.-lbs. | 408 ft.-lbs. |
Small Group | 2.5 in. | 2.3 in. | 2.0 in. | 1.5 in. |
Average Group | 2.9 in. | 2.8 in. | 2.3 in. | 1.9 in. |
Speer Gold Dot 230-grain JHP 23966GD | Tisas Duty | Metro Arms Bobcut | Kimber Custom LW | Springfield Ronin |
Average Velocity | 899 fps | 814 fps | 908 fps | 903 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 413 ft.-lbs. | 338 ft.-lbs. | 421 ft.-lbs. | 416 ft.-lbs. |
Small Group | 2.8 in. | 2.4 in. | 2.1 in. | 2.2 in. |
Average Group | 3.4 in. | 2.9 in. | 2.5 in. | 2.5 in. |
Value Guide 45 ACP 1911 Handgun Rankings
Gun Name | Issue | Grade | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
SIG Sauer Ultra Compact W1911U-45-BSS 45 ACP, $949 | May 2021 | A | Our Pick. Has a flared and extended ejection port, extended ejector, and a very nice trigger pull. |
S&W SW1911 Pro Series 178020 45 ACP, $1249 | May 2021 | A- | We liked the recoil impulse and movement of the S&W the best. Function was 100% with all ammo. |
Colt Defender Lightweight Stainless O7000XE, $999 | May 2021 | B+ | We want our frames to last for years, so we are not great fans of aluminum feed ramps as on the Colt. |
Ruger SR1911 Officer Stainless 06762, $979 | May 2021 | B | All-steel construction and slightly longer slide-barrel combo resulted in the softest recoil impulse. |
Springfield Loaded Operator PX9105LL 45 ACP, $1162 | July 2020 | A | Best Buy. If you need a personal-defense handgun rather than a show piece, this is the trick. |
Guncrafter Commander 45 ACP, $3285 | July 2020 | A | Our Pick. The fitting is excellent, the sights are ideal for combat, and the trigger is superb. |
Nighthawk Custom Falcon 45 ACP, $3699 | July 2020 | A | An excellent production/custom grade handgun. Very smooth, excellent finish. Best combat ability. |
Dan Wesson 1911 Heritage RZ-45 01981 45 ACP, $1227 | July 2020 | A- | The Dan Wesson Heritage offers good fit and finish and outstanding accuracy. Had break-in malfunctions. |
Devil Dog Arms 4.25 Standard DDA-425-BO45 45 ACP, $1150 | July 2020 | A- | Of this set of five, this gun makes the most sense for real-world concealed carry. |
Desert Eagle 1911C 45 ACP, $695 | August 2019 | A | Best Buy. Reliability was good and accuracy was the best of the test. |
Kimber Pro Carry SLE 45 ACP, $750 | August 2019 | A | Good reliability, excellent sights, the best trigger of the test, and more-than-acceptable accuracy. |
Taurus 1911 Commander 1-191101COM 45 ACP, $500 | August 2019 | B- | We did not like the fit of the beavertail safety. Less accurate than the previous 2018 test gun. |
Iver Johnson Arms Polished Hawk Commander 45 ACP, $570 | August 2019 | C | Poor attention to detail in feed-ramp finish, trigger-pull weight, and selection of the proper-size slide lock. |
Taylor’s & Company Compact 1911 51469 45 ACP, $450 | June 2019 | A- | Had good sights and a good trigger. We would have liked a textured front grip strap. |
American Tactical Firepower Xtreme GI 1911 45 ACP, $398 | June 2019 | A- | This a traditional GI-style Commander with a nice trigger and good sights. |
Taurus 1911 Officer 1-191101OFC 45 ACP, $459 | June 2019 | B+ | Had all the right features, but it did not shoot to point of aim. Would need a new rear sight. |
Colt Gold Cup NM O5870A1 45 ACP, $1190 | May 2019 | A | Our Pick. The National Match Colt is the most accurate of the five handguns tested. |
Colt Series 70 01970A1CS 45 ACP, $865 | May 2019 | A | Best Buy. The least expensive tested, but it could be the best carry gun for the money. |
Les Baer Concept VI 45 ACP, $2290 | May 2019 | A- | It wasn’t faultless; we dinged it for a sharp edge on the safety. |
Colt Bright Stainless Gov. O1070BSTS 45 ACP, $1549 | May 2019 | B- | Flawless fit, finish, and build quality. Slippery grip isn’t easily addressed. |
