Want to mount Ultra Dot on Kimber

[ChainDriven]

Greetings, I am involved in Bullseye competition every Saturday. Doing very well with the old Buckmark. Average score 275. Want the challenge of center fire. Plan to shoot my Gold Match Kimber. Could any forum members provide advise either way on Ultra Dot scopes. I want to mount one on my Kimber. I understand drilling and tapping the slide of a 25th anniversary is a tough thing to do. However, I bought it to shoot. It's served me well in 25-yard competition. But these old eyes seem to do better with red dot sights lately. Any sympathetic members out there?

[govtmodel]

Rock River Arms and Clark Custom Guns both make excellent slide mounts. There are shooters preferring frame mounts, but slide mounts are the most popular among the Camp Perry crowd.

You may need to change your recoil spring for reliable functioning.

[ChainDriven]

I always believed that the closer the mount puts the scope to the gun, the better. I will look into the need to swap out the factory recoil spring.

I thank you for the reply. May God bless you and yours.

[cary Chin]

You may also want to have a long ejector installed. because when you mount an electronic sight on a slide it changes recoil action. The recoil of the slide is slowed down by the weight and mass of the mount and electronic slide. Depending on what load and bullet you use, you may need to balance the action by taking the sharp edges off the top barrel lugs so the gun comes out of battery easier. There are a couple of other thing you can do to make the gun to cycle with a light target load.

Cary Chin

[ChainDriven]

Cary,
Good call. I will keep that in mind. Thanks.

[Morrisey]

I agree that on-slide is the way to go -- the weight of the dot works in your favor this way (and UltraDot is an excellent choice -- very rugged, and keeps its zero). Once you have found an ammunition that you like for competition, experiment with different recoil spring weights until you find one that piles your brass 3-5 feet to your right (I have one friend who believes the spring is perfect when the brass rolls down the outside of your right hand, but that's cutting it a bit fine, in my book).

One thing to think about with Kimber -- some in bullseye caution against shooting reloads in one, because some Kimbers do not support the brass completely when it is in-chamber. This creates a weak spot -- not an issue with new ammo, but a potential problem when the same case is being fired repeatedly. I have no personal experience with this; I'm just passing on what I have heard, because bullseye and reloading sort of go hand-in-hand. I know that, as of last year, NSK Sales would not sell reloaded ammo to shooters who intended to use it in Kimbers, due to liability issues.

Not trying to start a flame here -- just passing on what I have heard.

Tom

[ChainDriven]

Tom,

I have a 'MatchDot' sight from UltraDot on the way. I understand what you mean about cutting it close. I don't think I have ever observed a set up where the empties roll of the shooter's hand. In any case, I do appreciate the advise regarding the use of reloads. Never heard of that issue with Kimbers before. Thanks.

[Morrisey]

Tom,

In any case, I do appreciate the advise regarding the use of reloads. Never heard of that issue with Kimbers before. Thanks.

In researching this a little further, I'm reading that the problem is not so much undersupported brass (which is rumored to be an issue with some Glocks) as it is a Kimber sensitivity to the OAL (overall length) of the round. One test one can do with rounds that have long bearing surfaces is to cycle a round without firing it -- if the ejected bullet has land imprints from the rifling, it is too long for the chamber on your pistol.

Other reports I have read show no ammunition issues with Kimber .45 ACPs as long as the rounds used are no longer than 1.25" in OAL.

There is also, of course, the warranty concern. Under "Ammunition" in your Kimber manual, you'll find this information: The use of reloaded, "remanufactured," handloaded or other non-standard ammunition voids all warranties. Reloading is a science and improperly loaded ammunition can be extremely dangerous. Severe damage to the firearm and serious injury to the shooter or to others may result.

Then again, many manufacturers have similar language in their manuals now that we live the land of the free and the home of the lawyers. And most bullseye guns are way out of warranty anyhow because of the modifications we make to them (on my Ed Masaki-smithed Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911, I believe the only original SA parts left are the slide, the frame, and the grip bushings -- and the slide and the frame have been modified!).

If you are planning to use reloads in your Kimber, a good and reliable source of info is Neil at NSK Sales. Neil manufactures new match ammunition for many bullseye competitors (I buy from him, as well as loading my own) and he also custom reloads match ammunition. Neil has forgotten more about match ammo than I will ever know (when I shoot matches, I shoot his rounds for CF and 45), and he can advise you on what is a good idea and what is not. You can e-mail him at: nsk@nsksales.com .

You are going to love shooting that dot! One tip: when shooting dot, forget what you learned about looking at the sights. The dot is a scope, so use it like a scope: look at the target. If you concentrate on the dot, all you'll see is wobble, while if you look at the target, you'll find yourself maintaining hold on it with trigger pressure. Since hearing this advice (as relayed from USMC Gunny Brian Zins), my scores have gone up!

Tens and Xs,
Tom

[stork]

Tom,
If I remember correctly, Neil will not sell his re manufactured ammunition to anyone who is going to use it in a kimber. I don't remember the reason's but he explained it on Bullseye L quite a while back. It made sense at the time, but CRS (Can't Remember ...Stuff) has taken hold with a vengeance. I have shot some of his ammo and concur, he knows his stuff (If you have an hour sometime just give him a call. Very knowledgeable). His recommendation on a load with WST and Remington 185 SWC's nearly exactly duplicate my long line load that took me hundreds of rounds to perfect.

FWIW
10's & x's
Stork