Kimber America is a proud sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In 2010, Kimber and RMEF co-branded a line of 84L rifles. This year, Kimber donated $50k to the wilderness preservation organization and co-branded a new full-size 1911 handgun, the Kimber Camp Guard.
The Camp Guard is a 10mm 1911 with the RMEF logo carved into Rosewood grips, sitting beneath twin peaks. Those are some damn good grips! They’re 1.2 inches wide and fill my size-large hands for a solid grip.
Just in case you need a bit more purchase from your purchase, the Camp Guard’s front strap sports 30 lines-per-inch checkering. The New York/Montana manufacturer also serrated the rear of the pistol’s mainsprings housing.
Kimber rounded the heel of the Camp Guard’s full-length grip; a feature found on many high-end 1911s designed for everyday carry. One you don’t often see in a hunting pistol. In fact, the Camp Guard blurs the lines between high fashion and backwoods. It’s an everyday-carry-in-the-woods gun.
The Camp Guard’s magazine well is slightly beveled, but there’s no swelling of the entry point and no dramatic funneling. Nor does there need to be. The magazines drop free and easy, and there are no snags or catches loading a new one into the pistol during fast reloads.
The Kimber website says the stock magazine holds eight rounds. Our T&E Kimber mag easily held nine rounds of 10mm ammunition. FWIW it wouldn’t hold 9+1 with any magazine I tried.
The Camp Guard’s brushed-stainless frame supports a matte-black slide. As you’d expect from Kimber, the finish is even and bereft of tool marks.
The slide is adorned only with a simple Kimber script on the left side, with the model name in small print below the ejection port.
The finish on the Camp Guard’s slide is even; there’s the same amount of shine and polish on the flats, cuts and rounds. That’s where a lot of mass-produced 1911s fall down: Their polishing machines can’t polish all the different textures evenly. Kimber can because they use a human hand.
The Camp Guard’s rear sight is a drift-adjustable ramp style, serrated at the rear.
Whether for hunting or for defense, the 3-dot tritium night sights are the right answer for a gun that might come to use in the failing light of a backcountry dusk. The top of the slide is flattened, another welcome feature. A flattened slide top helps make the sights pop when you press the gun forward.
The Camp Guard’s thumb safety hangs tight off the left of frame. And only on the left side. Kimber’s custom shop caters to Devil-handed buyers, or customers who prefer an ambi-safety.
The Kimber Camp Guard features a full-length guide rod and a one-piece ramped barrel.
Some folks make a big deal of the ramped barrel, especially when firing the 10mm cartridge. The argument: Segmented ramps don’t fully support the cartridge. When pushing 10mm to it’s maximum pressures, the setup can cause case bulging and failure. At least that’s the theory.
It’s not my experience. I’ve shot many hundreds, and more likely several thousand full-pressure rounds through the classic Colt Delta Elite, segmented ramp and all, without issue. That said, my brass lasts for more reloads in guns like the Camp Guard. I don’t know if that’s due to the ramped barrel or just better barrel quality and chamber dimensions in general.
Kimber says the trigger should break at four to five pounds. On my Lyman scale, the Camp Guard’s trigger sat at four pounds even. It breaks after a small amount of pre-travel, followed by a solid wall, then the snap of the hammer. I felt no grit or sloppiness in the trigger. It’s a lot more than merely adequate for fast, accurate shooting off-hand or from the bench.
Quite a few 10mm 1911s are used as hunting pistols, and for good reason. Beyond just the energy the round delivers at reasonable hunting ranges, the 1911 is legendary for its ability to be tuned into a precise auto-loading pistol.
In this, the Kimber Camp Guard performs admirably, but not spectacularly.
Using the Freedom Munitions 180gr RNFP — a fine Hill Country whitetail-deer round — the Camp Guard scored an average five-round group size of 2 inches at 25 yards, for four firing sets off bags.
The SIG SAUER 180-grain Elite-V Crown JHP printed the best group size at 1.6 inches, but none of the groups fired through the pistol shot worse than 2 1/4 inches with any commercial load. That 2 1/4-inch group was the 220gr Buffalo Bore cartridge, which would still be plenty accurate at any reasonable distance the round would be expected to perform at.
