The Kimber Custom is an M1911 style

semi-automatic pistol A semi-automatic pistol (also called a self-loading pistol, autopistol, or autoloading pistol) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridge (firearms), cartridges in its chamber (firearms), chamber afte ...

. It is designed, manufactured, and distributed by Kimber Manufacturing, Inc. in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

Overview

The Custom is made in a variety of styles with different features and finishes. As an M1911 style pistol, it is usually chambered in .45 ACP. It also has been produced in other

caliber In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge ( ...

s, including .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, 9mm Luger, and .38 Super. The individual gun's caliber is stamped on top of the barrel and is visible with the slide in battery (fully forward).

Features

The Custom is a full-sized model 1911, with a five-inch barrel. The frame and slide are made of steel. The Custom utilizes a single full-length guide rod, necessitating the serrations on the front of the slide for press checks. Although the Custom is considered Kimber's base model, it has a number of features that were formerly found only on customized model 1911s, such as a lowered ejection port, custom trigger, beveled

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

well, extended thumb safety, and beavertail grip safety. The original Custom model has been superseded by the Custom II. The Custom II has an internal

firing pin A firing pin or striker is a part of the firing mechanism of a firearm that impacts the primer in the base of a cartridge and causes it to fire. In firearms terminology, a striker is a particular type of firing pin where a compressed sprin ...

safety. This feature is designed to provide additional assurance that the gun will not fire if dropped, as the firing pin is blocked from striking the chambered cartridge unless the grip safety is depressed.

Variants

Custom TLE II

The Kimber Custom TLE II is a model of Kimber Custom; the designation "TLE" stands for "Tactical Law Enforcement". The TLE is identical, except for the markings, to a special model that was designed for use by the

LAPD The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...

. Unlike the standard Custom, it comes with

tritium Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...

bar-dot night sights and 30 lines per inch frontstrap checkering. The TLE has been manufactured in the following variations: *Custom TLE II, the standard variation and the same as the LAPD SWAT model. *Custom TLE II (LG), with laser grip sights. *Custom TLE/RL II, with an accessory mounting rail. *Stainless TLE II, with a stainless steel finish. *Stainless TLE/RL II, with a stainless steel finish and an accessory mounting rail.

Warrior series

The Kimber Warrior and Desert Warrior are models that are based on a special version of the Custom that was built for the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. The Warrior and Desert Warrior have a frame-integrated M1913 light rail, Kimber Meprolight tritium night sights, and Kimber's own special grips that are very similar to the Gunner grips in coyote brown. They are delivered with Kimber factory magazines. They are otherwise the same as the ICQB pistols. The Warrior has a matte black KimPro finish and a standard Custom trigger. The Desert Warrior comes in a green-tan KimPro finish that would blend in with desert camouflage, and has a solid trigger.

ICQB

The MARSOC pistol, known as the Kimber ICQB (Interim Close Quarter Battle) pistol, does not have an internal firing pin block as seen on the rest of the current Kimber Custom models, hence a "II" does not follow the Warrior or Desert Warrior's names. These pistols have an ambidextrous thumb safety, a lanyard loop, an internal extractor, and, in contrast to other Custom models, a standard length recoil spring guide rod to allow easier field stripping without tools. The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives ( Strider Knives had previously replaced the original Pachmayr rubber grips), and Wilson Combat's '47D' 8-round magazines.Rogers, Patrick A.(2003)"Marines New SOCOM Pistol", ''SWAT Magazine'', December 2003, 52-57

Tritium Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...

Novak LoMount sights replaced the originals which were made in-house by the Marines.

Other Custom models

Other models of Kimber Custom include the following: *Stainless II, with a frame and slide made of stainless steel, and therefore silver in color instead of matte black. *Custom Target II, with adjustable target sights. *Stainless Target II, with adjustable target sights and a stainless steel frame and slide.Wilson, Jim. "Kimber Stainless Target II .38 Super", ''Shooting Times''
*Royal II, with a polished blue finish and rosewood grips.

Related models

Kimber has also produced several higher-end full-sized model 1911 pistols that are closely based on the Custom, but are not considered part of the Custom line due to their additional features and higher price. These include the following: *Eclipse Custom II, with bi-tone stainless and black finish and night sights. *Tactical Custom II, with gray aluminum frame, black steel slide, night sights, ambidextrous thumb safety, and extended magazine well. *Tactical Entry II, with gray stainless steel frame, black steel slide, night sights, ambidextrous thumb safety, extended magazine well and accessory mounting rail. *Custom CDP II, with black aluminum frame, stainless steel slide, night sights, ambidextrous thumb safety, and "carry melt" rounded edges. *Custom Covert II, with desert camouflage aluminum frame, black steel slide, laser light grips, standard length guide rod, night sights, lanyard loop, and "carry melt" rounded edges. *SIS Custom, with gray finish, flat top slide, standard length guide rod, night sights with cocking shoulder, ambidextrous thumb safety, and "carry melt" rounded edges, and without a firing pin safety. *Custom Crimson Carry II, with aluminum frame, matte black steel slide, and rosewood finish laser grips. *Super Carry Custom, with aluminum frame, matte black steel slide, night sights with cocking shoulder, round heel frame, "carry melt" rounded edges, and without a firing pin safety.

Gallery

Image:Kimber Custom TLE (left).JPG, Kimber Custom TLE II, left side with magazine ejected Image:Kimber Custom TLE II (Slide locked).JPG, Kimber Custom TLE II, slide locked to the rear Image:Kimber Custom TLE (white).JPG, Kimber Custom TLE II, right side with magazine ejected Image:Custom TLE II stripped.JPG, Kimber Custom TLE II, field stripped Image:Kimber-Custom-45.jpg, Kimber Custom Shop Covert ll with green G10 grips

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.kimberamerica.com/products/pistols/custom/, Kimber Custom official website
Kimber Full Size 45ACP Manual
Semi-automatic pistols of the United States 9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols .45 ACP semi-automatic pistols 1911 platform Kimber firearms