by Scott Smith
Contributing Editor

Over 25 years ago I was issued a 1911 by the US Army; according to my first sergeant it was a “fine weapon.” I was a bit skeptical because the pistol felt and sounded like a bucket of bolts when you shook it. Somehow a rattling pistol and “fine” did not seem to go together.

I went to find out that one should always trust top, he has been around a while. The rattling 1911 always fired when I pulled the trigger. I never failed to qualify with that old warhorse. I grew to trust what I thought was a tired old pistol, and was proud to be one of the last soldiers issued a 1911 on duty. It seemed that times were achanging and the US military was going to the Beretta 92 and the 9mm cartridge.

When I left the Army because of a beat up knee, I sort of faded away from firearms and shooting. My former wife really didn’t like firearms, and my dad had died, so I lost interest—for several years.

For some reason, I picked up a shooting magazine about 18 years ago. There was an article about this “action pistol shooting,” whatever that was. I perused the article and it showed photos of folks moving and shooting and shooting in awkward positions; looked cool. So I called this group—the US Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)—and found out where to shoot. I realized I needed a functioning pistol, so I purchased a brand new Glock 17 which I still have and still use.

As I shot this game I found the venerable 1911 was quite popular. The ones I saw sure didn’t look like my old 1911 other than its frame. But damn they could shoot and they looked cool. So I had to look into those fancy competition toys. What I found was these fully tricked-out competition pistols were a 1911 in name only and damn sure cost a boatload more money than the Glock I purchased.

Duty Specific
Over time I have added shall we say a few pistols to the vault. One caught my eye about a decade ago. Kimber (1 Lawton St., Dept GWK, Yonkers, NY 10705; phone: 914-964-0771; online: kimberamerica.com). had introduced a 1911 back then that was pretty tricked out for around four hundred bucks, so I purchased one—a Kimber Custom.

Damn, this pistol rocked and boy it made me look like I could shoot. Over the years I upgraded to a Kimber Gold Combat and a Pro Carry II.

Last year, Kimber introduced the SIS for use by the detectives in the Special Investigation Service (SIS) Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). These officers are the best of LA’s best detectives. As a unit, SIS officers have been involved in numerous on-duty shootings that saw the bad guys assume room temperature, thanks to the training and shooting skills of the detectives. This particular division of the LAPD stakes-out and tracks some of LA’s most violent felons

SIS was turned onto Kimber by LAPD SWAT after they contracted Kimber to build SWAT’s 1911s.

I perused the SIS 1911s and damn they were cool and just looked trick. I had to have one as my barbeque looking cool 1911. Since I didn’t have one and all good gun writers must have a light railed pistol, I procured a SIS Custom RL. It looked even cooler in cold steel than it did in photos, which was pretty cool.

SIS has been on the cutting edge of the equipment race and was the first division in LAPD to authorize Glock pistols. They chose the G21 because it is a full sized duty pistol that holds 14 rounds of .45ACP over the traditional eight or nine rounds of a 1911. This is a fine choice of sidearm and still is official issue to SIS, but it does not fit smaller stature individuals all that well.

This concern for ease of use for the operator, coupled with the fears of legal reprisals should an officer shoot an innocent, led SIS to search for a more user-friendly pistol. In 2002, LAPD SWAT adopted Kimber 1911s as their official sidearm. Reports of how impressed the SWAT guys were with their new pistols filtered back to SIS since the unit trains with SWAT most of the time. This led SIS to explore using Kimber pistols for their personal duty and off-duty pistols as well.

Unlike SWAT, which operates in full battle rattle, SIS officers generally are in plain clothes and require pistols to fit that need. They needed a family of pistols, from compact to mid-sized, to full size—mission and operator specific. To help design the SIS pistol, Kimber enlisted Hilton Yam, who has spent his adult life in law enforcement and designing fine parts for 1911s, and former Army Special Forces Operator Larry Vickers. These gentlemen gave Kimber their informed opinions on what the pistols should have and various options that make a superior duty handgun.

What Kimber and SIS developed is the SIS Family; the compact Ultra, the mid-sized Pro, and the full-sized Custom and Custom/RL (light rail). These were to be department approved daily use tools of LAPD’s finest and SIS won department approval in 2006 and completed transition to them in 2007.

Kimber has offered these same pistols to the public and for the couple of years sales of the SIS 1911 has been brisk to say the least. Other than Kimber’s reputation for making fine 1911s, the features of the SIS set it apart from other 1911s on the market.

First off the slide and frame are made from stainless steel, then they are coated with gray Kim Pro II finish and all the small parts are coated black; making this a cool looking pistol. Next the sights are SIS Night Sights™ which are designed to allow the user to cock the pistol using the sight. To the average guy this may seem like no big deal. However, if you have to get your pistol back in the fight using one hand, being able to rack the slide on your belt or heel of your shoes is a big thing.