At 100 yards, I’d hammer wild pigs and coyotes all day long with the Kimber Camp Guard. Black bear and mule deer at 50 yards wouldn’t stand a chance — assuming you’re doing your job as the marksman.
I put 500 rounds through the Camp Guard, mostly trouble free. Mostly, but not completely.
Using the supplied Kimber magazine, the last round would tip up just a tiny bit too high and hang up, preventing the slide from returning to battery. It did this if I loaded 8, 9, or even just 4 rounds into the factory magazine.
During the first 300 rounds, the failure happened about one out of every three magazines, regardless of ammo. The malfunction did not occur when I used a Colt Delta Elite factory mag or a Wilson Combat 10mm magazine, regardless of the round.
On my fourth day spent shooting the Camp Guard, the issue disappeared. I made a point of using nothing but the factory magazine for the last 100 rounds. Nada. I’m not sure what to make of that, but it’s not the first time I’ve had that experience.
A few years ago I bought a Kimber Ultra Covert II in .45ACP. I bought it barely used from a shooter disappointed with its reliability. I discovered that it worked just fine with any magazine other than the factory Kimber magazine. After about another 1,000 rounds, it ran fine even with the factory mag. That seems to be the same issue here.
All in all, I shot hundreds of rounds of Freedom Munitions’ 180-grain FBRN round, the 180-grain SIG SAUER V Crown, as well the 220-grain Buffalo Bore and Hornady’s 180-grain XTP round. With a fair amount of speed and ease . . .
The Camp Guard’s only half an ounce heavier than a stock Colt Series 70 Government in .45ACP. With its 5-inch barrel and not much extra weight, considering the high pressure cartridge required, I expected Kimber’s 10mm 1911 to give me a bit more snap. The Camp Guard soaks up recoil and keeps the muzzle down surprisingly well.
I haven’t quite pieced together why this Kimber stays down the way it does. It contains a full-length guide rod and an uncomplicated round wire recoil spring. I wouldn’t consider any of the rounds I shot maximum pressure for the cartridge, but some were close, especially for commercial loads.
As it is, I could lay a full magazine’s worth, all nine rounds, into an 8-inch circle at 10 yards in 2.53 seconds, from the draw.
A better marksman could do that quicker, and maybe farther away, but even against an angry Grizzly, that’s enough gun at those ranges. And “enough” against a Grizzly is enough against anything.
Considering it’s a 10mm Kimber, I was expecting a higher price. $1,228 MSRP isn’t bad; you can easily find the Camp Guard online for $150 less. With tritium sights, a flattened top slide, the carved grips and checkered front strap, the Camp Guard is an attractive, versatile pistol at an excellent price. And it helps the elk.
SPECIFICATIONS: Kimber Camp Guard 10mm 1911
Action: Semi-auto
Caliber: 10 mm
Height: 5.25 inches
Weight with empty magazine: 38 ounces
Length: 8.7 inches
Magazine capacity: 8 (I fit 9)
Recoil spring: 18.5 pounds
Frame Material: Stainless steel
Frame Finish: Satin silver
Frame width: 1.28 inches
Slide Material: Stainless steel
Slide Finish: KimPro II finish (matte black)
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Barrel: Stainless-steel match-grade bushing
Twist rate (left hand): 16
Sights: Tactical wedge
Sight Radius: 6.8 inches
Grips: Rosewood
Trigger: Aluminum, 4- to 5-pound pull weight
MSRP: $1,228
RATINGS (out of 5 stars):
Style and Finish ****
The RMEF-branded grips work well against the pistol’s two-tone scheme. The finish is nice for a carry or hunting gun, but without gloss or flourish.
Customization * * * *
The 1911 is the original change-it-all do-it-all pistol. Sights, safety, trigger, barrel and handle can all be swapped with little difficulty.
Reliability * * * *
With aftermarket or another brand’s magazine, this pistol functioned flawlessly. With the factory-supplied magazine, not so much. Then, after a few hundred rounds, the factory magazine smoothed out and worked well.
