Until just a few years ago, the only way to get a 1911 pistol as good as the Kimber Custom was from a custom pistolsmith. Drop off a pistol, wait a few months and spend more than a few hundred dollars, hoping all the while that what you got back would look decent and actually work.

Kimber changed all that, delivering a 1911 pistol with unequaled accuracy and dependability right out of the box, one costing less than what shooters had been paying for their custom work alone. More than anything else, the advent of the Kimber Custom ignited the 1911 popularity seen today.

The Custom is now the Custom II, because like most Kimber 1911s it incorporates the Kimber Firing Pin Safety™ that makes each pistol more secure without impeding performance or altering trigger pull. It has also become a family, with twenty one models in five calibers. LAPD™ SWAT Team carries them. So do United States Marines, thousands of law enforcement officers and hundreds of thousands of American shooters who refuse to compromise with either a lesser pistol design or another brand.

The Gold Match II™ and Stainless Gold Match II™ are the finest production pistols offered by Kimber. Sharing many features with the Custom family, they also have a stainless steel match grade barrel that is machined oversized and fitted by hand in the Custom Shop for accuracy. Grip panels are shaped from fine rosewood, and then checkered by hand in the classic double diamond pattern. Kimber's adjustable sight with positive and responsive steel-on-steel click adjustment dials is dovetail-mounted into the slide. With a low profile, beveled corners and edges, and serrated blade, it works just as well for concealed carry as it does at the range. The level of finish is outstanding, with all flat surfaces carefully polished to a high shine in contrast to the satin finish on the curves. Both versions are available in .45 ACP, and the Stainless Gold Match II is also available in .40. Additional features include ambidextrous thumb safety and Premium Aluminum Trigger tuned to 3.5 - 4 pounds without creep or overtravel.

The Team Match II .45 ACP is identical to the pistol used by the U.S.A. Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. While they shoot Olympic competition with rimfire pistols, they hone their edge by shooting the action circuit with America's fastest guns. They play to win, and came to Kimber when they needed pistols. To support the Team, Kimber agreed to donate $100 from the sale of each Team Match II pistol. To date, Kimber has contributed $400,000 and is now the largest donor of any firearm company in Team history. Unique features of this pistol include red, white and blue U.S.A. Shooting Team logo grips.

The 1911 is the finest defense pistol ever brought to market. Beyond its legendary power and dependability, a 1911 is safe, fast into action and flat enough to tuck under a belt or ride well in a holster. Models with shorter barrels and shorter, lighter frames are some of the most popular concealed carry pistols available today.

Kimber Pro Carry pistols feature a 4-inch match grade bull barrel that fits directly to the slide without a bushing. One inch shorter than a full-size 1911, they are every bit as dependable but easier to conceal. Pro Carry pistols are available with steel, stainless steel or lightweight aluminum frames that reduce overall weight by seven ounces. Kimber aluminum frames are machined from solid blocks of 7075-T7 aluminum to the same critical dimensions as the steel frames. They have been tested to over 20,000 rounds without evidence of meaningful wear.

The Compact Stainless II .45 ACP goes a step further. Both the barrel and frame are shorter than a full-size 1911. With a stainless steel slide and frame, this pistol is rugged and easier to control during rapid fire.

Pro Carry pistols are available with a wide variety of features like night sights, Crimson Trace® Lasergrips®, tactical rail and frontstrap checkering. Most are chambered in .45 ACP, but 9mm, 38 Super and .40 are also available.

A carry pistol that stays home because it is too big and heavy to actually carry is no good, and an underpowered pistol that does get carried is not much better. A Kimber Ultra Carry is the pistol you need if you are serious about concealed carry and self defense.

Kimber is the world leader in 1911 quality, and nowhere is this quality more evident or important than in a carry pistol. Kimber Ultra Carry pistols weigh just 25 ounces. Their short 3-inch barrels, compact grips and flat 1911 profiles make them easy to carry and conceal. At the same time, their 7-round magazines pack more power than just about any caliber of revolver.

