This year Kimber introduced a new line of ‘Super Carry’ 1911-style pistols. Assembled in Kimber’s Custom Shop, the Super Carry Pro (4″) and Super Carry Custom (5″) feature aluminum frames with an Ed Brown Kobra-style cut-back heel and snakeskin-style serrations. The Kimber’s slide is blackened stainless, making for a very handsome two-tone handgun. By using an aluminum frame (as found on the “classic” Sig-Sauer p226 and p228), Kimber has shaved significant weight off the Super Carrys — an important factor for guns intended to be carried all day long. The Super Carry Pro, a Commander-sized 1911 with 4″ barrel, weighs just 28 ounces (with empty mag) — that’s 7 ounces lighter than an Ed Brown Kobra Carry. Kimber’s 5″-barreled, full-size Super Carry Custom is 31 ounces with empty mag. By comparison, a full-size Smith & Wesson SW1911 weighs 41 ounces. A ten-ounce difference is significant when you’re packing.
Kimber Super Carry Pro Copies Kobra Carry
It’s obvious that Kimber copied styling features from the Ed Brown Kobra Carry, notably the slide serrations and the cut-back grip heel, which mimics Brown’s Bobtail™ frame. Kimber can’t call its frame a “Bobtail” since Ed Brown has trademarked that term, but the looks and function of Kimber’s “round-heel frame” are much the same. If you’ve every carried a 1911 right behind the hip, you know the bottom of a standard 1911 frame can dig into the kidney area. So Kimber’s adaptation of Ed Brown’s Bobtail was a smart move, as was the use of aluminum (for weight savings). What about wear? Is there a problem with steel sliding over aluminum? Well, that hasn’t been a problem with the aluminum-framed Sig Sauer pistols, and Kimber’s aluminum frames are coated with KimPro II, a proprietary coating that Kimber claims is “self-lubricating and highly durable.”
Ambi-Safety Makes Sense on Carry Gun
We like the new Kimber Super Carry models, though we could live without the snakeskin treatment on top of the slide. That’s over-doing it in our book. Having shot both the Super Carry and the Ed Brown Kobra I actually prefer the feel of the Kimber’s nicely radiused grip safety and I think Kimber is wise to put an ambi-safety on the gun by default (an ambidextrous safety is $75.00 extra on the Kobra Carry). In a self-defense scenario, a right-hander might have his strong-side arm disabled, so it is important that he be able to operate the gun left-handed.
How about accuracy? I only had a chance to shoot a few rounds with the Kimber Super Carry Pro, and it didn’t group as tight at 10 yards as the Kobra Carry I’ve shot, but the difference wasn’t that great. Also the nearly-new Kimber’s trigger was a bit heavy and gritty, and I didn’t have a chance to work up a custom load. Neither gun shot as accurately as this Editor’s SW1911 with my handloads (VV N320 and Precision Bullets 200gr semi-wadcutters) which cost just $700.00 a few years ago. That SW1911 prints easy 1/2″ groups at 10 yards with handloads. So, is the Kimber Super Carry a good buy? Street price for the Super Carry Pro is about $1300.00, and that includes night sights. That’s over $1000.00 less than a Kobra Carry which costs $2445.00 with night sights. We predict those who are in the market for a Bobtail, two-tone carry gun will look very seriously at the Kimber Super Carry Pro, given the huge price savings over Ed Brown’s Kobra Carry. This Editor likes the lighter, “round-heel” aluminum frame (particularly in the 4″ model which balances well), and I like the overall feel and appearance of the gun. For $1300.00, however, I expected more from the Kimber’s trigger. As with most production 1911s it can benefit from a trigger job by a competent 1911 smith.
K.C. Wins A Tough Match on Home Turf
K.C. Eusebio, who grew up in Southern California, returned to his home turf to capture the Men’s Championship at the 2010 Steel Challenge this weekend in Piru, CA. This was K.C.’s third overall win at the Steel Challenge. Trailing Team Glock’s Dave Sevigny for much of the match, K.C. pulled ahead in the final three stages to capture the Overall title, his third Steel Challenge Championship, with an 80.27 second total time. Right behind was Sevigny at 82.84. That was an impressive performance considering Dave was running a modified Glock against “full-race” 1911 customs, some of which cost $3500 or more. Even more amazing was the legendary Jerry Miculek, who finished third shooting a Smith & Wesson revolver with iron sights. Jerry’s total time was 83.88.
