Self Defense

Kimber 2K11 Target

By: Massad Ayoob

A gamer’s dream or an ultra-competent nightstand gun? Or both?

Generically known as 2011s, 1911-pattern 9mm pistols with double-stack magazines are surging in popularity today. One of Kimber’s entries into that space is the new-for-2025 On Target Editors’ Choice Award-winning 2K11 Target.

This pistol has a long list of features. At first look, it’s simply striking. A bronze-colored slide (they call the hue “Coyote”) with lightening cuts, a big red fiber-optic front sight, on a businesslike black frame whose butt mounts a wide removable mag funnel. Slide cuts fore and aft are in a stylized “S” pattern that worked surprisingly well. It has a fluted and coned barrel, with the desirable dished crown. An accessory rail completes the feature list. The 2K11 ships with a 17-round magazine and two 20-rounders.

Kimber makes some excellent concealed carry guns. This is not one of them. Due to its dimensions and weight, the 2K11 Target, as the name implies, is much more suited to action pistol games, or for sitting at rest for home defense in a drawer or gun safe. In the latter application, the flared mag well (almost an inch and a half wide) lifts the lower side of the grip up off a flat surface, making it faster and surer to pick up in a hurry. That same mag well, of course, speeds reloads.

From this angle, we see the tool-free full-length guide rod, a fluted bull barrel with 5R rifling and a substantial dished crown, a bright-red TAG Precision FiberLok 2 fiber-optic front sight, slide lightning cuts, and effective “S” pattern cocking serrations. While a race gun at heart, the Picatinny accessory rail lends the 2K11 Target to pulling double duty as a nightstand gun.

On the Range

A sweet trigger pull has long been a main reason for buying a 1911-pattern pistol, and Kimber’s have historically had nice triggers. This one did not disappoint. The pull weight of the flat-faced, skeletonized bronze trigger, measured on a Lyman digital gauge, went three and three-quarter pounds, 3.78 to be specific. The reset was short and crisp, and the trigger break was clean. In summary, an excellent trigger pull for a target pistol.

The large removable mag funnel speeds reloads and lifts the gun slightly from a flat surface for fast pickup from a drawer or safe. Checkering on the aluminum grip module struck a perfect compromise between grip traction and comfort for heavy firing schedules. The pistol’s one 17- and two 20-round magazines both easily loaded to full capacity, and when full, easily and positively locked into place with the slide forward.

Accuracy

The accuracy-testing protocol is five-shot groups from a Caldwell Matrix rest on a concrete table, measured once for all five and again for the best three, which extensive testing has proved factors out enough unnoticed human error to get a close approximation of what all five would have done from a machine rest. Distance is the long-standard 25 yards.

I tested the Kimber with Trijicon’s new green-dot RMR (www.trijicon.com) and with two proven brands of ammunition in the three most popular 9mm bullet weights. Remington-UMC 115-grain ball delivered 4.05″ for all five shots, with the best three in 3.00″. At the other end of the weight scale, 147-grain subsonic, in this case Federal HST +P with a jacketed hollow-point projectile, proved more accurate, with 3.00″ overall and 1.65″ for the best three.

However, the star of the show was the American Eagle 124-grain full-metal jacket. All five shots were clustered in barely over an inch and a half, 1.55”, and the best three were under an inch, 0.90″ to be exact. All the groups shot early in the testing, before the pistol was sighted in, went a bit left. Fortunately, the RMR is adjustable, and that was an easy fix.

The ambidextrous thumb safety came perfectly adjusted from the factory, with easy and positive on and off operation. An extended mag release button and a light, crisp, flat-faced trigger are part of the package. The 2K11 ships with an optics cover plate that doubles as an adjustable rear sight, as well as a C&H Precision RMR optic adapter plate.

The Test Team Speaks

David Rodgers, a competitive shooter, said, “Overall, I’ve already told several people it’s a gamer’s dream. It was just amazing how fast I could run it accurately. I was able to hit the upper A-zone from every shooting position from four to fifteen yards. Very accurate. Worth the money!”

Gail Pepin, a former state and regional IDPA champion, said “The slide was very easy to rack. It’s a heavy gun with very little recoil. The big magazine well made fast reloads very easy. I’d like to shoot it in a match!”

Kevin Williams is a retired lawman and rangemaster from a large police department, and a champion shooter. True to form, he shot it like a champ, quickly sweeping down plate racks. Kevin remarked, “The slide tracks smoothly with very little muzzle rise. The trigger is quite good. I like it!”

The 2K11 Target did its best work from the bench with American Eagle 124 grain FMJ, printing this 1.55” five-shot group at 25 yards, with the best three landing in 0.90 inches. This group was printed early in testing, before the RMR was dialed in, hence the off-center shot cluster.

Summary

If you think the “2K” designation indicates the price, you’re optimistic. Suggested retail is $2,699. This is actually very competitive in the 2011 market today. The Kimber 2K11 is a fun gun. We all enjoyed heck out of shooting it. We think you will, too. See it at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Kimber; Tel.: (888) 243-4522; E-mail: [email protected]; Web: www.kimberamerica.com