(Photo submitted by the author)
June 17, 2025
By Keith Wood
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The year is 2025 but, based on the handgun market, we may want to call it 2011. It seems that everyone is making their own version of the 2011, also known as the double-stack 1911. Kimber , one of the best-known names in the 1911 world, took its time to engineer its own high-capacity 2011-style pistol. The new 2K11 is evidence that rushing to be the first to market isn’t always the best plan. This well-executed handgun is evidence of a well-crafted mix of design, engineering, machining and assembly.
The Kimber 2K11 is offered in two primary versions: the optics-ready 2K11 (OR) and the optics-ready and tricked-out 2K11 Target (OR). Each of the 2K11 models is available in both .45 ACP and 9mm Luger. I tested the 2K11 (OR) chambered in .45. The 2K11 is built using the basic design concepts associated with the 2011 handguns but with several very well-thought-out and specific tweaks.
The heart of the 2K11 is a sub-frame, fully CNC machined from stainless steel. This frame is the serialized part and houses all the fire-control parts. Below the frame is the grip module which, instead of being molded from polymer, is machined from aluminum. The steel frame is coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC) while the aluminum components are Type III hard-coat anodized. Both are matte black.
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Kimber’s designers are not afraid to create intricate lines to show off the company’s fabrication prowess, and the 2K11 is no exception. The machining on the frame is impressive. The dust cover, which is built with an integral accessory rail, tapers forward so the forward edge blends seamlessly with the end mill saddle cut on the slide.
Ergonomics The extended ambi safety levers are easily manipulated without adding significant width. The smooth-face flat aluminum trigger is one of the best factory handgun triggers Wood has ever tested. (Photo submitted by the author) The slide stop sits inside a pocket that is cut into the frame, and there is an HRT cut on the opposite side where the slide stop pin is exposed. The tail end of the frame is cut for a high-swept beavertail grip safety with a large memory bump that ensures a shooter’s grip will easily disengage it.
The aluminum grip module, which includes the trigger guard, is machined with bordered grip surfaces. The sides and frontstrap are seamlessly checkered with flat-topped diamonds that don’t bite the hand or cut your clothing. The backstrap, which includes both the mainspring housing and the surfaces surrounding it, is also cut with the same pattern.
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As with any double-stack of this type, the grip circumference on the 2K11 is relatively large, so the gripping surface becomes very important when it comes to controlling recoil—especially in the .45 ACP chambering. The textures of the 2K11 grips do a great job in that respect.
The magazine well is beveled to allow mags to slide in easily, and it’s free of sharp edges or other snag points. For the Target model, Kimber enlisted the help of custom pistolsmith Stan Chen to take things a step further.
Expertise Twisting the full-length, two-piece guide rod locks it in a compressed position for easy removal. The barrel’s enlarged muzzle diameter locks into the slide recess without a bushing. (Photo submitted by the author) Chen is one of the most sought-after and talented men in the 1911 trade, and his parts are well-known for their performance. Chen designed a magazine well specifically for the 2K11, matching the overall style and aesthetics of the pistol and drastically increasing the size of the opening.
The good news for those purchasing the non-Target model is that Kimber plans to offer the Chen-designed extended mag well as an accessory you can install yourself on the standard (OR).
Let’s be honest: The reason that companies such as Kimber are still producing handguns based on a 114-year-old pistol is because of the trigger. Try as they might, few designers have come up with a fire-control mechanism that is more shootable than that of the 1911. The trigger is why we are here.
The trigger on the 2K11 did not disappoint. Kimber used a smooth-face flat aluminum trigger that is skeletonized with cuts that suggest the letter K. The trigger on my sample gun broke cleanly and consistently at 2.75 pounds. The reset was short and tactile. This was one of the best factory handgun triggers I’ve tested in recent memory.
Functionality The ejection port is generously cut and flared, and it shows off the fluted exterior of the barrel’s chamber. The slide stop hole is treated to an HRT cut on the left side. (Photo submitted by the author) The slide stop on the 2K11 is a standard 1911 style with a checkered pad and a tasteful bevel around the body. The ambidextrous manual safety levers are extended and easily manipulated without adding significant width. The cutaway hammer has a flat spur that is checkered. The magazine catch is extended but not obscenely large and is also checkered.
Like the sub-frame, the slide is machined on site from a stainless steel bullet. This is one of the areas where the machinists really showed off their skill. The slide is tri-topped, but those cuts are beveled once more, creating six different planes across the top radius.
There are front and rear cocking surfaces that, instead of being simply serrated, feature intricate machine cuts. Visually, these cuts remind me of the cocking surfaces on the classic SIS 1911s Kimber produced during the early 2000s but with a geometric flair.
The ejection port is generously cut and flared. After putting several boxes of ammo through the 2K11 there were no brass marks on the finish, which means that cases have ejected cleanly without contacting the outside of the slide. The gun features an external extractor and a frame-mounted ejector.
Sights The optic-ready 2K11 uses an adapter plate to mount a red-dot sight, and plates are available from Kimber. The rear sight is part of the slide cover plate and is not adjustable. (Photo submitted by the author) This model is equipped with iron sights and is also provisioned for the mounting of an optic. The front sight, made for Kimber by Dallas-based Tag Precision, uses a green fiber-optic insert. My pistol also shipped with a kit that included an extra green fiber-optic tube along with orange, red and black options, as well as the tool to change out the insert.
The rear sight is a U-shaped notch and has a serrated black face. It is not adjustable, as it’s part of the cover plate, which you remove in order to mount an optic. The Target model has an adjustable rear sight.
