The Bel Air is one of the best-looking guns (in my opinion) in the Kimber Micro 9 Special Edition collection. This series has been out for a while, but with summer drawing near this is a good time to take a fresh look at these hard-to-find guns. I wouldn’t say I’m normally a fan of guns with different colored frames, but when Kimber made the Bel Air Blue frame with ivory handle grips and a stainless slide with a mirror finish—they hit the jackpot. This one just catches your eye, and it’s not because it has that traditional Kimber look to it. In fact, almost all the guns in the special edition series have a little different look than your typical Kimber does.
There are five color configurations in their special edition series of the “summer” collection of Micro guns. And to be honest, I don’t really care for some of the other colors they put out there. This, of course, is a matter of opinion. Some will love one while others will not. Some will like the purple Micro 9 better than this one. Either way, you can’t say this gun is even close to normal.
Kimber Micro 9 Special Edition Summer Collection
Kimber has five micros in their summer collection that are listed as “special edition.” If you don’t like the Bel Air Blue (the one we’re looking at today), they have a few other finishes that you may like. They did do a good job at covering a wide variety of colors with just five guns in this lineup. These include:
1. Triari
Suggested Retail: $876.00
2. Amethyst
Suggested Retail: $1,201
3. Rose Gold
Suggested Retail: $1,201
4. Sapphire
Suggested Retail: $1,201
5. Bel Air
Suggested Retail: $980
Any of these models, which is based on the 1911 style, would make a great concealed carry weapon or great for adding to your gun collection. They can be hard to find and vary in price depending on where you can find them. The Bel Air is listed at $980, but the one reviewed here was sold recently for $850.
On the range
On the range we started off with some 115-grain ball ammo. While I am a fan of cleaning and lubricating a new gun before you fire it, I like to run some rounds through it right out of the box when writing a review. Some guns do fine, and others have cycling issues until you get that packing grease out of them and the right amount of lubrication on the slide. The Bel Air did great without this process, however. I fired 300 rounds through it and never had an issue. The trigger pull was good, and the sights made target acquisition easy. The only issue I found when firing it was the extractor randomly threw shells towards my face.
Next, I performed some speed drills and firing drills from the holstered position. The 1911 thumb safety was natural feeling even though it is much smaller than most 1911’s. Rapid firing is an important test for any gun you plan to carry or sue for self-defense. The Bel Air did well in this drill and cycled through ammo as fast as I could pull the trigger. I also repeated this drill with some 115 grain Sig hollow point ammo. 1911 style guns tend to have a steep feed ramp which can cause problems at times when firing hollow point ammo, but the Bel Air fired them without issue.
After that, I went to the 25-yard line and fired 21 rounds with some controlled shots. The grouping was great for such a small gun. There is just enough gun to get a decent grip on it and the recoil felt better than I thought it would. I was afraid the glare would be an issue with such a shiny slide on a sunny day, but I didn’t notice any issues with that either. Several others fired the Bel Air and all were impressed with the feel of the Micro 9.
Final thoughts
The Kimber Bel Air is not just a good-looking gun, it is also a champ on the range. The only complaint I have is the shell extractor throwing the ejected shells towards my head. The accuracy, speed and safety manipulation were all what you would expect from Kimber. If you want a gun that will stand out, look nice on your side, in your purse or on display in your office, the Kimber Micro 9 Bel Air can accomplish that.
