IIf you’re in the market for a double-stack race or home-defense gun that’s built for less muzzle flip and phenomenal accuracy, Kimber’s new 2K11 Stainless Comp 9mm is worth checking out.
First, let’s discuss the “hype” or the problem these increasingly popular compensated (aka, comp or comped) pistols can present to a reviewer. The manufacturer cuts openings in the top end of the barrel and slide—comp cuts—to direct gunpowder gases up and out.
Doing so, gunmakers say, reduces muzzle flip and felt recoil. The comp treatment is usually given to established pistol lines that are upgraded with a comp model.
- You want less muzzle rise during fast shooting
- You value a crisp trigger and tight groups
- It is large and heavy for concealed carry
- It carries a premium price
Does the Kimber 2K11 Comp Really Work?
Here’s a dose of “gun writer” truth. Oftentimes, the new comped pistol is sent out to a writer without the previously launched non-comp model. So, how does the reviewer know if the new version really does reduce that muzzle flip and felt recoil?
They can't, which is why I write “is supposed to reduce” in such firearm reviews.
Fortunately, with Kimber’s newest comped pistols, the before-and-after comparison was very possible. I received a new Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp pistol and still had the 2K11 Target OR on hand: one of the 2K11 line OGs, which debuted over a year ago.
That gave me a rare chance to skip the “is supposed to” claim, shoot the guns back to back and find out whether Kimber’s comp cuts really did what they promised—in a damp, 33-degree Wisconsin winter, no less.
Kimber 2K11 Comp Models and Features
Kimber’s new 2K11 Comp line includes four distinct semi-autos, all chambered in 9mm. The models are: 2K11 Pro Black Comp, 2K11 Pro Stainless Comp, 2K11 Black Comp, and 2K11 Stainless Comp.
The two Pro models feature 4.25-inch barrels, while the Black Comp and Stainless Comp are full-sized pistols sporting 5-inch barrels.
The full-size models ship with one 17-round magazine and two 20-round 9mm magazines, and the Pro models come with two 19-round 9mm magazines.
Kimber includes RMR adapter plates with all models. The Pro Black and the Black models also feature Stan Chen Customs magwells.
Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp Design and Controls
My test model 2K11 Stainless Comp is, as the name implies, stainless steel through and through; the barrel, slide, and frame — all are stainless steel constructions, and the same is true for all the Comp models.
The bull barrel is 5R rifled at a 1:10 left-hand twist rate, with its muzzle deeply crowned. The slide sports very tactile serrations on both sides, front and back, plus lightening cuts near the front end. An under-barrel Picatinny rail is built into the frame for easy attachment of a light or laser.
The flat-faced trigger on my test pistol clicked off at a very crisp 2 pounds, 4 ounces. In my book, that’s a great trigger for a gun that’s built for racing.
Controls include an ambidextrous manual safety, a standard 1911-style grip safety, a nicely textured magazine release, and a stout slide release.
That slide release, by the way, is easily worked with the shooting thumb. In my experience, that’s rarely the case with a 1911.
Hot 2K11 Shots in the Wisconsin Cold
The Wisconsin winter was on full display the day I ran my test 2K11 Stainless Comp pistol. The temperature was 33 degrees and very damp. Intermittent mist and tiny grains of ice swirled in the air as a cold front approached; the Winter Weather Advisory promised rain and sleet and then up to 8 inches of new snow.
After shoveling away the foot of iced-over snow from my range’s handgun area, it was time for action.
Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp Bench Accuracy
I first zeroed my pistol at 12 yards from a rest, firing Remington UMC 9mm ammo loaded with 124-grain full metal jacket bullets. Initial shots hit high and left. I made the necessary elevation and windage adjustments to the rear sight and was soon on target.
The front post, a Tag Precision FiberLok, brightly popped in the winter overcast, while the generous notch of the rear blade easily lined up with the post.
That combination, plus the overall quality of the 2K11, helped me punch a 0.70-inch group with the Remington UMC shooting from my rest.
Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp Defensive-Ammo Results
Thinking home defense, I switched over to various 9mm self-defense loads and shot at 7 yards offhand. First up was Federal Premium Tactical, launching a 147-grain HST hollow point bullet. I punched several 1.5-inch groups of five rounds.
Then, I loaded 12 rounds into the magazine and fired them off fast, taking time only to get the sights back in line. They made a 1.80-inch group, with a nice, tight cluster top left.
