Kimber Rapide Heat: Hot and Not Bothered

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Now into its second century of popularity, it seems like 1911 models, variations and even materials have no end. One look at the Kimber Rapide Heat is proof of that.

Chambered for the 9mm and .45 ACP, the gun is impressive, with a Kimber KimPro II black finish applied over a well-prepared and polished stainless steel slide and frame, the latter incorporating a Picatinny rail.

Feature Rich

The slide features lightening cuts, with the detailing of a recessed frame around each one, on the top and sides. According to Kimber, a lighter slide provides for a faster return to battery, plus the cuts look great.

The slide has stepped cocking serrations cut in front and back. At the rear, the tall rear sight has twin white dots and is attached to a removable rear optical cover plate. The top of this sight is canted rearward slightly to defeat glare, and the well-cut notch matches up perfectly with the tall white-dot front sight.

A top rib runs from the ejection port to the base of the front sight. The port is lowered and flared, and there’s a cut that allows you to see if there’s a round in the chamber.
The stainless steel barrel has a 1:16 twist and is finished in black DLC (diamond-like carbon). The muzzle is threaded for a suppressor—not a common 1911 feature. The Heat uses a match-grade barrel bushing, and the recoil system is a standard guide rod with a 16-pound recoil spring.

Crisp Break

The trigger is Kimber’s new V-Cut match, which on this sample broke at a crisp four pounds with just a bare hint of creep—finishing off with a short reset. The Heat has extended, serrated ambidextrous safety levers and the beavertail grip has a comfortable upward sweep and includes a memory bump.

The frontstrap features Kimber’s Stiplex pattern, and the flat mainspring housing has texturing that mimics the slide’s lightening cuts. That design is repeated on the red/black G10 grip panels, complementing the red trigger. The grip offers a good purchase without any abrasion to the hand.

Years back, if you wanted a mag well attachment you had to go aftermarket, but today makers like Kimber are offering them as standard. The well on the Heat is flush-fitted, streamlined and hardly noticeable. The gun ships with one eight-round polished stainless Tac-Mag magazine with an extended bumper.

For those desiring a top-end defensive handgun or who just want the ultimate in a Model 1911, the Kimber offers all that at a reasonable price. At an MSRP of $1,918, it’s an investment in a quality firearm that will offer years of service.

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