Jessie Abbate Wins 3rd Steel Challenge
In the womens’ Division, new Team Smith & Wesson shooter Jessie Abbate of Georgia won her second consecutive womens’ Steel Challenge Championship, and the third in her career. In addition to winning the overall title, Abbate won the Ladies Steel Master title which represents the best combined score of the Open, Limited, and Rimfire events. Jessie won the Rimfire event on Day 1, having the best time on all but one of the eight stages. After that Jessie was locked in a tough battle with her S&W teammate Julie Golob, who captured the Limited Event on Friday (Day 2). In a video interview with AccurateShooter.com, Abbate confessed to being “off her mental game” on Day 2, but she pulled it all together on Saturday (Day 3), capturing the Ladies Overall and Steel Master titles. Kay Miculek, a seven-time Women’s World Speed Shooting Champion, finished second. Watch the video below for a lengthy interview with Jessie.
Young Guns Rise to the Top
This 2010 Steel Challenge showcased rising young stars. K.C. Eusebio recently left the USAMU to enroll in college. Though he no longer has the time or resources to train and compete as often as he could with the USAMU, K.C.’s skills haven’t declined. A past winner of the Steel Challenge, K.C. was fast on all stages and he even nailed a new world record on the Speed Option stage. K.C. rose to the challenge in this match, outshooting defending Steel Challenge champ Max Michel, who had not lost a match all year. We talked at some length with K.C.’s father, who was happy to have a chance to be with his son again: “K.C. left the Army because he wanted to complete his college education. He’s doing that in Georgia, so we still don’t get to see him that much. But it is great to see K.C. shooting in California again, and winning again.”
NOTE: The video has loud gunshot noise. Turn down your speakers if at work.
Oregon Teen Wins Rimfire Event
Another up-and-comer in the mens’ ranks is 17-year-old Ryan Leonard from Oregon. Ryan took the rimfire title, beating all the older sponsored pros in the process. Ryan finished tenth overall (among all competitors) to win the Junior World Speed Shooting title. Ryan has speed to burn and exceptional accuracy. Ryan actually prefers centerfire handgunning, but he obviously knows how to get the most out of the low-recoil rimfire pistols (Ryan shoots a modified Ruger MKII). When asked for his secret of success, Ryan smiled and said: “Don’t miss — Shoot the best you can, but don’t miss.” Ryan is a gifted student-athlete, currently taking college courses while completing his high school education. We expect Ryan to be a major player in the speed-shooting game in the years ahead. He is skilled, dedicated, and gifted with exceptionally fast reflexes.
From Top Shot to the Steel Challenge
If there was a crowd favorite among all the competitors it might be J.J. Racaza who was one of the strongest competitors on the History Channel’s popular new Top Shot TV show. A blazing fast shooter who exhibited the ability to learn new skills quickly (such as archery and knife-throwing), many viewers favored J.J. to win the whole competition. He was the most consistent performer on the “Blue Team” throughout the show.
J.J. was among the last three competitors on Top Shot, but lost in a shoot-out where the three finalists got to choose their weapons and targets. J.J. told us this involved a great deal of strategy, because each pistol and rifle used on the show had quirks that the competitors had to log into memory: “You needed to know the dope on each gun. One rifle, for example, shot 6″ low at 100 yards, while one of the pistols shot low left. You had to recall those things or you didn’t have a chance.” A true competitor, J.J. was disappointed that he didn’t win the $100K Top Shots prize, but he said that the experience was memorable: “I walked away … empty-handed but I walked with a lot of lessons, and a lot of friends too.”
The Steel Challenge, one of the world’s premier speed-shooting events, kicked off yesterday in Piru, CA, just down the road from AccurateShooter.com’s home base. Thursday saw shooters compete in the rimfire division. The star of the day was young Ryan Leonard of Oregon City, OR. This 17-year-old pistol prodigy proved that youthful enthusiasm (and quick reflexes) CAN beat age and experience. Ryan outgunned all the big-name pros, including Glock’s Dave Sevigny, Blackhawk’s Todd Jarrett, and Smith &Wesson’s B.J. Norris.