Adapter plates are available for each of the common optic footprints. Kimber supplied my test sample with a plate intended for the Trijicon RMR/SRO. Four Torx fasteners secure a C&H Precision mounting plate to the slide, and the sight itself is then secured to the plate.
It’s worth noting that the sight isn’t simply screwed into threaded holes on the plate; T-nuts are used to sandwich the plate between the sight and the nuts. This is a far more secure system than I’ve seen on some optic mounts.
Test Gun While my test gun came with an optic plate, it is my understanding that optic-ready guns do not include this plate. These can be purchased on Kimber’s website for the RMR, Shield RMSc, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, Aimpoint Acro and Holosun 509T sight footprints. The plates retail for $70. Plates do not include a rear sight, so once you go to the adapter plate, you have no iron-sight backup.
I did not have a Trijicon sight readily available during my time with the 2K11, so I did not mount an optic, instead relying on the iron sights for the range work.
The five-inch stainless steel barrel locks into the front of the slide without using a bushing. Instead of a tapered bull profile, the lockup is achieved by a forward section with a larger diameter. That section is slightly offset to allow the slide to function when the barrel unlocks. The beveled crown looks cool and keeps the 5R rifling out of harm’s way.
At the breech end, the barrel is ramped and fully supported. The feed ramp is polished mirror smooth for reliable feeding. The outside of the chamber section of the barrel is fluted for visual appeal, and the hood is notched to provide a visual loaded-chamber indicator. The barrel is finished with a high polish and coated with a coyote brown PVD finish.
Fit and Finish The .45 version ships with three 13-round U.S.-made magazines from Check-Mate. They fed flawlessly. (Photo submitted by the author) The recoil system employs a twist on the traditional full-length guide rod. Instead of two rods threaded together, this tool-less setup is pretty ingenious. With the slide pressed to the rear, the exposed guide rod is rotated 180 degrees counterclockwise. This action cams the rod over, capturing the 16-pound flat-wire recoil spring and locking the assembly so it can be removed from the rear once the slide is off the frame. The system is super simple and works as advertised.
The 2K11 uses 2011-style magazines manufactured by Check-Mate Magazines in Thomasville, Georgia. These hardened steel mags with aluminum base pads are extremely well-made and should stand up to hard use.
Three 13-round magazines are included with the 2K11; additional magazines are available from Kimber for $60. These magazines extend 0.85 inch beyond the frame when locked into place. The 9mm version ships with one flush-fit 17-round mag and two extended 20-round versions.
Overall, the fit and finish of the 2K11 are very nice. The lines of the gun are clean and crisp, but aside from the front sight there are no sharp edges, so running the gun doesn’t require any first aid.
Handsome Devil That Shoots (Accuracy results provided by the author) Most of the gun wears a matte or satin finish, but the flats of the slide are polished. Unlike coatings such as Cerakote, DLC and PVD finishes don’t hide any flaws, which means that the folks at the Kimber facility in Alabama are taking care of the small details.
You can fondle a gun only for so long, and then it’s time to shoot. My first double-stack .45 was a Para-Ordnance P14, and let’s just say that this design has come a long way in three decades.
I started out with American Eagle’s 230-grain total synthetic jacket because it would give me the best odds in terms of reliability since the gun was brand new. The 2K11 gobbled it up without a hiccup and with average accuracy at 25 yards. One thing I did notice was the handgun’s tendency to shoot low and slightly left at that distance. No big deal if an optic is mounted, but with fixed irons, trading out the front sight might be in order.
I then switched to hollowpoints, which can be finicky in terms of feeding. Both Hornady ’s American Gunner XTP and Federal’s Punch —two loads with different hollowpoint shapes—delivered good accuracy and fed flawlessly. Accuracy results are shown in the accompanying chart.
The Brass Tax There are a ton of double-stack 1911s out there, but most of them are chambered in 9mm. A shooter can get pretty sloppy when it comes to controlling recoil with a heavily built 9mm, but shooting a .45 forces good habits. Recoil was evident but manageable with the duty loads and, since the 2K11 has a greater frame circumference than a 1911, it took a deliberate grip to keep it under control.
In my opinion, Kimber got it right on the 2K11. This handgun was designed, engineered and built with careful attention to detail. From the ingenuous guide rod to the nifty slide cuts, and from the excellent trigger to the flawless DLC finish, this gun is well-executed. This is an accurate, reliable and well-built pistol that I predict will see much success in competitions and elsewhere.
Kimber 2K11 Specs Type: double-stack 1911Caliber: 9mm, .45 ACP (tested)Capacity: 13+1Barrel: 5 in. stainless, coyote brown PVD finishOAL/Width/Height: 8.6/1.4/5.7 in.Weight: 2 lb., 8.1 oz.Construction: stainless steel slide, stainless steel sub-frame, aluminum grip frameGrips: textured aluminumSights: serrated steel rear, fiber-optic front; slide cut for optics adapter plates (sold separately)Trigger: 2.75 lb. pull (measured)Safeties: ambidextrous thumb, beavertail gripMSRP: $2,125Manufacturer: Kimber Mfg., KimberAmerica.com
Keith Wood
Keith Wood is a New York Times bestselling writer, and Co-Author of UNAFRAID: Starting Down Terror as a Navy SEAL and Single Dad. Keith is an avid shooter, handloader, gun collector, and custom gunmaker and has been hunting big game and upland birds for three decades. Keith has been an outdoor writer since 2007 and has penned hundreds of articles for various publications. He is the Field Editor of Guns & Ammo and a regular contributor to Hunting, Rifleshooter, and Handguns. He's also an attorney and government affairs professional. He holds a BA in Political Science from Stetson University and a JD from The Florida State University College of Law. A native of Florida, he and his family reside in Alabama.
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