Most Accurate Handgun I’ve Used? Kimber 2K11 Target (OR) Reviewed

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Everyone has their unique taste in firearms that revolves around looks, function, or history. Kimber’s 2K11 Target (OR) is one of those guns that checks all the boxes for everyone. It’s aesthetically stunning with its unique two-tone PVD-coated look. The 2K11 is also a double-stack 1911 (hereafter to be referred to as a 2011), which can be praised for its fit and feel and its link to the historic 1911 that your grandpa used to win not one, but two World Wars!

Ok, so the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR) is not on the same level as your grandpa’s 1911. It’s better! This compact handgun boasts a 20+1 round capacity in 9mm caliber, along with the supplied magazines. It is also available in .45 ACP with a capacity of 13+1, and costs an additional $100 over the 9mm offering. The 9mm and .45 ACP models come with three magazines and a nice case.

First Impressions of the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR)

When I first ordered the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR), I was expecting a cosmetically dressed-up 2011, similar to what’s already available from other manufacturers. If you’ve noticed, it seems that many gun manufacturers are realizing that there is a large market revolving around this platform, and many have released rather run-of-the-mill handguns to get their cut of sales. Once I received the 2K11 Target (OR), I realized I was wrong. Yes, this handgun looks better than most, if not all, 2011 offerings currently available. But Kimber, a company that knows pistols, snuck some fantastic improvements into the 2K11. Another non-surprise was the obvious quality machinework, evident from the precise fit and feel. The 2K11 feels like a tuned sewing machine.

2K11 Unique Parts

The first platform improvement I noticed is also my favorite: the tool-less guide rod. There are only a few unique tool-less guide rod systems I’m aware of, and Kimber’s is different than any of these. To engage it, simply remove the slide stop, pull the slide to the rear, and twist the end of the guide rod. At this point, the reverse plug and guide rod compress the spring and lock it in position.

External Extractor

The 2K11 has an external extractor, which is different than the conventional internal, hand-fitted extractor that other 2011s have. The advantage of the external extractor depends on your perspective, but there are multiple. If you are Kimber, the advantage would be the lack of hand-fitting and tuning needed for installation, allowing them to make more reliable handguns, quicker. The consumer gains improved durability along with easier maintenance and replacement. Don’t fool yourself, regardless of the design, you will eventually be changing the extractor on a 2011 if you shoot a lot. The extractor is such a high-wear part by nature that there are rules about not dropping the slide with a round already in the chamber of a 2011 (or 1911) specifically. The idea is that this external extractor is more reliable and makes inspection and replacement easier when needed.

Iron Sights

Even though I run the Kimber 2K11 with an optic, I still appreciate the quality iron sights that the gun came with. The blacked-out rear sight is built into the cover plate and is fully adjustable. The front sight, however, is what I appreciated most. This sight is a TAG Precision Fiberlock 2 front sight. The fiber can be swapped out for many different color options. In my case, I changed the red fiber to a black fiber purely for aesthetic reasons after I mounted the red dot. Doing this was easy, requiring a set screw to be removed from the front of the sight, followed by the fiber, and ending with the replacement of the new fiber and set screw.

2K11 – Purpose-Built Design

Of course, there are a few other improvements that are less than unique but are far from standard that I want to mention. These include the Stan Chen Customs flared magwell, ambidextrous safety, aluminum grip module, and advanced coatings. The flared magwell is both functional and ergonomic. The flare is large enough to aid in quick magazine insertion, but it’s also slim enough that people with larger hands won’t feel like it’s hindering their grip on the gun. The ambidextrous safety is self-explanatory, but is especially important on any handgun other than a range toy. In a tactical environment, ambidextrous controls are important for firearm manipulation if your strong hand becomes injured. In a competitive environment, ambidextrous controls are useful if a stage design specifies the use of your weak hand only.

Aluminum Grip

The best grip module material can be argued about endlessly: polymer vs aluminum vs steel. I want to point out a few advantages and disadvantages of each. With polymer, it’s said that some felt recoil is absorbed from its inherent properties. I’ve also had failures that were caused by polymer grip modules wearing in specific ways (mainly around magazine releases). The aluminum grip module on the 2K11 is an upgrade over polymer because it is more rugged than polymer and will not wear in the same way. It’s also marginally heavier than polymer, keeping the system light if that is desired. Steel, of course, is extremely heavy compared to polymer and aluminum. Sometimes this is desired to reduce felt recoil and decrease splits and increase accuracy, but in anything other than specific competition rigs, the added weight can be a hindrance.

