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Originally Posted by http://www.sofmag.com/news/permalink1/2006/9/5/2159207335611.html
A century after the U.S. Military realized its mistake in adopting and issuing a revolver in the anemic .38 Colt caliber to replace its Colt .45 Single Action Army, it is in the process of replacing the equally ineffective 9x19mm NATO (ball). The almost unbelievable part of this history lesson is that the caliber that will replace the 9mm is exactly the same one that replaced the .38 Colt and this is the .45 ACP cartridge designed in 1905.
However, where the U.S. Military learned its lesson quickly during the Spanish American War of 1898, it took 20 years the second time around, as the 9mm was universally adopted by the services in 1986. Well, almost. A major element of the United States Marine Corps never fully adopted the 9mm pistol, retaining an unknown number of its original .45 ACP Model of 1911A1 pistols for special missions. This was the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), later having added Special Operations Capable (SOC) to its designation.
Since 1986, MEU (SOC)’s 1911 pistol program has been an evolutionary one with the older guns not only being rebuilt as needed at Quantico, but also retrofitted with various improved features following the commercial custom 1911 business. When hundreds of like-new 1911A1 pistols were found in the magazines of decommissioned WW II ships, these guns reportedly made their way to Quantico (and elsewhere) to replenish their aging supply. Thus, the evolution of the 1911 in the USMC continues in its search for a new Close Quarter Battle (CQB) pistol. However, Quantico was only capable of rebuilding 1911A1 pistols on a relatively limited basis.
With the Nine-Eleven attack on America and the beginning of the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT), Quantico became a very busy place. Thus, when the USMC’s MEU (SOC) joined the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM); it was allowed to do a one-time sole-source buy of new 1911A1-style .45 ACP pistols. This was the 87-operator, Detachment 1 (Det-1) at Camp Pendleton.
The pistol chosen by Det-1 was a Kimber Custom model similar to that adopted by the LAPD SWAT unit, but with additional special features specified by the Marine Corps. These included a traditional extractor, no firing pin safety, a standard recoil spring guide, ambidextrous thumb safety, lanyard loop and genuine Novak Lo- Mount Night Sights. The Kimber pistols were shipped directly to Dawson Precision in Texas where they were each fitted with the Dawson Rail in order to mount a proprietary SureFire Weapon Light designed especially for the Military.
When Dawson delivered the pistols equipped with its rail and special SureFire lights to Det-1, each was then fitted with a set of coyote brown Simonich Gunner Grips from Strider Knives. A unique Safariland 6400-style [sic] desert camouflage holster was also issued with each Kimber, and held the gun with the special SureFire light mounted. Also issued with each pistol were a unique Strider Det-1 knife and a quick-release lanyard from Gemtech. Since Quantico was (and still is) testing and fielding various 1911-type pistols through MEU (SOC), the USMC Kimber’s official designation was the Interim Close Quarter Battle (ICQB) Pistol, and the kit went with Det-1 on its six-month active duty tour in Iraq.
The Warrior
In the wake of the success of Kimber’s USMC ICQB pistol, the company introduced a commercial variation with a number of features originally specified by the USMC for its pistol. These included Genuine Novak Lo- Mount Sights, a match grade barrel and bushing, a standard recoil spring guide rod, a traditional extractor, a lanyard loop, checkered mainspring housing and other custom-grade features standard on all Kimber 1911’s. While the front strap is not checkered on the commercial version, the pistol comes with Kimber’s firing pin safety system.
Called the Warrior, the new pistol also comes with a few features not found on the USMC pistol. The finish is KimPro, the hardest thermally cured finish available, in this case, matte black. The grips of the Warrior, while somewhat similar to the USMC’s original “Gunner” grips are of Kimber’s own design, and are also in Kimber’s version of coyote brown color. Equally noticeable is the absence of the Dawson rail, which has been replaced by Kimber’s integral M1913-style frame rail. By the way, this is a genuine MilStd rail, not just a look-alike. As with Kimber’s other 1911 pistols, the Warrior is built to match grade specifications and produces tight groups and total reliability, as tested.
Because the Kimber Warrior comes with Kimber’s integral frame rail, it will accept virtually all M1913-style tactical weapon lights such as those from Insight Technology and SureFire, including SureFire’s recent addition, the X200. However, the Warrior will not accept the special SureFire light designed for the Dawson Rail, and the special light-mount holster made for Det-1 by Safariland will not satisfactorily accept the Warrior with any of the newer, smaller lights mounted.
The Desert Warrior
On the heels of the success of the Warrior, Kimber introduced a sister pistol called the Desert Warrior, in 2006. Inspired by America’s involvement in the Global War On Terrorism and more specifically the USMC’s success with the Det-1 pistol during its deployment in the Middle East, the Desert Warrior is identical to the initial Kimber Warrior with the following exceptions:
On the Desert Warrior are sights resembling Novak Sights, but which are of Kimber’s own design. As with a similar rear sight used by another company, the Kimber Rear Sight incorporates vertical grooves on both sides. Apparently included as styling, these grooves serve no practical purpose. The other difference in the Desert Warrior is its KimPro finish. Instead of being a matte black as on the Warrior, the KimPro finish on the Desert Warrior is the same tough synthetic coating but in coyote brown…Well, almost. Some external parts have been been left in matte black. These include the sights, thumb safeties, slide stop, magazine release and base, trigger and stainless steel barrel. Even so, the coyote brown finish in effect renders the pistol more difficult to detect in an environment where this color blends well.
Like the Kimber Warrior, the Desert Warrior will accept all of the newer, smaller tactical weapon lights on its M1913 framerail, but as this is written all of these lights come only in black. Until someone offers such a light in a color close to coyote brown, the only way to match a light to the pistol will be by painting the light housing a color as close as possible to coyote brown. Holsters to accommodate the Warrior with or without a light mounted should be available from several companies in the near future, including Bianchi and Blackhawk.
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