Because this is a “fighting” pistol a solid trigger is installed. Some folks will argue that lightened triggers with holes and such don’t break but why tempt fate to reduce the weight of a 1911 by fractions of an ounce. It’s just not worth the risk.

SIS Hammer
Kimber uses the SIS™ hammer, which is an oval hammer to reduce hammer lock time which aids in the accuracy of the pistol. Personally, I think the hammer adds to the cool factor, and that is very important when on the range with your favorite pistol. I say that not to be a smart ass; but I don’t know many folks who can measure the difference of one lightweight hammer to another. So for us average “Joes” looks become important.

Next, Kimber installs an ambidextrous safety, an extended beavertail safety to give you better recoil control and reduce chances of hammer bite, flat tops the slide, installs a serrated and rounded main spring housing to aid in concealment of the pistol and gray laminate partially stippled stocks are installed. The grips are not only good looking but functional combined with the fine checkering of the frame and you have a pistol that stays put when shooting.

The SIS pistols have a couple of features not found on the LAPD Kimber. First is the SIS front and rear markings in lieu of cocking serrations on the full sized pistols. On the Ultra and Pro the SIS serrations are only on the rear of the slide. These serrations not only look cool and easily identify the pistol, but they are functional. I found the SIS serrations to give a good purchase and not be hard on the fingers, which some cocking serrations are. I know no whining or my man club card will be taken away.

Next, since these 1911s are “personal” department approved and not department purchased, in California these pistols must have a passive firing pin safety to meet the legal requirements of the anti-gun crowd of left coast lawyers. It should be noted this was not part of the specifications but was required for the officers to purchase these firearms. Kimber uses the Schwartz safety, which is a lever on the grip safety that releases the plunger of the firing pin safety, aka the Series II. This system doesn’t have the adverse effects on trigger pull like the Series “80” used by other 1911 manufacturers. The Civilian versions of the SIS do not have the Series II safety.

Short Plug
One feature I liked about the Custom and the Custom RL is the use of a short plug and short guide rod for the recoil spring. I know there are many folks out there who detest these in favor of a full length guide rod. However, again this pistol is a working pistol not a comp gun built for IDPA and USPSA competition.

The short plug does two things. First, it allows you to forcefully clear a jam using the slide and a solid object such as a door frame or wall. Before any one says you never do, this extra oomph is required when a case ruptures in the chamber. I have had it happen in an USPSA Area Championship while shooting a stage. I simply put all my body behind the pistol and cleared it to continue shooting the stage. You have to keep the weapon running in a match or more importantly in a gunfight where lives depend on it.

Secondly, the short plug requires no tools to break the 1911 down for cleaning and servicing. Oftentimes when folks use full length guide rods, the barrel bushing is fitted tightly and you need a bushing wrench to take the pistol apart. Again, this is a fighting tool and needs to be serviceable without extra tools.

Since I have pontificated enough about the cool features and some brief history of the SIS 1911s, maybe I should do what a gun writer should; and write about the firearm. I chose the full-sized Custom II RL SIS, as I wanted to try out a light railed 1911. Perish the thought it is 2009 and I am just getting around to using a 1911 with a light rail. Forgive me, I know I am a dinosaur; but, by God, my issue 1911 in 1983 didn’t have one and you know we government-trained types are slow to change.

As I stated previously photos of the gray Kim Pro II finish do not do this pistol justice. I wish I could put it on a 1080 flat screen so you all could truly see how cool it looks. The finish is smooth, and with the service melt (removing sharp edges) there isn’t a sharp corner to be found on the SIS RL. I approve of the feel and finish because it will be easier on holsters and clothing.

Manipulating the pistol I found the action to be smooth and the trigger pull to be excellent. The trigger was crisp and clean, breaking at five pounds out of the box. I’d consider this an ideal weight for a duty and all-round use pistol. I know some folks will grouse it is too heavy for competition. Well, I shot my way to B Class Limited in USPSA and Master CDP in IDPA with my Gunsite Service Pistol and it has a five-pound pull. So I am happy with a crisp five-pound trigger.

The ambi-safety was easy to operate and it was secure when in the on position. Thanks to the melt package, the safety has no rough edges. I have found the trailing edge of a thumb safety can leave a nasty blister if you miss. Kimber did not, so they get a thumbs up from my strong hand thumb.

One item that is often taken for granted on a 1911 is the slide stop lever. I found this one to be designed with the operator in mind. The bottom edge is scooped, dished out if you will. This allows your thumb to have a secure edge to lock into when locking the slide to the rear.
Excellent Fit, Finish

Overall the fit and finish of the pistol is excellent. The frame and slide are evenly coated with Kim Pro II and it looks good. The barrel and bushing are well fitted, and the bushing can be removed without the use of a bushing wrench. I feel that is how a bushing should be fitted but then again I am not building my pistols to get the last hundredth of an inch of accuracy; I want them to operate in all weather and not suffer from reliability issues.