Accuracy * * * *
A two-inch average group with commercial ammunition isn’t bad at all. Some shot even better. Not hitting the 1-inch mark keeps the Kimber Camp Guard out of five-star territory, but the accuracy’s perfectly acceptable for hunting game at the 10mm’s reasonable performance expectation.
Overall * * * *
Kimber teamed up with RMEF to make a worthy pistol for hunting or for protection against bears, coyotes or man. It gets the basics right, with the huge bonus of taming the 10mm’s stout recoil.
More from The Truth About Guns:
Gun Review: Dan Wesson Bruin 10mm 1911
Gun Review: Kimber K6s DCR .357 Magnum
New From Ruger: SR1911 Pistol in 10mm Auto
Classic Gun Review: Smith & Wesson Model 1006 10mm Pistol
Gun Review: Glock 20 10mm Auto
Gun Review: Springfield Armory 1911 TRP 10mm Operator
please de- burr the trigger adjustment holes. i can’t unsee it.
Not my gun to de-burr but I’m glad someone actually sees what my photos focus on. This alone would have kept it from my 5 star category.
I have owned 2 Kimbers. I have had problems with 2 Kimbers. I will never buy another Kimber again. I have had issues with 1 Dan Wesson, and a Ed Brown. Brown has horrible customer service, Dan Wesson was a pleasure to deal with. Kimber told me my “Raptor” was rusting 23 days after purchase because I was sweating while it was holstered. The fact it couldn’t make it through a mag without a failure didn’t seem to be something they were interested in resolving for me either. There is a special place in hell for Kimber as far as im concerned. Not only that, they love to come out with endless new models but they’re basically all the same guns with different finishes. I don’t know how they are still in business let alone expanding. SAD
this
Count me as a very dissatisfied former Kimber owner. Not impressed at all with them. $1200 gun and the mags don’t work out of the box…..hahahahaha
Kimber is rather infamous for stoppages due to the performance of its mags, although they work fine after the gun is broken in. My 4″ was horrible for 1400 rounds–which is when I bought a new recoil spring from Wolff (and not from Kimber). It hasn’t had an issue since. Which I really can’t explain, as the gun was supposed to have a Wolff spring from the factory.
But I am sticking with McCormick mags, which load 8 instead of Kimber’s 7 and are highly rated for reliability.
Good write up Woody!
We considered purchasing one of their pistols
but the reviews indicted too many issues.
Sad, because it is one of the most beautiful designed
handguns on the market today.
This should not be the case for a firearm with a price
generally over a thousand bucks.
I honestly don’t understand how you wouldn’t dress the burrs after tapping or drilling something out that is that visible
As a New Englander who values my rights protected by the 2A, any gun with ‘Yonkers, NY’ on the slide is a double hell-no.
So hold off until next year. They are moving to brand new 38 million dollar facility in Alabama.
We MA FFLs can’t sell Kimbers. Not AG approved.
Nice tomahawk. Details?
🤠
Made about 8 years ago by Justin Gingrich. He’s all famous now, but I’m pretty sure this is the first hammer-poll that he ever made. I can’t remember exactly what he charged me for it at the time, but I remember thinking it was ridiculously cheap. I bet his prices have gone up a bit. I use it constantly on the farm.
Camp Guard? I thought one needed a Mauser K98 and a big dog for that.
Nein! Arbeit macht frei!
Nein. Arbeit macht mich müde.
Haza!
Not a bad price for a good quality 1911.
And yet I didn’t see any Kimber 1911s in the rmef calendar this year. Shame.
Two Kimber reviews in about a week’s time – nice! My Kimber Pro Carry II Two tone 9mm’s instruction manual has break-in instructions. I would imagine this isn’t any different, which is probably why after enough rounds for break-in you were seeing a noticeable improvement. My Kimber only had 1 malfunction during the break-in process. None with the factory supplied mag (the one malf. was w/ a MecGar mag on its first use). Been flawless since. As I think I said in your other Kimber K6S review – I love my Kimber and want to buy another one someday – possibly this 10mm Camp guard if I find myself camping or out in the woods more frequently than I have been the last few years.