SIG Sauer Match Elite 1911T-45-TME 45 ACP, $1050 | May 2019 | D | If you’re willing to do some light gunsmithing, move the grade up to B. |
Remington 1911 R1 Enh. TB 96339 45 ACP, $675 | February 2019 | A | A well-outfitted gun for the money. Consider the threaded-barrel model over an R1E. |
Kimber 1911 Warrior SOC 3000253 TFS 45 ACP, $1309 | February 2019 | B- | The Bobcut offers a crisp trigger pull and bobbed grip for better concealment. |
American Tactical Imports ATIFGX45 45 ACP, $525 | February 2019 | F | We had ongoing function problems when the suppressor was fitted to the gun. |
Metro Arms MAC 1911 Bobcut 45 ACP, $746 | October 2018 | A | The Bobcut offers a crisp trigger pull and bobbed grip for better concealment. |
American Classic ACC45C 45 ACP, $568 | October 2018 | A- | Our only ding on this gun is the lack of a serrated front grip strap. |
Taurus 1911 Commander 1-191101COM 45 ACP, $459 | October 2018 | A- | The trigger was a bit too heavy, but the sights are good. Great fit and finish. |
RIA Tactical 2011 w/TruDot Night sights 45 ACP, $590 | April 2017 | A | Best Buy. Light rail, good barrel fitting, TruDot night sights, ambi slide-lock safety. |
Springfield Armory TRP PC9108LP 45 ACP, $1347 | April 2017 | A- | Good fit and finish. The Match Grade barrel lived up to its name. Reliability was faultless. |
EAA Witness Elite 1911P 600347 45 ACP, $470 | April 2017 | B- | Least accurate pistol off the bench. Magazine latch could cause dire consequences. |
ATI Firepower Xtreme Hybrid FXH-45 45 ACP, $600 | April 2017 | D | We could not convince the pistol to fire without a trip back to the factory. |
Kimber Gold Match II 45 ACP, $1311 | June 2016 | A | Offered an excellent trigger action and was more accurate than the Springfield. |
Springfield Armory TRP PC9108LP 45 ACP, $1347 | June 2016 | A | Best Buy. The Springfield offered excellent reliability and good accuracy. |
Colt Rail Gun 01070RG 45 ACP, $1199 | April 2016 | A | An all-stainless 1911 with Novak sights, ambi safety, and a rail. Excellent. |
Springfield Armory TRP PC9108LP 45 ACP, $1347 | April 2016 | A | Our Pick. This is a first-class 1911. Excellent reliability, accuracy, and night sights. |
Springfield Loaded PX9109LP 45 ACP, $790 | April 2016 | B | Best Buy. A good choice for home defense, carry, IDPA, and as an all-round handgun. |
Colt Combat Elite 08011XSE 45 ACP, $1015 | April 2016 | B | We rated it down based on the lack of an ambidextrous safety. |
Colt’s Mfg. Co. Series 70 O1970A1CS 45 ACP, $953 | August 2015 | A | Excellent trigger action, good accuracy, relatively light weight for a steel-frame 1911. |
Colt’s Mfg. Co. 1991A1 No. O1991 45 ACP, $745 | August 2015 | B+ | Accurate and reliable. Some of the 1991A1 pistols have a nicer trigger than ours. |
Colt’s Mfg. Co. Gold Cup Trophy O5070X 45 ACP, $1249 | July 2015 | A- | Excellent trigger action, good accuracy, and sights that offer good adjustment. |
I have been a subscriber for over twenty years, but the few times I want to do anything like read the current issue or look for a review I can login successfully. Then I get stuck in “must be paid subscriber “loop. I have never been able to access any online service. Very frustrating.
I’m Rick Uselton and the Owner and CEO of Ultimate Arms LLC for 26 years.If possible I would like Gun Tests to test one of UA/Arms M1911’s .
Its un denied the lightest Government model M1911’s ever built. The 5.0 MAGNA T5’s weight unloaded weight is 28 ounces and no aluminum was achieved to manufacture any parts. It’s an Alloy and we don’t use any cast parts. All parts are forged steel or a forged alloy. The 4.25 commanders weight is 25 ounces un loaded. All UA’s MAGNA T5’s are built in the south in Tennessee.
Thank you ,
Rick Uselton