Leonard posted the fastest score on three of the eight stages — 5 To Go, Smoke & Hope and Outer Limits — to finish in a final time of 69.76 seconds. Next fastest man was Dave Sevigny, 1.45 seconds behind. It was a brilliant showing by the 17-year-old Leonard, who claimed the Open Rimfire Championship. Congrats to the Oregon teen — we expect we’ll here more from the young shooter in the years ahead.
Finishing 5th overall, and winning the women’s open rimfire division was Jessie Abbate, now with Team Smith & Wesson. The popular shooter from Georgia was the fastest lady on seven of the eight stages in the match. Abbate’s final time of 76.90 seconds outpaced her Team S&W team-mate Kay Miculek by 11.60 seconds. In the Ladies’ iron-sight Rimfire event, the winner was Team S&W co-captain Julie Golob.
The Rimfire event is the first leg of the three-event contest that decides the Steel Master winner. The second is the iron sight centerfire pistol event shot in either the Limited or Production division. And the third is the Open pistol contest, the main event of the World Speed Shooting Championships.
Abbate is the defending Ladies’ Steel Master Champion and is a favorite to win the title again in 2010. For more info visit www.SteelChallenge.com.
Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of Shooting Sports USA magazine, has crafted a video covering the 2010 Bianchi Cup, the richest (and one of the most prestigious) handgun competitions on the planet. Lohman’s video shows all phases of the event, and you can see great performances by Doug Koenig and Jessie Abbate. Smith & Wesson’s Doug Koenig won his 12th Bianchi Cup title, while newly signed teammate Jessie Abbate topped S&W Captain Julie Golob for the Women’s Overall, giving S&W a dominant performance at this year’s tournament. Koenig won the Open Class without dropping a point, finishing with 1920-179X.
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For the 18th time, Jerry Miculek won the ICORE Open division at the Int’l Revolver Championship (IRC) held this past weekend at the Hogue Range in San Luis Obispo, CA. Some 220 wheelgunners from around the world participated in the match, but none shot better than Miculek, a living legend.
“There are hardly enough accolades to accurately depict how good Jerry is with a revolver. Year after year, without fail, he demonstrates what it means to be the best in the world and ICORE is honored to once again, and for the 18th time, name him our IRC champion,” said Art Leach of ICORE.
Miculek’s total 2010 winning time of 225.56 was over 35 seconds faster than his nearest competitor, Neil Hogue, who finished with a final time of 260.59. John Bagakis shot a great match to win the Limited division with a 267.75, the seventh best time among ALL competitors. Craig Buckland took the newly-created “Retro Revolver” division with a 349.00 time. The “Retro” division — new for the 2010 IRC — is limited to six-shot revolvers reloaded with speed-loaders. In Open and Limited divisions, shooters can use 8-round revolvers with moon clips.
Down to the Wire in Women’s Open Division
In an exciting finish to the women’s Open division match, Team Smith & Wesson Captain Julie Golob came from behind on the final stage, to win her second straight Open title with a 404.59 total time. The final “Standards” stage consists of targets as far out as 50 yards. Shooters must put six rounds into a four inch X-Ring to avoid time penalties, making the stage the “make or break” point in the match.
Golob trailed 13-year-old revolver prodigy Janae Sarabia throughout the match but Golob took the lead on the final stage where accuracy is paramount. Claiming second was Flora Yang who won the all-important final stage and posted a final time of 413.87. After losing the lead on the last stage, Sarabia finished third in women’s Open, still a remarkable feat for a 13-year-old! Janae’s final time of 417.83 secured the Junior Open title, giving Team S&W its third title in the division.
We congratulate all the ICORE winners, but want to give special praise to up-and-comer Janae Sarabia of Lompoc, California. She showed remarkable skill and poise shooting against seasoned pros twice her age. Janae said: “I was pretty happy with how I shot the match. I’ve been improving all year long and and feel a big sense of accomplishment taking third and ecstatic that I finished as the top junior.” It’s great to see juniors experience this kind of success. Jenae’s performance is an inspiration for other young girls getting involved in the shooting sports. Young Miss Sarabia is a rising star.
There has been a trend to ever-lighter handgun frame construction, in an effort to make pistols lighter and more convenient to carry. Ruger just introduced the LCR 357, a .357 Magnum carry revolver with a frame made, in part, from plastic. Well, perhaps weight reduction efforts have gone too far, at least when it comes to magnum chamberings in handguns.
A Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum model 329 PD revolver recently broke in half while shooting Winchester factory ammo. The whole front end of the gun sheared off forward of the cylinder. Cause of the failure is unknown, but it does not appear that the barrel was obstructed, as there was no visible damage to the barrel assembly forward of the frame. We really don’t know why this revolver broke in half, though some observers speculated there may have been hairline fractures in the frame. That’s just a guess. It’s also possible that the factory ammo was over-charged. The pictures below were posted by the gun owner on Photobucket and first linked on AR15.com.
Scandium Alloy Frames
The model 329 PD has a “Scandium AirLite” frame, which is in fact an alloy of aluminum and scandium. When combined with aluminum, scandium (which costs ten times as much as gold by weight), forms an alloy that is lighter than titanium and as much as three times stronger than ordinary aluminum. Apparently however, there can be problems with scandium construction… as the photos reveal. Last year, Smith & Wesson recalled 270 limited-edition Performance Center m329 revolvers because barrel assembly may have caused frame damage. The model 329 PD shown in this article was NOT one of the recalled Performance Center guns.
Make My Magnum from Steel… The Smith & Wesson model 329 PD weighs only 25.1 ounces total, unloaded. Why one would want to shoot “full-house”, high-pressure loads through such a light gun puzzles this Editor. For a carry gun, lower-pressure .44 Special loads seem more appropriate. Smith & Wesson makes a variety of heavier, all-steel handguns chambered in .44 Magnum. If I was to shoot a steady diet of full-power .44 Magnum loads through a revolver, give me a gun with a solid steel frame, such as the classic S&W model 29. After seeing these shocking kaboom photos, when shooting true Magnum loads through a Scandium-framed revolver I would nervously ask myself the question famously posed by Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry: “Do I feel lucky?”.
Want to become a pro shooter? Here’s your chance. Smith & Wesson is now soliciting new shooters interested in joining Team Smith & Wesson for the 2010-2011 competitive season. Applications, which will be accepted until April 30, 2010, are available online at Champions.smith-wesson.com. The selection process is open to all shooters interested in becoming a part of a winning team. You must have the “right stuff” of course.
To evaluate each applicant, Smith & Wesson has developed a cumulative point system to award sponsorships to prospective S&W Team members. Selection criteria includes, but is not limited to, match level, performance, experience and exposure. Over the course of last year’s season, the 20 members of Team Smith & Wesson won a total of 28 state, 31 regional, 9 national, 5 international and 18 world championship titles.
Julie Goloski — Captain of Team Smith & Wesson Womens’ Team.
Tom Kelly, Vice President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson states: “By becoming a member of Team Smith & Wesson, you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills in matches across the country while serving as a representative to one of the largest and most prestigious firearms manufacturers in America.” For more information regarding Team Smith & Wesson, including team member bios, match recaps and to access an application, visit www.smith-wesson.com and click on the Champions Icon on the left side of the homepage.
Smith & Wesson has launched promotions for the M&P 15 Rifle, M&P Pistol, S&W Sigma pistol, and the Walther PPS pistol. Under the Spring Load-Up offer, M&P Rifle purchasers will get five (5) free magazines from Smith & Wesson. M&P Pistol buyers will receive a $50 rebate OR two free magazines from Smith & Wesson. Likewise Sigma pistol purchasers will receive a $50 rebate OR two free magazines directly from Smith & Wesson. Finally, when a consumer purchases any new Walther PPS pistol chambered in 9mm or .40 S&W, they will receive one (1) free Walther magazine. NOTE: In states where restrictions apply 10-round magazines will be available.
Each promotion has time limits. CLICK HERE for more details. To take advantage of the mail-in rebate offers consumers must complete the rebate coupon (downloadable online) including serial number, enclose a copy of the dated sales receipt with store name and have their redemption coupon postmarked by date indicated on the coupon.
The International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE) announced that Smith & Wesson will sponsor the organization’s annual International Revolver Championships and six ICORE regionals across America.
The 19th Annual Smith & Wesson International Revolver Championships will take place June 4-6 at the Hogue Action Pistol Range in San Luis Obispo, Calif. This match is the highlight of the revolver shooting season. More than 250 top revolver shooters, from the USA as well as foreign countries, are expected to compete.
