Kimber Stainless II

[Rusty Guns]

Not long ago I picked up my first Kimber. Not my first 1911 by a long site. So far it has been a good shooter.
I'm not sure what the II in the name stands for. Is it a revised edition or what?
I haven't got to the range a lot, I don't want to burn through too much of my ammo stores.
I am not carrying it just bought it because the price was right.

[gs50401]

The II means that it has the safety added to prevent a discharge when dropped. It has the similar purpose as the Series 80 Colts but I believe it works with the grip safety instead of trigger like the Colt.

[Rusty Guns]

Thanks gs50401 That is what I had decided after reading here and there.

[gnappi]

An annoyance of the 80 type safety on the Kimber II is removing the slide if you do not remember to NOT squeeze the grip safety removing the slide is impossible. It's a very awkward implementation and copying Colt would have been a better tack as any patents on the series 80 expired decades ago.

[Hawkmoon]

Kimber does not use a Series 80 type firing pin safety mechanism. The Series 80 is deactivated by pulling the trigger. Kimber uses a variation on the older, pre-WW2 firing system that Colt once used, called the Swartz (sp?) system. Colt stopped using it during the war, and never started again after the war. It is deactivated by depressing the grip safety.

[Rusty Guns]

After having this SS Kimber for a little over a year now she has proved to be quite the lady. She has not failed or jammed in any way. I have about a thousand rounds down range of all kinds of sells both HP, and Ball. Even the flying ashtrays. I didn't even remember that I had any of those left.
I have started to carry her every so often. She looks fine with the Stag grips.