By Duane Thomas When I tested Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II last year, I was very impressed with its reliability and accuracy but less enthusiastic about its specifi- cally “Aegis” features. I thought, “If this gun had ambi extended safety levers instead of a little single-sided nub, a “tactical” magazine release button instead of a smooth, beveled jobbie, the hammer had a spur for easy cocking during dry fire, and more hand filling, standard-type grips, now THAT gun would really rock.” Then Kimber introduced a model called the Ultra CDP II 9mm that was, well, exactly what I had envisaged. And here we are. Decoding this gun’s model name, “Ultra” in Kimberspeak means a three-inch barrel and short “Officer’s ACP” length butt. “CDP” stands for Cus- tom Defense Package. The gun has Kimber’s II Series grip safety activated firing pin lock. Finally it’s chambered for 9mm Parabellum. Traditional color scheme for a custom 1911 is black slide/silver frame; the Ultra CDP II 9mm reverses that with a stainless slide over a black aluminum alloy frame. All external small parts on the gun are silver for an interesting two-tone effect. I’m a sucker for a black slide/silver frame 1911 so at first this gun’s “negative image” effect didn’t do much for me. But the more I look at it, the more I like it. The Custom Defense Package is a set of features Kimber intends to add up to a superior carry/self-defense 1911. The fixed Low Profile Combat rear sight has Meprolight three-dot tri- tium inserts. The bull barrel is bushingless and locks directly into the slide. The feed ramp is one piece. The recoil system has two springs and guide rods reciprocating within and around each other. The magazine release button is of the semi-extended “tactical” variety. Grips are rosewood held in place with stainless hexheads. The hammer is Commander- style mated to a speed bump beavertail grip safety. Safety levers are extended and ambidex- trous. The trigger is a “long” aluminum match unit. Trigger pulls go five even pounds accord- ing to my NRA weight set. KIMBER’S ULTR If you like Kimber’s Ultra features were a bit more s the Ultra CDP II 9mm i Above: The Ultra CDP II 9mm is very similar in concept to Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, though the CDP does feature a more conventional treatment than the Aegis in the areas of the hammer, thumb safety, magazine release button and grips. Below: The Ultra CDP II 9mm’s ejection port has been lowered and faired, and scalloped at front. The latter feature is a bit redundant with short 9mm rounds. Above: The Ultra CDP II 9mm features a checkered tactical mag release button vs. the Ultra Aegis II’s short, smooth, scalloped button. The underside of the CDP’s trigger guard is checkered whereas the Aegis’ trigger guard is smooth. Below: A system of two springs and guide rods, reciprocating within and around each other, allows fitting a de facto longer recoil spring and guide rod inside the CDP’s short recoil spring tunnel. 60 60 June 11 Blue Press Section 3 4/15/11 8:41 AM Page 60

If you like Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, but wish its features … Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, though the CDP does feature a more conventional treatment than the Aegis in the areas of

Download PDF Report

Upload
hoanghanh
View
215
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: If you like Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, but wish its features … Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, though the CDP does feature a more conventional treatment than the Aegis in the areas of

By Duane ThomasWhen I tested Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II last

year, I was very impressed with its reliability andaccuracy but less enthusiastic about its specifi-cally “Aegis” features. I thought, “If this gun hadambi extended safety levers instead of a littlesingle-sided nub, a “tactical” magazine releasebutton instead of a smooth, beveled jobbie, thehammer had a spur for easy cocking during dryfire, and more hand filling, standard-type grips,now THAT gun would really rock.” Then Kimberintroduced a model called the Ultra CDP II 9mmthat was, well, exactly what I had envisaged.And here we are.

Decoding this gun’s model name, “Ultra” inKimberspeak means a three-inch barrel and short“Officer’s ACP” length butt. “CDP” stands for Cus-tom Defense Package. The gun has Kimber’s IISeries grip safety activated firing pin lock. Finallyit’s chambered for 9mm Parabellum.

Traditional color scheme for a custom 1911 isblack slide/silver frame; the Ultra CDP II 9mmreverses that with a stainless slide over a black

aluminum alloy frame. All external small parts onthe gun are silver for an interesting two-toneeffect. I’m a sucker for a black slide/silver frame1911 so at first this gun’s “negative image” effectdidn’t do much for me. But the more I look at it,the more I like it.

The Custom Defense Package is a set of fea-tures Kimber intends to add up to a superiorcarry/self-defense 1911. The fixed Low ProfileCombat rear sight has Meprolight three-dot tri-tium inserts. The bull barrel is bushingless andlocks directly into the slide. The feed ramp isone piece. The recoil system has two springsand guide rods reciprocating within andaround each other. The magazine release but-ton is of the semi-extended “tactical” variety.Grips are rosewood held in place with stain-less hexheads. The hammer is Commander-style mated to a speed bump beavertail gripsafety. Safety levers are extended and ambidex-trous. The trigger is a “long” aluminum matchunit. Trigger pulls go five even pounds accord-ing to my NRA weight set.

KIMBER’S ULTRA CDP II 9mmIf you like Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, but wish its

features were a bit more standard in some areas, the Ultra CDP II 9mm is the gun you want.

Above: The Ultra CDP II 9mm is very similar in conceptto Kimber’s Ultra Aegis II, though the CDP does feature amore conventional treatment than the Aegis in the areasof the hammer, thumb safety, magazine release buttonand grips. Below: The Ultra CDP II 9mm’s ejection porthas been lowered and faired, and scalloped at front. Thelatter feature is a bit redundant with short 9mm rounds.

Above: The Ultra CDP II 9mm features a checkered tacti-cal mag release button vs. the Ultra Aegis II’s short,

smooth, scalloped button. The underside of the CDP’strigger guard is checkered whereas the Aegis’ triggerguard is smooth. Below: A system of two springs and

guide rods, reciprocating within and around each other,allows fitting a de facto longer recoil spring and guide

rod inside the CDP’s short recoil spring tunnel.

6060

June 11 Blue Press Section 3 4/15/11 8:41 AM Page 60