Coating

The coatings on the 2k11 Target (OR) are superior to most other guns on the market. The slide has a PVD, or physical vapor deposition coating. This is an extremely thin coating that reduces friction, increases wear resistance, and increases corrosion resistance. The sub-frame of the 2K11 has a matte DLC coating. This stands for diamond-like carbon coating. DLC coatings reduce friction while increasing the longevity of high-wear parts. The last coating on the 2K11 Target (OR) worth mention is the Cerakote finish on the Stan Chen Customs magwell. Cerakote, as many of you know, is a thin-film ceramic coating that has high corrosion and wear resistance. As you can see, the coatings on the 2K11 Target are specifically chosen to decrease friction and increase the longevity of high-wear components of the firearm.

https://gunsamerica.com/listings/search

Sub-Frame and Magazine Fitment: Possibly Over-Engineered?

The 2K11 Target (OR) is, as designated by the name, designed to shoot targets quickly and accurately. One pistol shooting sport that I enjoy is USPSA. I’ve used this handgun in a few matches now and have learned some things about the gun. In a competitive setting, splitting hairs to gain an edge is common. One way to gain an edge is to use magazines that are specifically designed to be within the legal length (for your USPSA class), while also holding more rounds than other magazines. MBX is a magazine brand that you will see everybody using at these events because they are reliable, high-quality magazines that will provide one or two extra rounds over any other magazine. I’ve never heard of a 2011 that wasn’t compatible with these magazines… until now.

The sub-frame on the 2K11 is tapered into the magwell to “stabilize the mag during cycling.” In theory, this is a phenomenal idea. This taper prevents over-insertion of magazines, reducing wear on the ejector. This is a known problem with the 2011 in general, resulting in sheared ejectors. The taper also supports the magazine during operation, possibly increasing reliability.

If this gun were not designed in a way that suggests its intended use is in competitive shooting sports, I would have nothing but praise for this “feature.” However, being unable to use the most popular magazine in said shooting sports to gain a competitive edge is a big issue.

2K11 Accuracy Test

To cut to the chase, the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR) is the most consistent and accurate handgun I’ve tested to date. At a distance of 16 yards, I shot 5-round groups using 10 different 9mm offerings. These consisted of ammunition ranging in weight from 65 to 147 grains across seven different manufacturers: Norma, Remington, Hornady, Federal, Winchester, Blazer, and Magtech. The Bulk of the ammunition used to test the 2K11 was purchased through Ammo To Go, and my favorite is the cheapest, AKA Magtech Steel 115 grain. (Check out the AmmoToGo blog post at The Lodge on Magtech Steel.) I’ll split the results of the accuracy test between “range ammo” and “defense ammo,” where four groups fall into the first category, while the remaining six fall into the second category.

The first ammunition in the range ammo category is Norma Range and Training Frangible 65 grain. This ammunition shoots great in every gun I test, with no exceptions here, putting down a 0.85″ group. Blazer Aluminum Case 115 grain shot the worst in this category, but still performed well with a 1.62″ group. Magtech Steel Case 115 grain fell in the middle with its 1.24″ group. And finally, Blazer Brass 147 grain put down the best-in-category group of 0.814″ with only one “flyer.”

Defense Ammo

The defense ammo category starts with 1.36″ group from Norma MHP 108 grain. Next, Remington Ultimate Defense 124 grain Golden Saber printed the second-best-in-class 0.78″ group, which outperforms anything in the range ammo category. In first place, the most accurate ammunition overall, goes to Federal Punch 124 grain with an absolutely incredible 0.42″ group! Winchester USA Ready +P 124 grain shot a 1.28″ group. Hornady Critical Duty 124 grain +P FlexLock put four rounds within 0.82″ and had a first-round flyer that brought the 5-round group to 2.06″ overall. The last ammunition shot in this test is Hornady Custom 147 grain XTP, which gave me a 1.73″ group.

2K11 Match Use

Early in the USPSA season, my main gun, a custom 2011, suffered a catastrophic failure that required me to send it in to a gunsmith for repair. This effectively removed me from a large portion of the season. However, I received the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR) in time to shoot a few matches in my normal Limited Optics class. All I was able to do before the first upcoming match was remove the 2K11 from the box, swap the iron sight for a Holosun HS507C (not ideal, but it’s what I had that was compatible with the C&H Precision RMR mount that was included), sight the optic in using a laser cartridge, and show up to the match.