I was and am impressed with the SIS Custom/RL, but how well it performs is the key. If the dog looks good but doesn’t hunt or protect the house, what good is it; the same is true of a firearm. All the glitz in the world is no good if it won’t hit what you aim it at. Of course, the operator has to do his share too.

I gathered up a fair mix of cartridges for the SIS. Our test ammunition consisted of Black Hills 230-grain Hollow Points (PO Box 3090, Dept. GWK, Rapid City, SD, 57709; phone: 605-348-5150; online:black-hills.com), Cor-Bon’s 200-grain Hollow Points (Div. of Dakota Ammo Inc., PO Box 369, Dept. GWK, Sturgis, SD 57785; phone: 605-347-5055; online: corbon.com), Hornady 200-grain XTP’s (PO Box 1848, Dept. GWK, Grand Island, NE, 69903; phone: 308-382-1390; online: hornady.com), 230-grain SXTs and 185-grain Silvertips from Winchester Ammunition (427 Shamrock St., Dept GWK, East Alton, IL, 62024; phone: 618-258-3340; online: winchester.com), and 230-grain FMJ from Wolf Performance Ammunition (PO Box 757 Dept GWK, Placentia, CA 92871; phone 889-757-9653; online: wolfammo.com). This seemed like a fair mix of ammunition for use as duty, competition and plinking ammo. I even added some reloads of various bullet weights and bullet designs to ensure this pistol shoots everything.

Since I have shot and owned several Kimber 1911s over the last several years, I expected the SIS to be able to outperform this shooter’s ability and to make me look like I am a good shot. I was not disappointed. The third magazine (nine rounds, eight plus one) I fired from the SIS Custom/RL was at 20 yards offhand, and the group was under three inches. This was just a mix of ammunition; not any particular load or brand. That’s better than fair performance by any standard.

When I sat down and rested the SIS to see how well it would shoot, I was impressed. This pistol consistently shot sub 2-inch 9-shot groups with the various types and brands of ammunition. Bear in mind we are talking about keeping nine nearly ˚-inch rounds under two inches; that means most of the rounds are touching. Not bad for a factory-built pistol; I know custom-built ones that don’t perform that well.

Add-Ons
Since the SIS Custom/RL is a built for a light I tested it with Surefire’s (18300 Mount Baldy Circle, Dept GWK, Fountain Valley, CA 92708; phone: 800-828-8809; online: surefire.com) X200, Streamlight’s (30 Eagleville Rd., Dept GWK, Eagleville, Pa. 19403, phone: 610-631-0600, online: Streamlight.com) TLR-1, and Insight Technologies’ (9 Akira Way, Dept GWK, Londonderry, NH 03053; phone: 603-626-4800; online: insighttechnology.com) SSL-1. All the lights fit the rail well and were secure. Any of these would be a fine choice for duty or personal defense.

To carry the SIS, I chose a Blade-Tech (5530 184th St., E Suite A, Dept GWK, Puyallup, WA 98375; phone: 253-655-8059; online: blade-tech.com). Stingray in Olive Drab and a Blackhawk (6160 Commander Pkwy, Dept. GWK, Norfolk, VA 23502; phone: 757-436-3101; online: blackhawk.com) SERPA. I realize some folks don’t like polymer holsters but I have found that I prefer them over leather for most applications. Neither holster was built to carry the pistol with the light attached because this pistol will be for range or concealed carry use.

Lastly, I did make a few changes to the SIS. Yes, the pistol is awesome out of the box; however, I have preferences. First, I fitted a Smith and Alexander (S&A—PO Box 299, Dept GWK, Copeville, TX 75121; phone: 888-722-1911; online: smithandalexander.com) arched mainspring housing/magwell. I did this because arched mainspring housings allow the pistol to point better for me. Also I chose the magwell because I like the look and since the Kim Pro Tac magazine comes with an attached magazine pad; I felt that no concealability is sacrificed.

The next addition is a set of grips and magazine release from 10-8 Performance (online: 10-8performance.com). The grips are black G10, in an aggressive 5 LPI checkering. While that may sound abusive, the grips feel good in the hand and the diamonds are not as abrasive as one might think. They don’t tear up the sides of shirts or the interior of cover garments. These grips also fit well with the S&A magwell.

The last item I changed was the magazine catch. 10-8’s catch is tapered from the front to rear. This means when you depress the release fully you can feel the frame of the pistol. This is a simple index to let you know the release has been fully depressed should the magazine hang up. It may sound like a subtle change but it does let the operator know what is going on with his pistol.

The SIS family of 1911s from Kimber continues the tradition of fine firearms. The SIS is built to handle the harshest of duty conditions for officers that pursue LA’s toughest and most hardened criminals. If you are looking for a 1911 for duty, competition or personal protection, check out Kimber; a SIS will serve you well, too.