ICORE Regionals Start March 20 in Louisiana
The ICORE revolver competition season commences March 20 and 21 when the Southern Shooting Center (Thibodaux, Louisiana) hosts the Southern Regional Revolver Championship. The remaining regional matches are as follows
April 10 — 13th Annual Southwest Regional (San Luis Obispo, CA).
May 1-2 — Rocky Mountain Regional (WCFW High Plains Range, Galeton, CO).
May 2 — New England Regional (Hartford Gun Club, East Granby, CT).
July 18 — Central States Regional (Bend of the River CC, Buchanan, MI).
Sept. 26 — East Coast Regional (Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club, New Tripoli, PA).
To learn more about on ICORE’s National and Regional Championships, visit www.icore.org.
Remington Arms Co. plans to start selling handguns, perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2010. In his Shooting Wire website, Jim Shepherd has confirmed that Remington is planning to build and market handguns, including a 1911 type semi-auto pistol. Remington recently named Tom Taylor as its new Senior VP for Handgun Marketing and Products. Taylor, formerly Vice-President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson, was hired for his handgun industry expertise.
Remington May Acquire Handgun Maker
Shepherd reports that Remington is seeking to acquire an existing handgun manufacturer, although it appears that Remington’s first new pistols will be developed and produced in-house. Shepherd writes: “it has been no secret in the industry that Remington has been ‘shopping’ for a handgun company. Several names have been mentioned, but it appears the first product will be ‘organic’ coming from inside Remington, rather than via acquisition. A 1911 is in first-production testing, and may be ready for introduction at SHOT Show in January”. Shepherd cautions, however, that Remington may move back the launch of its 1911 pistol to ensure all the bugs are worked out, and that the product is 100% reliable.
Will Remington Revive Older Designs?
Though Remington is now best known for its long-guns, it does have a rich heritage of pistol-making, going all the way back to the early 1800s. In the Civil War, Remington & Son percussion revolvers were often used by Union calvarymen, many of whom preferred the Remingtons over the standard issue Model 1860 Colt revolver. Remington also produced popular semi-auto pistols in the first half of the twentieth century. Shepherd speculates that “the small, reliable Model 51 might be a candidate for a revival”. A thin, sleek design by John Pederson, the Model 51 (shown below) was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP calibers. With some updates — such as improved sights and a shorter, more compact slide and barrel — a modernized m51 design could prove a popular carry piece. No doubt Remington hopes to emulate the commercial success Ruger has achieved with its recently introduced LCP™ compact .380 ACP.
History Lesson — How Remington Arms started Legend has it that a young Eliphalet Remington II believed he could build a better gun than he could buy, and he set out to craft such a gun on his father’s forge located at Ilion Gulch, New York. In the autumn of 1816, Eliphalet entered a shooting match with his new flintlock rifle, and while he only finished second, his handmade rifle was a success. Orders for new Remington-made rifles and barrels began to accumulate from the many other contestants, and before Eliphalet left the shooting field, he was in the gun business.
Ambi-Safety Makes Sense on Carry Gun
K.C. Wins A Tough Match on Home Turf
Jessie Abbate Wins 3rd Steel Challenge
From Top Shot to the Steel Challenge
Finishing 5th overall, and winning the women’s open rimfire division was Jessie Abbate, now with Team Smith & Wesson. The popular shooter from Georgia was the fastest lady on seven of the eight stages in the match. Abbate’s final time of 76.90 seconds outpaced her Team S&W team-mate Kay Miculek by 11.60 seconds. In the Ladies’ iron-sight Rimfire event, the winner was Team S&W co-captain Julie Golob.
Chip Lohman, Managing Editor of 
For the 18th time, Jerry Miculek won the ICORE Open division at the Int’l Revolver Championship (IRC) held this past weekend at the Hogue Range in San Luis Obispo, CA. Some 220 wheelgunners from around the world participated in the match, but none shot better than Miculek, a living legend.
Golob trailed 13-year-old revolver prodigy Janae Sarabia throughout the match but Golob took the lead on the final stage where accuracy is paramount. Claiming second was Flora Yang who won the all-important final stage and posted a final time of 413.87. After losing the lead on the last stage, Sarabia finished third in women’s Open, still a remarkable feat for a 13-year-old! Janae’s final time of 417.83 secured the Junior Open title, giving Team S&W its third title in the division. 
The Smith & Wesson 
The International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE) announced that Smith & Wesson will sponsor the organization’s annual International Revolver Championships and six ICORE regionals across America.