Holster

The final thing I had to do to use the 2K11 Target (OR) in USPSA was to acquire a compatible holster. I borrowed a Streamlight TLR-1 and a holster fit for a 2011 with this light. Again, less than Ideal, but I was shooting this match one way or another.

At the end of the first day of using the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR), I was a bit less than satisfied with my performance, but the gun ran flawlessly. Of course, this gun has its unique differences in feel, and a new holster has its nuances, but any missed shots or extra time was my fault, and my fault alone.

More Matches

I continued to use the Kimber 2K11 for four more matches, and I shot better each time. As you’ve already seen, this gun is more accurate than I’m capable of being, and it proved to be incredibly reliable as well. My only complaint about the gun itself throughout five 160+ round matches was the inability to use my MBX magazines, but I’ve already thoroughly aired out this complaint. On the flipside, the 2K11 Target (OR) will run 140mm Atlas magazines with 23+1 round capacity.

Specifications and Features

• Caliber Options: 9mm or .45 ACP
• Height (90° to Barrel): 5.74 inches
• Weight (with empty magazine): 42.3 oz
• Length: 8.56 inches
• Magazine Capacity:
  • (1) 17-round magazine
  • (2) 20-round magazines
• Recoil Spring: 10 lb
• Guide Rod: Tool-less, patent-pending design
• Grip Module:
  • Material: Aluminum
  • Design: Aluminum Main Spring Housing
  • Finish: Matte with Type III Hardcoat Anodizing
• Frame:
  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • SST Steel Sub-Frame: Matte DLC Coating
  • Width: 1.4 inches
  • Tapered Magwell: Provides a smooth, quick reload
• Slide:
  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Extractor: External extractor
  • Finish: Brush polish with Coyote PVD Coating
  • Serrations: Custom 2K11 front and rear serrations for improved grip
• Barrel:
  • Length: 5 inches
  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Rifling: 5R Rifling, 1:10 Twist Rate (left hand)
  • Features:
  • Fluted
  • Ramped
  • Highly polished with DLC finish
• Sights:
  • Front Sight: TAG FiberLok 2 Red for enhanced visibility
  • Rear Sight: SST cover plate with built-in adjustable rear sight
• Optics:
  • C&H Precision RMR Optic Adapter Plate included
  • Additional optic adapter plates available for RMR, RMSc, DPP, ACRO, and 509T
• Trigger:
  • Type: GT Match Grade Trigger
  • Pull Weight: 3-4 lbs
  • Material: Aluminum
• Safety:
  • Ambidextrous Safety: For both left- and right-handed users
• Models Available:
  • 2K11 (OR) 9mm/45
    • $1,995.00 – $2,125.00
  • 2K11 Target (OR) 9mm/45
    • $2,495.00 – $2,595.00
  • 2K11 Stainless Target (OR) 9mm/45
    • $2,245.00
  • 2K11 Target (OI) 9mm
    • $3,095.00

READ MORE HERE: Full Exclusive Interview: SIG P211 – SIG Sauer Enters the Double-Stack 1911 Arena with a Game-Changer

Final Thoughts on the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR)

During my time with Kimber’s 2K11 Target (OR), I went from a healthy skeptic to a loyal supporter. I feel that the MBX magazine incompatibility is a big enough reason to reflect on your intent when considering the purchase of the gun. But everything else about the 2K11 nearly outshines this “issue.” The design, coatings, and aesthetics of this double-stacked 1911 are top-notch. Kimber designed a statement and a conversation starter with this gun. No, seriously, I can’t count the number of positive comments I received about the 2K11 in a competition setting, where many other people are carrying around $5,000.00+ handguns. And the accuracy?! I have never shot a handgun as accurately as I did in this accuracy test, and frankly, I did not know that I was capable of that kind of consistency — OR the gun for that matter!

I really enjoyed the 2K11. Many small details make this gun shine above the rest, which is a large ask with the huge number of new 2011-style pistols entering the market. To name a couple of my favorites is the unique and user-friendly tool-less guide rod system, external extractor, and menagerie of high-tech coatings that will prolong the life of this gun while aiding in function and reliability. The fit and feel of the 2K11 is exemplary, like a fully custom, completely hand-fitted gun. I’m going to have a hard time letting this one go without purchasing it for myself, so I promise you’d be happy with this gun too.

To learn more about the Kimber 2K11 Target (OR), click here.

Other Images

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***