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Kimber Custom II .45 ACP
.45 ACP • Kimber

Kimber Custom II .45 ACP

Model: 3200001

7
CAPACITY
5.0"
BARREL
2.4
LBS
Single Action
ACTION
.45 ACP
CALIBER
$1,085
MSRP

Full Specifications

Action Type Single Action
Trigger Single Action
Trigger Pull 4.0–5.0 lb
Safety Thumb Safety, Firing Pin Safety, Beavertail Grip Safety
Optic Ready No
Magazines Included 1
Overall Length 8.7"
Barrel Length 5.0"
Height 5.25"
Width 1.28"
Weight 38.0 oz (2.38 lbs)
Frame Material Steel
Frame Finish Matte Black
Slide Material Steel
Slide Finish Matte Black
Barrel Material Steel, Match Grade
Barrel Finish Matte Black
Twist Rate 1:16"
Grip Type Black Synthetic, Double Diamond
Country of Origin USA

About This Firearm

The Kimber Custom II is a full-size single-action .45 ACP built for range work and home defense. It has an MSRP of $1,085. The barrel is match grade and it runs in a stainless match grade bushing, and that pair tightens barrel-to-slide lockup against a GI-pattern 1911.

A thumb safety, a beavertail grip safety and a firing pin safety are all fitted, and the controls are single-sided, so left-handed shooters sweep the safety with a trigger finger. The frame and slide are steel under a matte black finish, which puts the weight at 38 oz and makes seven rounds of .45 ACP easy to shoot flat, and the grips are black synthetic in Kimber's double diamond pattern. There is no optic cut and no accessory rail, so a dot or a light is aftermarket work.

If you're cross-shopping, the Springfield Armory 1911 Loaded is 2 oz heavier with an extended ambidextrous thumb safety and two magazines, although Springfield has retired it and one bought now is a used gun. The Ruger SR1911 is the stainless alternative at 39 oz with an MSRP of $1,259, and it holds eight rounds, comes with drift-adjustable Novak three-dot sights and a skeletonized aluminum trigger, which are the parts a Custom II owner tends to buy later.

Best For

GOOD
Range/Target
Kimber lists the trigger at 4 to 5 lb, so it needs no gunsmith work out of the box, and the 5-inch barrel puts 8.7 inches of gun between your hands for a long sight base.
GOOD
Competition
A steel frame, a light factory trigger and a match barrel are the three things a practical-pistol shooter would otherwise pay for one at a time. The gun stands 5.25 inches tall, so a magwell and a competition holster both fit the standard Government pattern.
FAIR
Home Defense
The weight and the chambering suit the job, and the grip safety has to be held down before it fires. Low-light work is the gap, because the sights carry no luminous element.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths
  • A match grade barrel with a stainless match grade bushing, which is the mechanical difference from a GI-spec 1911.
  • Steel frame and steel slide with no aluminum or polymer anywhere, which keeps a .45 soft in the hand.
  • The barrel uses a 1:16 left-hand twist, the traditional .45 ACP 1911 pitch, so every factory load for the cartridge is within what it stabilizes.
Limitations
  • Fixed sights with no tritium and no fiber, on a gun otherwise set up well for defensive use.
  • No optic cut and no rail, so adding a dot means milling the slide and a light means a belt-mounted one.
  • Seven rounds from a single stack means spare magazines count for more here than on a double-stack .45.

Category Rankings

How the Kimber Custom II .45 ACP ranks among full-size .45 ACP handguns.

Capacity
#17 of 21
Top 81%
7 rds
Weight
#11 of 21
Top 52%
2.4 lbs
Barrel
#2 of 21
Top 10%
5.0"
Trigger Pull
#6 of 20
Top 30%
4.5 lbs
MSRP
#8 of 16
Top 50%
$1085
Overall Length
#17 of 21
Top 81%
8.7"

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Where to Buy

No prices available at this time.

Alternatives to Consider

Similar full-size .45 ACP handguns ranked by similarity.

NAME BEST PRICE
Springfield Armory Garrison .45 ACP
Springfield Armory
$706.99
Kimber Rapide .45 ACP
Kimber
$1,398.99
Nighthawk Custom GRP Recon .45 ACP
Nighthawk Custom
—
Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP
Ruger
$1,017.99
Springfield Armory 1911 Loaded .45 ACP
Springfield Armory
—

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the grip panels standard 1911 parts?

Yes. The black synthetic double diamond panels unscrew, and any standard full-size 1911 panel fits in their place.

Can a red dot be mounted?

Not without machining. The slide is solid, with no optic cut and no plate system.

What safeties does it have?

Three. A thumb safety, a beavertail grip safety and a firing pin safety. Two of those are passive, and the thumb safety is single-sided on this model.

Does the matte black finish wear?

The high spots go first, as on any blacked steel 1911. The frame and slide are both finished the same way, so wear shows as bright steel at the muzzle and the slide corners.