Kimber Aegis

[Brad VanHorn]

Well, today I broke down and went to buy a Kimber Aegis - a 5" aluminum frame 1911 in 9mm, for those unfamiliar with this model. Now a nice shiny new Kimber Aegis sits in line behind my nice shiny new Kimber Warrior; both are impatiently waiting for me to get to D.R.s to shoot the crap out of them :D . When I've wrung it out a little - hopefully this weekend - I'll post a review here for any who might be interested in this model. If you have any questions up front, post 'em here and I'll try to answer...

[Brad VanHorn]

So, over the last two weeks I've picked up a new Kimber Warrior and a new Kimber Aegis (5"). Yesterday I finally got to go to the range and give them a try. These are my first impressions after 225 rds, and 4 hours in the emergency room later...

Kimber Aegis - I really like this gun a lot http://forums.1911forum.com/images/smilies/smile.gif . The gun feels lightweight, is nicely balanced, and is very pleasant to shoot. I fired 125 rds, including 50 rds Remington 115gr UMC FMJ, 25 rds Georgia Arms 147gr RN lead, 25 rds Winchester 147gr SXT, and 25 rds Winchester 127gr +P+ SXT (both so-called LE loads). Recoil is very soft, especially with the 147gr loads, and I had zero malfunctions. The light recoil encouraged faster follow-up shots, and accuracy did not suffer even when I started to increase the pace. I'm looking forward to another range session to get a couple hundred more rounds through the gun to get more comprehensive thoughts to share.

My only gripes so far are personal parts choices. These are basically self-inflicted wounds since I knew what I was getting when I bought the gun. I would prefer the long, narrow, ambi safety instead of the left side, short, stubby lever it has installed. I would prefer an arched mainspring housing. And, I would prefer a GI guide rod. These changes are not a big deal, and will be easily solved when I dig into my parts box and find what I need to replace the factory parts. Now if only this gun had the CDP-style dehorn/melt job...

Now my final point - 4 hours in the emergency room. Despite wearing eye protection, which I always do, something was flung into my right eye, and it quite stubbornly stuck there. I had to have a doctor remove the piece of debris, which then left a minor abrasion on the surface. I had to follow-up with opthomology today, and thankfully there is no long term damage. Although the debris managed to get past my glasses, it might've been worse had I not worn them at all, and so I consider this just another example of why we should always wear eye pro :)

[Brad VanHorn]

I see it's been a while since I posted anything about the Kimber Aegis. I've shot roughly 250 rds through the gun since last report, which isn't much, but offers a reasonably good initial feel for the gun.

Changes made... I've replaced the FLGR with a GI guide rod, which fits my personal preference for a non-FLGR. I've replaced the factory grip panels with VZ grips "Aliens". At first I wasn't sure I would like the look of the Aliens, but they provide an excellent, aggressive grip, and they do look pretty good too.

Changes still to come... I definitely need a checkered arched mainspring housing. The factory installed flat mainspring housing just doesn't fill my hand well, and when compared to my other 1911s with arched mainspring housings, I don't get quite the right feel with this gun. I'm also going to get an ambi safety installed. The factory thumb safety works fine, but I really like having an ambi safety.

Brief shooting impressions... The more I shoot this gun, the more I like it. Many will claim a 1911 in 9mm is heresy, but the caliber works so well in the platform. The aluminum frame keeps the package nice and light (for a full size gun), and the 9mm caliber is very pleasant to shoot. When I get serious about shooting fast (which is still pretty slow to be honest), it's fun to note the slide hardly rises between follow up shots. Several times today I would've sworn the sights never truly lifted, but just shook quickly as the slide cycled (while remaining almost flat in recoil).

I highly recommend the Kimber Aegis if you're interested in a 9mm 1911. Unlike my Kimber Warrior, which still hasn't sorted itself out (and will probably go back to Kimber soon), the Aegis is a very solid shooter.