The new hammer on the SIS is touted as shortening locktime and improving accuracy, but it is rather small and angled such that there is not a lot of space on top when it is down. This makes thumb-cocking the SIS rather difficult. I'd argue that it is not a gun for carrying in Condition Two.

The black laminated wood grip panels are attractive and comfortable. The front edges, sweeping down and back, are stippled, whereas the top, rear, and bottom are smooth. They provide adequate friction for a good, secure hold but do not catch on clothing. Grip is enhanced by 30-lpi checkering that provides purchase without abrading the skin during firing.

Other features include a solid aluminum trigger, raised pad on the beavertail grip safety to ensure activation, and a flat-top slide.

An Enhanced Classic
The Gold Combat II from Kimber's Custom Shop represents the top of the line in the company's tactical pistols. This year's guns have been tweaked to keep them on the leading edge of feature-packed defensive pistols. New this year are a serrated topstrap, fine cocking serrations, redesigned night sights, a deep-crowned bushingless barrel, micarta grip panels, and 24-lpi frontstrap checkering.

The serrations in the topstrap break up reflected glare in bright sunlight. I tested the benefit against the flat-but-ungrooved topstrap of the SIS and found it was difficult to generate problematic glare with either pistol, but at the angles at which it was possible, the Gold Combat II offered an advantage.

The cocking serrations are a series of fine grooves cut at an angle at the front and rear of the slide. They provide excellent purchase for racking the slide and give the gun a handsome, no-nonsense look.

The tritium rear sight is redesigned to allow it to be used for racking the slide. However, the design is a bit of a compromise; the front face is not as steeply angled as the unit on the SIS, and it isn't quite as efficient for that use.

The deeply crowned barrel is a comfort to anyone who makes the kind of investment required of a Gold Combat II, and it's good to know that the rifling is well protected. The barrel itself is of a thick, bull configuration. It has no bushing and locks up tight to the slide.

The herringbone-pattern micarta grip panels are attractive and functional. The pattern seems as effective as typical checkering but is more distinctive. Together with 24-lpi checkering on the frontstrap, the combination offers good purchase. This is greatly enhanced by the extreme undercutting of the trigger guard. The top of the grip frame beneath the guard has been made as narrow as possible to afford the best, most comfortable grip imaginable on a full-size .45 ACP-caliber M1911.

Additional Gold Combat II features include a full-length guide rod and a beveled magazine well.

Two For The Show
I took both pistols to the shooting range used by the Marietta, Georgia, Police Department. The 138-person force is charged with protecting the sizable industrial city just west of Atlanta. Officers and firearm instructors handled the new Kimbers and had favorable opinions of both models.