Dependability is everything in a carry pistol. Each Kimber Ultra Carry has a lowered and flared ejection port with an extra bevel at the front to clear ejecting brass. The match grade bushingless bull barrel is fitted directly to the slide, and a double-wound recoil spring system makes proper operation possible even for a novice. With separate thumb and grip safeties the 1911 design is known for its integrity, and the Kimber Series II™ Firing Pin Safety makes the Ultra Carry even more secure without impeding performance or altering trigger pull. Additionally, the Loaded Chamber Indicator Port™ permits a quick visual check of the chamber.

Tactical pistols are loaded with Kimber Custom Shop features that make them ideal for carry or defense as well as law enforcement use. Designed for comfortable carry over long periods of time, lightweight aluminum frames dramatically reduce overall weight without compromising performance or dependability. A full-size Tactical weighs seven ounces less than a comparable pistol with a steel or stainless steel frame.

A virtual necessity for a carry or duty pistol, low profile fixed three dot (green) night sights are mounted in dovetails machined into the slide for durability. Tritium inserts make sure that if you can see your target, you can see your sights. Sight edges are also rounded and blended to keep them from snagging on clothing or holsters. To ensure a positive grip regardless of conditions, frontstraps as well as the bottom of the trigger guards have flawless 30 lines-per-inch checkering.

Another Custom Shop feature is the match grade Premium Aluminum Trigger™ set to break between four and five pounds. An extended ambidextrous thumb safety, along with slightly extended magazine release button and slide release lever ensure fast and positive operation. Every Tactical features a matte black extended and beveled magazine well for fast and positive reloading. Magazines have an extended bumper pad for the same reason.

Eclipse pistols have such a striking appearance that it is easy for features and performance to take a back seat. All business right down to the core, Eclipse frames and slides are machined from solid stainless steel. Frontstraps have 30 lines-per-inch checkering for a positive grip. A match grade Premium Aluminum Trigger from the Custom Shop is tuned to release at 4-5 pounds. Breech faces are polished to ensure flawless feeding. Barrels and chambers are carefully machined to match grade dimensions.

The Eclipse finish brings out the classic lines of a 1911 better than any other process. The slide and frame are finished in a tough matte black oxide then all flat surfaces are brush polished, leaving recessed and curved surfaces dark and contrasting. Laminated gray/black wood grips checkered in the traditional double diamond pattern and matte black small parts round out the package.

The Eclipse Target II™ and the Eclipse Custom II™ are traditional full-size pistols with front and rear slide serrations. The Custom is available in both .45 ACP and 10mm, one of the most powerful cartridges ever chambered in a semi-automatic pistol.

The Eclipse Pro II™ and Eclipse Pro Target II™ have 4-inch match grade bushingless bull barrels fitted directly to the slide. The Eclipse Pro Target II is the only 4-inch Kimber 1911 with adjustable night sights. Even more specialized is the Eclipse Ultra II™, the only 3-inch, short-grip Kimber that does not have an aluminum frame. Like other Eclipse pistols, this little .45 ACP has a stainless steel frame, and its added weight reduces muzzle lift and makes it easier to recover a sight picture during rapid fire.

A handgun used for personal protection is not a good place to compromise quality. If needed, it must perform with flawless precision. Until that time, it must be easy to carry and inspire confidence during practice. There can be no justification for anything less than the best.

Made entirely in the Custom Shop, CDP pistols combine Kimber's most popular concealed carry features into the package that gave them their name. Adding these features during the manufacturing process reduces their retail cost by over $500, giving CDP pistols their incredible value.

CDP pistols are easy to carry because their 7075-T7 aluminum frames are lightweight, up to seven ounces less than steel frames but every bit as strong and dependable. Slides are machined from solid stainless steel and given a satin finish that will not reflect light.

Possibly the best feature is the carry bevel treatment. All edges of the pistol are rounded and blended by hand, leaving no sharp corners to catch clothing or dig into a holster.

All CDP barrels and chambers are match grade for accuracy. Breech faces are polished and ejection ports are lowered and flared for reliable function. Magazine wells are beveled and magazine release buttons extended for fast reloading. Low profile three dot (green) night sights are quick to target even in dim light. Positive 30 lines-per-inch checkering on the frontstrap and trigger guard belly lock the pistol in your hand. Extended ambidextrous thumb safety, checkered flat mainspring housing, and match grade Premium Aluminum Trigger are all included.