Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Upfront, there are two important points to make about Kimber America’s Stainless II – High Polished.
First, this is a high-quality 1911, chambered in .38 Super, and is very accurate. This reliable semi-automatic action sports a first-class trigger, fine sights, and many more positive features.
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Second, yes, one could very well think that the flashy stainless steel frame and slide, plus the ivory-style grips, make the pistol look like the sidearm of a drug boss in the Netflix show, Narcos. I view the Stainless II as classy, but I understand the cartel assumption!
Full Size
Kimber America’s Stainless II is a full-sized 1911 and features a 5.25-inch barrel and a stainless steel match-grade bushing. The frame and slide are also stainless, with a highly polished finish. Lengthwise, the pistol comes in at just under nine inches, and unloaded tips the scales at 38 ounces.
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The ammunition capacity is 9+1, and the magazine well gently bevels. Sights popped nicely with white dots front and rear setting off the black rear blade. The synthetic grips are, as noted, ivory colored and very smooth.
Kimber added an aluminum, 3-hole match-grade trigger. The gunmaker’s specs have the trigger pull at 4- to 5-pounds, but mine snapped off at a very clean 2-pounds, 5 ounces on average. Great trigger.
Safeties include a manual butterfly at the rear and left of the frame and a standard 1911-style grip safety.
Ammo For the Kimber Stainless II
I had difficulty finding .38 Super ammunition where I live in north-central Wisconsin. I managed to locate Federal Ammunition America Eagle loaded with a 115-grain jacketed hollow point bullet, and Remington UMC, and a 130-grain full metal jacket. As these are .38 Super rounds, loaded up to 36,500 pounds per square inch, they are by definition +P.
Of note, the .38 Super is not a juiced-up version of the .38 Special. The .38 Spl. was specifically designed for revolvers and the .38 Super for semi-automatic pistols. The .38 Super was a more powerful take on the .38 ACP.
Anyway, the larger point here is that the .38 Super and .38 Spl. are not interchangeable in firearms.
I guess one could consider the American Eagle a self-defense load, given the jacketed hollow-point bullet. But Federal itself categorizes this load as made for “Target Shooting.”
Self-defense rounds in .38 Super? A web search finds it made by Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon (though listed as “out of stock” when I searched), Doubletap, Underwood Ammo, and Winchester. Minimal self-defense offerings are available in .38 Super compared to the 9mm, .357 Mag. and .45 AUTO. Just as clearly, not a lot of it’s made.
A point to consider for anyone in the market for the Stainless II or pistols of the same caliber.
Ballistics
Ammunition availability aside, the .38 Super is one solid round.
A quick scan of ballistics data finds the .38 Super has greater velocity and energy than comparable 9mm loads. Not really a factor for plinking and range shooting but certainly a consideration for self-defense applications.
I’d rate the recoil of the .38 Super in this pistol as slightly more than 9mm recoil in a 1911 platform. More power, similar recoil. Win, win.
Nice Shooting
At my outdoor range, I ran the Stainless II from a rest at twelve yards and offhand at seven and ten yards.
Accuracy was solid. Shooting at seven and eight yards offhand, both ammunition brands scored groups of 1.0 inches and slightly under. I certainly fired larger groups, too. But once I was used to the pistol and the sights, the gun was one-inch accurate at any distance under 10 yards.
The two white dots on the rear sight blade and the single dot at the front came up to my eyes easily and showed up clearly on my targets.
The backstrap metal was nicely checkered and anchored to the palm of my shooting hand.
READ MORE: The Pocket Pistol and Lessons Learned Toting Them
The pistol arrived with a single, metal magazine. I had no problem loading all nine rounds into the magazine without the aid of a mag loader.
Prices For the Stainless II
All this stainless steel, plus features like the barrel bushing and full-length guide rod, are not inexpensive. Kimber lists the Stainless II with a suggested retail of $1,223.00. Web price postings I found ranged from $50 to $200 below that MSRP. Of course, add shipping costs to these prices.
A higher-end, though not custom 1911. Not a bad price at all.
Specifications: Kimber Stainless II – Highly Polished
Action: Single, Semi-Auto
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 9+1
Barrel: 5.25”, Match Grade, Steel
Slide: Stainless Steel, High Polish, Serrations Front and Rear
Frame: Stainless Steel, High Polish Finish
Trigger: Aluminum, 3-Hole Match Grade
Sights: Front and Read White Dots
Safeties: Manual and Grip
Grips: Synthetic, Ivory Colored
Length: 8.7”
Height: 5.2”
Width: 1.28”
Weight: 38 Ounces (Unloaded)
Misc: Full-Length Guide Rod, 16 lb. Recoil Spring, Stainless Steel Barrel Bushing
MSRP: $1,223.00
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Specs in the article state 9mm.
Doesn’t quite make it for me.
I absolutely LOVE my simple Colt ‘Bright Stainless Steel’ (BSS) pistols and equally appreciate my working Kimbers but, this offering from Kimber doesn’t look like a factory offered pistol to me so much as it looks like a fairly well done DIY buff job.
Edges, corners, lettering, flats and serrations are ALL too post-factory looking for my money.
Doesn’t quite make it for me.
I absolutely LOVE my simple Colt ‘Bright Stainless Steel’ (BSS) pistols and equally appreciate my working Kimbers but, this offering from Kimber doesn’t look like a factory offered pistol to me so much as it looks like a fairly well done DIY buff job.
Edges, corners, lettering and serrations are ALL too post-factory looking for my money.
Quick comment: 38 Super is indeed super for the reasons listed in the article. As for ammo, a very cursory search of the internet “38 super ammo for sale” reveals excellent quantities of all major (and specialty) ammo brands in stock and readily available. While I always try to buy locally, occasionally, online purchases make better sense. I love my 1911 Colt 38 Super and highly recommend what one of the guys commented is the “9mm Magnum!”
Hey there Bear fan,
How’d you like yesterday’s game? Oh, and the last 5 years?
C’mon man, living in northern Wisconsin and rooting for da Bears?
The 38 Super has several advantages over the 45 ACP. Even though its a smaller and lighter bullet, its much faster, thus delivers about the same amount of energy as the 45 ACP upon impact. It has deeper penetration than the 45 ACP, and 2 more cartridges can be loaded into your 1911, which gives you essentially more firepower if the feces hits the fan. With milder recoil, the 38 Super is finding favor with many shooters in IPSC and USPSA matches. Ammo can be found if you keep your eyes open while in local gun stores. It’s ain’t cheap, but nothing that goes ban is anymore. Buy one if you’re a 1911 fan and want more firepower. You will not be disappointed.
I have always said if you call the .38 Super a 9mm magnum , it would be the best selling cartridge of all times.