Finally, I used Nosler ASP self-defense cartridges loaded with 147-grain jacketed hollow points. Having used ASP in the past, I knew it was a very accurate round. Matched up with the 2K11, the ammunition easily made 1.25-inch groups at 7 yards, with a best cluster of 0.70-inches for five rounds.
Kimber 2K11 Comp vs. the Original 2K11
Of course, I also shot my 2K11 Target to compare the comp versus non-comped shooting.
The two pistols are very similar, though not exactly the same. The big difference is the weight — the Target OR model weighs 42.3 ounces (empty), and the Stainless Comp weighs 35.6 ounces (empty).
The companion H&B YouTube video only shows one comparison shoot off, but I actually did two more, shooting the two pistols back to back, each with 10 rounds of the Remington 9mm. Look closely, and you’ll notice the muzzle flip was reduced in the Stainless Comp model versus the 2K11 Target OR model.
Now, it’s not like the Target model jumped all over the place. It didn’t. The nearly half-pound of weight compared to the Stainless made muzzle flip reasonable.
Yet, comparatively, the compensation cuts in the Stainless barrel and slide did minimize muzzle flip. The downward push of those gases escaping the cuts also produced a slight rearward pulse that spread out the felt recoil.
Is the Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp Worth It?
Without question, the classy-looking 2K11 Stainless Comp has competition uses. However, competitive shooting isn’t my thing, and so I’m in no position to comment on that application.
While the pistol is too heavy and large for me to conceal carry, the 2K11 Stainless would be a serious home defense handgun, especially considering its large capacity magazines.
I could see carrying it in a leather chest holster like Falco’s Forester as a backup while hunting, too.
Last, the 2K11 Stainless features a carbon fiber and glass matrix grip module. Initially, it didn’t look all that grippy or tactile to me as the texturing wasn’t very deep.
But as I ran the pistol, bare-handed in the damp cold, the grip module adhered to my hand better and better, as if the module material and the palm of my hand were melding.
The new Kimber 2K11 Compensated line is very similar to the original 2K11 line in another way: both are very pricey. My test 2K11 Stainless Comp carries a hefty $2,300 suggested retail price.
Or is that price reasonable considering the 2K11 Comps are essentially custom pistols? I’ve shot $3K and $4K custom 1911s and 2011s, guns made by hand no less, and the Kimber 2K11s are their equal.
The cost of a product versus its perceived value is a very personal evaluation. And I certainly do not consider the 2K11 Stainless Comp an inexpensive pistol.
Yet, when I look over the larger handgun market, $2,300 for a custom double-stack 1911 is actually a pretty good price.
Kimber 2K11 Stainless Comp Review: Final Verdict and Score
- Very crisp 2 lb 4 oz flat-faced trigger
- 0.70-inch group at 12 yards from a rest
- Comp cuts verifiably cut flip vs the non-comp
- Slide release works with the shooting thumb
- Grip module grips better as conditions worsen
- Ships with one 17-round and two 20-round mags
- Too heavy and large to conceal at 35.6 ounces
- Product Origin
- Manufacturer Sample
- Test Type
- Range (zeroed and grouped at 12 yards from a rest; defensive loads at 7 yards offhand)
- Test Location
- Author's range, Wisconsin
- Ammunition Tested
- Remington UMC 124gr FMJ; Federal Premium Tactical HST 147gr; Nosler ASP 147gr JHP
- Conditions
- 33°F, very damp, intermittent mist and ice grains; snow cleared from the range
- Magazines
- One 17-round and two 20-round
- Accessories
- Iron sights only (RMR adapter plate included, not fitted)
- Comparison Unit
- Kimber 2K11 Target OR, shot back to back with 10 rounds of Remington 9mm
- Tested By
- Brian McCombie
- Caliber
- 9mm
- Action
- Single, semi-automatic
- Barrel
- 5 inches, bull barrel, 5R rifled, 1:10 left-hand twist
- OA Length
- 8.56 inches
- Weight
- 35.6 ounces (empty)
- Grips
- Carbon fiber and glass matrix, black
- Sights
- Adjustable rear, Tag Precision FiberLok front
- Trigger
- Flat-faced, measured at 2 pounds 4 ounces
- Finish
- Stainless
- Capacity
- 17+1 and 20+1 (as tested)
- Included
- Gun lock, Tag Precision RMR optic adapter plate, owner's manual
- MSRP
- $2,345
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