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Seen the New Kimber KDS9C 9mm

3,110 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by DiskoTroop
DiskoTroop
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Looks very similar to the WC EDC X9. Anyone handled one of these yet? Just shipped in August so pretty new but figured someone had fiddled with one?
cledus6150
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Champion firearms in CS had one yesterday, I picked it up and thought it felt really good. Only down side was the trigger lacked some from what you'd expect from a 1911/2011 style pistol.
Sooper Jeenyus
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I see we share an email distribution list. I like it in black. You find the cost?
DiskoTroop
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Sooper Jeenyus said:

I see we share an email distribution list. I like it in black. You find the cost?


MSRP is $1499. Real world looking a hair over that at the moment since it's new. Around $1550
cledus6150
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The black one was $1,250 at champions.
DiskoTroop
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cledus6150 said:

The black one was $1,250 at champions.


Not bad! I'd take black…
DiskoTroop
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On a second look, they're on gunbroker for ~$1350.
BCStalk
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I've had access to one for a couple of weeks. Pretty sweet gun for the money.
FriscoAggieFan
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FriscoAggieFan
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Oh it was a ?
I get it now ....I'll go sit in the corner for an hour
JSKolache
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That's s LOT of money for a 9mm pistol
RK
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...you should take a peep at the wilson combat referenced in the OP.
DiskoTroop
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JSKolache said:

That's s LOT of money for a 9mm pistol
I suppose it depends on what you're planning to do with it.
DiskoTroop
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Welp, I got me one… ordered. Should have it late next week… I'll post pictures.
DiskoTroop
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Initial notes and impressions:

Kimber KDS9c

Build quality is good
Assembly is clean and tight
Coating is ever so slightly textured
Textured front and back straps are aggressive enough without being rough
Grip scales are sufficient
External extractor
Undercut trigger guard
Bobbed mainspring housing
Wide slide stop lever but standard thumb safety width
Feels very much like a beretta 92 with a thumb safety and a really nice trigger
Front sight is NOT high
Rear sight looks high but isn't as big as it looks on the add
Rear sight IS integrated with infilled piece for optic mount
No grip safety
Mags appear seamless with only a slide on butt plate
Loaded chamber window, no tactile indicator
Reversible mag release, oblong shape
Trigger is quite clean
Front and rear cocking serrations continue up onto top strap
Top strap is lined in front of the chamber port
Bushingless barrel assembly with 11* crown
28.9oz with mag, unloaded





DiskoTroop
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I'm happy with the trigger. Reset is a tad long though... I -May- have my smith do a trigger job on it. As light as it is, muzzle control during trigger press will be a challenge for me. It's almost whippy since I'm used to a 48oz all steel 5" .45
DiskoTroop
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Range report: Kimber KDS9c 9mm

100 rounds fired, all at 5 yards
0 failures
0 stoppages

General feedback on gun:
Sights are better than decent. I'd call them good sights. While not my preferred configuration, the quality is there. I'm happy with them for now.
Recoil was very manageable. Double stack frame is still something my hands will need to get used to though.
Accuracy was quite good, thought sights from the factory printed ~2" low at 5 yards. I'm ok with that but will probably adjust POI to POA for 5 yards next session since the gun will primarily be a defensive carry gun.

Drills performed and feedback:

Trigger trap:
Reset is very long compared to my Brown and Baer
Trigger is very clean with nearly imperceptible creep

Sight reacquisition:
Fiber optic front does help with this gun. Front sight came back into view very quick. Gun runs very flat in the recoil impulse.

Failure to stop:
After tripping up on reset a couple of times I got it down ok. Considering how flat and manageable the sights run and recoil impulse is, I was kinda just slapping at the trigger, not truly worrying about the reset, but just checking timing and sight transition. With that said, even slapping at the trigger, at 5 yards the (pretty darn quick) controlled pairs were inside a baseball center mass and head shot was acceptable. I wasn't necessarily shooting for the T, but was just going for a clean head shot. My consistent timing of the FTS sets were around 1.5-2 seconds so they weren't leisurely.

Multiple shot FTS:
I ran (1) 8-9 shot FTS drill before being told "no rapid fire" by the RSO, so I only got to do the one. 5-6 shots dumped in very rapid succession were easily maintained in a softball sized group followed by 2-3 headshots made quite quickly were landed pretty well centered on the head of a standard B27. It was this string that really got me excited. It's ran VERY nicely under rapid fire. Super controllable, super fast sight reacquisition, clean trigger manipulation despite a long reset, then shifting to a little slower placement on the head and finer motor skill on the trigger was exceptional.

Final thoughts:

I can only imagine what this gun would do if it were of WC, NH or EB quality and make. A trigger job to shorten reset a bit and clean up an already decent trigger, a slightly better set of sights combined with a quality carry set up and this thing is a carry rockstar.

I'm gonna run another few hundred rounds through it before I carry it but I am quite content with the research and resulting findings.
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