My Ruger 10mm SR1911 has yet to show any sign of any malfunction whatsoever with an assortment of ammo including full house loads(likely for less money I think). It sure slings the brass tho! At first I couldn’t find the casings until I consciously watched where they were going! hehe. Yep, they go long way! 😀
I was going to say pretty much the same thing before you beat me to it. My SR1911 may not be as pretty as the Kimber but it has been completely reliable through 500 rounds of mild to hot ammo and has the Bomar style adjustable sights which are better for normal hunting and target shooting conditions IMHO. With a little sight paint they worked just fine for me when I used it to finish off a 300 pound pissed off bear that decided he wanted to take hold of my hounds. For self defense at close range the night sights would be nice though. Not to sound like the stereotypical Glock fanboy that posts in every single custom gun review but the Ruger is lot of gun for $500 less than the Kimber. But, Thanks to capitalism and the 2nd amendment there are so many new and fun guns that come out every year to suit any fancy. To each his own as they say!
“A better marksman could do that quicker, and maybe farther away, but even against an angry Grizzly, that’s enough gun at those ranges. And “enough” against a Grizzly is enough against anything.”
I beg to differ. I don’t know how many grizzlies you have seen killed to warrant that opinion. Maybe you could enlighten us.
I have seen a few killed, including on Kodiak Island. None of them were angry until after they were shot. The resilience and ‘Toughness’ of those fine animals should engender more respect.
I would love, LOVE to have one of these. They are a site to behold.
Having said that, HOLY COW! I cannot justify $1,000 on a semi-auto pistol.
But they look great in your safe!!! and then on arm$list for $1,400.00
Hmmm…finger on trigger?
Unlike ARVN rifles RMEF’s weapons have never been dropped
it’s disgusting that an expensive gun won’t run correctly with its OEM magazine.
Kimber sucks donkey-bolls.
I paid $1k for my Gen1 Colt DE, run a flat wire spring and full length guide rod. This is a tack driver. Only complaint is it could use some softening on the edges, particularly the grip safety. I added Magpul rubber wrap around grips to help soak up recoil on hot loads like CorBon Hunter 10mm. Fantastic pistol. But if I wanted another it would likely be the Ruger.
Guard 10 is comfortable to carry, but cost high.
I have a Kimber Raptor 2 for 5 years now. Love it. Never experience any jamming with Kimber or Colt Mags. The more i shoot it,the smoother it gets! I often switch mags between Colt defender and Raptor when at range. Both are great 1911s. Zebra wood grips are outstanding. 0 muzzle jump with 5 inch Raptor. Carry both , The 3 inch is a little less cumbersome but the 5 inch is a lot more accurate.
I just purchased the Camp Guard, you were right about the mag, so I went with a Metalform http://gregcotellc.com/cart/1911-metalform-magazines-c-182/metalform-1911-10mm-government-or-commander-8-rd-10797-p-1632.html?zenid=rdna21o74bf3fb0kpfo6qlite0 My question tho, who made your leather holster, ’cause it really does look great, ‘specially with its carving.
I also want that holster!
I’ve had (and have) many Kimber 1911’s, and I’ve found that the
FTF issues which are so often associated with Kimber 1911’s are
easily remedied with an (easy to do) breaking of the (sharp) edges
on the inside of the chamber.
Using a fine, rat tail file, you break the (sharp) edges of the chamber
where the side of the cartridge contacts it as it enters during feeding,
and then smooth the edges with some 600 – 800 grit sandpaper.
It doesn’t take much, but it removes the possible friction which can
cause rounds to “catch” during feeding, which some mags don’t
have enough “power” to overcome. The “breaking in period” just puts
enough wear on the edges to “soften” them, so why wait ?
I do this to all my 1911’s, and (unless you actually have really weak
and/or worn out mags) FTF issues go away.
CD Morrissy, I purchased this gun two days ago and shot it with my grandson for the first time yesterday. I had this exact problems with the factory mag, the Dolt and Chip McCormick mags as well. The Colt mags performed the best. It would happen every 2nd or 3rd round.
Your remedy was my first thought. Now that I’ve heard it someplace else I’ll proceed with the fix.
Thanks for validating my thoughts. 2-3 ten thou aught to do it.
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