At the Range with the Kimber 1911 Rapide and KDS9c

Kimber knows how to make 1911 pistols look elegant and high-end. The new Kimber 1911 Rapide Heat and Ice models are no different. The KDS9c steps away from the traditional 1911 a little and offers a 9mm double stack aluminum frame gun. The Heat and Ice are traditional 1911 framed guns but with some really nice grip, finish, and design features. I am always torn between the traditional single stack 1911 and the double stack or 2011 style.

In today’s world, more ammo is all the rage and there is good reason for it. Being able to carry a classic design with more ammo than a single stack is not a bad thing. Some of the early double stack 1911s had fat grips. To say they were bulky was an understatement. However, the newer 2011 design offers a 1911 style gun with a double stack mag that isn’t really that bulky. Kimber has managed to keep the KDS9c slim, which we will talk about shortly.

The Heat and Ice are identical 1911’s but with different finishes and grip colors. This is something Kimber has been doing for a while and one of the reasons I like their line of guns so much. If you find a model you like, there is a good chance they have it in multiple finishes to choose from. Their color choices are also a little past the norm which allows you to carry a gun that stands out and makes them look unique.

Kimber KDS9c

I’ve written a little about the KDS9c in other articles but this 9mm pistol is worth discussing again. Now available in gun stores, it’s offered in two finishes: black and stainless. I’m guessing there will be other finish colors down the road as well. Between the two, the stainless model is what stands out to me. Don’t get me wrong, the black frame with grey and black crosshatch G10 grips is also a nice-looking gun. But the stainless model stood out to me. While the KDS9c is a double stack gun, Kimber managed to keep it at 1.33 inches wide.

This is a huge benefit for a concealed-carry gun. Two 15-round magazines come with the KDS9c but Kimber will be releasing 18-round high-capacity mags soon. Because the frame is milled from 7075 aircraft aluminum, the overall weight (empty) is only 25.3 pounds. That’s just a little more than a Glock 19, which weighs 23.63 pounds. After looking around at holsters, it doesn’t look like there are many options yet, but I’m guessing they will be coming. Kimber has their leather holsters market as 1911/KDS9c so I’m guessing any leather holster would work.

Because there isn’t much difference in width, the leather can be molded (stretched) easily. However, pay attention to the optic and raised sights. The KDS9c comes with a removable optic plate; so keep holsters in mind if you add an optic. The barrel is slightly over 4 inches with the overall length of the gun being 7.75 inches. It has a 16.9-pound recoil spring and a 3.5 to 4.5-pound trigger pull.

Kimber 1911 Rapide Heat and Ice

If you prefer traditional 1911 pistols, the Rapide Heat and Ice are both some fancy-looking guns. Continuing the Rapide line, the Heat and Ice are plays on their looks, which Kimber likes to do. The Ice has a stainless-steel frame which makes it much heavier than the KDS9c. At 38 ounces, its weight falls in line with more traditional 1911 pistols. It’s available in your choice of 9mm and or .45 ACP. The Ice and Heat stand out to me because of their slide cutouts, G10 grips, and matching triggers. Their triggers pull at four to five pounds. The Heat has a red trigger while the Ice has a blue trigger to match its dark blue G10 grips.

All these together really give both guns a custom look. Compared to the other Rapide models, the Heat and Ice have Kimber’s new StiplexTM front strap grip texturing. With 5.25-inch barrels, these are both full-size shooters and should fit in any government 1911-style holster. They do have suppressor-height sights, however; so make sure the holster will accommodate this. The Heat and Ice have a removable optic plate just like the KDS9c so you can use your favorite red dot.

On the range with the Rapide and KDS9c

Kimber provided the ammo at the range, so I shot as much as I could. The Rapide has a great feel to the grip and overall weight of the gun. Even though most of this gun is 1911, it didn’t feel quite the same as a 1911 to me. I still loved the way it shot though. The thumb safety, hammer, and trigger are all 1911-feeling parts. It may be the missing grip safety that made it feel different to me. Magazine changes were easy, and the hammer was the right size to cock without digging into your thumb. I didn’t have any trouble hitting the metal targets with ball ammo.

The Rapide Heat and Ice are both the same gun, but I used the different colors as reasons to shoot them both. Turns out they shoot the same no matter what color they are… They shot so nicely I didn’t want to put them down! I fired both 9mm and .45. The trigger pull felt about the same as other Kimber 1911 pistols I’ve shot. The slide cycled smoothly and the balance was near perfect on them. Between these two, I think the Heat stood out the most to me. Red is my favorite color and the red/black grips with matching red trigger is a nice touch.

Summary on the Kimber 1911 Rapide and KDS9c

For someone wanting a lighter CCW gun, the KDS9c is a great choice and I think it’s going to be a big hit. The soon-to-come 18-round mag will be a great addition. The fact that it will work in my current 1911 commander holster is a plus. If I were going to pick one just for shooting, I would have to go with the Rapide Heat. Because of the heavier frame, the 9mm version had very little kick making it a great gun for long-range targets. No matter which one you like, these two guns (four with color options) will not disappoint you. The KDS9c is in gun stores today and the Heat and Ice should be shipping soon. Check them out and let us know what you think.