KIMBER MICRO 9 9MM LUGER

FROM THE HIP

- Brian Pearce

The immense popularity of the Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol is a testament of its timeless and worthy design that has proven valuable in many roles, from combat to the target range. While it may have many virtues, it is neither small nor lightweight. With the huge (and still growing) demand for lightweight and easily concealable pistols, multiple companies have been building a scaled-down version of the Model 1911 that are commonly referred to as sub-compact variants. One of the most outstanding versions is the Kimber Micro 9, which as its name implies, is chambered in 9mm.

Kimber first began building full-size Model 1911s in 1995, which are 100 percent manufactured in the U.S. They became truly game-changing guns, as each variant came standard with many desirable features that were typically only available on custom-built pistols. For example, just some of its features included a Chip McCormick high-position grip safety with a corresponding slotted (high-speed) hammer for a high grip, an extended trigger with a lightweight pull, lowered and angled ejection port, dovetail mounted sights, a match-grade barrel, etc. However, their precisely fit frame, slide and barrel relationship resulted in remarkable out-of-the-box accuracy. Their quality machining and features put them way ahead of most competing pistols and even allowed them to compete favorably with custom-built guns that cost considerably more, but I digress. The point is that during the past 27 years, Kimber has proven that it does indeed know how to build a quality pistol at a reasonable price. The Micro 9 reflects that experience, testing, engineering, modern manufacturing techniques, along with a dose of old-fashioned know how.